A short love letter

Since it’s Valentine’s Day, I think it’s only appropriate to reflect a little on love. I’ve spoken to many people over the years who ask me what course they should study to earn the highest salaries, which is a natural consideration when the media is shouting about how tuition fees will lead to a life of beans and tap water (which they won’t by the way).

I always think back to the final days of my second undergraduate degree, which I studied part-time through the Open University. At one point, I had finished a working day at my full-time job and had to continue studying until 2am to meet a deadline. I was exhausted yet alarmingly wide eyed from caffeine and I had long passed the point of being able to form coherent sentences. However, at that moment I read something in my Psychology text book that genuinely fascinated me. Through the haze of exhaustion, I still wanted to know more. And that was the moment when I realised that I truly love learning and I knew that I had chosen the right subject to learn more about.

As the saying goes, “choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”. So, whilst I’m not really one for soppy proclamations, I do feel that it’s vitally important to reflect a little on love when choosing universities and courses. Because your degree should really be the first step towards that kind of life-long love. It may not be romantic, but it certainly helps you to get out of bed in the morning.
And no, I’m not saying that money isn’t important too. I always encourage my clients to consider likely future salaries and to make informed decisions to help maximise future earnings. But that shouldn’t be the only factor. So, as the UCAS responses come flooding in and it’s time to look at cold, hard facts, don’t forget to also factor in a little love.