So often, during A Levels or shortly after A Level results are released, students become constantly bombarded with the question of: what are you going to do next. This is a very important question, and for a student who has decided to pursue the path of enrolling in a university, it basically boils down to which programme that they wish to choose. Selecting a programme is something that you should put a lot of thought into, to get right – after all, it’s a commitment of 3 years and changing to another programme can be complicated. In this article I wish to discuss some of the factors that might help you get this decision right, and also bust a very common myth that you might have.

For a start, you should research all the programmes of interest to you well. Read all the flyers, course information booklets, lookup the website and etc. Its important to know as much information about the programmes so that you can make an informed choice. If you would like more information, speak with a member of the Teaching staff or Course Coordinator from the relevant faculties. They would be able to answer all of your questions and give you the most up-to-date advice. When researching programmes, its equally important to look for a one that lines up with your abilities. If you are a student who does coursework well, however does not do as well in exams – look for a programme that has more coursework than exams. This is because you are likely to perform well if you are assessed in a way that you feel more confident in. If you ultimately wish to follow a career path that leads to a professional qualification, you should check if completing the programme of your choice leads to exemptions from the professional qualification you wish to obtain. For instance, if your goal is to become a Chartered Accountant, choosing a programme that professional bodies - such as ACCA - will grant exemptions from their professional qualification for graduates of said programme. This will shorten the time period for you to obtain the final qualification you wish to attain. These are just some general tips. If you would like to be more sure of your choice, you can also google some course reviews of existing or past graduates, or check for reviews on Youtube. There are very informative and helpful videos uploaded by youtubers about their courses and time at university in general.

If by any chance, that you do not find a programme of particular interest to you: DON’T WORRY- It’s not the end of the world. Each programme has a customized skill set that graduates would be equipped with once they graduate, while all programmes generally share a set of some common skills. This enables graduates some leeway to either change their programme if they wish, or to change their career all together. It is a very common misconception that exists that graduates can only go into a career directly related their programme subject title. This could not be further from the truth. For example, Law students would be able to work in a range of roles, from legal sector to business or banking and Business graduates can work in the tourism industry, in Government, or even Academia. The programme that you choose can limit your prospects in some ways, but it is not as much as it is commonly thought.

I hope that you find these few pointers to be helpful in reaching the decision ahead of you – and all the best of luck.