Hating second year?

There seem to be a lot of posts on here from people who have just started uni and realised it's not what they expected, but has anyone else gone into their second year and found it to be absolutely miserable?

I had a really good first year overall, living with some great people in halls with plenty of stuff going on. I worked hard, enjoyed various socities, and basically felt like I was really settled here. I never wanted to go home when the holidays came around. I can't quite believe how different the second year has turned out to be. I'm living in a nice house with really nice people but I'm not as close to them as I was to some of my friends last year, and I really miss having people I can genuinely confide in. I meet up with my old friends when I can but distance and schedules have made it incredibly hard. My course is tolerable because I do like the subject, but very hard, and now that everything counts the stress is really getting to me. I'm not inspired by the modules we're covering and find the workload a lot to handle.

I thought it would just take me a little while to get settled in, but after 6 weeks back if anything it's worse and I am longing for Christmas. I've started to spend weekends going home or visiting friends at other universities and have a fantastic time when I'm with the people I love. Back here, though, I feel down and uninspired and just so fed up.

Perhaps part of the problem was that I worked full-time over the summer, thoroughly enjoyed myself, met some amazing people, had a great sense of self-worth and enjoyed having my weekends to myself. Now I'm overwhelmed with boring difficult work and surrounded by people who, although genuinely nice, I don't 'click' with. I feel completely, spectacularly homesick (I barely ever felt homesick last year) and although I keep expecting it to, it just isn't subsiding.

I'm not really looking for advice because there's no decision to be made. After a year and a bit here, I will stick it out because I want a degree. However, I'm just utterly fed up with being here, and I wonder if anyone else feels like this.

I feel like there's nothing to be here for, nothing keeping me here, apart from the slog of a degree which is all about the end result and not about enjoying the journey.

Reply 1

white_haired_wizard

16

Chin up! You're certainly not the only one in the position. I have toiled through the last two years because im so fed up of education, was considering quitting at end of first term of second yr, but to be honest, you are pretty much half way through so whether quitting would be wise at this point. i didnt quit because i had no viable alternative.

I guess you just have to be pro-active in such circumstances...i've chosen not to be because i don't really want to be...the circumstances aren't right for me so i've never made much effort at university...the people on my course are just so far from the 'ideal' type of friend i would have/like...i took a gap year, working full time for 10 months of it, then came to uni, i have felt pretty mature, don't take that to mean a boring sod, but there was an age gap issue i felt...me having some brothers is pretty cool too, and missing out on real banter between us, ive missed that since being at uni...its very frustrating comparing what you ideally want things to be like, how they should be like, to what, come reality they really are/that you are missing those things - i guess its making 'ideal' the reality...

good luck...for me, uni hasn't been my cup of tea and i'm going to feel much happier once i don't feel quite so alientated from 'real life'. For myself, university is too alientated from reality, the conditions, scenarios, age ranges, cross section of society - its too parochial an existance.

Reply 2

monkeyaround

I hated second year work wise, but I was living with the most amazing people whereas in first year I hated my hall mates but enjoyed the work. This year, my final year, is going well both workwise and socially. Basically, it gets better, just stick the hard bit out. I considered dropping out too and got homesick for the first time ever at the beginning of second year, but it's not so easy for me to go home (have to fly) so I knew I couldn't.

Oh, and I'm looking forward to finishing and leaving too!

Reply 3

nikk

15

Got to say I am the opposite.... I had a dodgy first year but I am really enjoying the second year and couldn't imagine doing anything else now :smile:

I'm sure your year will get better - you often find (well I do) that people are quite a lot different than you expect once you get to know them. So if I were in your position, I would try to get to know the people on your course a bit better. Anyway, good luck! :smile:

Reply 4

minxie

On the other hand, I've just decided to leave Uni at the end of my first term of second year. Because Ive lost all motivation to do any work because I dont like it here, and so I may as well leave, go and get a degree I want and will enjoy, regardless of the cost- which will be a burden on me and not my parents.

Follow your heart.

Reply 5

SlyPie

12

bewithoutyou

There seem to be a lot of posts on here from people who have just started uni and realised it's not what they expected, but has anyone else gone into their second year and found it to be absolutely miserable?

Yes. I am in my second year and frankly everything is slightly worse.
Let's just say the only good thing about my second year, is that it's the third to the last.

However, I wouldn't call it homesickness, just "I-want-outness," if that makes any sense at all. I'm really looking forward to going to graduate school on the other side of the country, but I realize I have to stick with it now in order to get there. That is ultimately what is motivating me now.

--------------

minxie

Follow your heart.

I wish I could do that. I usually only follow my mind as it seems the most responsible and logical.

Hating second year?

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