The Student Room Group

Dropping out after two years - Am I making a huge mistake?

I'm currently studying on a Primary Teacher Education course, and failed my most recent placement. While in school, I was told that I shouldn't be doing teacher training, and I was encouraged to look into being a dance teacher, as it is one of my main passions.

When I went back to Uni, I had to think about what I wanted to do from there. The module was failed, there was no way around that. I knew that being a classroom setting was not what I wanted anymore, but I didn't want to waste the last two years. The Uni gave me two options:

1) Transfer to a generic Education Course for my third year, and graduate with that qualification at level 6 (not particularly what I want to do)

2) Add another module to ensure you have 18 credits by the end of the year, and leave with a level 5 qualification. (My preferred choice to be honest).

On top of this, my fiancee wants us to move to a place of our own by the end of the year, but I would need to have a full time job. He has threatened that he will move, with or without me and that if I stay at Uni he would seriously consider leaving me, a thought I can't handle right now.

I can feel myself slipping into depression, and I haven't felt this low since I was about 14-16 years old. Nobody at Uni really talks to me, and I'm always the one left on my own in group activities, forced to awkwardly slot myself with a group while everyone stares at me hoping it won't be their group.

I thought long and hard, and I think I want to leave after my second year. However, I'm worried that I won't have anything to go into once I leave in the summer, and that the idea of being a dance teacher is a pipe dream. I'm so conflicted right now, and I feel like I have nobody to talk to, since my mother would disown me if she knew I was thinking of leaving. Is there anyone who has gone though a similar experience, or that can offer some advice?
Original post by StudentTeacher3
I'm currently studying on a Primary Teacher Education course, and failed my most recent placement. While in school, I was told that I shouldn't be doing teacher training, and I was encouraged to look into being a dance teacher, as it is one of my main passions.

When I went back to Uni, I had to think about what I wanted to do from there. The module was failed, there was no way around that. I knew that being a classroom setting was not what I wanted anymore, but I didn't want to waste the last two years. The Uni gave me two options:

1) Transfer to a generic Education Course for my third year, and graduate with that qualification at level 6 (not particularly what I want to do)

2) Add another module to ensure you have 18 credits by the end of the year, and leave with a level 5 qualification. (My preferred choice to be honest).

On top of this, my fiancee wants us to move to a place of our own by the end of the year, but I would need to have a full time job. He has threatened that he will move, with or without me and that if I stay at Uni he would seriously consider leaving me, a thought I can't handle right now.

I can feel myself slipping into depression, and I haven't felt this low since I was about 14-16 years old. Nobody at Uni really talks to me, and I'm always the one left on my own in group activities, forced to awkwardly slot myself with a group while everyone stares at me hoping it won't be their group.

I thought long and hard, and I think I want to leave after my second year. However, I'm worried that I won't have anything to go into once I leave in the summer, and that the idea of being a dance teacher is a pipe dream. I'm so conflicted right now, and I feel like I have nobody to talk to, since my mother would disown me if she knew I was thinking of leaving. Is there anyone who has gone though a similar experience, or that can offer some advice?


Firstly, I'm so sorry to hear what you're going through. It must be awful to be stuck in such an awkward situation.

I swapped university courses (from Ed Studies to Primary Ed, so kind of the opposite!) after being unhappy, but some placements were still really hard. Actual teaching is SO much easier than placements, as you aren't fitting into someone else's criteria.

I would definitely recommend you do option 1, as a level 5 qualification doesn't really stand for anything, but just one more year (and a pretty easy one doing Ed Studies compared to Primary Ed tbh) can give you a whole degree to carry with you for life.

Your boyfriend should support you no matter what your decision - if he doesn't, is he really worth being with? You would have done that extra year at uni anyway if your course went as planned.

An Ed Studies course also doesn't limit you to education - if you have a degree, there are so many jobs (office work) etc. that you can enter at a decent wage.

Just think - this time next year you would be on your way to getting a good job. It's not that long!
Reply 2
Original post by glitterphobia
Your boyfriend should support you no matter what your decision - if he doesn't, is he really worth being with? You would have done that extra year at uni anyway if your course went as planned.

fiancé*
Reply 3
If you ever wanted to go back to uni, you would have problems with finance. Under current rules, you wouldn't be eligible for a loan for the first year of a new degree. This means you would have to fund the first year yourself, unless you found a uni/course that would allow you to skip the first year and go straight into second year based on your previous study.

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