New London Interdisciplinary School research finds four in ten students regret their choice of degree
New research from the London Interdisciplinary School (LIS) has found that 38 percent of students say they would choose a completely different course if given the opportunity to redo their undergraduate decisions.
Ahead of A-level results day, LIS says their research shows many have regrets around choosing traditional, single-subject degrees and suggest a problem-led route could prevent regrets.
With this year’s grades expected to reach near pre-pandemic levels, LIS says students have more space to make a thoughtful decision and less need to rush into a course they will later regret choosing.
LIS’ research also found that 32 percent of students chose their course based on advice from parents and/or teachers that it was a “sensible” decision and 24 percent said they selected a subject they had excelled at in school, not because they liked or were interested in the topic.
The organization says its three-year Arts & Science: Interdisciplinary Problems & Methods course offers students an alternative way to apply ideas and tools from multiple disciplines to issues such as climate change, AI ethics, and inequality, without being forced to choose a single subject.
“There are a lot of young people that want to specialise, and there are a lot of young people who don’t. At the minute, in this country, they all have to specialise,” Ed Fidoe, CEO and Co-founder of LIS, explains.
“I remember being like this at school. I started with English, Maths, and Physics for my A-levels, but ended up dropping English, my favourite subject, because I was told it wasn’t necessary for a science or engineering path. It’s a shame because it narrowed my focus too early. Students come to us at open days saying they’re doing a ‘weird’ set of A-levels, like Art, Politics, and Physics. They’re told it’s unusual, but we think it’s exciting. Those combinations create the creative thinkers we need for the future."
