Dropping out of university

Yes, I am a first year, I relate to that so much 😂😂. I’m getting 2:2’s in my essays, I’m getting told that I’m so close to a 2:1 but it still makes me feel like a failure

How are things?

Reply 21

Squiggles1238

20

Original post by Muttley79

How are things?

I’ve reached out for support from people at college, and from my gp, so I’m just going to see how things go for now. I’m taking it at my own pace, but it just means that there’s a lot of work to catch up on in the holidays
I’m just taking it one day a time at the moment

(edited 5 months ago)

Reply 22

jonathanemptage

21

Original post by Anonymous

Hello,

I’ve started a law degree at Cambridge uni, and I’m so so overwhelmed by it all. It’s so much more work than I was anticipating, and it’s taken such a toll on my mental health. I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know whether to drop out entirely. Or to stick with it. Or to try law at another uni. Or to study psychology instead.
It’s just so different from what I imagined and I’m not happy at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Cambridge is rigorous no doubt. You obviously chose law for a reason but if you think you’d prefer psychology go for it I can’t really tell you what to do on that front because I don’t know you. However I can advise on dropping out and changing university. It’s obvious to me that your not happy in Cambridge and if your mental health is suffering I think you should drop out and maybe choose a university slightly closer to home? I moved from a university and hour and a half away to an hour away and found that half an hour made a huge difference. I didn’t commute though I can stress enough how important halls are for uni. I guess the most helpful thing I can do is tell you my story.

I went to uni at 20 years old (having totally messed up my GCSE’s) as the move in week approached I began feeling ore and more nervous. (Wow it’s tough writing this.) on move in day I was absolutely inconsolable I was crying or sleeping for 24 hours straight. I thought things would get better once my course started oh boy was I wrong. I failed one unit before Christmas I wasn’t able to get to my Monday 9AM and my lecturers had such strong accents I couldn’t understand a word they said and even 6 weeks later I was still struggling with homesickness. I returned home for Christmas and everyone was saying “How’s uni?” expecting me to say how much I loved it and I was saying things like “unis hard” basically just trying not to vocalise what I already knew I wanted to leave until the 28th of December and my uncle asked the dreaded question “How’s uni?” An I finally said I want to leave and how I was feeling I kind of opened the floodgates and you know what nobody believed me. So they dropped me back at uni where I stayed until Wednesday (first chance I had to talk to my tutor and told him I wanted to leave. I then told my parents who couldn’t have been more supportive. They drove all the way from London Docklands to Portsmouth and then back to Reading. My Dad gave me a job and I saved £3000 for university. I then moved to Solent for university and thrived.

You got into Cambridge so you likely can get into any other university that takes your fancy. Taking the decision to dropout is actually to be applauded you tried something it didn’t work and you took action to address it it’s often the first adult decision many people make. I really wish you the very best of luck. Also feel free to PM me about this because I’ve been there too.

Reply 23

SunnyBunnySunny

2

Original post by Anonymous #1

Hello,

I’ve started a law degree at Cambridge uni, and I’m so so overwhelmed by it all. It’s so much more work than I was anticipating, and it’s taken such a toll on my mental health. I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know whether to drop out entirely. Or to stick with it. Or to try law at another uni. Or to study psychology instead.
It’s just so different from what I imagined and I’m not happy at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Hi, I was in a similar situation so I hope you don't mind my thoughts. I was at Lincoln Uni wishing I went to one of the better ones and hating that I did law. I wanted to do psychology and or criminology and law. In Fact I wanted law and psychology at York but they stopped offering it at the time. I was miserable all three years and regretted it greatly.

Now 15 years on I'm finally doing my LPC and MSc. I love law. It really is not that bad. The Contract, Tort and land law is so boring and stale but it is not at all like that in practice. I had properties burn down between exchange and completion. Murders and all sorts!

I hope this helps inspire you a bit. Can you volunteer for Advocate, Citizens Advice or Sequentus? I have done all three and loved it.

You can also get student finance to cover a psychology conversation MSc at uLaw if you still hate it at the end.

Tbh law at Cambridge. The world is your oyster!

Reply 24

Stychomythia

13

Original post by Anonymous #1

Hello,

I’ve started a law degree at Cambridge uni, and I’m so so overwhelmed by it all. It’s so much more work than I was anticipating, and it’s taken such a toll on my mental health. I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know whether to drop out entirely. Or to stick with it. Or to try law at another uni. Or to study psychology instead.
It’s just so different from what I imagined and I’m not happy at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Stick with it. Cambridge is tough and, indeed, sets out to be tough; but they don't want you to fail.

