The Student Room Group

Ok, now I'm panicking....

Ugh. I literally don't know what I want to do in life. I'm meant to be going to University in September but I've decided I don't want to do that one so I plan on dropping out. But I have no idea what I want to do in life. Literally, life has been screwed up for me I feel. One minute I want to do one thing, the next I want to do a completely different thing. How can someone like that function? How can someone like that live?

Anyway, I might as well just walk off a bridge now, because I cannot function in life. That is it. I have no idea what I want to do and when I do it only lasts for a week or so. I don't have any strong interests and, as a result, I'm basically screwed.

EDIT: Only helpful posts please, this is not a post for short, unhelpful, unproductive, stupid comments or sarcastic jokes, etc.
(edited 7 years ago)

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Get a job?
Original post by similarBlank
Ugh. I literally don't know what I want to do in life. I'm meant to be going to University in September but I've decided I don't want to do that one so I plan on dropping out. But I have no idea what I want to do in life. Literally, life has been screwed up for me I feel. One minute I want to do one thing, the next I want to do a completely different thing. How can someone like that function? How can someone like that live?

Anyway, I might as well just walk off a bridge now, because I cannot function in life. That is it. I have no idea what I want to do and when I do it only lasts for a week or so. I don't have any strong interests and, as a result, I'm basically screwed.


Sounds like you're having an existential crisis.
Original post by sugarflower
Sounds like you're having an existential crisis.



I have that all the time.
Original post by similarBlank
I have that all the time.


Well, what did you plan on studying at university?
Original post by sugarflower
Well, what did you plan on studying at university?


Currently I'm down for American Studies.
Original post by similarBlank
Currently I'm down for American Studies.


What did you originally plan on doing after studying American Studies?
Reply 7
Original post by similarBlank
I have that all the time.


Can the uni allow you to change courses? You can probably try that course and see if you like it, then drop out. Otherwise maybe a gap year to figure out what degree you want to study/what to do with your life?
Reply 8
Why not try to do work experience at various place, research each job sectors? You could also do an apprenticeship on something that you're currently interested in, and do some research for jobs that may appeal to you in your free time.

I also don't know what to do, but have done quite a lot of research, and throughout uni I'll be trying out a bunch of different things to decide on what to pursue.
Original post by sugarflower
What did you originally plan on doing after studying American Studies?


I'm not really sure, I suppose. I think I just assumed I'd just stumble into a career that I'd like over the next 4 years.

When people asked me why I was doing that I replied 'I'm only doing it because I don't know what else I'd be doing the next 4 years.' It was essentially to buy me more time to figure out what I wanted to do.
Reply 10
Original post by similarBlank
Ugh. I literally don't know what I want to do in life. I'm meant to be going to University in September but I've decided I don't want to do that one so I plan on dropping out. But I have no idea what I want to do in life. Literally, life has been screwed up for me I feel. One minute I want to do one thing, the next I want to do a completely different thing. How can someone like that function? How can someone like that live?

Anyway, I might as well just walk off a bridge now, because I cannot function in life. That is it. I have no idea what I want to do and when I do it only lasts for a week or so. I don't have any strong interests and, as a result, I'm basically screwed.


Hi man. Life can sometimes be confusing to say the least. There will always be moments we enjoy, and other times we dread- i.e being in constant limbo (not knowing what to do with your life).
Like yourself, I'm meant to be going to University the upcoming term, but I've decided against it. Mainly because I don't feel prepped to study in an academic vigorous University, as well as the fact that I literally rushed the whole UCAS process- deciding the course I wanted to study a month before sending my application off.
Things are not always set in stone my brother/ sister-
For the time being just ease the stress by not overthinking or thinking you need to rush things. Remember that UNIVERSITY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. It's a matter of whether we will be able to make the most of what University has to offer.
Speak and seek advice from your family, friends or if you want- I'd be more than happy to chat to you through private message.
Reply 11
Original post by kkboyk
Why not try to do work experience at various place, research each job sectors? You could also do an apprenticeship on something that you're currently interested in, and do some research for jobs that may appeal to you in your free time.

I also don't know what to do, but have done quite a lot of research, and throughout uni I'll be trying out a bunch of different things to decide on what to pursue.


I feel like a lot of us still don't know what we really want to do, especially after researching lots of careers and then realized you're bombarded with options.

Edit: I agree with S1939, UCAS sure does rush us into choosing degrees without any deep considerations.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by similarBlank
Ugh. I literally don't know what I want to do in life. I'm meant to be going to University in September but I've decided I don't want to do that one so I plan on dropping out. But I have no idea what I want to do in life. Literally, life has been screwed up for me I feel. One minute I want to do one thing, the next I want to do a completely different thing. How can someone like that function? How can someone like that live?

