First year needing some advice.

At the risk of sounding like a moron because I'm not even at Uni yet, give it some more time. If you still feel the same way, maybe it's the Uni that is making you feel that way? You need to find out the root of your problem yourself before you make any informed decisions.

Hi everyone,

I am at point during university (BCU) where I'm very unhappy to be here I suppose. I don't feel that this is the right choice for me mainly because I have different dreams and aspirations. I've chosen to study Computer Games Technology due to my love of games and wanting to create them was an ideal job for me as it would involve something I heavily enjoy doing.

It may even sound funny to people, but I wish to become a pro-gamer or some what a career in the esports industry (League of Legends ideally). I have a huge competitive drive when it comes to gaming (I wish I had the same for my education) . However, the esports industry in the UK isn't as big/wide known as it is such as America or Korea or even Spain for example. This makes me feel it would be a risky path to take if I wanted to drop out of uni. I am capable of becoming a pro player as I have the rankings/qualifications to do so.

Before I came to uni, I decided to abandon my dreams feeling that it was unrealistic. Besides, my parents would want me to go to uni and so are the rest of my friends, so I felt pressured almost into going to uni even though I know a degree in general is something useful to obtain.

Now with almost the first semester being over, I'm feeling unmotivated to carry on. I still do the work, go to lectures and complete assignments to the best of my ability. However, I always have in the back of my mind of wanting to do something else. I tend to spend spare time trying to climb the ladder or create videos when afterwards I would feel guilty for not studying/contributing towards my degree.

I have spoke to friends,personal tutors and even counselling about this. In the end, I have no real solution as everyone tells me I should do what makes me happy or what not etc.

My parents are not entirely 100% supportive although they usually want me to be happy as they know a degree would help me in the future with my options so they are convincing me to stay.

Did I choose the wrong course and/or uni? I would agree, the course doesn't seem to intrigue me that much nor does the university as I hoped. The only thing keeping me somewhat happy is that I'm the VP of the esports society, but it's very slow at the moment. However I feel it would be hard for me to reapply to another university if I dropped considering how badly I flunked my A-Levels. I don't intend to redo my A-levels unless I have no other options.

If I did leave and tried to pursue an esports career, I just don't want to regret dropping out of university. If I end up failing, I wouldn't know what to do.

My initial plan to was to complete my time at university and then spend a year trying to pursue that esports career, but to be honest, I don't really like being here.


I just feel trapped at the moment. There are so many cons for staying and leaving that it's hard for me to decide. I've spoken to a lot of people but nothing has really helped.

I appreciate any advice from anyone

Thanks.

If you want to create video games, this type of degree probably isn't the right one.

I'm not a big fan of these specific Games (design/creation/programming) degrees. This type of work is best done in a hands-on environment whether that's through an apprenticeship or just home projects. A CS degree (with lots of maths!) will fit the bill and give you a proper foundation.

I believe the University of Staffordshire are launching a BA programme in eSports, which seems like more management to me (http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/esports-ba) but it might align with your interests/hobbies more.

I mean, if the whole eSports gig fails for you, you could always go to university again and re-apply. The funding should still be there for you.