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Dropped Out of University
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Original post by toffeekels
I'm thinking of dropping out too! Just don't think uni is for me, I like the idea of a degree, and I want to do well. But the whole university lifestyle just doesn't suit me, I have no motivation here. I love working and being busy so I'm not usually lazy but something about only having 10 hours a week of contact time, being in a boring town and being 5 hours away from home just isn't living up to my hopes of what uni would be! Not sure whether to stick it out though! Hmm!!
From my experience I'd do what you feel is best for you. Lots of people will tell you that you're making a huge mistake and try convince you to stay but at the end of the day it's your decision. The sensible thing to do would be to stay until the end of the semester to say that you've actually achieved something from university but if you're like me and aren't able to handle it any longer then drop out if it's really what you want to do.
Original post by Forum User
0/2 so far. Anybody else fancy a go?
xD Pursue
*Sigh* I'm currently doing chemistry - in my first term of first year and I honestly don't feel cut out for it. I keep thinking I'm going to fail and the workload is intense - I feel all I ever do is post labs and tutorials, I never have time to even go over lectures/extra work nvm societies! I don't want to drop out, and I'm gonna see how the rest of the year goes, but it is a bit demotivating that one of my course mates dropped out last week (and she was actually very smart!)
I'm so glad I found this thread and people in the same situation! I'm currently at uni in my first year, and hating it. I don't like the course, the tutors or the people, due to a mess up on the universities part, I'm in accommodation far away from the university. I'm in a massive city (London, over 5 hours on the train from home) and have had the worst few months that have really affected my mental and physical health and my coursework has been terrible, not like me at all, so I think I'm going to withdraw this week, and apply for another uni to start again in September! My family are keen for me to do it because I'm so unhappy but I guess I'm just kinda worried about going home and having to tell everyone that I dropped out and also being a year older than everyone when I start again.
I dropped out of university 3 weeks ago. Just like you, I hated the course and didn't really connect with anyone apart from three other people (one who dropped out a week after me). I've always lived in London, so personally I missed the big city, I felt like the campus was just too isolated and not vibrant enough.
My health also deteriorated, my hair started falling out, I had lost 8kg in 4 weeks, and I was exhausted all the time. I started missing lectures, which was not like me at all, I never missed anything at school or sixthform. I didn't have time to play video games, play sports, socialise or do any of the things I would usually do. University was consuming my life and I hated it.
Not gonna lie, I cried a lot. Everytime I spoke to my mum on the phone, I'd break down into tears.
Dropping out was a hard decision, and I worried about what everyone would say too, but my family and friends have been very supportive, plus I'm applying to start uni in September 2014 so it's not like I've written uni off completely. I actually made a YouTube video on my last day at uni telling everyone I was dropping out and why, it felt like the easiest way for me, now everyone knows, they know my reasons, I don't have to repeat myself all the time and I avoided all the awkward conversations.
Also, whilst I was at uni, I met loads of 19 year olds, 20 year olds and even a 24 year old. There's people older than that even so don't worry about being a year older
Sometimes withdrawing is the best option. Good luck with whatever you decide to do though
My health also deteriorated, my hair started falling out, I had lost 8kg in 4 weeks, and I was exhausted all the time. I started missing lectures, which was not like me at all, I never missed anything at school or sixthform. I didn't have time to play video games, play sports, socialise or do any of the things I would usually do. University was consuming my life and I hated it.
Not gonna lie, I cried a lot. Everytime I spoke to my mum on the phone, I'd break down into tears.
Dropping out was a hard decision, and I worried about what everyone would say too, but my family and friends have been very supportive, plus I'm applying to start uni in September 2014 so it's not like I've written uni off completely. I actually made a YouTube video on my last day at uni telling everyone I was dropping out and why, it felt like the easiest way for me, now everyone knows, they know my reasons, I don't have to repeat myself all the time and I avoided all the awkward conversations.
Also, whilst I was at uni, I met loads of 19 year olds, 20 year olds and even a 24 year old. There's people older than that even so don't worry about being a year older
Sometimes withdrawing is the best option. Good luck with whatever you decide to do though
I am currently a first year Engineering student at Cambridge and I'm pretty much settled on dropping out. I returned home around a week ago and I really can't see myself going back after the holidays.
