University — Imperem

1. Do You Want to Go to University?

Ask yourself honestly: do you want to go, or are you just going because it’s expected?

Pros: structured path, degree as credential, new social environment, independence.
Cons: debt, cost, risk of poor fit, 3+ years before earning full salary.

Prompt: Write down: “If I don’t go, what will I lose? If I do go, what do I hope to gain?”

If you don’t go to university, you still have serious options:

Apprenticeships (tech, media, creative, business).
Work experience and portfolio projects.
Shorter qualifications (certificates, diplomas, MOOCs).
Delaying university to gather experience (gap year, internships, travel, volunteering).

Many people go later in life; this isn’t a one-shot decision.

Career preparation (job-ready skills and credentials).
Intellectual interest (studying what you enjoy).
Growth & independence (learning to live away from home, socialising, building networks).
Flexibility (ability to pivot, broad foundation).

Exercise: Rank these four from most to least important. Then assign percentages (e.g. Career 40%, Interest 30%, Growth 20%, Flexibility 10%).

List your interests (tech, music, psychology, politics, business).
Filter by A-levels (Physics, Computer Science, Music Tech). Avoid courses requiring A-level Maths.
Look at modules — does the course cover topics you’d enjoy daily?
Check career outcomes and flexibility.

Here is a comprehensive set of subject areas available across UK universities. Highlight anything that sparks interest, even slightly.

Score each subject area (1–5) to see which broad field suits you best before picking courses.

Criterion / Subject	STEM & Computing	Music & Creative Arts	Social Sciences	Humanities	Health & Allied Fields
Interest / Passion
Career Flexibility & Security
Quantitative / Technical Load
Entry Fit (with your A-levels)
Ability to Pivot / Switch Later
University Environment Fit

Subject Area	Course / Degree	Example Universities	Notes
Computing	BSc Computing, BSc Creative Computing, BSc Information Systems	Goldsmiths, Greenwich, Roehampton, Salford, Portsmouth	Applied / creative computing, less pure maths than elite CS
Games & Media Tech	Games Development, Games Technology, Digital Media Arts	Portsmouth, Staffordshire, Bournemouth, Surrey	Practical, creative, strong job market in games/media
Music Technology	BA/BSc Music Technology, Audio Engineering	York, Surrey, Leeds, City, Huddersfield, BIMM	Mix of creative and technical; leverages your Music Tech A-level
Creative Arts + Tech	BSc Sound and Music Computing, BA Creative Music Tech	Queen Mary, Falmouth, Goldsmiths	Strong hybrid of coding and music/audio
Business	BSc Business Management, ITMB (IT + Management)	Bath, Warwick, Manchester, Loughborough, Exeter	Career-oriented, flexible; often no strict maths
Psychology	BSc Psychology (BPS-accredited)	Exeter, Sussex, York, Essex, Manchester	Requires one science A-level (Physics counts)
Politics / IR	BA Politics, BA IR, BA PPE	Oxford, King’s, Bath, LSE, Warwick, York	Good if you like debate, society, policy
Liberal Arts	BA Liberal Arts	King’s, Bristol, Manchester, York, Durham	Flexible, lets you combine multiple interests
Sociology / Criminology	BA Sociology, BA Criminology	Sussex, Essex, Kent, Cardiff	Behaviour, society, policy pathways
Media / Communications	BA Media & Communication, BA Film Studies	Leeds, Goldsmiths, Cardiff, Bournemouth	Creative + analytical; broad career uses

Course	University	Special Features
BSc Creative Computing	Goldsmiths	Blend of coding + creative practice; good for tech-creative hybrid careers.
BSc Music, Sound & Technology	City, University of London	Audio engineering, production, acoustics + computing.
BSc IT Management for Business (ITMB)	Loughborough / Manchester	Programme co-designed with employers; mixes computing + management.
BSc Psychology with Economics	Essex	Decision-making, human behaviour, economic choices.
BA PPE	King’s College London	Philosophy, politics, economics joint degree; broad career and policy links.
BA Liberal Arts	Bristol	Cross-disciplinary; choose pathways from arts/social sciences.
BSc Games Technology	Portsmouth	Practical game dev, engines, strong graduate employability in games.
BA Creative Music Technology	Falmouth	Strong creative / production emphasis; practical project-led.

Choose your top 4–6 specific courses and score them against these criteria (1–5). Weight using your priorities from Section 3.

Criterion	Course A	Course B	Course C	Course D
Interest / Joy
Career Flexibility & Safety
Quantitative / Technical Load
Entry Fit (with your A-levels)
University Environment Fit
Ability to Pivot / Switch Later

Use this to score how each university option fits your lifestyle and wellbeing needs (1–5).

Personal Criterion	Option A	Option B	Option C	Option D
Distance from Home (comfort vs independence)
Campus vs City Environment
Student Community (societies, diversity, cohort size)
Accommodation & Cost of Living
Pastoral & Academic Support
Work–Life Balance
Gut Feeling (does it feel right?)

Research module lists for each shortlisted course.
Check graduate destinations and career outcomes.
Attend open days or watch virtual tours/lectures.
Talk to current students or alumni (forums, LinkedIn).
Use your gap year to build relevant skills (coding, music production, volunteering).
Set a decision milestone: final shortlist by Dec 2025, UCAS by Jan 2026.

Action: Pick one candidate course today and read its Year 1 module list. Imagine yourself doing it daily. How does it feel?