The work rate you are developing now will stand you in good stead later. If you really hate law, that may be different; but I'm not getting that from your post.

Last, Cambridge has one advantage over every other university: the tripos system. If you can work through these two years (and I have little doubt that you're probably doing quite well! You are clearly conscientious) you can then switch courses and STILL emerge with a Cambridge degree. That Cambridge degree will make your life a LOT easier.

Reply 25

Muttley79

20

Original post by Stychomythia

Stick with it. Cambridge is tough and, indeed, sets out to be tough; but they don't want you to fail.

The work rate you are developing now will stand you in good stead later. If you really hate law, that may be different; but I'm not getting that from your post.

Last, Cambridge has one advantage over every other university: the tripos system. If you can work through these two years (and I have little doubt that you're probably doing quite well! You are clearly conscientious) you can then switch courses and STILL emerge with a Cambridge degree. That Cambridge degree will make your life a LOT easier.

A Cambridge degree does not 'make your life easier'. It certianly doesn't get you a job above others wth work experience e.g. in engineering.

Reply 26

A.j.d_d

3

dont give up. it all becomes better. youll look back and say ''oh it wasnt that bad''. usaully its just overthinking just take eeverything one by 1

Original post by Anonymous #1

Hello,

I’ve started a law degree at Cambridge uni, and I’m so so overwhelmed by it all. It’s so much more work than I was anticipating, and it’s taken such a toll on my mental health. I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know whether to drop out entirely. Or to stick with it. Or to try law at another uni. Or to study psychology instead.
It’s just so different from what I imagined and I’m not happy at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Hi !

I’m really sorry to hear you’re struggling that must be so hard! Previous replies suggesting talking to your tutor is a good way to start, as well as talking to others around you to try and help you settle in a bit more.

I think also ask yourself is it the work load you’re not happy with? Maybe it’s the content in which you’re not interested in? The people? Living in a new environment ?
All of those could be reasons why it’s taking such a toll on your mental well-being.

I personally dealt with this. I dropped out of a fashion course and reapplied to do psychology. I gave myself a good while to settle in and get to grips with the course, but in the long term I just wasn’t happy. I think you yourself know what you want deep down, and what you really want to do. I knew deep down and knew it wasn’t for me, so dropped out and reapplied to do psychology and now am so so much happier !

I’m not advising you to drop out in anyway, but if you are considering, give yourself a while to think about it, and don’t be afraid. Have a plan in what you want to do after and you can’t go wrong !

I hope everything gets sorted for you soon, and I hope that you do what makes you happy!

ARU Online Student Ambassador
Lily

Reply 28

Stychomythia

13

Original post by Muttley79

A Cambridge degree does not 'make your life easier'. It certianly doesn't get you a job above others wth work experience e.g. in engineering.

Please stop peddling untruths.

It's not untrue. A Cambridge degree opens doors that other degrees do not: sadly, far too many places still have an Oxbridge pile and a non-Oxbridge pile in their admissions process. It shouldn't be like that, but it is.

Reply 29

Muttley79

20

Original post by Stychomythia

It's not untrue. A Cambridge degree opens doors that other degrees do not: sadly, far too many places still have an Oxbridge pile and a non-Oxbridge pile in their admissions process. It shouldn't be like that, but it is.

Most companies recruit institute blind - your information is well out of date. Many of my ex-students have got jobs above Oxbridge degree holders.

(edited 1 month ago)

Reply 30

Stychomythia

13

Original post by Muttley79

Most companies recruit institute blind - your information is well out of date. Many of my ex-students have got jobs above Oxbridge degree holders.

As it happens, my current job is as a privacy lawyer in the recruitment sector (including, but not limited to, legal recruitment). While institution-blind recruitment constitutes best practice for DEI schemes it is still very far from standard, particularly in law firms; and where institution-blind application does occur in law firms, it will tend to be waived in the later rounds of the application where the candidates are close in their suitability. At that stage, an Oxbridge degree nearly always clinches it. As you are aware, the statement "Many of my ex-students have got jobs above Oxbridge degree holders." doesn't quite address the point. We are dealing with the averages and an Oxbridge degree still carries considerable advantageous weight for those first few, crucial, rungs of the ladder (less so once lawyers have become established in their practice). I should add that Oxbridge friends of mine (and I am non-Oxbridge) are frequently open about their preferences in this matter. I will also add that Oxbridge also usually requires a higher workload for students and that I therefore understand, in many cases (not all), the reason for my friends' preferences! However, my concern (as is yours) is principally about the welfare of the OP and so I will end the matter there, though please feel free to respond. My apologies for the screed, but your words 'peddling untruths' were something of an escalation. I hope I have demonstrated that I know what I'm talking about.

