Regrets, admissions tutors, uncertainty and the price of ignorance
😊 Welcome
With four in 10 graduates wishing they had studied something different (and one in 10 wishing they hadn’t gone to university at all), we take a look at three different techniques to check whether you are about to embark on the right choice of subject, or whether you are making a decision that you might regret later!
We also look at who makes decisions on your university application, and how they go about deciding who gets an offer, and who doesn’t.
We reflect on what a good decision actually is, and we consider the cost of education vs ignorance.
✍️ No regrets: How to choose the right subject to study at university
Nine out of 10 graduates would choose to do an undergraduate degree again if they could, with just one in 10 saying they would choose not to go to university if they had their time again.
Around half of the graduates say they’d choose the same subject.
But… four in 10 say they’d prefer to study a different subject.
This is according to recent research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London.
That’s 40% of graduates who wish they’d studied something else, and 10% of graduates who wish they hadn’t gone to university at all!
Now, I don’t want to be a scaremonger about this, and throw you all into doubt about your choices - after all, nearly 90% of graduates felt their time at university was worthwhile enough that they’d do it all over again.
But these figures are concerning enough to suggest that either there is a mismatch between what many students are expecting from their degree and what they are getting, OR students are not making fully informed decisions about their choice of course.
So, how do you go about choosing the right subject to take so that you don’t end up as one of the four in 10 who wish they’d studied something else, or worse still, one of the one in 10 who wish they hadn’t gone to university at all?
Well, I have three ideas for you that I hope might help…
🗄️ From the vault: Just who are admissions tutors anyway?
This newsletter is all about you making better university choices, and of course, making a great application.
But what of the universities? They make decisions too, and most specifically they’ll decide whether to accept your application and offer you a place!
In this article, I’ll give you a bit of insight into how universities make decisions, who makes the decisions, and the processes they use.
💡 Did You Know?
It's impossible to know for sure if you are making the very best decision for your future. There are way too many variables.
So don't get stressed and stuck trying to be 100% sure. Instead, concentrate on making a good decision.
Will the course you are choosing help move you in the right direction; towards the sort of future that you want?
If so, it's probably a decent choice!
📢 Quote of the week
“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.”
Eppie Lederer
Advice Columnist
I won't argue that taking a huge loan out to go to university is necessarily the right thing for everyone, but using your time and energy to learn, and to build new skills and knowledge, will always be a good investment.
Thanks for reading!
Jonathan
