Uni dropout woes

I dropped out of a BA Modern Languages in French, Spanish and Beginners German at a decent red brick uni due to personal problems and feeling like the whole thing was a bit of a waste. I didn't really think it lived up to what I thought it would be (the educational side, social aspects were brilliant).

Ive been on jsa for 6 months and I'm struggling to get basic jobs despite applying every flipping day and the jobcentre are absolute ***** tbh. Did I make a huge mistake?

I clearly can't get a language job as technically a levels are all I have. I feel like a right waste of space and think I've cocked it all up but at the same time I know I hated uni and I do still have my criticisms of it.

Help/thoughts?? :confused:

Reply 1

moutonfou

Nobody likes the educational side of uni. It's rarely worth having turned up to the lectures for how much they actually teach you, you have to do a load of essays about stuff you don't really care about, and the passion you had for your subject as a hobby also seems to quickly disappear when somebody is forcing you to do it. But you get a degree at the end, and, as you're finding out, that basically gives you access to any job (theoretically speaking) as opposed to not having a degree, when a large portion of the jobs are then cut off to you. The decision you have to make is whether the four years are worth it to get the degree (with the bonus of the social side if you enjoyed that, because I didn't even enjoy that!)

For context, I'm a languages nut, always have been. I did a language degree and at times I absolutely hated it. It was killing my passion for something which I had always enjoyed. But I ground my teeth and stuck at it and even though I now don't use languages in my job, writing 'BA' on my CV is worth it.

I do know people who have worked their way up the ladder without a degree but it's a longer ladder and is dependent on you being able to get a job. I think you should continue to look for jobs in the hope of getting one and see how you feel (consider volunteering?) but at the same time look into your options for going back to uni and particularly when you would need to make a decision by.

Do also remember there are non-traditional university routes such as studying part-time. Good luck!

Reply 2

returnmigrant

What did you want to do with that Languages degree?
Did you have a career in mind or not?

In my experience the Job Centre is a waste of time in trying to find work (and its bloody depressing!).

Have a look at your local Shopping Mall's own website (ie. http://www.mallcribbs.com/job_search.php?q=type&type=ft) or at least try and get some voluntary work experience as this fills up your CV a bit and will give you some 'skills' worth mentioning and usually a supportive job reference for subsequent job applications - http://www.charityjob.co.uk/Volunteer-Jobs. It might be worth your phoning all the possible Call Centres you can think of, especially in finance/banking/credit card companies, as any language skills will be valued - ie. http://jobs.americanexpress.com/search?q=brighton&locationsearch=

Reply 3

danii_b

Original post by returnmigrant

I hadn't thought as far as a job as I had always been told languages are really versatile so I kept my options open but it is hard trying to get a career out of them at the moment. I was kinda hoping to go abroad too.

For now I've found a Dental Nurse apprenticeship so I'm really hoping I get that for the time being :/

Reply 4

danii_b

Original post by moutonfou

Yeah I didn't find uni was as stimulating as I'd hoped it to be but I'm currently volunteering for a month at Christians Aware so at least that's something to put on the cv.

Out of curiosity what is your profession now if it doesn't involve modern languages?

Reply 5

danii_b

I usually stand by all my decisions without regret but this is one thing that has been bugging me :frown:

I'm so scared I won't make something of my life now.

What course did you do and what jobs ate you applying for? P.s good luck with all those interviews :smile:

Reply 6

danii_b

Oh lord you did a lot of dropping out :tongue:

but that's awesome you got a job! 32k is pretty nice :biggrin:

Yeh hopefully I can follow suit and pay off all those ****ing debts too -.-

Reply 7

Sigma44

Which year did you join warwick engineering? I might know you in real life =/

Reply 8

danii_b

Bit of a gobful that but well done on getting your dream job!! Yeah do what you enjoy :biggrin:

Reply 9

xDave-

Dw, I'm about to graduate and I'll end up on JSA too probs.

Reply 10

r_u_jelly

Those that offered you a job weren't bothered by you dropping out of multiple courses- or are geophysics grads hard to come by so they didn't care? Also why would you go to college after uni ? :tongue:

Reply 11

danii_b

Original post by xDave-

Dw, I'm about to graduate and I'll end up on JSA too probs.

Tough times :frown:

Reply 12

Klix88

Original post by danii_b

I usually stand by all my decisions without regret but this is one thing that has been bugging me :frown:

I'm so scared I won't make something of my life now.

I left Oxford after two years and without a degree, when I was 20. I subsequently built up a 20+ year career it IT (which I'd never planned as I was never much use with computers at school - at least the rudimentary ones we had back then!). The IT jobs allowed me to save up enough money to support myself for a few years and I started an undergrad degree from scratch aged 44. I then did a Masters and am now (hopefully) about to complete the first year of my PhD.

So firstly, dropping out of a degree that you hate isn't going to blight your life forever. I just wish I'd followed my instinct and left after my first year, rather than clinging to it by my fingernails until forced out a year later. The decision you took won't have been made lightly. I'm sure you don't remember it at the moment, but trust me, if you felt strongly enough to walk away, then walking away was absolutely the right thing for you to do at that time.

Secondly, uni doesn't necessarily suit everyone in their late teens/early 20s, so don't consider that door closed to you forever. Maybe one day you'll find the right course.

Reply 13

Disturbia8

I did three years of an undergraduate degree in Philosophy at Southampton uni, only to come away with my first year...a huge pile of debt, desperately depressed and only my first year under my belt. I hated the course, had no ambition, no end goal and basically no chance! I was too stubborn (stupid) to admit that i'd made a mistake and failing my second year for a second time, the decision to leave uni was made for me. 5 years on and I have worked in loads of different jobs and given myself time to decide what I want to do. I finished my BA (in a different subject!!) through the Open University whilst working full time, and after some voluntary work in a number of schools I am now enrolled on a PGCE primary course for this coming September. I couldn't be more excited! I wish I had had your determination and not convinced myself to limp-on in something I wasn't enjoying. I had no help from the so called 'jobcentre'; they are sole-crushing, patronising, power trippers who want to hit quotas not help genuine job seekers.

So from my experience, I think you'll be fine either way. If I had never gone back to uni I would have been fine - as I managed (after a fair bit of searching i'll admit) to settle in to a job that I loved just through my A-levels and could have taken me places had I not settled on teaching. And the fact that I did go back and successfully complete it told me that I was able and it just took finding the right drive/situation. I thoroughly recommend distance learning, I had more contact with my tutor most days than I had each week at a Russell group university (go figure!). and completing my final two years cost less than half of one year now! Trust your instincts, I wish I had!! Best of luck