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Do I try again?

Firstly, hello TSR! This is my first time even browsing these forums so please, if i'm not following some sort of etiquette let me know :smile:

Quick brief. I'm 21 years old. After I finished 6th form myself and my girlfriend decided to try getting into the same university and we succeeded! Great times! After my first year, although a little below standard, my grades were on track and I passed with enough to continue onto my second year. This is where it goes downhill. During the first term of my second year my girlfriend unfortunately died. I won't go into details, but it was a really tough time for me and I think as expected, my attendance began to plummet, i was called in for review and they decided it was no longer best for me to continue the course. So i dropped out, went home and got a job. Had been working there for about a year before recently being made redundant. I haven't started paying back any of my first student loan/maintenance loan so i've still got all of that.

I guess the main question is is it worth me trying again? I loved university so much, and i regret having not been able to finish what i started. If i were to try again at university it would be a different university and most likely a different course. I'm basically just wondering if it's really worth me doing it again and having a literal mountain of debt, or whether I should just get another job?

Any help/opinions much appreciated :smile:

Reply 1

username1471603

I'm new here too haha, so hello! :smile:

God, I'm sorry you had to go through all that and it resulted in you not being able to continue!

As you said, you regret not being able to finish what you started so if you didn't bother trying again at all, I'm sure you'd just go on with more regrets? I mean, I take it you'd be studying something you're passionate about and want to make a career out of so maybe you'd be better off in the long run trying again, as opposed to just getting a job solely to pay off your loans. But the mountain of debt is obviously a downside :/ I really don't know, it's a tough situation. Sorry if I've been absolutely no help!

Reply 2

Schadenfreude65

I'm so sorry to hear what you've been through. I don't think you should be deterred by the debt, if the degree you wish to do has a good chance of leading to a better career. Whether going to university now is the right thing for you to do in other respects is harder to say. I think it could be a very good thing, to make a new circle of friends in a new place, but you should be prepared for the fact that it may stir up difficult emotions being in that kind of environment again. It would probably be a good idea to think in advance about coping strategies, such as counselling, in case you find yourself struggling. I wish you luck, whatever you decide to do.

Reply 3

ImJustSam

Thanks guys!

If i'm honest it's the environment i've been missing! After being employed for about a year, the circle of friends that i had before i went to Uni seem to have disappeared! I went through counselling for 6 months and really did come out a better person on the other side, it was a fantastic service that helped me massively! Got to stay positive regardless of what you go through otherwise you can never progress!

In any case, i think it comes down to for me whether the degree would actually be worth the added debt. I hear so many stories about people that come out of University with a first, absolutely smashed it, but can't get a job anywhere other than basic retail or entry level positions. It just really makes me doubt whether the system is actually working to benefit the student!