The Student Room Group

Should I withdraw from University?

I'm 5 weeks into my first year at University doing Pharmacy which is a four year course. While I have somewhat enjoyed the lectures so far, I hate every other aspect of being here. I'm not a drinker and hate going clubbing/partying - a characteristic that has made it problematic for me to make friends. This is especially true with my flatmates who I have heard numerous times bitching about me while I'm trying to sleep after they have come back from nights out. However, I am a shy, introverted person and came to university with the expectation that I would spend most of my time here feeling lonely.
So really my main concern over everything is that a degree in Pharmacy leads to a career in Pharmacy, and it upsets me to think that I'm going through all this (plus not to mention the enormous debt I'll be leaving with) just to spend the rest of my life sorting drugs into different boxes. Before results day, I had an offer from Cambridge to study Natural sciences, which I really expected to get the grades for after sacrificing so much in order to revise and work hard for all the exams. But when results day came around I found I hadn't made the grades simply because I hadn't written answers that were on the mark scheme in one of the Biology exams, even though they were technically correct. Following on from that I got so depressed I didn't have the will power to research other courses so just stuck with my insurance course. This being my insurance because my brother had done this exact same course so I thought of it as a safe option and I had more of an idea of what the course would be like.
Another problem I have found is that as this university was only my insurance, it meant that I had to apply for accommodation much later than others meaning that I am living a 40 minute walk away from campus, where almost all other pharmacy students are living. I'm therefore very worried about where I am going to live next year as I haven't made any close friends on my course or in the place I'm living now.
My reason for posting on here is to see whether people think I should withdraw from this university and find an alternative course, just give up on University all together and start working instead or stick with it.
Reply 1
Original post by samekapops
I'm 5 weeks into my first year at University doing Pharmacy which is a four year course. While I have somewhat enjoyed the lectures so far, I hate every other aspect of being here. I'm not a drinker and hate going clubbing/partying - a characteristic that has made it problematic for me to make friends. This is especially true with my flatmates who I have heard numerous times bitching about me while I'm trying to sleep after they have come back from nights out. However, I am a shy, introverted person and came to university with the expectation that I would spend most of my time here feeling lonely.
So really my main concern over everything is that a degree in Pharmacy leads to a career in Pharmacy, and it upsets me to think that I'm going through all this (plus not to mention the enormous debt I'll be leaving with) just to spend the rest of my life sorting drugs into different boxes. Before results day, I had an offer from Cambridge to study Natural sciences, which I really expected to get the grades for after sacrificing so much in order to revise and work hard for all the exams. But when results day came around I found I hadn't made the grades simply because I hadn't written answers that were on the mark scheme in one of the Biology exams, even though they were technically correct. Following on from that I got so depressed I didn't have the will power to research other courses so just stuck with my insurance course. This being my insurance because my brother had done this exact same course so I thought of it as a safe option and I had more of an idea of what the course would be like.
Another problem I have found is that as this university was only my insurance, it meant that I had to apply for accommodation much later than others meaning that I am living a 40 minute walk away from campus, where almost all other pharmacy students are living. I'm therefore very worried about where I am going to live next year as I haven't made any close friends on my course or in the place I'm living now.
My reason for posting on here is to see whether people think I should withdraw from this university and find an alternative course, just give up on University all together and start working instead or stick with it.


What have your parents, teachers and friends said? People who know you might be in a better position to advise you.
Reply 2
Original post by samekapops
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Regarding lifestyle, to some extent I think you're aware most of that won't change significantly if you move to another university. Nature of being an introvert in a huge place where the majority of people drink and so on. That said, I think there's a case of being in the right place at the right time to meet someone you click with, and certain societies might lead you more to that. If you have any (perceived to be) "nerdy" interests or hobbies you'll probably find more shy, non-drinkers there in my experience. There are enough people out there that aren't just all about drinking, but you have to make an effort to find them as they're not necessarily so visible amongst all the drinking activities and cultures that get heavily advertised.

Living next year boils down to either finding someone, or playing the housemate lottery again. My university has housing fair and meet and greet type events where you can go if you're looking for a room, or have a spare room, and find someone. It at least gives you the chance to find someone that you know isn't a hard partying group (probably people who have a lot of contact hours, so scientists predominantly would be ideal, maybe third years). It's only just turned November though, there's loads of time to sort out housing for next year, despite the panic the letting agents try to force.

The course is the big issue. Are you interested in it, do you want to do it? Ignoring the deflated feeling about NatSci opportunity. If, as an isolated course, you don't want to do pharmacy then leave now. Presumably your grades were still decent, so i'd wager you either qualify enough to do NatSci elsewhere on reapplication, or you'd be fine to do a pure science course (chemistry, biology, physics, or whatever mixtures and specialisms depending on your subjects).

Do you have any idea what you want to do? Do you want a career in science, or not? If you don't, Pharmacy probably isn't necessarily an issue as you'll still be considered for a variety of roles. If you do want to work in the scientific field though (in a lab? on a plant?) you might want to consider a change. There are options like regulatory affairs where the knowledge of drugs is very relevant. I imagine there is a bit more to being a pharmacist than just "putting drugs in a box" but I think that's a knee-jerk response right now. Look into your options carefully, and speak to your university careers adviser or your departmental careers adviser and they will be able to show you some paths. If you decide they're not for you then look elsewhere.

I don't know whether university is right for you or not, but right now it seems like your head isn't really in the right place for this. Take some time to sort yourself out, and think about what you actually want to do. Get a job and reapply if you decide to, or if you find a good job opportunity then stick with it. I imagine deep down you probably will want to go back and do it properly, and if science is your interest then you'll struggle without a degree/some qualification. If you settle in with a job though, there's always the OU at a later date if you want to change your field of work.
Reply 3
Or you could come to Cambridge as mature student - one of my lab partners did a few years out, so your choices are not set in stone.


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I would withdraw and apply to diff unis you wanna go to again. Or resit the a-levels you had bad grades in. Trust me you'll regret it. Really think what you wanna do with your life career-wise after uni and don't go back to pharmacy if your herts not in it.

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