did anyone else find university wasn't for them at the moment?

Oh, no we didn't. I think because I hadn't officially registered at the uni yet with my card that they might not have taken the fees
I'm not sure tbh. Might ask my dad later

I was studying Modern History and have now started a training course with a bank. After 2 years of training I get a finance and accounting degree


Posted from TSR Mobile

has anyone else come to this decision to drop out and to grow up or find other ways to prepare for university, or even if uni isnt right for you at all?

This is exactly how I felt I put up a calendar and I could not wait to cross off another day before I went to sleep each night. But every morning I woke up and cried because I didn't know how I was going to make it through the day. My course was a massive, massive disappointment. I really hope that you enjoy your new course better



I won't name my uni or course because I'm still in contact with them regarding a fees issue, but basically I expected to find my course interesting and the reality was I seriously did not. The majority of my modules felt completely irrelevant to the degree and I didn't feel qualified to be studying them. I didn't feel as if I had the right A-Levels because I was struggling so much to keep up, and this was literally after two lectures. The lecturers themselves were SO uninspiring and I feel like going to uni stripped away my passion for that subject. I don't feel I want to spend the rest of my life in that field now, at all.
Uni life in itself was alright I suppose, but I felt desperately lonely. My uni was a large one so I thought that there MUST be a number of people similar to me; well, if there were, I couldn't find them Our Freshers' Week was totally based around clubbing, there were basically no alternative activities. This left very few chances for more quiet people to get out and meet people. I quite liked the independence at uni, but to be honest I don't miss it that much now that I am back at home.

I also dropped out. My university was about 7 hours away in the car from my hometown which I thought would be ok until I got there, big miscalculation. I was dreading going to that university from the moment I firmed it so going into it with that mindset didn't help. When I got there it quickly became apparent that it wasn't going to work.

I felt I was obliged to go to that university because it was very high up in the league tables and chose it over somewhere where I think I would have been happier. I also chose the wrong course, and the university was accommodating about changing it when I asked.

What makes it worse is I've already had a gap year and applied twice to ucas. Being an all rounder at school I found it difficult to choose a subject that I actually wanted to do and instead chose subjects that people repeatedly told me I was good at. After withdrawing my first application to do english I had to make a decision about what I really wanted to study and made the mistake of choosing the subject I was best at, history, and not choosing the subject I actually enjoyed, geography.

It's going to be embarrassing going back to my teachers to apply for a third time but I'm going to have to bite the bullet and do it.

I still want a degree, although I don't think I make a very good student, I'm not very outgoing and I don't really enjoying going out and drinking. This didn't help when I started at my uni. These doubts make me question whether university is for me at all. I don't really have any other pathway though so university seems like the only option.

I'm angry with myself for making the wrong decisions and not making it work when I did actually get to the university, but I also knew really that it was wrong for me. Catch-22. My parents are supportive but my granddad has said he's really disappointed in me which is upsetting. Everyone I know wants to give me an often unhelpful and upsetting opinion on the matter.
I didn't make the most of my gap year last year, so I'm hoping to get a job this year and maybe do some travelling if I'm brave enough.

Moral of the story - taking time out is often best to figure out what you really want to do.

I think it ultimately comes down to the reason why you were so miserable. If it was because of the course, the university - then fair enough. If it was something more personal, then dropping out doesn't really solve the issue (as it's something you'll likely suffer from in a full-time job as well).

Hi all,

Id like to jump in here and comment on this topic if you dont mind. Sitting here, and reading a lot of negativity regarding your experiences at uni, and i completely understand how you guys feel. Im a mature, yet to be, university student, and ive just hit 40 years of age. I dont look my age and i dont feel it, but that doesnt change the info on my birth certificate, and i worry sometimes that if i successfully graduate, i want to do Law, then would all this hard work have been worthwhile, in terms of actually getting a job ?

I left school at 16 officially. Id say it was closer to 15 taking into consideration all my truancy. I was one of the lucky ones. Father had a thriving business, nice flash cars, holidays, nice home and off i was, straight into the `money`..or so i thought.
All my friends mostly did the full uni route and ended up quite successful overall. My problems started as i turned 20. From there on in, i felt completely `useless`. Like a robot, doing what the family ordered me to do, whenever it suited them. The wages were like slave labour stuff, its all fine and well driving a flash car, BUT you need the money to pay for fuel.

From 20 right up to my early 30`s, i was knocked about from pillar to post. I left working for family and moved from job to job, mainly manual labour work. Ive done jobs that you couldnt imagine. I did all of this, while knowing deep down, that i was capable of much more, if i had the bottle to stop being exploited and to make something of myself.

Now, up to 40,i sat back, thought real deep, and now with a family to support, i asked myself to dig real deep, deeper than ever, and think about my past, and seriously about the future. If i could, i would turn back the clock, to that time that felt like it was yesterday, and refuse to run about skipping school in the afternoon truanting.Id have went to all my classes, just like mates did, and studied. Id have went onto to uni and done well. BUT, time is NOT something that you can bring back from the past. Whats gone is gone never to return.

Think real deep about your future prospects, and stick in there. Dont take the knocks like i did, and im sure there are countless stories like myself out there. A university education is, without doubt, a passport to freedom in the long term. I can guarantee it will be worth it.

Luckily for me, over the years ive discovered a talent that was hidden away for so long. I love debating, politics, justice, ive become an activist for a few movements around politics. I volunteer on a radio station for live political debates, and i love arguing ( in a nice way lol ) which has now helped my decision to take my law LL.b. I also won a few legal cases in the last few years which has helped reinforce my decision to go to uni. Ive also got a successful business which keeps me going, but getting my degree is now my 100 percent focus, no matter what.

So guys please stick at it. Things sure do suck at times, and easy way out i guess is just to say f*** it, im out of here. Look ahead 10, 15, years from now, and you would have wished you had the chance to be young and back at uni, all over again.

Good luck regardless of what you decide.

You are a bit like me - you enjoy the academic side of university, but you don't like the drinking + clubbing + one night stands elements of university. I know how you feel.

hiya, i recently dropped out of university and i couldn't be happier university life wasn't what i expected it to be, and perhaps it was my fault for not looking into university as much as i should have done. i quickly realised i was out of my depth and put my studies on hold for a year.

has anyone else come to this decision to drop out and to grow up or find other ways to prepare for university, or even if uni isnt right for you at all?

It's frustrating isn't it. I tried to choose universities that I thought would be a bit more down to earth but I kind of realised wherever you go you're going to get all kinds of students. If I go again next year I guess I'll just have to put up with it and get involved (to an extent, I do want to make some friends!)

Oh the irony - I'm actually going to a university in a city which has a massive student population and a fantastic nightlife. I only decided to attend the university because of it's fantastic reputation (it's a redbrick) and it is really good for my course.

I have two suggestions for you:
1) Try to make friends who aren't into that sort of thing. Living in halls annoyed me a bit because people around me would constantly ask me to go clubbing with them, but I made friends on my course who were not into that sort of thing, and we've gone out and had lunches, shopping, coffee, etc.

Or

2) Go to a university local to you that you would have to commute to. If you do this then chances are you won't be as 'exposed' to the stereotypical student life. After all, you would go to your lectures and seminars then go home. When you live in halls people tend to constantly ask you to go out all the time, whereas in lectures and seminars, this would not be the case. Most of my friends commute and they have not be drawn into the stereotypical student lifestyle.

At the moment, i'm really doubting whether i want to go to University at all, the whole experience put me off, but i don't know what i want to do in its stead.