Experiences with dropping out?

I dropped out at 18 after a couple of weeks.

Went back in 2010 and now I hold a PhD and a PGCE, had a stint at Oxford, and am an academic in a very good institution.

The point isn't that you must do what I did, but that doors are still open for you even years down the line. It changes your route, sure. But it doesn't define you or close you off from anything major.

Do you have an academic advisor (you should, maybe they call them personal tutors)? Speak to them. If they are worth their salt, they should be able to reassure you and give you some realistic options.

Yes! I've contacted the advice centre at uni about maybe going to a different course or uni since I realise that dropping out is a big decision and I want to explore all avenues but reflecting on my performance throughout my life I wonder if school just isn't for me. But thank you !! What you've achieved is really impressive!

That was why i left, too.

I had hated school but somehow did well at GCSE. I hated sixth form and bombed my A Levels (unsurprisingly), Went to uni only because my hand was forced by the college I was at. there were no other options, or so they said. Surprising precisely nobody, I left really early on because I couldn't be arsed with it. I was so over schooling and just wanted a job.

So, I went and got a crap job. Character building, but crap, then I floated around doing various other things - concreting, labouring, ironmongery assistant and all this other shite. Even when I went back to education it wasn't for love of learning. It was instrumental - solely to improve my odds of job progression. But this time I picked something I was interested in rather than something I was just good at, and it made all the difference.

I don't know your precise circumstances (and I don't expect you to spill your guts n here!) but if you are tempted by a degree apprenticeship, then honestly spend less time worrying about 'standing out' and more time trying your luck. Speak to people involved with the one you're tempted by, and have a wee think about how your current skillset - and you will have a skillset, by the way - can work for you in making it happen.

it's a big decision, this. but it doesn't need to be super stressful, I swear. Walking away from uni the first time was the best thing I ever did.

Coming up to the end of the 1 st year and I just received my second failing grade. Most of my grades are at random points between 58-90 (MCTs on the higher end, essays on the lower end) but this most recent grade was 30% of my grade and I got a 38 and I've submitted 2 other assignments I haven't got back yet but I imagine the grades will be similar. The second term really was a tumble downhill for me. I've got 3 exams (the first of which is tomorrow) which to put it simply are not looking good. I took some language modules as extra this year and did pretty good but the subject is just a hobby and I really don't feel like pursuing it as a degree.

Honestly, I feel like this is all enough evidence that university simply is not for me and I'm thinking about dropping out to try my hand at a degree apprenticeship but there are the obvious issues of the fact I probably don;t stand out enough to be picked, not before entering uni and definitely not if I become a dropout. At least that's how I feel.

But I'm studying Law and in all the events with firms I've attended they've stressed that, while first year doesn't, count towards your degree overall firms definitely take it into account when looking at your transcript. Anyway, I'm not really sure if I want to become a lawyer anymore. but the law is the only degree I can bring myself to study. not a bash on another subject but studying politics etc is just not something I can do. it also doesn't help that this year has been a grand failure overall.

I just wanted to hear if anyone has any experience with dropping out how did it go for them? I'm not sure if I want to be I would really help to feel less like I'm trapped in uni/my degree

TLDR: If you dropped out, how did it go? what made you do it?

Coming up to the end of the 1 st year and I just received my second failing grade. Most of my grades are at random points between 58-90 (MCTs on the higher end, essays on the lower end) but this most recent grade was 30% of my grade and I got a 38 and I've submitted 2 other assignments I haven't got back yet but I imagine the grades will be similar. The second term really was a tumble downhill for me. I've got 3 exams (the first of which is tomorrow) which to put it simply are not looking good. I took some language modules as extra this year and did pretty good but the subject is just a hobby and I really don't feel like pursuing it as a degree.

Honestly, I feel like this is all enough evidence that university simply is not for me and I'm thinking about dropping out to try my hand at a degree apprenticeship but there are the obvious issues of the fact I probably don;t stand out enough to be picked, not before entering uni and definitely not if I become a dropout. At least that's how I feel.

But I'm studying Law and in all the events with firms I've attended they've stressed that, while first year doesn't, count towards your degree overall firms definitely take it into account when looking at your transcript. Anyway, I'm not really sure if I want to become a lawyer anymore. but the law is the only degree I can bring myself to study. not a bash on another subject but studying politics etc is just not something I can do. it also doesn't help that this year has been a grand failure overall.

I just wanted to hear if anyone has any experience with dropping out how did it go for them? I'm not sure if I want to be I would really help to feel less like I'm trapped in uni/my degree

TLDR: If you dropped out, how did it go? what made you do it?

Hey, I first went to uni in 2011 at 18 and failed the first year spectacularly due to declining mental health. I repeated the year in 2012, but decided to drop out halfway through as I could feel that I wasn't going to make it again. I was failing essays when I'd been getting A*s at A Level, I felt so embarrassed and like a disappointment.

After that, aside from working for money obviously, I took time to recover before going back to college in 2014 to train in another subject. After a year my tutors advised that I was ready to go to uni so I did, completing a BA from 2015-2018. I went straight into an MA, which took me an extra year to complete due to managing ADHD through working and Covid. Now I'm about to start a PhD!

If I hadn't have dropped out of the first course, it's unlikely I would have achieved any of that. It also gave me space to understand my research interests, the wellbeing support I need to get through study, and rule out what I didn't want to do.

As for worrying that being a "drop-out" will affect your chances, the only time it was brought up in uni interviews was with intrigue. Obviously, there will be institutions or employers who take a "perfection and nothing less" stance, but I would ask yourself if those are places you would like to be. Many people find that they can actually thrive more in less restrictive environments, which may be the case for you.

BUT, having said all of that, it's not a decision to make lightly. I would suggest trying out all of the avenues of support you have before choosing to leave, it will ensure that you're as confident as possible in any decision you take. University Wellbeing services are very experienced in helping with this kind of query, and they won't share your worries with lecturers or course leaders.

I hope that helps a little and that things become clearer for you soon.