Can I drop out at the end of the uni year? How?

I have a very similar problem... I'm a 32 year old mature student from Wales. Been studying sound engineering and music production since 2019. Did my two year extended diploma at college, then went onto an undergraduate degree at university immediately after. After four years of working hard, much of which meant working from home due to the Covid situation, I'm just completely burnt out on it all. I've lost all interest in gaining qualifications, and I would happily quit right now if it weren't for the fact it will cause problems with my grant and maintenance loans, seeing as I've already been paid in advance for the next semester.

I don't know how the finance systems work for the rest of the UK, but here in Wales we have to reapply for each year's finance (tuition, maintenance, grants etc) and re-enrol for the course with the uni each time. So my cunning plan is to stick it out for the rest of the year and just not bother applying for next year.

This is my backup plan lmao.

I'm still young and trying to build a career so I'd like to have some good references before I burn bridges, though, you know? If I can get some good references out of this, it's not a total loss, so I want to go about this the 'right way'. But I'm worried if I let the uni people know, they'll just drop me out of my course or something and leave me hanging.

I'm studying at university and I really hate my course. I'm having a hard time but I still don't feel I can continue even if I do pass my modules. I don't have any 'extra years' left after this one and I'd really rather not get deeper in debt for a course I neither care for nor believe I can finish.

I have to stay until the end of the year / my tenancy because I'm relying on student maintenance loans to pay my bills and have already signed a year contract at the beginning of the current academic year.

How can I pull out of university at the end of the year?

You'd just need to tell the university that you want to withdraw from your course. It's not going to be a problem.

They'll probably encourage you to discuss this with your personal tutor, or with student support. But their role is to make sure you've thought things through and that you've taken advantage of any support that's available. They can't prevent you from withdrawing.

If you've successfully completed at least one academic year, your university's regulations might allow you to get an "exit award". Typically this is a Certificate of Higher Education for completing the first year of undergraduate study, and a Diploma of Higher Education for completing the first and second year. If an exit award is available (you should ask) then it would make sense to take it.

I suppose it depends on what you want to go into once you leave. If it's something like medicine where academic certificates are a must then you might want to stick with it. On the other hand most careers have multiple ways in other than a degree.

My own experience in life has been that it's more networking, work experience, skills and knowledge that get you places rather than a certificate to say you've done a course.

Is there a way you can get into your chosen career by setting up your own business, doing it voluntarily, an apprenticeship or something like that? All of those things look really good to employers, and they really help build your contacts, build up your reputation etc.

Personally, I think if you've made your mind up, I don't see the need to let the university know. If it's just a case of finishing the year and not coming back then saying something might just cause issues. I highly doubt they would actually kick you off the course though... You're paying for it after all. It's your own time and money being wasted. Generally it's only for serious breaches of conduct that a uni will suspend you.

Thank you for the advice.

Honestly, I've discovered that the kind of thing I'm studying is not what I want to do for a living. I think I would have had a better time if I had chosen to study something else but, oh well, there's not much I can do now. I'm planning to just get any decent job I can find after this academic year, then I can see about exploring other possibilities.

I do not believe I'm wasting my time, though. The organisation I mentioned will give me a good reference, provided that I leave on good terms (I have done the research and found out that I need to write a resignation letter for that). Also, I really enjoy volunteering at that organisation, I have friends at the university and the uni offers lots of things that will be useful outside of my course. And, as I mentioned, I still have student accommodation that I can't get out of easily, so it's easier just to stay until my tenancy finishes.

sorry for replying to an old thread, but what did u end up doing ? i’m in a similar situation. in my second year of university and i wanted to withdraw after last year but i couldn’t as i signed a contract for my tenancy living with my friend. we’ve been in the flat for just over a month now and i told myself i’d see how second year goes but honestly i’m not sure it’s any better. i just want to leave now. but obviously the tenancy agreement, and my flatmate has told me she’s not comfortable living with other people which i understand but at the same time feels unfair for me to have to sacrifice myself and time and money staying here just for that reason. i’m contemplating doing what you wrote about and sticking out second year and withdrawing at the end of the year in order to still get maintenance loans etc to pay my rent and stuff til the end of the year. it’s so tricky and been beating myself up about it for ages !