Drop Out?

Are you studying at university? Can you not speak to your tutor, or a university/college counsellor about how you're feeling? You need to get a sense of perspective to stop your anxiety. Is it really the essay itself that's bothering you, or the work as a whole? And who is putting pressure on you - parents? Teachers? Yourself?

Reply 6

OP

Profesh

There are legitimate reasons for dropping-out; this is not one of them.

It's not just this essay, but this seems is the major problem at the moment. I'm not happy with my course and I think I would enjoy the same course at a different institution much more. I'm behind in everything, and the amount of work required to catch up seems unachievable.

Reply 7

Shut up and look at my essay plan, I spent all of 5 minutes on it :frown:

Reply 8

Angrybanana

11

Don't throw away a whole degree course for the sake of one essay. It's almost certainly a fixable situation, and even if not it won't be the be-all and end all of your degree. Speak to your module tutor asap, don't spend time alone worrying over it, I was guilty of the same thing til I got some help from the lecturer and then it was fine. It's a much bigger burden if you keep it to yourself, tell the tutor and he can help you break it down so it's manageable. You'll have forgotten all about the damn essay a week after it's been handed in, that's it's place in the scheme of importance.

I see you hate your course, are you sure it would be that much different at another uni, as you will still get hard essays and have times where you slip behind with things. If you're convinced you'd enjoy doing the course somewhere else then ask your student advice dept about a transfer to that uni. They still might ask you to complete the year at your current uni though so it wouldn't solve your current predicament.

Reply 9

OP

pikaboo

Shut up and look at my essay plan, I spent all of 5 minutes on it :frown:

Thanks for the plan but I already have one. Please refrain from telling me to "shut up", I'm seriously screwed over here.

Reply 10

You're not screwed. Everyone who says that is just getting stressed over a resolveable situation. If you already have a detailed plan then how can you be stuck on it? Just break down your notes into the sections and get on with it.

Reply 11

OP

Angrybanana

Don't throw away a whole degree course for the sake of one essay. It's almost certainly a fixable situation, and even if not it won't be the be-all and end all of your degree. Speak to your module tutor asap, don't spend time alone worrying over it, I was guilty of the same thing til I got some help from the lecturer and then it was fine. It's a much bigger burden if you keep it to yourself, tell the tutor and he can help you break it down so it's manageable. You'll have forgotten all about the damn essay a week after it's been handed in, that's it's place in the scheme of importance. Are there any other reasons why you'd want to drop out or is it just this?

I really want to stay at uni but sometimes I feel like I'm out of my depth. Through high school and college I rarely struggled but I am finding it really hard to adjust to the way you are supposed to "learn" at uni. I fear that no matter how much work I put in, I'll end up with a 2ii and it will have been a complete waste of my time doing a degree.

Reply 12

OP

pikaboo

You're not screwed. Everyone who says that is just getting stressed over a resolveable situation. If you already have a detailed plan then how can you be stuck on it? Just break down your notes into the sections and get on with it.

I don't have any notes! I know what I would want to have notes on and what I would want to include in the essay, but I don't. I haven't slept properly all week and I am struggling to concentrate because of it.

Reply 13

Adjusting to the different assessment requirements at uni is a big part of the academic experience. You're not just expected to memorise and recite anymore, and once you get more practice in you'll realise how much more satisfying it is to have broader skills. Don't get disenchanted, I've been through all these doubts before but it is so possible to rise above it if you just put your mind to it.

Reply 14

PeterParadox

I don't have any notes! I know what I would want to have notes on and what I would want to include in the essay, but I don't. I haven't slept properly all week and I am struggling to concentrate because of it.

Google the information, just get it from reputable academic papers. If your uni has an online academic site where you can get course information from, use that too.

Reply 15

Angrybanana

11

pikaboo

Adjusting to the different assessment requirements at uni is a big part of the academic experience. You're not just expected to memorise and recite anymore, and once you get more practice in you'll realise how much more satisfying it is to have broader skills. Don't get disenchanted, I've been through all these doubts before but it is so possible to rise above it if you just put your mind to it.

I could do with a few tips on that myself actually :p:

the tutor pretty much tends to give you a reading list and say bugger off and you slap together an essay from that, I don't know about your courses.

Reply 16

Angrybanana

I could do with a few tips on that myself actually :p:

the tutor pretty much tends to give you a reading list and say bugger off and you slap together an essay from that, I don't know about your courses.

Yeah same, it's a big shock after being spoon fed at school, where you can practically copy an essay from your lesson notes! Research is what being an academic is all about though :smile:

Reply 17

puppy

PeterParadox

I don't have any notes! I know what I would want to have notes on and what I would want to include in the essay, but I don't. I haven't slept properly all week and I am struggling to concentrate because of it.

Apparently libraries have books in them and books have information in them, you don't need notes, go read some books. Just write the essay, I don't see how hard it can possibly be.

Reply 18

puppy

Angrybanana

I could do with a few tips on that myself actually :p:

the tutor pretty much tends to give you a reading list and say bugger off and you slap together an essay from that, I don't know about your courses.

If you can't get an essay together after someone's given you a specific reading list for it then you're doing something very wrong.

OP- what's this essay about? And how long does it have to be?

Reply 19

OP