This term has been awful. I already had pre-existing depression and anxiety to an extent; but it's been a lot worse recently due to university.
I have no idea why I'm even on my course- I don't enjoy it, I have no interest in and can't see myself working in the field in later life.
I'm tired of people telling me to stick it out and that it will get better etc etc. But I know that this just isn't working out for me. It is refreshing to read threads like this and seeing others feeling the same.
I seriously lack in direction and just need some time to find myself and figure out what I really want to do. So I will take a year or two out and then probably apply somewhere else. I really want to save up some money and do lots of travelling.
This term has been awful. I already had pre-existing depression and anxiety to an extent; but it's been a lot worse recently due to university.
I have no idea why I'm even on my course- I don't enjoy it, I have no interest in and can't see myself working in the field in later life.
I'm tired of people telling me to stick it out and that it will get better etc etc. But I know that this just isn't working out for me. It is refreshing to read threads like this and seeing others feeling the same.
I seriously lack in direction and just need some time to find myself and figure out what I really want to do. So I will take a year or two out and then probably apply somewhere else. I really want to save up some money and do lots of travelling.
My son has just made the hardest decision of his life so far to leave university. Pressing the send button on the email was agonising for him but seeing how unhappy he has been over the last three months I think he has made the right decision. His course was not what he expected; as a non drinker he found living in halls a nightmare and spent his evenings alone in his room (the friends he made on his course were mostly still living at home). Despite much support from the university (I can not fault them) he was struggling to be motivated due to the other issues he was facing and therefore there was a distinct possibility he would fail at least one of his modules.
So why was the decision so difficult?
Because he was/is worried that he will be seen to be a failure. There is a lot of pressure on intelligent young people to go to university (guilty as charged!) but one of the lessons learned is that your mental health is worth far more than what other people might think about you. So if you are in the same position my advice would be the same as to my son - what is the point of soldiering on half heartedly? At best you won't do yourself justice and will get poor results or even fail (which will make you even more downhearted) but at worst, you will have a complete breakdown from which it can be difficult to recover.
We don't know what the future holds - he will be looking for work in an uncertain jobs market but whatever happens he has our support. He asked if I was disappointed in him. My reply was 'I am disappointed FOR you, that you didn't have the experience at university I hoped you would have' Maybe he will apply again in the future - but for now we are breathing a sigh of relief and looking forward to a stress free Christmas!
So why was the decision so difficult?
Because he was/is worried that he will be seen to be a failure. There is a lot of pressure on intelligent young people to go to university (guilty as charged!) but one of the lessons learned is that your mental health is worth far more than what other people might think about you. So if you are in the same position my advice would be the same as to my son - what is the point of soldiering on half heartedly? At best you won't do yourself justice and will get poor results or even fail (which will make you even more downhearted) but at worst, you will have a complete breakdown from which it can be difficult to recover.
We don't know what the future holds - he will be looking for work in an uncertain jobs market but whatever happens he has our support. He asked if I was disappointed in him. My reply was 'I am disappointed FOR you, that you didn't have the experience at university I hoped you would have' Maybe he will apply again in the future - but for now we are breathing a sigh of relief and looking forward to a stress free Christmas!
Original post by Nfergs
This week I made the decision of dropping out of university. For those who have also dropped out of university, what did you do afterwards and do you regret your decision?
I dropped out of university this time last year, and started at a different university/course this year.
I dropped out for a mix of reasons - depression, hated living in halls, finances, didn't enjoy the course, etc.
Once leaving, I signed onto JSA as I looked for a job (which I was unable to find until the end of May) whilst volunteering in a charity shop. Found myself in a relationship, and spent a lot of time embracing that and the happiness that came with it (as I had the time, and stress levels were at an unusual low). I "repaid" myself the money I'd lost from the halls and earnt maybe £1000 on top of that which was good.
