The Student Room Group

has anyone here ever dropped out of university then reapplied the following year?

I'm in my first year at Glasgow and finding it really difficult.

I suffer from depression, was put on prozac at the beginning of last year and before I moved to university my dosage was upped. I had very little to no counselling and that I did have was mediocre, so I came to university still very much ladled with my "problems" but convinced that a new start miles from home (I'm from the south east of England, about as far away as you can get without leaving the country) was the best thing for me and everything that was getting me down would disappear.

Obviously, this hasn't been the case. I'm extremely shy and, because I've had bad experience with friends in the past, struggle to talk to new people, make friends, etc. I feel increasingly distant from the people I have spoken to since I've moved up here and spend a lot of time in my room sleeping or sitting on the internet, crying or talking to my family on the phone.

In terms of study, I'm not really finding it that difficult. If anything, any academic struggles I'm having are because my sleep patterns are ridiculously ****ed and I literally can't get out of bed in the morning, so often miss my alarm and end up missing my earlier lectures/tutorials. But, that aside, university is going OK and I'm making reasonable progress.

I've just had another mini-breakdown type episode where I can't stop crying, my breathing goes to crap, etc, and called my dad and talked to him for a bit. Although I've been toying with the idea for a while (never seriously), tonight I've began to seriously think about dropping out of university, getting help (ie. counselling, review of my medication) and reapplying for entry next year. Has anybody else had any experience of this? I'd really like to know if you have, I'm feeling like a complete failure right now.
Reply 1
I've not had experience...but there is someone in my flat who dropped out of uni and came back the next year
Reply 2

I can't help with the dropping out and coming back part, but i'm feeling very similar to you at the moment. I came off my antidepressants after four and a half years on mine and for awhile i was ok. Then i began to get anxiety attacks at home. My boyfriend has gone to uni in Sheffield and i'm in Southampton at uni so i thought it was related to that. I also thought it was related to being at home but now i'm at uni i'm still having anxiety attacks. So bad that i was taken to A+E last week. I've only been at uni properly a week so its not really affecting my work yet, but i'm considering leaving as well as i'm just not coping with life (although i'm getting better). This is my second year, and i'm lucky to have some supportive friends (one in particular) and if it wasn't for her i would have left already.

You really need to talk to someone impartial about this. I know for me i've phoned my mum and boyfriend crying in desperation because i just can't take feeling like this. I'm waking up at 6am every morning in a panic even though there is nothing specific wrong. I've lost a stone in weight and i'm eating less than a meal a day.

There are services at the university that can help you. At Southampton they have a mentor service, which can help you with academic work and having someone to talk to. All uni's should have a counselling service which may help get to the root of the problem, and there should me a student mental health team. Talk to your tutor(s). Tell them you are having a hard time and would appreciate some support. I emailed my tutor telling her i was feeling anxious and she replied with her home number, and her mobile number and an appointment to see her despite being a busy hospital consultant. Everyone i have spoken to so far seems really eager to help me. I'm not sure they can, sometimes i feel beyond help, but i've come this far as have you, and you shouldn't give up without a fight if you can possibly help it. Thats what i've been telling myself even though it doesn't always work.

Sorry for the long post. If i can be of any help let me know.
Reply 3
i dropped out this year and am reapplying!! you're not alone! and you're certainly not a failure - like a quarter of students drop out for all kinds of reasons, and i'd say depression is a pretty damn good reason! i came off prozac a few months before starting uni - mistake? YEP. i dunno if it was just that but it certainly didnt help; i sank to a real low and had to get out of there. its not 'failing', its making a choice that's right for you. im not saying 'drop out!', im just saying if you did, people wouldnt think any less of you, and DEFINITELY wouldnt think you're a failure. why would they? they'd think you're a failure because uni didnt feel right? nuh-uh, no way. do whatever makes you happy. life's too short for being miserable! x
Reply 4
I dropped out last year and reapplied through Clearing. I'm now at Nottingham doing physics. If you read the long sticky, you'll see loads of others have dropped out and reapplied too!
Reply 5
Im going to drop-out and reapply for next year also x
Reply 6
The best thing to do is talk to the university. There are always a small amount of people in uni who will repeat a year because of problems beyond their control. Speak to the Counselling Service, or to your Personal Tutor, and they'll help you make the right decision.

If you like Glasgow, but just think you need time out, then they may well let you join the next year's intake without having to reapply.
I dropped out this year and will be applying for entry next year. Its nothing to be ashamed of, youve proved you can get into university in the first place which is further than a lot of people get, and if it isn't right for you just yet the sensible thing is to drop out and then try again. So many people waste three years being unhappy, its not worth it.
Reply 8
Don't worry about being seen as a failure, everyone else said it before.
Talk to someone at your university about it asap.

Good luck *HUGS*
Reply 9
hiya

gonna just repeat what everyone else said. don't worry about it. this is actually my third time in uni lol. had to drop out twice due to unforeseen circumstances. it helps that my other two attempts were in america, so I didn't need to mention them on my application but I'm doing computer science at Nottingham right now and its a lot easier the third time round :p:
I dropped out of glasgow in December 2003 (also my first year) for reasons pretty much identical to yours. The work was fine, I just couldn't get out of bed in the morning and I wasn't happy or adjusting well there at all. I've just started Uni again (at Dundee) this time and it couldn't be more different... it's been amazing. You probably just need some time to sort yourself out... and if taking some time out to do that is the best thing for you then do it. Don't drag it out because you feel like you'd be failing, or because you'd be letting anyone ELSE down. It's not about them, do what's right for you.
Reply 11
i cant afford to drop out of uni..well if my health was in danger i would, but if i disliked and couldnt change my course, i cant cos of the changes in the fees and i cant afford 2 gap years and losing 2 years of my life instead of one...
besides grade boundaries keep on going up so i wouldnt be able to stay in london unless i went to a less, um, shall i say respected or prestigious uni (I know it sounds snobby!) and the whole point of me takin the gap year i'm on was so i get to go to the uni i want...
I too went to Glasgow and didnt enjoy it. Ended up dropping out just before end of the year, spending a year working and reapplied last september. Im now at SOAS in London and loving it.
Reply 13
yeh SOAS is a great uni n london is fab! im not biased at all..havin lived in london my whole life! lol :biggrin:

if uni doesnt feel right, i reckon u should give it a go for a bit n talk to someone about how u feel..if u really dislike it, then change. it's not worth being unhappy and ure not a failure. do what feels right..listen to ur heart...that sounds corny i know!

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