Our 17 year old son has a week to put in his choices (six?) for uni. He is unsure what he wants to do at uni, unsure even if he wants to go to uni, but we think he is better served to chose six courses and apply for them so that he has the option.
His issue is that he has no idea what he wants to do. He spoke to a friend recently who is studying law, but is now working full time whilst studying. He said if he had his time again, he would do a business degree because there are so many careers or jobs that would benefit from having a business degree.
He thought that with a business degree, in the first year, there was no need to choose which direction to head, but that one would get a taste of eight different subjects and one would hopefully "click" with one and decide to head in that direction.
The other degree I've heard about is an Arts Degree. I've heard this is the "Clayton Degree" or that it is not worth the paper it is written on. These are not my words, and I have no idea what is involved in an Arts Degree, but it seems to have a stigma of "didn't know what to do at uni... so did an Arts Degree".
I don't want him to decide not to apply, and then in five months decide he made a mistake but I'm not against him getting a job and deciding over the next year or so whether he wants to study.
We've discussed this over the weekend and jobs he has expressed some glimmer of interest in have been architect, town planner. But he really is just plucking things from the air. He also mentioned being a teacher, but again, I think he is just totally lost.
Any wise words, any advice about what he could do as a general "heading in the right direction" sort of degree.
Back in my day, I got a job in a bank, but could just have easily gone into the council, insurance company, state government. I'm guessing those "easy" jobs are not so easy without a degree these days? Do insurance companies, banks and government departments take on school leavers these days? I know they might want graduates, but what about the general back office work, telling as the entry point for these types of employers.
He isn't interested in doing plumbing or electrical apprenticeships. He is an average student, with study he could have been doing much better. He has a quick brain, but he is lazy, and my other concern is having gone through school with minimal work and almost no study, whether uni would be a huge shock to him. He has worked hard this year, but until this year, he coasted through on minimal work.
He's lost, and we don't know what to suggest to him.
I thought those here on Somersoft might have some insight into this little dilemma.