Since returning to university, I can't say my experience has been any better - if not worse. But this time I'm trying to see it through with the hope I'll at least get a degree out of it, if not any other aspects of university life.
Has anyone ever dropped out during the 3rd year of their course?
I did 1st and 2nd years on another course, failed because the tutors were awful, switched to another similar course at the same uni and now I'm in 3rd year. All of it has been awful - I've struggled with the work and barely passed the units I did well on, suffered terrible anxiety & bullying, I find it next to impossible to make friends and just being at uni makes me miserable. I was only recently diagnosed with a disorder that means it's difficult for me to socialise normally and that I struggle with self-directed study, which I wish had happened sooner because now it's a bit late to get arranged support from uni. I see the counsellor at uni every week but she doesn't offer much advice.
Everyone tells me I should just stick it out and finish it off. The reason this year is particularly bad is that people I know from my old course graduated in the summer so I'm around a group of people I've tried so hard making friends with but haven't succeeded at all - it's terrible. This year we only have tutorials once a week for 2 units including a dissertation, so up to 10 minutes of tutorial time per week which is usually in a noisy, busy studio space and shared with another student, so everything is very self-directed and I find it so difficult. I've talked to my course leader about it twice already and he keeps saying he's doing what he can to arrange more contact time but nothing's happened.
I'm contemplating doing as best as I can for now, but if my mental health suffers any further I can't any more. If I do fail, I'll probably look at alternative options and finish my education another time, or even pursue a different degree in the future. This saddens me as I'm intelligent, used to get good grades at school and would like a chance at getting a job I enjoy, so therefore I would be expected to at least get a degree, but the 'uni lifestyle' and course structure make it impossible for me to cope with!
I did 1st and 2nd years on another course, failed because the tutors were awful, switched to another similar course at the same uni and now I'm in 3rd year. All of it has been awful - I've struggled with the work and barely passed the units I did well on, suffered terrible anxiety & bullying, I find it next to impossible to make friends and just being at uni makes me miserable. I was only recently diagnosed with a disorder that means it's difficult for me to socialise normally and that I struggle with self-directed study, which I wish had happened sooner because now it's a bit late to get arranged support from uni. I see the counsellor at uni every week but she doesn't offer much advice.
Everyone tells me I should just stick it out and finish it off. The reason this year is particularly bad is that people I know from my old course graduated in the summer so I'm around a group of people I've tried so hard making friends with but haven't succeeded at all - it's terrible. This year we only have tutorials once a week for 2 units including a dissertation, so up to 10 minutes of tutorial time per week which is usually in a noisy, busy studio space and shared with another student, so everything is very self-directed and I find it so difficult. I've talked to my course leader about it twice already and he keeps saying he's doing what he can to arrange more contact time but nothing's happened.
I'm contemplating doing as best as I can for now, but if my mental health suffers any further I can't any more. If I do fail, I'll probably look at alternative options and finish my education another time, or even pursue a different degree in the future. This saddens me as I'm intelligent, used to get good grades at school and would like a chance at getting a job I enjoy, so therefore I would be expected to at least get a degree, but the 'uni lifestyle' and course structure make it impossible for me to cope with!
I'm considering dropping out too, and applying to a uni closer to home for September 2014, but I'm worried I've left it a bit too late in terms of UCAS.
I'm not enjoying the uni experience at all, I'm quiet and don't enjoy drinking, so the whole drinking culture of uni isn't for me. I can never get any sleep because everyone else in my halls are so loud when they pre-drink/ go out every night. At my uni, we are made to do 3 courses in our first year, and I'm really struggling with one of them (economics) in which we have tests every 6 weeks. I spend all my time panicking and worrying over these tests and don't get to spend time focusing on the other 2 subjects I've chosen. I've already failed the first economics test and I know i'm going to fail the others, and the exam. I've been home for Christmas for 3 weeks now and I still can't sleep for worrying about uni. I end up crying a lot.
Really don't know what to do.
