It now costs thousands of pounds to go to University, and students leave with a significant debt. It’s important that this money isn’t wasted.
Make sure that your degree will be a step towards your future. If you are uncertain better to wait and decide what you want to do and why, rather than rush to university.
Too many young people opt for university without any in-depth thought on why. Too often this leads on to a wasted opportunity, too late they realise it was the wrong degree for the career path they now want to follow. Others drop out as emotionally not ready, or not getting sufficient support to help with the transition from school.
After A levels, BTEC or similar, there are choices between starting full time work or study. A choice to go to university means decisions between courses, location and whether to take a year out or not.
I’ve met too many people who made the wrong choice. Too many graduates wishing they had chosen a different degree, or waited before going to university.
On some degree courses (law, medicine etc.) there is a need to specialise, we can review and discuss which options are likely to be most suitable, based on effective assessments and coaching.
A typical pre university choice is to take the highlands assessment with the Strong Interest Inventory with additional time spent to bring the results together and form ideas for what to do next or to take the more detailed Student Assessment Programme, taking the Highlands Ability Battery, MBTI Step 1 and the Strong Interest Inventory.
Assessments are taken in advance of meeting up to discuss the results and discuss suggestions for careers, with guidance on how to find out more. There is an option to include follow up coaching sessions to review the research and confirm decisions.
Ongoing mentoring is an option for your time at university – meeting up (phone or in person) 2 or 3 times a year to review progress – from study techniques (Denise spent 3 years working as a study skills tutor) to developing relevant experiences to add to your CV (work experience, volunteering, other activities).
Download the Career Coaching with Young People brochure