Not everyone wants to go to university, and why should they? If you’ve done your A-levels, BTECs or IB, it might be that there’s a bit of pressure on you to at least consider university before an absolute ‘no’ sets in, so let’s start with a full and frank discussion about what might be putting you off. Then we’ll look at the brilliant alternatives.
Why not?
There’s nothing I want to study
Mmm. That’s a bit foxing, but is it really true? You don’t have to study your least-hated A-level. Forget traditional subjects and think laterally. Football? Horses? Food? Golf? Vikings? Military vehicles? Surfing? I’m not making it up – there are courses in each of those at university. And if you don’t want to narrow down to one or two subjects, there are courses that keep it wide open, such as liberal arts and combined honours, which are a bit more ‘pick ’n’ mix’.
I’m done with academic learning and don’t want to sit in a lecture and then do loads of prep
So pick a more vocational subject like healthcare, engineering, property, tourism or catering, so that you’re out and about in the community or in labs or workshops actually doing things. Vocational courses don’t really feel like university – they feel like learning how to do a job at a higher level, such as being a paramedic, policeman or property expert. There will be some lectures, but they’ll be relevant to your work.
It’s full of brainboxes and no one will be like me
Well, there might be some, but mostly it will be people just like you who are bright and would like a degree, but also want to experience university life with sports, socials, diversity of friends and experiences. If you look, you will find your people. And you can come back and see the dog every weekend if you want to.
I don’t want to move away from home just yet
Then don’t! Many students ‘commute’ to university and treat it like a day job while living at home. Since Covid-19, lots of learning has been put online so that you don’t have to be present for a good deal of it, and if you do an degree it’s all distance learning.
It’s too expensive
There is a cost for your tuition fees, but you don’t stump up yourself at the beginning – the government pays the university directly and then you pay it back when you can afford it once you’ve got a job after graduation. For the living expenses, everyone gets a loan on a sliding scale according to household income, and you also pay that back when you can. You could get a part-time job too if you’d like more spending money. You might like to consider a , where a company pays for you to go to university and offers you a job at the end.
I’ll have too much free time
That depends upon the degree, but if you do, then once you’ve worked out how much time you need to study, you can get a part-time job (see above) to earn money or do some more sport or volunteering. Someone I helped secure a business and marketing place at a top 10 university decided to spend her free time as a community police officer – she loved it!
I don’t like exams
Lots of courses are assessed with a high percentage of coursework or continuous assessment – some up to 100 per cent – so it’s worth investigating. Even with some very academic subjects, at good universities the assessments are done within departments based upon work you do outside an exam hall.
I said ‘NO!’
OK – there are counter-arguments for everything I’ve said, so let’s assume that university is off the cards for now. You’ve finished your sixth-form study, so what are your options?
Get a job
Good one. I like this very much, and there are many, many successful people who have worked their way to the top straight from school. Lots of companies now have strong processes that will train you as you work, but even working for a smaller firm earning money will benefit you by giving you options on how to progress.
And you don’t have to get your dream job from the start or be on a recognised scheme. People typically get jobs from other jobs – so having
any job will make you more likely to be employed by another company, simply because you’ll be more work-ready and have built up transferable skills.
Do an apprenticeship
Yes, again, very good indeed. This way you earn some money and get a qualification at the same time. The are the ones to look at after sixth form. Typically, they take about five years to complete, and at the end you have no debt and a guaranteed job. Along the way you will have had periods of study at a recognised university, either once a week or on a block basis of a few weeks’ work and a few weeks’ study.
Another place to look is at individual university websites, and the UCAS website for an .
Go travelling
This is a good way to give you some independence, and thinking space to work out what you might want to do. Make it worthwhile, though – have a plan to save some money first and then go and do something meaningful, like volunteering. There are loads of websites to give you ideas, but a good place to start is .
Do charity work
You’d be surprised how this will galvanise your thoughts. You might have to do it part-time and work to earn some money, but it will show you sides of life you never knew existed – and that is always a good thing. Here’s further information on .
You Can Do it ALL
It may be that all these ideas are attractive, so don’t forget you can apply for all of them at once – university, apprenticeships and jobs – and see which one comes out on top when you’re making your decisions.
And one final thought: lots of people decide to go to college or university after a break from education – be that one, five or even 30 years later! You might discover over time that a degree of some sort may help you, and then you can jump in when it feels right.
Anna Rogers is an independent universities adviser with over 20 years’ experience helping and guiding pupils to make excellent, effective university applications. She can be contacted via email: annalchrogers@hotmail.com, mobile: 07810 437089 or via her website: