Should I go university next year or get an apprenticeship

Hi Confusion and welcome to the form.

Only you can decide whether you want to spend many years going to University and all the costs involved. You say it as if it is a problem and not an enjoyment that you will be studying psychology. There are a great many apprenticeships available now so you will have to make your choice next year. I'm sure you will decide whether you want to go to University or do an apprenticeship whatever you do I wish you good luck.

No education is ever a waste of time. You do not have to go to university straight from school, you can go almost at any stage in your life.
However with an apprentiship, I think you would have to take this straight from school. ( I can`t say that I have ever heard of any "mature" apprentices !)
An apprentiship prepares you for a certain type of job, and it teaches you that trade. A university degree generally shows that you have the ability to learn and obtain results; but in almost all cases you have then to train for your prefered job. It is almost like a stepping -stone to your future.
You could do an apprenticeship and become qulified,work for a certain period and save some money, which may enable you to then go on to university without involving yourself in too much `education debt`.
Only you can decide what you want to do with your life. Good for you having the intelligence to ask for advice before you `jump` into un-known waters. I think you will do very well whatever you decide. Good luck.

Hi confusion, and welcome to the forum.

I tend to agree with Sapphire. I did my university degree later in life, and frankly I wouldn't have studied as hard as I did if I'd gone straight from school. Having a degree, however, doesn't train you for a job, and you will still have to undergo job specific training.

What she says about apprenticeships is true too. They traditionally provide you with a trade, however, these days a young person has to choose their apprenticeship very carefully, as some that are on offer aren't really proper apprenticeships in the old fashioned sense.

Perhaps it might be an idea to do some research into exactly what an apprenticeship in the ICT sector could offer you, and also research what possibilites would be open to you as a psychology graduate, and find out what sort of jobs psychology graduates end up doing.

The more information you've got, the better informed your final decision will be.