I'm not enjoying the uni experience at all, I'm quiet and don't enjoy drinking, so the whole drinking culture of uni isn't for me. I can never get any sleep because everyone else in my halls are so loud when they pre-drink/ go out every night. At my uni, we are made to do 3 courses in our first year, and I'm really struggling with one of them (economics) in which we have tests every 6 weeks. I spend all my time panicking and worrying over these tests and don't get to spend time focusing on the other 2 subjects I've chosen. I've already failed the first economics test and I know i'm going to fail the others, and the exam. I've been home for Christmas for 3 weeks now and I still can't sleep for worrying about uni. I end up crying a lot.
Really don't know what to do.
Original post by vickiwithanI
I'm considering dropping out too, and applying to a uni closer to home for September 2014, but I'm worried I've left it a bit too late in terms of UCAS.
I'm not enjoying the uni experience at all, I'm quiet and don't enjoy drinking, so the whole drinking culture of uni isn't for me. I can never get any sleep because everyone else in my halls are so loud when they pre-drink/ go out every night. At my uni, we are made to do 3 courses in our first year, and I'm really struggling with one of them (economics) in which we have tests every 6 weeks. I spend all my time panicking and worrying over these tests and don't get to spend time focusing on the other 2 subjects I've chosen. I've already failed the first economics test and I know i'm going to fail the others, and the exam. I've been home for Christmas for 3 weeks now and I still can't sleep for worrying about uni. I end up crying a lot.
Really don't know what to do.
I'm not enjoying the uni experience at all, I'm quiet and don't enjoy drinking, so the whole drinking culture of uni isn't for me. I can never get any sleep because everyone else in my halls are so loud when they pre-drink/ go out every night. At my uni, we are made to do 3 courses in our first year, and I'm really struggling with one of them (economics) in which we have tests every 6 weeks. I spend all my time panicking and worrying over these tests and don't get to spend time focusing on the other 2 subjects I've chosen. I've already failed the first economics test and I know i'm going to fail the others, and the exam. I've been home for Christmas for 3 weeks now and I still can't sleep for worrying about uni. I end up crying a lot.
Really don't know what to do.
I remember when applying for uni I had to have everything completed and sent by December but I'm sure you can find a date on the UCAS site to check if you still have time.
Regarding the courses I understand where you're coming from since I had to do 3 courses and a mandatory course about linguistics which I really did not care about or even want to do in the first place. I wouldn't put yourself so down like what I did, you may surprise yourself and pass the other tests and the exam.
I hated the uni experience too but it was mainly because I was living at home and felt like I was missing out on all of the fun aspects of uni life. Applying for a uni closer to home might be the better option for you as it does have its advantages. If you do end up applying for another uni closer to home just make sure you're still getting involved with societies and making friends. I didn't really get involved with anything like that and that's probably why I hated uni so much as I was just constantly working yet still not getting any further forward with grades and homework.
I cried a lot too but I can assure you that after dropping out, the crying doesn't stop. It might be different for you if you're re-applying but for me I felt like a failure and as I was having no luck with finding any jobs I felt like I had nothing to live for and suffered depression for a while.
Overall if you do finally decide to drop out, be ready to have lots of people trying to make you change your mind or tell you that you're making the wrong decision. As long as you have thought everything completely through, the most important thing is that you're happy at the end of the day.
(edited 10 years ago)
I've nothing useful to add, but I just wanted to say that it's really comforting hearing all of these stories. I loathe my degree and I'm no good at it (I'm better at humanities, but I'm studying a science). I'm going to try and stick it out but I might be forced to leave university due to it looking possible I'll fail this year, and I've pretty much accepted it's going to make me miserable. The only reason I haven't dropped out and considered applying for a course more suited to my strengths is because I stupidly hold myself to certain standards, I'm not sure how to break that rut. I'm not sure if I could live with myself if I didn't do this course.
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Hi Spaceghosties i'm in exactly the same position as you: I've gone to university and found out i have depression and severe anxiety making doing any work very difficult and keeping up with assignments almost impossible. I too have found the course i'm on either very confusing or very dull with a very large work load and little support.
I have made many 'friends' at university but my depression and anxiety is so bad that even seeing them is difficult and like you most of my friends are either in second year or having a great time in first year.