Anyway, I might as well just walk off a bridge now, because I cannot function in life. That is it. I have no idea what I want to do and when I do it only lasts for a week or so. I don't have any strong interests and, as a result, I'm basically screwed.

EDIT: Only helpful posts please, this is not a post for short, unhelpful, unproductive, stupid comments or sarcastic jokes, etc.


do you have a job? maybe if you dont want to go to uni get a job somewhere that you can train to be a manager or something then later in life you could take a course at college in something you actually want to do?
Reply 13
Original post by similarBlank
I have that all the time.


Your personality is ****ed up, hence the existential crisis. It's incurable. I'm like that too, except for my occasional euphoric mooooods like now!
Original post by Yammy
Can the uni allow you to change courses? You can probably try that course and see if you like it, then drop out. Otherwise maybe a gap year to figure out what degree you want to study/what to do with your life?


The University is only a small one and doesn't really have any other courses I'd want to do, I think. Plus, I missed out on accomodation and I don't think I can afford to go there without their accomodation.


Original post by kkboyk
Why not try to do work experience at various place, research each job sectors? You could also do an apprenticeship on something that you're currently interested in, and do some research for jobs that may appeal to you in your free time.

I also don't know what to do, but have done quite a lot of research, and throughout uni I'll be trying out a bunch of different things to decide on what to pursue.


I've been looking but am finding it hard. I'm quite interested in the game industry (and have had quite a bit of experience) and I was just looking at game journamlism jobs, but then I realised they all require a knowledge of the game industry that I simply don't have.

Realising that I'm not into what I'm most interested in enough to do a simple jounralism job is what made me panic.
Original post by similarBlank
I'm not really sure, I suppose. I think I just assumed I'd just stumble into a career that I'd like over the next 4 years.

When people asked me why I was doing that I replied 'I'm only doing it because I don't know what else I'd be doing the next 4 years.' It was essentially to buy me more time to figure out what I wanted to do.


I'm still not sure what I want to go into, but my boyfriend said studying Geography at uni is good because you can go into almost anything with that.
I'm not so sure with American Studies, but then again I haven't really researched the subject.
Original post by S1939
Hi man. Life can sometimes be confusing to say the least. There will always be moments we enjoy, and other times we dread- i.e being in constant limbo (not knowing what to do with your life).
Like yourself, I'm meant to be going to University the upcoming term, but I've decided against it. Mainly because I don't feel prepped to study in an academic vigorous University, as well as the fact that I literally rushed the whole UCAS process- deciding the course I wanted to study a month before sending my application off.
Things are not always set in stone my brother/ sister-
For the time being just ease the stress by not overthinking or thinking you need to rush things. Remember that UNIVERSITY WILL ALWAYS BE THERE. It's a matter of whether we will be able to make the most of what University has to offer.
Speak and seek advice from your family, friends or if you want- I'd be more than happy to chat to you through private message.


Yeah. My dad is the only person I speak to, I'm rather a recluse. He doesn't really care and just wants me to do something. That's why I feel rather in a rush, he wants me to prove to him that I'm doing something and I'm not just going to spend everyday stuck in my room.
Reply 17
Original post by similarBlank

I've been looking but am finding it hard. I'm quite interested in the game industry (and have had quite a bit of experience) and I was just looking at game journamlism jobs, but then I realised they all require a knowledge of the game industry that I simply don't have.

Realising that I'm not into what I'm most interested in enough to do a simple jounralism job is what made me panic.


Why not gain these experience to apply to jobs such as that? I'm sure you made a thread on how to get into games design, so are you not interested in it anymore?
Original post by sugarflower
I'm still not sure what I want to go into, but my boyfriend said studying Geography at uni is good because you can go into almost anything with that.
I'm not so sure with American Studies, but then again I haven't really researched the subject.


Yeah, that's why I'm not so sure about it anymore. I can't see how positively I can get a job with it.
Reply 19
Original post by similarBlank
I'm not really sure, I suppose. I think I just assumed I'd just stumble into a career that I'd like over the next 4 years.

When people asked me why I was doing that I replied 'I'm only doing it because I don't know what else I'd be doing the next 4 years.' It was essentially to buy me more time to figure out what I wanted to do.


Remember that there are lots of graduate jobs you can get with a 2.1/maybe 2.2 degree in nearly anything, so really its not worth worrying about it now. Although you should still try to find your subject interesting enough for you to pass the exams.

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