Stuck between two very different degrees

[FloridaGirl]

I am in IB1 but in the summer i shall have to make the choice of where i want to go and what i want to study.

Up till now i have always wanted to study marketing, but that was something i was just good at, liked and is what my teachers told me that i should do.

Now i have an interest in Astronomy and it is something i always just enjoyed reading about or learning about. This is why i thought of doing astrophysics, now we get to the complicated part, i did not take physics ever before in my life so that would mean i would have to do an foundation year physics, also my maths is not good enough to enter any physics course leading me to an foundation year of maths.

Now my problem is i would love to understand the criminal mind and solve crimes, its something i always found truly interesting this is why i am considering doing Criminology with Criminal Justice and Law.

I dont know which one would be best considering i take the following subjects: English HL, Dutch B HL, Geography HL, Math studies SL, Biology SL, Business & Management SL (these were all choices made due to the fact my school does not give a wide range of subject choices). I would really like to hear some of your opinions since i am truly lost.

What do you think is the most interesting to do? Why should i do it and why should i not?

And which universities are the best in the United Kingdom for it? (max my teachers think i can get is 32-36 points for entry)

And what is the difference between an Criminology with Criminal Justice and Law degree and an Criminology and Law degree?

[HiggsHunter]

I think that all of these subjects could be very interesting indeed, but to study for a career in astrophysics you would certainly need Physics HL and Maths HL, which is a big step up from Maths Studies and no Physics at all. So why not keep astronomy as your enjoyable hobby and pursue one of the other two as your profession?

Every job involves hard work, but marketing in an area concerned with pleasure (vacation travel, for example) could have more opportunities for fun and creativity than investigating the actions of criminals.

Although 32-36 points will not get you into Oxford or Cambridge, there are plenty of other UK universities offering courses in Business Studies:

http://www.thecomple...usiness+Studies

[Tony Stark]

I am in IB1 but in the summer i shall have to make the choice of where i want to go and what i want to study.

Up till now i have always wanted to study marketing, but that was something i was just good at, liked and is what my teachers told me that i should do.

Now i have an interest in Astronomy and it is something i always just enjoyed reading about or learning about. This is why i thought of doing astrophysics, now we get to the complicated part, i did not take physics ever before in my life so that would mean i would have to do an foundation year physics, also my maths is not good enough to enter any physics course leading me to an foundation year of maths.

Now my problem is i would love to understand the criminal mind and solve crimes, its something i always found truly interesting this is why i am considering doing Criminology with Criminal Justice and Law.

I dont know which one would be best considering i take the following subjects: English HL, Dutch B HL, Geography HL, Math studies SL, Biology SL, Business & Management SL (these were all choices made due to the fact my school does not give a wide range of subject choices). I would really like to hear some of your opinions since i am truly lost.

What do you think is the most interesting to do? Why should i do it and why should i not?

And which universities are the best in the United Kingdom for it? (max my teachers think i can get is 32-36 points for entry)

And what is the difference between an Criminology with Criminal Justice and Law degree and an Criminology and Law degree?

Considering you're a Studies student, I don't think you'd have the requisite level of formative-years Maths apprentissage to undertake an Astrophysics course. Besides, you'd be very surprised as to exactly how little of an Astrophysics course involves actually studying the stars compared to learning a bunch of mathematical formulae. And two foundation years is never an enticing prospect, particularly considering they wouldn't necessarily guarantee a place in the course. Oh, and Lawyers in no circumstance solve crimes, certainly not in the adversarial legal system employed in most Western nations. If you're looking at understanding criminal minds, Criminology and Psychology may be a suitable combination, as would Criminology and Forensic Science (though you don't have sufficient Chemistry and Biology background for that). It is, however, important to note that asides from academic work, the only place such a degree might lead is into law enforcement. A Criminal Psychology / Law degree might improve your employability in that regard as a detective. It seems, and apologies if I'm reading too much into this, that you have quite romantic notions as to the nature of these courses. It would serve you well to bear in mind that they're far less what you see on TV and far more dry reading and semantics.

[ChocolateDrop]

It depends on how much you really want to do astronomy. If you are certain it's going to be your passion and joy you could redo the year with different subject choices that include boths maths and physics HL. This option would less time and money spent, and would give you more time to consider your options and boost your grades. In fact doing this might open more doors than you might realise even if you decide astronomy isnt the one. I think you should do the year again apply for physics (Don't specialise too early), then do an astrophysics masters. You can go into marketing with a physics degree. One degree doesn't close another door... in most cases. to be honest it really doesn't matter what degree you achieve, it's what you do after the degree that counts. Unless it's a really specialist profession like medicine and to a degree astronomy. Good luck with your decisions.

[Arrowhead]

Criminology and Criminal Justice and the law, as Tony Stark mentioned, has very little to do with crime solving or detective-work of any sort. It is almost entirely reading of very dry, and in my honest opinion, off-putting and slightly nauseating, material, ranging from statutes to legal texts and profiles. I guarantee you that it has very little to do with the kind of things broadcast on television on criminal profiling, etc., the likes of which you see on Criminal Minds or Harry's Law. Keeping that in mind, if you'd like to give it a go and try your luck at it, then go for it.

I won't comment on Astrophysics since it is not my area of expertise and I rather leave that to the more avid science lovers on the forum.

There are numerous courses at good universities, very much within your grade boundaries, that offer business studies with a focus on marketing, which it seems as though you will enjoy quite a bit. I would look into that seriously.

The rest is up to you.

Best of luck!

Arrowhead.