Choosing Your Subject - All You Need To Know

Let's deal with the fallacies first...

A degree course only leads to a related career
Wrong. Some 80% of job vacancies are available to graduates in any field. Employers are looking for evidence of academic ability, initiative and determination - all qualities that are needed to obtain a degree in any subject. However, if you know what career you wish to pursue, do research whether a degree in a particular discipline would be an advantage.

Vocational courses are not marketable
Wrong. Clearly if you want to be an architect, it would be sensible to take a degree in architecture. And if you want to be a lawyer, a law degree would be helpful (although not essential). But many graduates who do take vocational degrees go on to employment in other areas - this is particularly true in the case of Law and Engineering.

A degree in a particular subject guarantees entry to a chosen career
Wrong. Employment is increasingly about the quality of the degree and, more importantly, the quality of the applicant. Success or failure in finding employment on graduation is often determined by the motivation and personality of the applicant, as well as their ability to complete an application form and sit an interview. However it is true that the majority of graduates find employment within six months of graduating.

How do I choose what to study?

The key fact to remember is this: you will spend at least 3 years on your chosen course - it must be a subject which really interests you and matches your academic abilities. Never choose a subject because your friends are, or because you think it will lead to a high salary career. Perhaps you will decide to opt for a subject you are already studying at school - many do. For example:

• English
• Economics
• Computer Science
• Latin (Classics)

Or one which is based on a school subject:

• English History
• European History
• Medieval History
• Contemporary History

Your subject might be in an area of interest which has nothing much to do with your A-Level subjects:

• Hospitality
• Engineering
• Avionics
• Forestry
• Film Studies

And then there is the possibility of a joint honours course where you study more than one subject:

• French and Drama
• Welsh and Business Studies
• Politics and Philosophy
• Latin and Maths

You could begin your search by searching the UCAS website and having a go at the Stamford test. Or you could look at Heap - Choosing Your Degree Course and University. In Chapter 1 there are suggested degree courses listed by types of career; in the next section, they are listed again by comparing them to school subjects. The final section relates them to careers groups.

Another possibility is that you would like to do a subject such as Architecture, but you don't have the right A Levels. A book such as Heap - Degree Course Offers lists alternative degrees in the same area under each subject.

If you took a Morrisby test, the report may give you some fresh ideas as well.

And don't forget to talk to people: your parents, your housemaster, your subject teachers and AR (Mrs Rogers). They can help you examine your interests and abilities and, perhaps, bring you down to earth if you are being too starry-eyed! If you are thinking of a subject which you study at school (eg Physics), or one which is closely linked (eg Astrophysics), talk to the Head of Department. Many members of staff can give expert guidance in non-school subjects.

Where do Tonbridge Boys Go?

The latest list of destinations of leavers is on the main Tonbridge website - you can find it here.

Where do graduates go?

An extremely useful resource is "What do Graduates Do?" This takes every subject area and shows statistically what happens to graduates. There's one in the careers library, so come and have a look.

What next?

Now you must think about the type of course you want to follow. This cannot be considered separately from the subject(s), so you may well come back to this area for further research.