Choosing the course you want to study at university will be different for everyone! Some students will know exactly what course they want to study and where they want to study, some might know roughly the subject area but haven’t thought in any more detail and some might not have a clue! It can seem like quite a daunting process, this is a course you will commit to studying for three years and there is a good chance that you could get a job in that subject area after you graduate. This blog aims to help you think about the process you may go through to help you pick a course you would like to study!
Some questions that you may want to consider when picking a course could include:
- What do you enjoy?
- What are you good at?
- Is there a career that you would like to explore?
- Will you enjoy studying this subject for three years + at university?
Other ways you may wish to narrow down your choices could be if you have considered a number of different careers, try to arrange a visit or some volunteer work related to those careers, it gives you a chance to see what that career might look like and also would look good on university applications or in your CV. For example, I had considered careers in Speech Therapy, Forensic Linguistics and teaching so I shadowed a speech therapist in an open clinic for a day, I volunteered in a primary school, Forensic Linguistics was a little harder so I spent time reading around the subject and spent time looking at different cases where forensic linguistics had been used. After I had looked at all three, I still wasn’t completely sure so a degree in Linguistics and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages would be an ideal opportunity for me to gain knowledge around all those areas and explore them further.
The same course can vary between different universities so keep this in mind when looking at prospectuses and attending Open Days, look at:
- The facilities available – the quality, how often will you be able to use them etc.
- The extra curricular opportunities e.g. trips
- Opportunities offered in addition to the course (short courses, research etc.)
- Is the course accredited?
- The modules available
- Assessments – is it just coursework? Just exams? A mix of both? Which would you prefer?
- How do the lecturers, students and university make you feel?
- Where and what can you see yourself studying?
- Entry requirements
Thanks for reading – Niamh (Graduate Ambassador)