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Should I drop out?
I'm nearing the end of my first year of a Politics degree at a UK university. I've been pretty miserable the whole time I've been here for various reasons - I'm not enjoying the course, my flatmates are awful, I'm very lonely and I miss home badly.
Now I'm seriously considering dropping out, going home and getting a job. I've weighed up the pros/cons of both staying at university and leaving but either way it seems I get a bad deal. I can either spend another two years completing my degree and being miserable or I can go home and accept I will struggle to find a 'good' job.
The truth is, if someone said to me I could go home tomorrow and have a decent job ready and waiting for me then I'd go in a heartbeat. Deep down I know I would be happier at home but I'm scared of ruining my future prospects.
What should I do?
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Want to answer more questions in the Work & School category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Colleges & Universities?
Doing something that you are happy doing is best. Sometimes factors beyond our control can limit the choices. Better to chose correctly at the beginning. Don't aim too high. Sometimes what we are made to believe is a good thing is really an extremely bad thing. Doing something that you are happy doing is best. Remember at the A'Level stage or what the equivalent now you learn in a more structured way. In University you would be totally self reliant on what you Learn. It is not enough to study. There are factors like a Usefull Book compared to one Which may make your understanding worse after reading it. Lectures and Lecturers can be like that too. You can't effect your lecturers and it is with the bad Lecturers that you can shine by reading usefull books. In the Exams of Good lecturers the marks are downgraded to make an even playing field as compared to the bad lecturers where marks are upgraded. So find Good books. Look up previous Exam papers to see if you can gain an advantage from those as well. Don't Give up. Find the best recommended Books on your subjects, even if they are not the official books you are told you should read but try to ensure they are highly regarded at the level of knowledge you need and cover the material. There are routes to being self employed which can be more rewarding if one choses what is of intrest to him/her self. If learning a trade is what you interested in then you can drop out of Univeresity. If you don't like the course you are on now then you can change to a subject which you studied at A'Level and this will make the subject easier especially if you take what I have said into consideration if you find that it applies. There are some Jobs one can do at home such as Internet related Jobs.
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I'm not that familiar with how the education system works in the UK, but can you transfer to a different university?
Here's the thing: sometimes you find yourself in a place that just does not agree with your sensibility. I went through this my first semester of high school (thank God my family moved) and I am going through it with where I live now. So it is important for you to find a place where the atmosphere matches your outlook.
As for just quitting education altogether, you can do that and re-enter college later if the UK system permits that (one can do that in America). But given the state of the world economy, which looks to continue to be stagnant for the next few years, foregoing a college education is unlikely to be a wise decision. Again, if you can, move to a different school. Barring that, you are just going to have to tough it out for your own good. Then once you graduate, go live overseas for a while.
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Lets cut the crap. Its 2-4 years of your life depending on your major. In the states its a bit more. Yeah it sucks right now, and yes that does seem like quite a bit of time, but in 40 years when your 60 years old and comfortably retired your going to be grateful you stuck it out and stayed in school. Your other option? Go home, get a job, and work until the day you die. Is that honestly how you want to end up? Its school. No one said its going to be easy, and it wasn't designed to be fun. Find some new room mates, take a course along with your major that actually interests you and suck it up. You'll be grateful you did in the long run
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Go home. Take a year off. Promise yourself you will spend that year working, and researching other education possibilities.
The biggest mistake young people make, in my opinion, when they consider their post-secondary education, is that they forget although education is vital, there isn't ONE single right way to go about getting it.
If you can leave school, fully aware of the credits you've got, and prepared to re-examine and return, then leave now.
In a year or two you'll know. It is harder to go back, then it is to go straight on from high school, but that is the situation you honestly find yourself in, then be honest about it, and leave the situation that is not working for you. Dedicate yourself to finding one that does work for you.
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Hi, I am probably old enough to be your grandfather; hopefully the wisdom of my age will be helpful.
Not getting a college degree means you will lose over 1.5 million pounds in earnings over your working life. That's a considerable sum of money even when broken down to a 40 year working life. That works out to about 37,500 pounds a year. (Sorry I'm writing from the U S I don't have the Pound sign.) I'm not sure what the average wage in the UK is but if that were dollars that would represent about the average earnings for the average middle class wage earner.
My advise do not look to drop out of University. There are other things to try before doing that. Your not happy with your course of study. That is understandable. Many University courses are not what they may seem to be or what you desire them to be. Find a new course of study that may be more to your liking. It may mean extending your course of study another year or staying in school and taking classes during semester holidays. Still it is better than dropping out.
Not happy with your flat mates. I'm fairly certain the UK Universities are not that much different than our Colleges. Not everyone is going to be compatible when thrown together in a living situation. Contact the University housing staff and see if they can help you with new living arrangements.
You are probably more homesick for mums cooking and any of your friends that may have stayed at home, than actually for the reasons you gave. You really don't need a good reason to drop out other than to justify to your parents why they wasted their money on this years tuition.
Thing of it is once you get home you will find out life has gone on without you. Those of your friends who did not go of to University will seem to have changed. Even the town you lived will seem to have changed. Fact is nothing at home has changed just your perspective on life has changed. Your being at University has forced you to change. To grow and mature in ways that your friends haven't. Like it or not; home may be where your heart is but home will never be the same.
You may be able to go home after University and start your career. You'll make new friends, you will keep one or two of your closest childhood friends, maybe. Mostly you will build a new life for you will have grown and matured differently than those you left behind. This is how life is.
So my advise is stop pining for what was as it no longer is. Buckle down and decide what it is you want, then go get it.
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