At school I was interested in many different subjects and activities. I had always been fairly strong at STEM subjects like maths and the sciences, but also enjoyed learning about different areas of the world through studying multiple languages. I loved being active and playing sport (and still do today) but also embraced creativity and artistic expression. Given all of this, narrowing down 3-4 subjects at A Level and not having a clear idea of what I wanted to do after school proved to be quite challenging. Below, I share how I ended up deciding to study Computer Science at university and what I would do differently if I were to do it all over again.
PS: I know that there many different students out there, each with their own circumstance. What I share below may not resonate with everyone but, I hope, could be insightful to those who do relate.
My journey into Computer Science
During Year 12, my strength in STEM subjects made me assume that I wanted to do some form of engineering at university. In line with this, I sought out books, courses and summer school opportunities to get more engineering experience that would form the bulk of a strong personal statement.
Unfortunately, none of these pursuits stuck. It would take me weeks to read a few pages of an electronic engineering book, and I told myself that I would complete that mechanical engineering online course but did not get very far. It was an engineering summer school at the end of Year 12 - about 3-4 months before I was meant to submit my UCAS application - that made me realise what I probably should have realised well before. I did not want to study engineering at university.
I started to panic. I was meant to start on my UCAS application soon and I still did not know what I wanted to apply for. However, eventually I stepped back and asked myself the following question.
What made me realise that engineering (of any form) was not the course I wanted to study?
The answer? I was more interested learning about the theory of why technology worked rather than just practically using tools without that theoretical understanding. This did not clarify what I wanted to study at university, but gave me something that I could lean on when making future decisions.
The next part of the story came by pure chance. I was speaking to a friend, asking him what he was thinking of studying.
“Computer Science” he said.
My response?
“What is Computer Science?”
His attempt to explain what this degree involved was enough to pique my interest and do my research. And, lo and behold, it seemed like I was looking at the course that would teach me the “theory of how fundamental technology works today”- exactly what I was looking for. I took the leap of faith and focused my UCAS application around studying Computer Science. 6 months later, I received an offer to study CS at Imperial College London, where I ended up studying for the next 4 years.
What I would tell my younger self
Looking back on this journey, it amuses me how messy it was. I stumbled upon CS almost by accident and I spent a lot of my time in Year 12 overwhelmed and confused about what was next for me after school. If I am honest with myself, I think there were some things I did well (perhaps accidentally) and some things I wish I did differently.
Pick subjects you enjoy
At A-Level, I picked Maths, Further Maths, Physics and Art (with French narrowly missing out). This decision was made by paying attention to my strengths but also acknowledging a personal desire to use my brain in different ways throughout the school week. This ended up being a very good decision that I would certainly make again if I could go back in time.
I am aware that not everyone does 4 subjects at A-Level but there is good reason for this: if you are applying for university, most degree offers only require 3 subjects. With that said, if you do decide that you want to take a fourth subject, you have the liberty of picking virtually anything you want. It can be something similar to your other 3 or something wildly different (like Art in my case). You have almost complete freedom.
Stepping back though, even if you pick 3 subjects at A-Level, focusing on where your strengths lie and what you enjoy is usually a good thing to do. The model of tailoring A-Level subjects to what you want to do post-school assumes that you know what you want to do post-school. If you do not, making thoughtful decisions on what you think you would enjoy studying at A-Level and embracing the freedom when you have it might be a place to start.
Following your curiosity ends up explaining itself
A lot of students ask me something along the lines of:
”I want to do X after school. What are the books, courses and things I should be doing outside of my school work to best prepare me for applying to X?”
While this is an important question to ask, this approach seems similar to preparing for an exam. As long as you follow all the items in a standard list of things that are “good to do”, you will be fine. The problem is that no such standard “curriculum” exists in the same way that a curriculum for an A-Level subject exists. In addition, as mentioned before, asking this question assumes that you have an idea of what “X” is for you.
Asking this question is still beneficial. Not to receive the “standard playbook” that you should follow to a T but rather to get inspiration for the kinds of resources at your disposal. What one chooses to consume, learn about and get involved in should be driven by their own curiosity, not (necessarily) because someone told them they must do so.
What piques your interest and what does not is crucial information worth paying attention to. In my example, I consumed information about engineering because I felt like I “had to” (because I thought that that is what I wanted to study at uni). The fact that this did not excite me should have been a signal to reconsider if engineering was for me (and it eventually was but the signs were there from much earlier).
Going through a journey of genuinely pursuing what you find interesting, consciously asking questions about what you learn and then learning more to answer those questions is beneficial for any student. For those who know what is next for them post-school, this approach ends up telling a powerful story of your motivation in a way that seamlessly flows from one book to another course (the kind of story that one is looking for in any kind of application). For those who do not know, discovering what lights you up will put you at a place where you can make a decision based on actual evidence and things you have tried (actually trying is the best way to know what is for you and what is not).
Being open with your post-school options
I went to an academically driven school, which made me think that studying at a top-performing UK university was the default next step after A-Levels. There is nothing wrong with this - I did end up studying at Imperial and I am very grateful for all the support I received at school during this process. However, I wish I understood more about the range of different options that were available to me.
University is not the only option after school. For example, degree apprenticeships are becoming increasingly popular, offering benefits such as industry experience from early on. If you decide that you want to go to uni but are having a hard time figuring out what you want to study, learn more about all the options available to you. Many universities in Scotland, US, etc. do not force you to pick one subject straight away (often following a major/minor structure with more flexibility around choosing contrasting electives). Some UK universities also offer such programs. There are also other universities that are quite different in fundamental structure to the traditional universities everyone has heard of (Minerva or The London Interdisciplinary School are two such examples). I will not pretend like I know a great deal about these different options, but the point is that they are there and could be considered.
Of course, how viable some of these options are for an individual depends on their personal situation (for example, finances), the support they can receive from the school environment and more. Nonetheless, being aware of these options and doing your research can be insightful (even if you default back to the same decision you were going to make at the beginning).
If you are anything like me, figuring out what you want to study at A-Levels and beyond can be tricky. It can feel like picking one thing forces you to leave something else behind that you enjoy just as much. Not only this, figuring out “what’s next” can seem like the single biggest decision you will ever have to make. And it is certainly not something to take lightly. However, one thing which I have come to learn with time (and I do not think it can be learnt apart from in hindsight) is that things change as time goes on.
Your personal situation changes. Your interests change. The world is constantly changing. What you thought was your dream may not be so perfect in reality. All you can do is make a decision based on what you think excites you and is important for the world you will be entering. Reading those books and doing those projects are all part of seeking out information that will help you decide. And things may change after you have decided, but if it makes sense for you in the current moment, it will be a decision well made. For students reading this that also feel a pressure of figuring things out, I hope that offers some sense of liberty moving forward.