One of the questions parents ask surprisingly early in sixth form is, "Do you know what you want to study at university?"

For some young people, the answer comes easily. They may have wanted to become a doctor for as long as they can remember, or have developed a fascination with Ancient Greek history and want to study it in much greater depth. For many others, the answer is far less certain.

It's understandable why parents become anxious. University applications can seem to arrive quickly, making it easy to assume that choosing a course should happen just as quickly.

UCAS encourages students to investigate different subjects, research their options and gradually narrow down their choices over time. For many young people, choosing a university course isn't a single decision. It's the result of months of asking questions, considering new possibilities and gradually understanding what they enjoy studying most.

That changes the role parents can play. Rather than helping their child reach a decision as early as possible, they can help them ask better questions, think more broadly and make a well-informed choice when the time comes.

Many families worry if their child reaches sixth form without knowing exactly what career they want.

For some students, a clear career ambition is an excellent starting point. If your child wants to become a doctor, dentist, nurse, midwife or veterinary surgeon, checking the entry requirements early is important because these professions require specific accredited degrees.

Other careers are more flexible. Law and engineering, for example, offer different recognised pathways depending on the profession and qualification being sought. The National Careers Service, UCAS and the relevant professional body are the most reliable places to check current entry requirements rather than relying on assumptions or hearsay.

Many young people begin somewhere completely different. They simply know there's a subject they enjoy learning about more than any other and want to understand where it might lead. UCAS recognises that students arrive at university choices in different ways, and there is no expectation that everyone starts with a fully formed career plan.

Students don't all begin in the same place, so they shouldn't all follow the same route to a decision.

It's easy to imagine the process working like this:

Decision first. Research second.

For many young people, it’s the other way round.

Sixth form is often when ideas begin to evolve. Work experience, an open day, a careers fair, a chance conversation or simply hearing someone describe what they actually do for a living can all change how your child thinks about a subject.

Some of the most influential moments are impossible to plan. A family friend talking enthusiastically about their degree, another student describing a course they enjoy or someone they happen to meet socially can introduce possibilities that had never previously been considered.

Changing direction after learning something new usually shows they're becoming better informed.

Exploration isn't a delay to the decision. For many students, it's how the decision is made.

Universities offer hundreds of undergraduate degrees, yet schools can only introduce students to a relatively small number of subjects through the curriculum. As a result, many university courses simply aren't on a student's radar.

Many university courses have no direct equivalent at school. A student who enjoys English may never have considered degrees in Journalism, Marketing, Public Relations or Digital Media. Someone interested in Art might not realise there are courses in Graphic Design, Illustration or Animation. A student who enjoys Biology may never have come across degrees such as Neuroscience, Biomedical Science or Diagnostic Radiography. Until students discover subjects like these, they can't seriously consider them. This is one reason UCAS publishes its Subject Guides: to introduce students to university disciplines they may never encounter through the school curriculum.

Parents naturally spend time comparing universities, but it's usually more helpful to understand the subject first. Once your child has a clearer picture of what they want to study, comparing universities becomes much more meaningful.

Broadening your child's awareness of what's available is an important step towards making a well-informed choice.

Once your child has a shortlist, it's time to look beyond the course title. Two universities may offer a degree with exactly the same name, yet the experience of studying it can be very different.

UCAS encourages applicants to read course descriptions carefully because course content varies between universities. A Psychology degree at one university may include optional neuroscience modules, a placement year or a stronger emphasis on research methods, while another may focus more on developmental, social or clinical psychology. The title is the same, but the student experience may be quite different.

It's also worth thinking about how your child enjoys learning. Do they prefer practical work, laboratory sessions or fieldwork? Are they happiest discussing ideas in seminars or working independently? Is the course assessed mainly through coursework, examinations or a combination of both? Some students demonstrate their strengths far more effectively through one form of assessment than another.

It's not just the content that differs, the overall structure of the degree matters too. Some courses are highly structured, while others allow students to choose optional modules as they progress. Some universities offer joint honours or Liberal Arts degrees, enabling students to study more than one subject throughout their degree. There may also be opportunities to spend a year in industry or study abroad.

Resources such as Discover Uni allow families to compare official information on teaching, assessment, student satisfaction and graduate outcomes alongside university course pages.

Choosing a course isn't just about what your child hopes to become. It's also about how they'll spend the next three or four years learning.

One of the easiest traps is comparing your child with everyone else.

Friends, classmates or siblings may seem to have everything planned, but university decisions rarely develop at the same pace. Some students identify a clear direction early, while others need more time to investigate different subjects before they reach a well-informed decision.

UCAS recognises that students arrive at their university choices in different ways. Some begin with a career in mind. Others start with a favourite subject, a skill they enjoy developing or an interest they simply want to understand more deeply.

Research led by the University of Bristol, in partnership with HEPI and Advance HE, found that students make better-informed choices when they have access to reliable information and enough time to investigate their options before applying.

Rather than focusing on how quickly your child reaches a decision, focus on whether they're continuing to learn more about themselves, the subjects they're considering and the opportunities available to them.

Well-informed decisions usually come from time, information and reflection, not pressure to decide early.

So, does your child need to know what they want to study yet?

For some students, the answer will already be yes, because they've chosen a profession that requires a specific degree. For the rest, the next step is to keep exploring, asking questions and learning more about the options available to them.

The university application process moves more quickly than many families expect. While the official UCAS deadlines fall in October or January of Year 13, most schools and colleges work to earlier internal deadlines. That makes the months beforehand particularly valuable. Every conversation, open day, taster lecture, work experience placement or unexpected discovery helps your child build a clearer understanding of the options available.

As a parent, you don't need to have all the answers. One of the most valuable things you can do is encourage curiosity, create opportunities for discussion and give your child the confidence to explore their options thoughtfully before making a decision.

Ultimately, the goal isn't simply to submit a UCAS application. It's to help your child begin university confident they explored their options thoroughly, made an informed choice and are ready to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

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