Feeling under pressure to choose a career? You may be getting used to being asked what you want to do after university, which degree you plan to study or what profession interests you most. The challenge for many students is that it can often feel like you’re expected to make these decisions before you’ve even had the chance to properly explore your options.

If you’re unsure about your future career, you’re not alone; most students don’t have a clear, fixed career plan in their mid-to-late teens. But don’t worry – you don’t need to have all the answers straightaway. What matters at this stage is finding opportunities to explore different subjects, develop new skills and gain a better understanding of your interests, and one of the most effective ways to do this is through summer study programmes.

Far from simply filling a few weeks of your holiday, summer study can help you make more informed decisions about your future and give you valuable insight into potential career paths. Let’s take a look at how.

Summer study allows you to test your interests

One of the biggest benefits of a summer school is that it allows you to explore a subject in greater depth before committing to it at university. Perhaps you’re thinking about studying Law, for instance. A summer programme might introduce you to legal reasoning, debate and case analysis, which may lead you to discover that you love the intellectual challenge of this profession – or you may realise that another subject interests you more.

The same applies to every other academic field, whether it’s medicine, engineering, computer science or politics. Testing your assumptions about a subject and its associated career paths before making major academic decisions can save you time, uncertainty and stress later on.

Experience university-style learning

Many students choose degree subjects based solely on their experiences at school. However, university learning can feel very different from studying the same subject at school. Summer academic programmes give you opportunities to experience:

1. Seminar discussions
2. Independent research
3. Group projects
4. Case studies
5. Practical problem-solving

This will help you understand whether you actually enjoy learning about a subject in a university environment. For example, you may enjoy Maths at school but discover that you’re more interested in economics, data science or engineering when you start to encounter more advanced applications of quantitative thinking.

Discover careers you may never have considered

One of the most valuable aspects of summer study is that it can introduce you to careers that may not have been on your radar. The chances are that you’re only familiar with a relatively small number of professions, because they’re the careers you’ve come across through family friends or television shows. Yet there are thousands of pathways that connect to subjects such as science, technology, business, humanities and social sciences. A summer programme can expose you to:

• Industry case studies
• Guest speakers
• Academic specialists
• Practical career applications
• Emerging sectors and professions

These experiences may well help you discover opportunities you didn’t even know existed.

Develop transferable skills employers value

Even if a summer programme doesn’t directly lead you to your future career, it can still help you develop skills that will be valuable in almost any profession. These include:

• Communication
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Critical thinking
• Problem solving
• Adaptability
• Confidence

If anything, employers value these skills even more than academic achievement. In particular, the ability to work with diverse groups of people, present ideas clearly and think independently will benefit you regardless of the career path you eventually choose – and these are all skills you’ll develop on a summer study programme.

Learn more about yourself

Perhaps the most important outcome of summer study is self-discovery. University and career decisions become much easier when you understand things like:

• What motivates you
• How you like to learn
• What environments suit you
• Which challenges energise you
• What kinds of problems you enjoy solving

You may discover that you enjoy collaborative work more than independent research, for example. Or you may discover an unexpected fascination with global issues, entrepreneurship or scientific investigation. These insights into yourself can help give your career aspirations some direction and often prove much more useful than a recommendation from your school careers advisor.

Why international summer programmes can be especially valuable

Studying alongside students from different countries and backgrounds adds another dimension to your career exploration. At Oxford Royale, our academic programmes combine in-depth subject engagement with giving you the chance to experience international perspectives and university-style learning. You’ll:

• Explore academic interests and potential future careers
• Develop confidence and independence
• Meet ambitious students from around the world
• Gain exposure to different viewpoints and career aspirations

For many of our students, these conversations and experiences at a formative stage in their education play a significant role in shaping their academic and professional goals for years to come.

You don’t need a complete career plan

Career decisions aren’t likely to emerge from sitting down and trying to force yourself to choose a profession, and many successful professionals followed paths they couldn’t have predicted when they were 16 or 17 anyway. That’s why the goal of summer study isn’t necessarily to give you a definite path straightaway.

Instead, it helps you make better-informed decisions by exposing you to new ideas, subjects and possibilities. Even ruling out a career path can be helpful at this stage, because it allows you to focus your energy elsewhere. The more opportunities you have to explore subjects, challenge your assumptions and meet new people, the more confidence you’ll gain in your future choices. Summer study provides exactly that: a chance to learn more about the world, discover potential careers and get to know yourself better in the process.

FAQ

What careers can you explore through summer academic programmes?

Answer: Academic summer schools can help you explore a wide range of career paths, including medicine, law, business, engineering, computer science, psychology, politics, international relations, economics, journalism and many others. Summer programmes often provide insight into both the academic study and real-world applications of these fields.

What should students look for in a summer study programme?

Answer: You should look for programmes that offer academic depth, experienced instructors, opportunities for discussion and practical learning, exposure to university-style teaching and a supportive environment. It can also be helpful to choose programmes that connect academic subjects to potential careers and encourage personal development alongside learning.

Is summer study useful if a student is unsure about their future?

Answer: Yes. In fact, summer study can be particularly valuable for students who are undecided about their future. Exploring different subjects and learning environments can help you identify interests, strengths and potential career paths while building confidence and developing transferable skills that will be useful regardless of your eventual career choice.