How to choose the right university degree — honest advice for sixth formers

Choosing a university degree is one of the most significant decisions a young person makes. It shapes the next three to four years of your life, influences your career trajectory and comes with a financial commitment that most students will be repaying for decades. Yet the process most sixth formers go through to make this decision is surprisingly limited.

This guide cuts through the generic advice and gives you a practical, honest framework for making a degree choice you won’t regret.

Step 1: Separate subject interest from degree reality

The most common mistake sixth formers make is assuming that because they enjoyed a subject at A-level, they will enjoy studying it at university. The reality is that university-level study is fundamentally different from A-level in almost every way — the depth, the independence, the teaching style, the workload and the social context are all completely different.

Before you commit to a subject, find out what studying it at degree level actually involves. Not from the university website. From someone currently doing it.

Step 2: Understand what you're actually buying

A university degree is not just a subject. It is a combination of the subject, the university, the city, the campus culture, the graduate outcomes and the specific course structure. Two students studying Psychology at different universities can have completely different experiences. The ranking tells you very little about which is right for you specifically.

Ask yourself: what does a typical week look like for a student on this course? How much contact time is there? What is the assessment structure? What do graduates from this course actually go on to do?

"The students who make the best university decisions are not always the most academic — they are the ones with access to honest conversations."
Dan Muratore
Founder, Already Doing It

Step 3: Go beyond the open day

Open days are useful but they are marketing events. The university is trying to attract applications. The student ambassadors are selected and briefed. The facilities look their best. The weather is usually good.

What you need, in addition to an open day, is an honest conversation with a student who is currently studying there and has no incentive to sell you anything. That conversation will tell you more in thirty minutes than a full open day.

Step 4: Think about graduate outcomes honestly

The question is not just whether you will enjoy the degree — it is what you will be able to do with it. Some degrees lead naturally to specific career paths. Others are valued for the skills they develop rather than the specific subject knowledge. Be honest with yourself about what you want from your degree in terms of career outcomes, not just the experience of studying it.

Step 5: Talk to someone already doing it

This is the single most valuable thing you can do before making your decision. Find someone currently studying your chosen subject at one of your target universities and ask them everything you actually want to know. Not the polished questions you’d ask on an open day. The real ones.

Already Doing It makes this easy. You can search by subject and university, browse mentor profiles and book a 30-minute honest conversation with someone already living the experience you’re considering. Visit alreadydoingit.co.uk to find your mentor.

Don't guess your future.

One honest conversation before you commit is worth more than ten open days.

Find a Mentor