Choosing what to study at uni isn’t an easy decision to make. Take it from Claire, one of our Sociology and Social Policy BA students here at London Met.

Whether it’s knowing what to have for dinner or choosing that all-important university course, Claire admits she isn’t the strongest decision-maker. But that means she’s excellently placed to advise others who are struggling to make the same critical choices about university.

Claire is available to chat to through our Unibuddy platform, so read on to find out what she has to say about deciding what to study at uni and, if you still have questions about choosing your ideal course, feel free to send her or another of our student ambassadors a message.

So, you’re thinking about university as an option for you... great!

There could be many reasons you’re considering starting a course at uni, perhaps to further your career or even to change it completely; maybe you know a degree will benefit your future choices, but you haven’t yet figured out exactly which path you’d like to take. My advice to you is don’t panic, it’s 100% normal to have all these questions swirling around your mind, so if you feel like you’re going round in circles, you’re not alone, I’ve been there!

Decisiveness is not my strong point. Often, I look at other people making decisions and think, it seems so easy for them, how do they do it?! Honestly, I struggle with deciding what to order for dinner, so I understand the difficulty of choosing a course that you will study for three or four years of your life. Here are some tips that will hopefully help make the decision a little easier for you.

Where to start when choosing a university course

A good place to start when choosing a uni course is by thinking generally about the career options that may spark your interest. Read job adverts for different roles and check which qualifications they require, or search on socials like LinkedIn for people with careers that inspire you and see what they studied. Check out websites such as Prospects that provide info on graduate career options.

Consider the course options available to you

Once you have some career options in mind, try not to limit yourself. To pick the right course for you, it is important to consider the range of options you have available; many employers will be looking for graduates with degrees in any subject. For example, if you had an interest in working in museums or galleries curating collections or planning events, there are an assortment of subjects that would get you that interview: Art and Design, English Literature, Sociology, Marketing or even Business would make ideal foundations, along with many more!

I know, I know, the last thing you need is too many options to choose from, however trust me, this is good news! Not being restricted means you can focus on choosing a course that you will truly enjoy, rather than just getting a specific qualification you need. The more engaged you are in the course, the better your grades will be and often that is more important to an employer than the subject. Okay, so you have a range of courses that will work for your possible career options, but how do you choose what you would like to study the most?

How to choose what you would like to study the most

It sounds obvious but really examine the full details of the modules on each course you’re thinking about. Does the course content match your interests? You will be writing essays or taking exams on these subjects so you’re going to want to find them exciting. Check out the reading lists and search for some of the materials – are these things you find intriguing, do you feel compelled to read and learn more? Think about how you like to study and learn; do you love writing essays but not so keen on exams, big fan of working in groups or giving presentations? You can see how each of our courses are assessed by looking at them on our course catalogue.

Also, talk to us. We know how overwhelming these decisions can be as we’ve been through them ourselves. Find a student ambassador on a similar subject and ask them any questions you have about deciding between courses.