Teenagers are burnt out and isolated by the pressure to pick a degree that 'determines the rest of their life' — with no structured way to explore before committing

Summary

Sixth-form and secondary students are already burnt out 'not even 5 weeks into the year' because they must choose a university degree that 'will significantly affect the rest of my life' — and the fragmentation into different subjects makes the process isolating, with no shared support. They are making a life-shaping decision at 17-18 with almost no structured, low-stakes exploration of what the work is actually like. They are also left to discover critical systems by luck rather than guidance: one student laments 'my school didn't tell me about' contextual admissions and access programmes, meaning disadvantaged students silently miss advantages. Students and their parents worry about AI and industry shifts but have no practical way to investigate real work before committing years and tuition. Existing offerings — prospectuses, UCAS pages, generic 'careers advice' — hand over lists and labels, not a structured path from curiosity to tested insight. This is high-volume, emotionally charged, and unsolved, with clear willingness to pay among parents and educators who want a practical exploration tool.