Applying for a new degree but unsure on whether to complete my current degree first

I am currently studying towards a degree in English language and Linguistics, however, it's been a bit of a mess so far due to depression and anxiety. It's taken me three years but I haven't really progressed and I can't see a successful end in sight. Realistically, I won't come out of this with a good grade. Recently, I've decided that I want to start over and do a degree in Speech and Language Therapy, where I would actually be working towards some sort of goal of a career I'd love to do and hopefully I'd do a bit better on it (I will make sure I am in a better place mental health wise before I start). I can either apply for a 4 year Undergraduate starting in 2016 or a 2 year Postgraduate providing I get a 2:1 in my current degree which seems very unlikely. My questions here is, practically, what would be my best option for the next year- continue on with my somewhat relevant degree (but only useful if I could get on to a Postgrad with it) and get a poor grade and then apply, or admit defeat and spend the next year earning money, gaining volunteering experience and getting towards a healthy headspace and then starting over with an Undergraduate degree. If I am applying for a second Undergraduate would it matter than I already have an Undergraduate degree in a poor grade, or have dropped out? Would that hurt my chances or is one preferable in this situation?

Thank you for any replies!

I am currently studying towards a degree in English language and Linguistics, however, it's been a bit of a mess so far due to depression and anxiety. It's taken me three years but I haven't really progressed and I can't see a successful end in sight. Realistically, I won't come out of this with a good grade. Recently, I've decided that I want to start over and do a degree in Speech and Language Therapy, where I would actually be working towards some sort of goal of a career I'd love to do and hopefully I'd do a bit better on it (I will make sure I am in a better place mental health wise before I start). I can either apply for a 4 year Undergraduate starting in 2016 or a 2 year Postgraduate providing I get a 2:1 in my current degree which seems very unlikely. My questions here is, practically, what would be my best option for the next year- continue on with my somewhat relevant degree (but only useful if I could get on to a Postgrad with it) and get a poor grade and then apply, or admit defeat and spend the next year earning money, gaining volunteering experience and getting towards a healthy headspace and then starting over with an Undergraduate degree. If I am applying for a second Undergraduate would it matter than I already have an Undergraduate degree in a poor grade, or have dropped out? Would that hurt my chances or is one preferable in this situation?

Thank you for any replies!

If I was an admissions tutor, I would be very worried about taking on a student who had not been able to complete their first degree after three years. It would make me wonder if they were actually going to manage to finish a fairly demanding S&LT degree at all.

I would suggest finishing your current degree and getting the best grade you can. You might get a 2:1, and if you don't, then at least a 2:2 will show that you did achieve, and that you have some staying power, even if your MH issues got in the way. You will then be able to go on and apply for an S&LT undergraduate degree, which luckily comes with NHS funding.

I would think that you focusing on finishing your current degree with as high a grade as possible would be optimal. Just think of it as though you're already starting anew, with the goal of reaching decent grades for your degree, with plenty more time ahead of you to completely smash your next degree.

If you're already willing to take up another degree, then some of your anxiety (at least about your current degree) should already have disappeared. But, hell, why not have 2 degrees instead of 1? And if you have nothing to lose, why not do your best to achieve optimal results in your current degree?

If you manage your current degree well, and then really do well on your next, you'll be really quite employable, I believe, even though your first degree would not have been the best in terms of grades. So just do your absolute best, and know that if you don't manage this degree still, you'll still be able to do well on the next.

How are you going to fund either a 2nd degree or a postgrad degree?

I am currently studying towards a degree in English language and Linguistics, however, it's been a bit of a mess so far due to depression and anxiety. It's taken me three years but I haven't really progressed and I can't see a successful end in sight. Realistically, I won't come out of this with a good grade. Recently, I've decided that I want to start over and do a degree in Speech and Language Therapy, where I would actually be working towards some sort of goal of a career I'd love to do and hopefully I'd do a bit better on it (I will make sure I am in a better place mental health wise before I start). I can either apply for a 4 year Undergraduate starting in 2016 or a 2 year Postgraduate providing I get a 2:1 in my current degree which seems very unlikely. My questions here is, practically, what would be my best option for the next year- continue on with my somewhat relevant degree (but only useful if I could get on to a Postgrad with it) and get a poor grade and then apply, or admit defeat and spend the next year earning money, gaining volunteering experience and getting towards a healthy headspace and then starting over with an Undergraduate degree. If I am applying for a second Undergraduate would it matter than I already have an Undergraduate degree in a poor grade, or have dropped out? Would that hurt my chances or is one preferable in this situation?

Thank you for any replies!

That's a really good way of looking at it and I'd be happy with that option provided I got on to third year at all. But I guess if I don't, I still have another option (if I managed to get onto this other degree).

Just try to appeal to your teachers saying that you've finally been able to get over some emotional trouble that's been plaguing you for a long while, and that you've a new-found determination to do well and finish the degree.

If you show eagerness, humility and just make them empathize with you, they'll feel as though they HAVE to give you a chance.

Thing is, I said that at the beginning of the year (I did think I was okay at the time) but then I had a dip and I'm still not doing well. There's no point in lying because they've given me so many chances and while I appreciate it so so much, I'm wasting them because I'm not well enough to do anything with it. I'm not doing the work because I can barely feed myself or shower, let alone research and write a 3000 word essay :\ I really wish I could complete this degree and if I could get on to third year I know I could scrape a 2:2 (which is fine) but I don't think i'm going to get onto third year with the amount of work I've submitted this year and I don't think I can get any more extensions. It's a mess and it's draining me and that's why I want some time off and then to start over and do a degree which will lead me into a career I really want.