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Got degree & still feel like I’ve failed

This is a long one.

I’m 29 and just about to graduate with a 2:1 degree in Physiotherapy. Throughout my degree (4 years) I’ve never really enjoyed any aspect of it, however being a mature student I stuck through it and have ended up with the degree in the bag.

My issue now is that after numerous placements where I have been able to try and see certain aspects of the job, I really do not want to pursue it any further. I’ve not enjoyed working in hospitals and I struggle to have the energy each day to deal with patients. Working in healthcare is something I just don’t want to do as a career which has left me feeling like a failure after going back into education for 4 years.

Being a mature student, you’d assume I knew what I wanted by going back to uni at 25 to do Physiotherapy, however after 4 years I’ve come out the other end feeling the complete opposite. At this point I feel completely deflated and helpless. I’m now at a point where I don’t know where to turn and with everyone else in my degree searching and getting jobs I feel like I’ve hit an all time low.

A sibling of mine works for a bank within the city and I’ve considered looking into banking as a different career path. To be honest I want a career that isn’t stressful every day where I can still have a work-life balance. I’d still like to use my degree in some regard but I have no idea where to start.

Has anyone else been or in this position or has anyone done a degree and realised they didn’t want to pursue it? How did you change your situation?

Thanks for reading!

Reply 1

geeblossoms

Hello! I did a degree in English language as I was so sure I wanted to be an English teacher. After placements and work experience I realised it really wasn’t for me, and I felt very much like you do now.

After I graduated, I took a full time office job, just to give myself a break and to gain some experience in a 9-5 job, so I could earn income whilst figuring out what was next for me. During my time at university I became really interested in speech and language therapy but with the pandemic I didn’t get a chance to go to open days etc until the last couple of years. I used my spare time to research what I could do with my degree, could I go in to speech therapy? Would I enjoy it? I went to open days and took my time exploring my options.

I was recently accepted on to a speech and language therapy masters and I am so excited. I think the main reason I went for it is because I took some time out, explored my options and decided what was best for me. I am still able to use my degree, and gained some great life experience. The fact you are about to complete a degree is a massive achievement and you should be extremely proud of yourself. What you do next is up to you. If you want to take a job in banking, go for it! You never know what opportunities it might bring you. You might decide in 5 years time to use your degree for something different, you may feel differently or exactly the same. If you do take a 9-5 you could use this time to explore further options. Trust your gut and prioritise yourself. You most definitely are not helpless - you’re about to graduate with an incredible degree that you’ve worked hard for, and whatever you do next will be amazing.

Reply 2

University of Sunderland Student Ambassador

Official Rep

Hi Brussel Sprout, I'm sorry to hear your going this, I can completely relate as I started a BSC in physiotherapy and I just couldn't see it through as the placements really took a mental toll on me and I couldn't see myself doing that as a career. I'm not sure of the specifics of your situations but I found taking a gap year helped me clear my head and figure out what I wanted to do. As you said your graduating but you don't have to jump into a career immediately L, you could take some of that time to take a breath and evaluate your options.
I hope this helps and wish you the best of luck (I ended up transferring to a business course that I now love by the way).

Joseph - University of Sunderland Student Ambassador

Reply 3

mike23mike

Every job has its own version of stress - banking is a stressful profession too. It's hard to advise since you have travelled a long way down the physio route so jacking it in to do something else seems a waste of your 4 years studying for the degree. Seek professional career advice. It will cost you a few quid but will be worth it.

Reply 4

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

@Brussel Sprout

As I understand it there are lots of different areas you can work in as a physiotherapist.

You might just need to find the area that interests you most.

Instead of hospitals, you might prefer working in a private clinic or another setting.

It might be worthwhile to have a chat with your university tutor about different areas you could explore and thinking about what you have enjoyed during the course. Are you interested in research or teaching?

Keep an eye out for different physio jobs available over the summer and see if there is anything that takes your interest.

Congrats on your degree,

Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield