More than half of UK university graduates report some level of regret about their degree choice. Not because they weren’t clever enough. Not because they didn’t work hard enough. But because nobody gave them an honest conversation before they committed.
That’s a startling statistic. And it has real consequences — financially, emotionally and professionally. A three or four year degree in the UK now costs upwards of £27,000 in tuition fees alone, before living costs, accommodation and everything else. That’s a significant commitment to make based on a glossy prospectus and a curated open day.
The reasons are consistent and well documented. Students choose degrees based on the subject they enjoyed at A-level without understanding what studying it at university actually involves. They pick universities based on rankings or reputation without understanding the culture, workload or campus reality. They follow friends, parental expectations or careers advisers who are often a generation removed from the experience.
What they almost never get is a genuine, unfiltered conversation with someone already studying their chosen course at their chosen university. Someone who can tell them what the lectures are actually like, whether the graduate prospects are as good as the prospectus suggests, whether they’d make the same choice again.
There is a significant gap between the information universities provide about their courses and the reality students experience when they arrive. Open days are marketing events. Prospectuses are designed to attract applications. Student social media content is curated. Even the most well-intentioned teacher or careers adviser can only tell a student what they know from their own experience — which may be decades out of date.
The students who navigate this well are not necessarily the most academically gifted. They are the ones with access to informal networks — an older sibling at university, a parent with connections, a friend who studied the same subject. These students can ask the real questions and get honest answers. Students without those networks are left guessing.
The good news is that the solution is simple. Before you commit to a degree, speak to someone already doing it. Not an admissions tutor. Not a careers adviser. Someone who is currently in their second or third year of your chosen course, at the university you’re considering, who has no reason to tell you anything other than the truth.
The questions worth asking are the ones you can’t find on any website. What is the workload actually like? Is the social life as good as it looks on Instagram? Would you choose the same university and course again if you could go back? What do you wish you’d known before you started?
One honest conversation — even thirty minutes — can fundamentally change the decision a student makes. And in most cases, it doesn’t change their mind entirely. It gives them the confidence to commit to a choice they’ve properly pressure-tested. That’s not a small thing when the alternative is three years of doubt and £27,000 of debt.
Already Doing It is a UK platform that connects sixth form students with vetted, trained university students and graduates for honest 1:1 video sessions before they choose their degree. Students choose their own mentor based on their specific subject and university interests, book a 30-minute session directly, and have the kind of conversation that makes a real difference.
Every mentor on the platform has been identity verified, completed safeguarding training and is committed to sharing what they genuinely wish they’d known — not what sounds good. Sessions are student-led, unscripted and completely independent of any university.
Early feedback from Already Doing It sessions shows a significant increase in student confidence in their university choices. Students consistently report feeling more certain, more informed and better prepared after a single session.
52% of graduates regretting their degree is not inevitable. It is a predictable consequence of making high-stakes decisions without access to honest information. The fix is not a better prospectus or a more impressive open day. It is a genuine conversation with someone already living the experience you’re considering.
If you are a sixth former making university decisions, or a parent supporting one, visit alreadydoingit.co.uk to find a mentor studying your chosen subject at your chosen university. It takes five minutes to book and could change everything.
© 2026 Already Doing It Ltd. All rights reserved. The information on this site is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional career or admissions advice. Insider Sessions and Our Insider Guides reflect perspectives; always verify specific course details, entry requirements, and module lists with the official University Prospectus before applying.