What are the Options?
The main options are:
- University
- Higher or Degree Apprenticeships
- Work
- Gap year (to travel or earn money)
We recommend you have more than one option (e.g. you can secure a University place whilst looking for a degree apprenticeship and then decide what you want to do on A Level results day).
Everyone is different, but the principle that the higher grades you get at A Level/BTEC the more chances you have in life, applied to everyone.
University:
| Pros | Cons |
| Degrees often lead to higher paid jobs. | High student debts for the future. |
| Develop transferable skills such as critical thinking, research, and problem-solving. | Lots of self-guided studying. |
| It can lead into research as well as jobs. | May be hard to get a job. |
Apprenticeships:
| Pros | Cons |
| Paid to get higher/degree qualifications (and no student loan debt). | Takes longer to get the qualification. |
| Gain experience as well as qualifications. | Not available for all jobs (e.g. doctor, dentist). |
| Opportunities to try different roles. | Can be extremely competitive to secure an apprenticeship. |
Work:
| Pros | Cons |
| Focus on a career straight away. | Tends to be for lower or middle-paid jobs. |
| Get paid a full working wage/salary. | Little chance to try a range of roles. |
| It can lead to training opportunities for promotion. | Lose out on university social life. |
Research beyond your subjects and future careers:
Finding your passions in both your academic interests and in jobs for life is vital in Year 12 and 13.
Academic passions may be a narrow topic within an A Level or BTEC subject that you were so interested in you:
- Researched it
- Read papers on it
- Watched documentaries about it
- Considered studying this at university
- plan to work in the field later in life
Job passions may be a range of jobs or companies that you have become interested in that may need similar skills, qualifications and experience that you have:
- Researched them
- Read articles about them
- Watched documentaries about them
- Considered applying for an apprenticeship
- Started to create a network of people already working in them
When it comes to writing your personal statement for university and your CV and draft cover letters for jobs, using examples of both academic and job passions will be vital.