Reply 31

Muttley79

20

Original post by Stychomythia

As it happens, my current job is as a privacy lawyer in the recruitment sector (including, but not limited to, legal recruitment). While institution-blind recruitment constitutes best practice for DEI schemes it is still very far from standard, particularly in law firms; and where institution-blind application does occur in law firms, it will tend to be waived in the later rounds of the application where the candidates are close in their suitability. At that stage, an Oxbridge degree nearly always clinches it. As you are aware, the statement "Many of my ex-students have got jobs above Oxbridge degree holders." doesn't quite address the point. We are dealing with the averages and an Oxbridge degree still carries considerable advantageous weight for those first few, crucial, rungs of the ladder (less so once lawyers have become established in their practice). I should add that Oxbridge friends of mine (and I am non-Oxbridge) are frequently open about their preferences in this matter. I will also add that Oxbridge also usually requires a higher workload for students and that I therefore understand, in many cases (not all), the reason for my friends' preferences! However, my concern (as is yours) is principally about the welfare of the OP and so I will end the matter there, though please feel free to respond. My apologies for the screed, but your words 'peddling untruths' were something of an escalation. I hope I have demonstrated that I know what I'm talking about.

It's a shame that some law firms are missing out on better candidates through prejudice.

It's about time they were better regulated.

Reply 32

lalexm

16

Original post by Stychomythia

As it happens, my current job is as a privacy lawyer in the recruitment sector (including, but not limited to, legal recruitment). While institution-blind recruitment constitutes best practice for DEI schemes it is still very far from standard, particularly in law firms; and where institution-blind application does occur in law firms, it will tend to be waived in the later rounds of the application where the candidates are close in their suitability. At that stage, an Oxbridge degree nearly always clinches it. As you are aware, the statement "Many of my ex-students have got jobs above Oxbridge degree holders." doesn't quite address the point. We are dealing with the averages and an Oxbridge degree still carries considerable advantageous weight for those first few, crucial, rungs of the ladder (less so once lawyers have become established in their practice). I should add that Oxbridge friends of mine (and I am non-Oxbridge) are frequently open about their preferences in this matter. I will also add that Oxbridge also usually requires a higher workload for students and that I therefore understand, in many cases (not all), the reason for my friends' preferences! However, my concern (as is yours) is principally about the welfare of the OP and so I will end the matter there, though please feel free to respond. My apologies for the screed, but your words 'peddling untruths' were something of an escalation. I hope I have demonstrated that I know what I'm talking about.

Likewise in IT recruitment. I’ve recruited dozens of applicants over many years to the companies I’ve worked for, and the university they attended have always been visible. In many cases we have used blind candidate names to avoid unconscious racial bias, but they have not been institute blind. Like you have said though, the university they have attended becomes much less relevant for more experienced/senior hires.

Reply 33

Anonymous #3

Original post by Anonymous #1

Hello,
I’ve started a law degree at Cambridge uni, and I’m so so overwhelmed by it all. It’s so much more work than I was anticipating, and it’s taken such a toll on my mental health. I don’t know what to do anymore. I don’t know whether to drop out entirely. Or to stick with it. Or to try law at another uni. Or to study psychology instead.
It’s just so different from what I imagined and I’m not happy at the moment. Any advice would be greatly appreciated :smile:

Hello,
i'm sorry you are struggling.

i had the exact same experience in 1st year studying law. as for the psychology thing, i would be careful switching - just because my friend does psych and there is lots of maths and coding etc - skills that you do not need for law. also some modules are shared with the NatSci's so it can be very scientific. but if you are good with science and coding etc then you can consider it.

there is always the option to intermit and come back the following year.

as for the workload, you don't need to do everything on the supervision sheets. so try and do the "bare minimum" and don't worry about the rest.

it is so hard, but it will get better! i'd say stick with it if you can, but ultimately your health is the most important thing - so if you need to drop out to ensure that then don't be ashamed to do it :smile:

Dropping out of university

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