Where to begin with choosing your subjects
It can be overwhelming looking at the amount of choices ahead of you at key moments in your life – which GCSES, A levels, or degree to pick, whether you should consider an apprenticeship, or even something else entirely. And while “do what you love” is always solid advice, that can still leave you needing more practical support to make those important choices..
If you have a potential career in mind (or even a number of them) then it could be a useful trick to have a look at what you need to do to get there, and work backwards. And if you’re not sure, don’t worry – why not take a look at our Career Quiz as a starting point, which will match your personality type with potential suitable careers, which can be found in the Hub.
Try our Career Quiz!
If you follow the link in your quiz results to the job(s) that interest you, you’ll be able to see which subjects (or perhaps technical qualifications) will be useful for you to study at GCSE or A level, and whether you might need to take a degree or higher apprenticeship.
If there are a number of jobs you can see yourself doing in the future, you can mix and match your subjects here to give yourself more options when it comes to applying for your next steps, and means you don’t have to decide right now.
How else can I decide what's right for me?
Even if you're searching only provides you with a few options, there are other ways to help you decide. Ask yourself:
- What have you enjoyed studying in the past?
- What have you done well at academically?
- What do you have a passion for?
- Is there a subject offered that you’re interested in, and that you’ve not been able to study before?
- Outside of the classroom, what interests you? What do you find yourself looking up or watching on YouTube?
It can be hard to reflect sometimes when you’re struggling to make a decision, but that’s okay! Take these questions to someone who knows you well and talk it out if you feel that could help.
For even more guidance, check out the UCAS Hub, which is personalised to you, and has heaps of helpful features. These include a whole section for what to study next, a search function for apprenticeships opportunities, data on what other students like you also studied at degree level, helpful FAQs, and more. You’ll also have all the tools you’ll need ready at hand if you decide a degree is the right course of action for you.