Do I listen to my mother? Should I stick with it?

So I’m 19, I live in the UK and finished mandatory education last year. 3 months before I finished it I applied to the police and it’s been quite a slow process but I’m currently at the final step which is vetting. Though this will take a while and I haven’t actually been given the form yet due to recruitment delays.

Anyways, I also have an unconditional offer to study Global Politics and International Relations at a University. I’ve always loved politics so I was quite chuffed to hear about this.

Thing is I’ve always wanted to be a police officer and applied 2 weeks after my 18th birthday thinking this will be a career but these delays have really made me reflect if this is the right decision at this time of my life. I’ve read many people’s inputs and they all conclude with applying at this age will be bad for me.

Life Experince, emotional resilience, self confidence all of these things have been raised as something which a person my age doesn’t exactly have at the moment, though I disagree there was a moment where I thought maybe they’re right.

In the recruitment process a part of it is a roleplay scenario, a dispute to see how you do. I didn’t do very well, I didn’t exactly know how to solve it, I froze. This leads me to think if I was a bit older and knew more about life would I have done better? That little 10 minute scenario made me think this might not be for me right now.

Then there’s my mother, who insists I stick with this. She says you’ve made it so far why back out now? (She does have a fair point) and what will I do in university? “30k in debt, job markets are terrible and a degree which won’t get you anywhere, what will you do? Become a politician?”

In a way that resonated with me, she didn’t say that because she wants to put me down but because she thinks this is the best career, she’s a realist and in a society where there’s more degree holders than high paying jobs she isn’t wrong. With the route I applied I’d have a secure career, good money, a qualification at the end. In a way when you put it like that it seems great. However, I’m starting to think I’m rushing myself into something which I’m no longer 100% about.

I’m not sure what to do, I have until may 6th to accept the offer before it expires and I don’t know if my vetting will be done by then. What shall I do? I seek your wisdom.