The Student Room Group

Feel so sorry for myself

Hey so I'm about to start my second year at uni but I am REALLY dreading going back. I felt very lonely, depressed and anxious for the majority of my first year but buried my head in the sand and didnt drop out or leave the course so I stuck it out and atleast completed my first year - which my tutor advised me to do. I'm doing an art degree and all of the work I made in my first year I could've made in my spare time without any "teaching" - which makes me feel like my degree is a mickey mouse one and pointless. My social life is pretty much non existant at uni due to the fact I'm depressed and have social anxiety so just isolate myself all the time. My parents have told me I don't need to go back if it's making me so unhappy and to just get a job to get myself back on my feet.. but I feel I need to complete my degree (even if its a worthless art one) to get a good job. There's such a stigma attached to dropping out but I don't want to have two more years of misery and loneliness. Any advice?
Reply 1
If you're really that unhappy it's probably better to drop out and find another way to getting a good job (eg just get a job and work your way up), than having to go through "two more years of misery", especially as you'll have less of a loan to pay off at the end of it.
A degree is not worth your health.
Original post by nomad11
Hey so I'm about to start my second year at uni but I am REALLY dreading going back. I felt very lonely, depressed and anxious for the majority of my first year but buried my head in the sand and didnt drop out or leave the course so I stuck it out and atleast completed my first year - which my tutor advised me to do. I'm doing an art degree and all of the work I made in my first year I could've made in my spare time without any "teaching" - which makes me feel like my degree is a mickey mouse one and pointless. My social life is pretty much non existant at uni due to the fact I'm depressed and have social anxiety so just isolate myself all the time. My parents have told me I don't need to go back if it's making me so unhappy and to just get a job to get myself back on my feet.. but I feel I need to complete my degree (even if its a worthless art one) to get a good job. There's such a stigma attached to dropping out but I don't want to have two more years of misery and loneliness. Any advice?


If your degree is affecting you this much, it isn't worth going back.
Like someone has already said a degree isn't worth affecting your health for.
It doesn't sound like something you are majorly passionate in. I'd leave and spend some time getting yourself better and then if you feel like returning to university to study at a later date, you can. You've completed your first year so you've already gained the credits from that, so that's good. Honestly, there is nothing wrong with dropping out. You come first!
I don't see any reason for you to go back. Maybe take a year out and then do a similar degree at another university? Is your uni close to home or far away? Maybe going to a uni closer to home would suit you better?
Remember getting a degree isn't everything. My boyfriend dropped out in-between his second and third year and now has a job in which he earns a lot more than I do with my degree, so having a degree is by no means a promise of a successful life.


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Reply 4
Original post by KelseyElizabeth
I don't see any reason for you to go back. Maybe take a year out and then do a similar degree at another university? Is your uni close to home or far away? Maybe going to a uni closer to home would suit you better?
Remember getting a degree isn't everything. My boyfriend dropped out in-between his second and third year and now has a job in which he earns a lot more than I do with my degree, so having a degree is by no means a promise of a successful life.


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My uni's two and a half hours away by train.. And towards the end of the first year I came home almost every weekend - costing me £40 each time :frown: i haven't found a place to live for the second year yet and was thinking of the possibility of commuting 3/4 days a week.. But 5 hours travelling is a bit unreasonable. I think I'll take time out and do a degree closer to home :smile: thanks for the advice
I would wait it out and see how things go, get involved in clubs societies and get stuck with your academic work, don't let your depression ruin your degree


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Reply 6
Original post by iloveteddy14
I would wait it out and see how things go, get involved in clubs societies and get stuck with your academic work, don't let your depression ruin your degree


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I've thought about doing that but literally the thought of going back makes me feel sick. I procrastinated so much in my first year because of my depression and I just feel there'll be a repeat of that in my 2nd and third year. My heart tells me to quit and get my life back on track but my head tells me to go back and get my degree, but the thought makes me really anxious (which might be strange to some). I'd love to just get a job and try and have a fresh start but I don't want to end up makng the wrong decision :frown:
Unfortunately no one can make the decision apart from you, as much as you wish you could wave a magic wand a everything is better the chances are whatever you pick, there will be time when you think is this the right decision? But whatever you chose it isn't like you can't back out. You can always return to uni and you can always take a year out. No problem lasts forever! Good luck with whatever you chose.


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Original post by nomad11
Hey so I'm about to start my second year at uni but I am REALLY dreading going back. I felt very lonely, depressed and anxious for the majority of my first year but buried my head in the sand and didnt drop out or leave the course so I stuck it out and atleast completed my first year - which my tutor advised me to do. I'm doing an art degree and all of the work I made in my first year I could've made in my spare time without any "teaching" - which makes me feel like my degree is a mickey mouse one and pointless. My social life is pretty much non existant at uni due to the fact I'm depressed and have social anxiety so just isolate myself all the time. My parents have told me I don't need to go back if it's making me so unhappy and to just get a job to get myself back on my feet.. but I feel I need to complete my degree (even if its a worthless art one) to get a good job. There's such a stigma attached to dropping out but I don't want to have two more years of misery and loneliness. Any advice?


I don't think there's any major stigma to dropping out; you're probably just paranoid. And anyway, who cares about other's opinions when this is about you? I would advise you to leave.
Original post by nomad11
Hey so I'm about to start my second year at uni but I am REALLY dreading going back. I felt very lonely, depressed and anxious for the majority of my first year but buried my head in the sand and didnt drop out or leave the course so I stuck it out and atleast completed my first year - which my tutor advised me to do. I'm doing an art degree and all of the work I made in my first year I could've made in my spare time without any "teaching" - which makes me feel like my degree is a mickey mouse one and pointless. My social life is pretty much non existant at uni due to the fact I'm depressed and have social anxiety so just isolate myself all the time. My parents have told me I don't need to go back if it's making me so unhappy and to just get a job to get myself back on my feet.. but I feel I need to complete my degree (even if its a worthless art one) to get a good job. There's such a stigma attached to dropping out but I don't want to have two more years of misery and loneliness. Any advice?


Firstly, well done for completing the first year :smile:

Is there a uni closer to home you can move to? I think you'd be happier if you could live at home.

Alternatively could you study at the OU and work part-time?

You don't have to go back - your health is important.
Reply 10
It would be wise to leave now before my student loan comes through right? because if I drop out after I begin my second year it'll complicate the student finance situation even more? Argh I really don't know what decision to make :frown: what would you do in my situation?

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