Unsure of whether to drop out of Uni or just change course.

Hello.
I recently began studying BA psychology at Edinburgh Napier University and it's safe to say that I hate everything about it. I hate having no friends, I hate travelling, I hate having to study all the time and I hate how the modules work.
I have also been recently diagnosed with both depression and anxiety, the latter becoming severe while travelling to and being at uni which has often made me stay at home. Yes I am seeing help from several sources (Uni councillor, Uni mental health service, NHS adult mental health service and also been referred to a mental hospital for anxiety prevention classes.
I have considered many things regarding how to fix these feelings:

- Leave and join the police force; the main issue here being 2 years out of education and also the fitness levels (I would not say I am unfit as I am able to cycle for long distances however my BMI is outside of the specified range for Police Scotland)

- Go into an apprenticeship/internship; I do not have business or practical experience, even in high school I did not take either subjects to National 5 level and instead focussed on sciences and humanitarian subjects.

- Leave my current course and go into mental health nursing. I find this one to be the most appealing as I intend of working in the medical field and would rather do a 3 year course than 7 years. However I am worried that I will still experience the same issues as I have with the current course I am studying and I am unsure of how easy it is to switch courses at this point.

I know this is long winded and I apologise for this however I feel that speaking to students/former students would aid me in my decision. I would greatly appreciate suggestions and I thank those who do.

Reply 1

cheesecakelove

If I was you, I would start researching mental health nursing courses and find out more information. You could try shadowing or work experience in this field to see if this is the right one for you. It is quite hard to say you will have the same problems in terms of dissatisfaction with the course content and lack of friends, but if you try to prepare yourself well, this should lessen.

Reply 2

Jaybo_Hogg

Thanks for replying!
I have looked into this course at Napier and it is something that I would enjoy doing as employment, however I feel like it would be more beneficial if I took a year out of education to allow my mental health to improve, is this a good option?

Reply 3

cheesecakelove

Original post by Jaybo_Hogg

Prioritise your health first. If you feel you need to deal with your mental health issues first, I think this is a good idea. When you are in a better place, you can start focusing on your education and career. :smile: