The Strengths and Weaknesses of the UK’s Toughest Degrees For 2021

It can be a great personal achievement to get a degree, and when competing with other recent graduates in the job market, it can help. International students abroad face even greater challenges than achieving a successful degree outcome, with these recent graduates potentially competing for jobs with some of the hardest degrees in unfamiliar territories.

Below, we look at some of the hardest degrees in the UK for 2021, from social studies to biological sciences, and why they are at the top of the list. Spoiler alert: the law is one of the most difficult degrees to complete which may explain why law graduates never seem tired of reminding others what they have studied.

Law

Law is a heavy workload, and on the list of most difficult degrees, it deserves to be number one. Teaching is based on the methods of case study in law schools, meaning that real legal cases are discussed in class. You learn how to match case specifics, rulings and examinations of pre-existing laws from this.

There is a lot of study and understanding of complex cases of law, and it comes with loads of new terminology that you have not used (probably) much before. You need a great deal of focus, as a law degree’s flow and structure is fast-paced. Only so much can the brain handle!

The advantage of getting a law degree in the United Kingdom, however, is that it is internationally recognized and it opens up an infinite number of job opportunities to choose from in addition to being a lawyer. Oh, and depending on the type of law you decide to pursue, all your blood, sweat and tears might be worth the average wages of a lawyer in the UK.

Social studies

Social studies is a much wider range of subjects that includes history, political science, psychology, economics, sociology and geography, unlike rocket science, another one on our list of hardest degrees.

There is an endless number of topics to pursue, research-heavy, laden with formulas and theories. Even though only 14% of international students decide to pursue a degree in social studies, they should not feel intimidated. Among some of the most employable degrees, 74 per cent of graduates of social studies continue to work in areas that include public administration, defence, and education right after university.

Education

While education is important, it can be quite a challenge to get a degree in education! Infinite paths and fields of study and interest exist. Many educational majors often combine their degree with another field of study, which means that two different courses are planned, studied, researched and organized, which is part of the list of the hardest degrees.

Oh, and then something could dissuade even the most intellectual of us: time. Your punctuality must be on point if your educational degree takes you to teach. Classes, reports, activities related to schools. For some, a successful career may be a make or break. All the work you put in will be worth it: future educators can work to change education systems and inspire their students to fulfil their dreams.

Biological Science

Biological science covers a very very wide range of subjects, like social studies. If you know exactly what you want to study, this can be a good thing, or it can be frustrating when you’re still unsure. It will stoke your curiosity to pursue a degree in biological science, putting you with an eager bunch of cohorts, all trying to understand how the world around us works.

Are you still unsure whether biological science is right for you? Well for you, we’re not going to sugar-coat it its hours of laboratory time and ongoing research involves making it one of the hardest grades. Heaven to some, pretty tedious to others.

Languages

You can get that out of your mind right now if you expect to be fluent in a new language by the time you graduate! You might not be as fluent as you would expect, even after four years of intensely studying a language. As a child, new and unfamiliar words soak up our minds; as adults, it gets harder. You’ll need to practice, practice, practice, and probably live for some time abroad as well.

After graduation, there’s also the possibility of limited job options. It’s a high order to understand a language, literature and people, but it provides you with a lifelong skill. Languages can also open doors for you internationally, being one of the hardest grades, where they are looking for bilingual people to work in businesses.