What course should I do at university?

If you’re not sure what you want to study at university, check out these ideas to help you decide.

Choosing which course to apply for is one of the biggest decisions of your life. It will definitely determine what your next few years will be like and will probably have a big impact on the career you choose.

For example, even if you’ve narrowed down your interest to subjects related to medicine, there is still a wide choice of courses to choose from, including dentistry, veterinary science and psychology.

There are two important points to always keep in your head when deciding what to study next:

What are you interested in now?

You have to be motivated when you study for a degree as it’s really up to you how much work you do and of course, it’s easier to get stuck in to your work if you find the subject interesting. So, have a think about what you really enjoy doing at the moment and then see if there are any related courses.

What job would you like to have?

This is always a difficult question, but try to imagine what kind of career you’d like. If you think you want to be a brain surgeon, for example, then you should look at medicine degrees, if you would like to be a psychologist, research degrees in psychology.

Talk to your teachers

Often your school teachers will have a good idea of what your skills and interests are and should be able to give you advice on what course will suit you. Talk to the people who teach the subjects you enjoy - they might be able to tell you more about higher education courses and careers relating to the subject you’re interested in.

Take the Stamford Test

The Universities & Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) has developed a fun, ten-minute online test that will match your interests and skills with a suitable subject.

Related links

• Find more advice on choosing a university
• How do I apply to university?
• Picking a university
• University jargon buster
• Bachelor's degrees explained

Your shout!

How will you decide which course to do? Share your thoughts by posting a comment using the link below.