What next?

You’re nearly there! This has been a long time coming but with summer approaching and exams nearly over and done with it's time to start thinking about what you can do next. There's a whole variety of career paths, university degree courses or volunteer placements out there that and we don't have the room to list them all! But do read through this section to get some great ideas of where your language can take you next...

What do I do after my A-levels?

While studying for your A-levels you probably feel like you don’t have much of a life and may be even losing the will to live, but they’ll soon be over - yippee! There’s never a right time to sort out your future but there’s always a right time to think about it and keep in mind what things will be invaluable later in life; one is definitely languages. We won’t bore you here with all the careers you can go into, the Languages Work site has all that covered but we are going to summarise just a few of your options.

University

Did you know:

”You don’t have to just study a language! This is a common myth, but you can simply do a module in a foreign language and you’ve got the chance to start a whole new language from scratch.”

A language degree or having languages as part of your degree are so useful. Studying languages teaches you all these skills that employers look for; analytical mind, good thought process, amazing memory capacity, fantastic cultural and intercultural awareness, good with communication, great team player...and these are just a few.

You don’t have to just study a language! This is a common myth, but you can simply do a module in a foreign language and you’ve got the chance to start a whole new language from scratch. Of course, you can take a language as your main degree subject or combine it with another subject altogether! More details can be found on our Studying Languages at university website.

Don’t just take our word for it though, check out the videos on this website made by students for students to tell you the inside story into what studying languages is really like and how awesome uni life really is.

Employment

Fact:

”Having a language opens every door to your future possibilities.”

You may be thinking about going straight into employment, but that’s no reason for your language learning to stop. We’ve been going on and on about how valuable language skills are to employers so you know all that, but just think of all the places you can travel to and work with a language - you’ll definitely put yourself ahead of the rest!

Continue your language at an evening course or travel to the country to brush up while living like a local!

Having a language opens every door to your future possibilities. You’re not confined to working in one country but instead can do so much more! Plus, it’s easier to teach business to a language person than it is to teach a language to a businessman.

Travelling / volunteering abroad

Got the travelling bug? You’ll already know how essential languages are for integrating in a culture and getting the most out of your experience. Although being in the country isn’t essential to learning a language; it’s brilliant for being surrounded and immersed into the local way of life. It’s also very handy for getting yourself out of some weird and wonderful situations you never imagined you’d get yourself in! Just don’t forget about learning languages, the wonderful places they can take you and the outstanding opportunities they can give you. 

Off to uni?

There's no doubt that the next few weeks will be a rush with plenty of things that need doing in order to be ready for the big moving day to uni in a couple of months time. Uni is a big change - you’re most probably moving away, flying the nest and leaving old friends behind for the first time. But it’s also a really exciting and unbelievably fantastic opportunity - after a few weeks you’ll be having such an amazing time that you’ll wish it lasts forever.

So with the summer just around the corner, what can you do to prepare for going to university?

Have fun!

Don't think about your exam results until it’s the day they’re given out. There’s nothing that you can do - so just enjoy your summer holiday, we know you’ve done great anyway!

Lingo!

Try not to let your language slip out of your mind now that your A-levels are over. It is really important to keep going over things every few days just so that you are on the ball when uni starts and not fretting in the first few classes thinking that everyone is better than you.

If you are going to be learning a new language from scratch when you start university then why not plan a trip to a country where the language is spoken? Get a feel for the language first hand, experience their culture and way of life- this will stand you in good stead for when uni starts.

If you’re carrying on an A-level language then use it! You’re capable and confident at speaking, using and manipulating the language and you can easily immerse yourself into a different society for a few weeks. Going abroad will help give you the buzz and a quick insight into what your year abroad will be like in year 3.

What to take to uni?

Be organised with buying things you need for uni - don’t over buy or waste money on expensive items. Check out what your uni accommodation will provide so as to not buy it. Practice cooking for yourself or for a group of friends; eating pizza and takeaways all the time may be fun and the easy option but it’s definitely not healthy. Practice using a washing machine, and other domestic appliances that perhaps you’ve never used before.

You can find loads more advice and stories of what uni is really like on our Studying Languages at university website.