The Student Room Group

two years deep at imperial and considering leaving

I have had a miserable time at imperial..
During my first year I was physically assaulted and then the investigation into this carried through to my second year. My grades are awful at the moment.. I'm getting a 2:2 and its not even a high 2:2.
I felt like I understood the material, I think my grades suffered due to my environment and how it made me feel. I could get into a lot of things but ultimately the point is I ended up feeling really reclusive, depressed and insecure and I dont think its a coincidence that my grades are also not great.

I am now on a year out at home (away from uni) before I do my final year. I feel like I have two choices:

1) I can study really hard and try and get a really good grade next year to get a 2:1 ( I need 65% at least.. i.e. mid to high 2:1) and just keep at it.

2) Drop out and start a new uni course elsewhere.. I'm quite interested in courses at LSE.. or doing something more creative because I feel confident in my ability to draw and write.

the risk with 2 is just accruing more debt and possibly regretting it later. Perhaps I should go with 1 and just try and work hard to end it better.

what do you think?(I've been studying physics btw)
(edited 7 years ago)
It's just a year, finish it. A physics degree from Imperial is massively employable and in 20 years you're probably going to regret it
LSE and Imperial are quite similar unis, similar locations, both city, both prestigious, might as well finish your degree at Imperial.

Also, are you sure you'll get into LSE when they know you've dropped out of Imperial?
Reply 3
Original post by adesola15
LSE and Imperial are quite similar unis, similar locations, both city, both prestigious, might as well finish your degree at Imperial.

Also, are you sure you'll get into LSE when they know you've dropped out of Imperial?


I haven't dropped out yet.. I've just temporarily withdrawn which gives me a year to prepare for the last year.. I have already started learning the material for the exams which are over a year away. I don't know if LSE will accept me, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't because I got a bad start and probably look unreliable now..
Original post by tjb14
I haven't dropped out yet.. I've just temporarily withdrawn which gives me a year to prepare for the last year.. I have already started learning the material for the exams which are over a year away. I don't know if LSE will accept me, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't because I got a bad start and probably look unreliable now..


No I meant if you were to go with your second option and drop out of Imperial then reapply for LSE.

You are clearly smart enough if you got into Imperial and have been keeping up with work on your year off. Stick it out for another year and start what you've finished or else you will probably regret it.
Finish your degree. Use your year out to make sure that you know and understand all the previous material.

How do the grades from the first two years affect the degree classification? (Some universities use final exams for most of the classification)
Is it possible to retake any of the courses / resubmit work / retake exams? Perhaps you could redo a year?
Well if you've got a year out use it, then you don't have to work as hard.

EG hypothetically assuming I applied to Cambridge and they made me an offer but it was a deferred offer I would use that.

I would find out the material for Year 1 get books and start studying reading and doing problems maybe even practice past exam papers.

By the time I went to Cambridge I would have a significant head start.

Now I really don't think Cambridge maths department like to make deferred offers, I would very surprised if I found out that was common for their maths course.

So this is really just a hypothetical example but you get the idea.

Why not study third year stuff now so that when you return you have a head start on everyone?

It would make getting that 65% a lot easier.
Reply 7
Original post by Luke7456
Well if you've got a year out use it, then you don't have to work as hard.

EG hypothetically assuming I applied to Cambridge and they made me an offer but it was a deferred offer I would use that.

I would find out the material for Year 1 get books and start studying reading and doing problems maybe even practice past exam papers.

By the time I went to Cambridge I would have a significant head start.

Now I really don't think Cambridge maths department like to make deferred offers, I would very surprised if I found out that was common for their maths course.

So this is really just a hypothetical example but you get the idea.

Why not study third year stuff now so that when you return you have a head start on everyone?

It would make getting that 65% a lot easier.



Thanks for your reply. I have decided to keep at it and hopefully it will work out. Thanks for the encouragement :smile: