HELP : Changing Course Before The Start Of The Academic Year

Hello everyone

For some context, I am an international student at The University Of Leeds who has just completed my first year in Computer Science.

After much deliberation over this holiday period, I have come to realize that I do not have a passion for computer science. This, coupled with how challenging, overwhelming, and frankly boring the course is, has made me despise this subject.

I desperately want to change my program of study to Economics and Finance, as it is something I feel that I am more inclined to and would better align with my strengths and career aspirations. I have a strong background in this field as well as a genuine interest in the subject material.

I called the clearings office, and they definitely have vacancies available for this course. However, after informing the university of the prospective change, I received the following response:

"We are no longer considering change of course requests this academic year. You may contact us within the first two weeks of teaching in the 2024/25 academic year to see if any places have become available. It’s unusual to have any flexibility remaining at that time, but we have had some cases over the years where we could take on more students. We don’t have a waiting list; you’ll need to email us at this address to follow up on availability during those two weeks"

I cannot, in good conscience, pay another year of international fees whilst being stuck studying a subject I am not content with.

I'm reaching out to see if anyone can offer advice or has had experience with similar situations. Any guidance in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!