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‘ broader ’ disciplinary programs , such as Sociology , Criminology , Psychology , and English , as they do not qualify you for a particular profession , unlike programs in Policing or Midwifery .
' I was questioning my degree choice because I didn ’ t feel qualified as anything at an undergraduate level . People who go to university to study midwifery graduate and are qualified as a midwife , they have gained theoretical and practical skills . People who go to university to study psychology and criminology at an undergraduate level don ’ t have a direct field to go into , they aren ’ t particularly qualified to do anything at undergraduate level , this is definitely something I found daunting .'
Staffordshire University Psychology and Criminology Graduate
It is possible to at least provisionally infer from this that students who are studying programs considered ‘ broader ’ would perhaps benefit from gaining a work experience placement or a placement year during their studies . This would allow students to gain some skills outside of academia and give them experience of the workplace – better preparing them for the job search after graduation . Indeed , many HUMSS courses ( including those offered at Keele ) offer placement programmes for precisely this reason . It is also worth noting the value of the transferable skills potentially gained through , or constituting part of the official ‘ offer ’ around , these programmes .
Mental Wellbeing
The majority of participants within this study stated that they suffered from poor mental wellbeing after graduating from university . Factors contributing towards poor mental wellbeing included unsuccessful job applications , changes in living arrangements , financial instability , comparisons made via social media , and uncertainty surrounding future career prospects .
Unemployment and job insecurity were common factors affecting most participants ’ mental wellbeing . Being unsuccessful in job applications led some participants to feel that their degree was ' worthless '. Others , who went on to pursue postgraduate study , worried about the availability of employment opportunities once they finished their degree , and wondered whether they would be good enough to pursue professional careers within fields relating to their discipline or through more generalised graduate schemes .