How have you dealt with your depression and anxiety and what has made you think you are in a good state of mind to return to university? I'm also contemplating dropping out and getting therapy however i'm unsure of my options regarding future qualification or what career path i want to follow.
I have made many 'friends' at university but my depression and anxiety is so bad that even seeing them is difficult and like you most of my friends are either in second year or having a great time in first year.
How have you dealt with your depression and anxiety and what has made you think you are in a good state of mind to return to university? I'm also contemplating dropping out and getting therapy however i'm unsure of my options regarding future qualification or what career path i want to follow.
From my previous posts you could probably tell that I was having a rough time... so much so I was pretty suicidal to be honest.
However I signed up with the job centre (which was pretty lucky as I got hit with student fee repayments) and I've not yet found a job however my career advisor got me a place volunteering at Cancer Research. I've been there for almost a week now and I've learned so much in so little time - I'd highly recommend anyone to volunteer somewhere to gain experience. Since volunteering I feel more motivated and it's better than sitting doing nothing whilst being depressed all day. I've had no luck with any employers getting back in touch but oh well.
However I signed up with the job centre (which was pretty lucky as I got hit with student fee repayments) and I've not yet found a job however my career advisor got me a place volunteering at Cancer Research. I've been there for almost a week now and I've learned so much in so little time - I'd highly recommend anyone to volunteer somewhere to gain experience. Since volunteering I feel more motivated and it's better than sitting doing nothing whilst being depressed all day. I've had no luck with any employers getting back in touch but oh well.
I regret not knowing myself well enough and choosing the wrong uni and course for me. I put my family through a lot of emotional and financial stress in dropping out. I'm taking a second gap year and going again in September, but this time I won't let reputation and snobbery get in the way and I'm choosing a uni that's right for me.
I dropped out of a geography degree at Dundee university at the end of 2012. I'd passed first year and was due to sit my first batch of second year exams and I just couldn't find the motivation or interest in it anymore so I came back home. Took a few months out to look for work (had to sign on JSA), and applied for a HNC course in Applied Science. Got accepted onto that and I've been studying again since August 2013 I've now got offers from Glasgow university for Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology and I'll most likely be heading there in September this year it's been a bit of a long road but I'm feeling so much happier this time around and I'm actually excited to go to my chosen uni!
Dropping out isn't an easy thing to do and I dealt with a lot of feelings of guilt and general uselessness during my time out, but it's worth it to say that I'm finally satisfied with my choices
I've also been lucky in my situation because my family are able to put money towards helping me financially as now my funding situation is a right mess, I'll have to pay my own tuition for the first two years of my new degree but as I'm Scottish it's only £1820 a year and not £9000
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I've now got offers from Glasgow university for Biochemistry and Molecular and Cellular Biology and I'll most likely be heading there in September this year it's been a bit of a long road but I'm feeling so much happier this time around and I'm actually excited to go to my chosen uni!Dropping out isn't an easy thing to do and I dealt with a lot of feelings of guilt and general uselessness during my time out, but it's worth it to say that I'm finally satisfied with my choices
I've also been lucky in my situation because my family are able to put money towards helping me financially as now my funding situation is a right mess, I'll have to pay my own tuition for the first two years of my new degree but as I'm Scottish it's only £1820 a year and not £9000
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(edited 10 years ago)
Have you got a Careers Service at your university where you can pop along for a non judgemental chat?
Original post by Nfergs
This week I made the decision of dropping out of university. For those who have also dropped out of university, what did you do afterwards and do you regret your decision?
It's nice to know I'm not alone.
My case is a bit different because I'm American. I have never made it to university, just two year colleges. But I was actually kicked out of the first one because my grades were so bad. I hated it so much. The second college was better, but I became really depressed and I ended up dropping out. One big thing for me was I never was completely sure of what I wanted to study and I'm the type that needs to know. I need something to work towards. Now I'm almost 27 (!!!) and at another college, but I know what I want to study and that I want to do it in England. It has taken so long and sometimes I feel like a loser, but I just wasn't ready when I was 18.
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Original post by mjj22
I.
Pursue*
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