

Two students debate whether you should follow your head or your heart when it comes to picking your degree

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What's the best route when picking your degree? Photograph: Alamy

Choosing what to study at university is one of the biggest decisions you'll make as a young person. So how do you decide what's right for you? Should you follow your heart and study something you're really passionate about, regardless of where it might lead you, or should you instead opt for a degree with a more secure career route? Here two students argue both sides of the debate.

'Study what you love,' says Aimee Wragg

Aimee Wragg, student blogger profile picture

Ask a student what they'd study if guaranteed their dream job and it's likely that the answer won't correspond with what they actually choose. This is often because their aspirations have been diminished by those who "know best".


But is it really worth taking an unappealing route on the basis that it could possibly increase your chance of securing a job? It's difficult to enter employment from any angle, so why not try with a subject you enjoy?

The concept of standing by what you love despite the risks is dismissed by some - namely disapproving parents and teachers - but I believe it to be more sensible than focusing solely on a job.

Having a genuine interest in something can't be faked and it's the surest way to succeed. As Steve Jobs famously said, "the only way to do great work is to love what you do".

In the long term, deciding to study the subject of your choice is generally more beneficial. Simple factors such as a person's happiness and sense of fulfilment are overlooked in this argument, even though they are largely affected by career choices. These factors aren't just based on income, either - studies have shown that there is little correlation between people's salaries and their job satisfaction.


'Be realistic' says Kerry Provenzano

Kerry Provenzano student blogger profile picture


When you study at university essentially you are making an investment: one worth up to (and sometimes over) £30,000. That's a lot of money.


So if you are naturally gifted with numbers but have a real passion for travel, opting to study geography at university might be a mistake. You may find you aren't quite sure what to do with your degree once you graduate, and find yourself knowing you're capable of the mathematical jobs you see advertised, but have no qualification to prove it.


