*clicks for discussion*
Really interesting discussion here covering many of the feelings I've had since choosing my A-Levels when I was 16.

I'm 25 now, and it's ONLY now that I know what I would love to do. I've attempted two degrees - English Literature and Business Studies - and couldn't get through either... mainly because my heart wasn't in them. I'm "bright" as my parents say, but if I don't want to do something then it's almost impossible to motivate myself. I also had a major issue with the university timetable. I think I'd rather do an intensive course rather than being on "holiday" for 6 months of every year - unable to pursue a job and unable to really get stuck into the course. Furthermore, I was completely ambushed by the mammoth gap between the spoon-fed A-level work and the individual slog of the degree, particularly with the English degree.

But when I was 16 I didn't know what I wanted to do, so I chose the three subjects that I liked the most. They were basically the best of an alright bunch and I certainly wasn't confident enough to leave my friends at school.

When you start A-levels you're then almost immediately deciding what degree to study. There was no other option from home or school to look at anything other than an academic degree; and I didn't know of anything else at the time, so it wasn't like I was feeling repressed or anything. With hindsight, if I could go back I would do everything differently.

However - if it wasn't for doing (a bit of) my business degree, I wouldn't be in the job I am in now. I've really enjoyed my last few years in this role and it's through this that I've really discovered myself and what I want to do. I'm also glad that my parents were so insistant on me getting a degree - if they'd left me to my own devices I would probably be pulling pints in the music venues of London (I still do this, but for fun now! And beer money).

So, my advice to any 16/18 year olds out there:

- You can do anything, so pursue what you enjoy. Having watched these young people programs like Skins it is painfully obvious that 16-18 year olds are far more aware of the outside world than I was at that age.

- There's nothing wrong with a degree, but use some of that spare time to do something worthwhile that you really enjoy, and that might help you gain employment after you leave uni. A 2:2 with an extra module in propping up the student bar won't really stand you out from the crowd.

- Don't be afraid to apply for competitive jobs or for jobs that require something that you don't necessarily have. A lot of applications for competitve roles are immediately dismissed for stupid reasons like having poor spelling or a generic covering letter. It it's a cool company then loads of people just send their CVs in aimlessly - it's these people who aren't really considered. If you have a clear and focussed application it's surprising how far you'll go in an interview process. Get help from friends, relatives and recruitment companies to make your CV really effective.

- It's never too late to learn something new!

And so endeth the lesson. :)
(perfectrhys come find me on PS3., Wed 2 Jul 2008, 12:08, Reply)