Choosing a university degree in a subject you are passionate about is important for several reasons: - Students are more likely to work harder and perform better academically if they truly enjoy the subject matter. - Dedicating 3-4 years to a degree requires intense commitment, so choosing something you love makes the experience more enjoyable and enriching. - While employability is a concern, a degree alone does not guarantee a job; passions can be pursued through extracurricular activities that build career-relevant skills.

1. Published by The Telegraph, October 2016:
Why picking a subject you love for your degree is so important
Choosing a degree is undoubtedly a difficult task. With the daunting prospect of at least £30,000 of debt
at the end of it, many students are ultimately compelled to view university as a long-term investment. Not
only this, but upon graduation students face a fierce job market, which can steer them towards choosing a
degree that will secure them a step on a career path. However, I feel strongly that having a degree in a
subject you are enthusiastic about is worth more. Is it more vital than ever to pick a university subject that
will further your future career? Or should passion preside practicality?
Steve Jobs once said, “There is no reason not to follow your heart” and this potentially applies when
choosing your degree. If you pursue a subject you are passionate about, you are typically more likely to
work harder, complete assignments on time, and possibly leave university with a higher degree all due to
the fact that you love what to do. Furthermore, you’re potentially more inclined to further your studies
with external academic pursuits by participating in self imposed practical learning such as visiting
museums, investigating your family tree if your interested in history or dissembling computers if your
fascinated by engineering.
It is also important to remember that you are dedicating three or four whole years of your life to a single
subject or if you are embarking on a joint honors, two subjects, which will require intense commitment.
Lauren Edwards, an undergraduate student at Oxford Brookes, claims that ‘…it is advisable to do
something you love or at least like in order to be successful whilst at uni’. She also reminded me ‘…that
you have the option to change courses later on if your truly unhappy’. Essentially then, choosing a degree
based on an interest will allow you to experience university life much more fully. Enjoying the academic
work will provide you with more time to endorse your personable skills, build on your life experience and
effectively ‘make you a better person’.
Although, in my experience a frequent question asked by friends and family, once
I had embarked on a studying a subject that I love (History) is: “what are you going to do with that?” Due
to the high price we pay for a university education, many parents want to be assured that once the degree
is completed, employability prospects are good. However, this concern stems from the fact that attending
university in late twentieth century was radically different. With no tuition fees and only accommodation
costs to cover, university was possibly used to develop one’s self, both academically and personally and
was an excuse to prolong full time education rather than to establish a strong career route.
Today, doing a degree specifically for a certain career will immediately land you a job within it, is in fact
a fallacy. Sure, doing a degree that is tailored to the field of your choice is worth consideration, however
in reality the degree alone will not equal a job offer. Employers admire candidates with rich CV’s filled
with volunteering and work experience, extra curricular activities and leadership skills that solely a
degree will not necessarily provide you with. Many students with traditional degrees go on to develop
their careers once they have completed their degree by acquiring internships or apprenticeships, which
guide them in the direction of a particular career.
Ideally, everyone wants the perfect balance; a degree that will enrich your job prospects but will also
grant you a more pleasant academic experience. Ultimately, we should not rely entirely on a degree to
land you a job in your desired field. Following a subject you are dedicated to will not only boost your
academic abilities but also provide you with an enjoyable university experience that is now rather
essential when investing a vast amount of money. Nobody wants university to be a stagnant time; it
should be a prominent era of growth and development, achievable within the means of a subject you love.