Help uni

I want to drop out of my course because it’s not what I excepted/ i’m not enjoying it. However I’m scared to spend a year “out” due to the fact it’s too late to switch to the other course I want to do. I’m scared that I will become lonely as most of my friends have moved away for uni and I’m scared I’ll regret dropping out. Any advice from people who took a gap year/ dropped out

Reply 1

Scienceisgood

21

You don’t do uni for your friends, you do uni for you (and can make friends along the way). Don’t think about going home and not being around mates, go home because it’s what you think is best for you but think about it properly before dropping out.

Personally I dropped out of my PGCE course as the stress and absolute zero *ucks given by the uni to its students on placement was paramount… so I left (this was in December 2019, yes, when the plague hit). I would speak with your course leader and discuss this with them, it’s possible they could reserve a spot in the course for you next year if you change your mind. I started my MSc this year and deferred a year after being offered a golden opportunity at work, so started my course in 2023 instead of 2022 after speaking with the course leader before I started.

Just make sure this decision is right for you (I’m not saying this is the case but it may also simply be home sickness), it’s possible that you could do a different course however if home sickness is not what you think.

Perhaps get a job for six months or so if you want to do a different course to have some disposable income if you wish to start next year too.

There is loads you can do but make sure it is what you want. Good luck!

Original post by amymccrea

I want to drop out of my course because it’s not what I excepted/ i’m not enjoying it. However I’m scared to spend a year “out” due to the fact it’s too late to switch to the other course I want to do. I’m scared that I will become lonely as most of my friends have moved away for uni and I’m scared I’ll regret dropping out. Any advice from people who took a gap year/ dropped out

Hi there,

I ended up having two gap years before I went to uni so I thought I could give you some good advice about this situation as I felt a bit worried about being older than others when I went to uni.

My best advice would be to try not to worry too much about being older than others or being lonely. You have to do what is bets for you in this situation and if you feel that dropping out or switching courses will be the best thing for you and your future, you need to do this! The best thing to do is think about your future self and whether you would be happier doing another course or staying at the one you are doing now. Whichever answer you choose is the best thing for you to do and what I would recommend you do, regardless of any worries you may have about friends etc.

If you are still unsure about this, you could speak to the careers team at your uni or the help team as they might be able to help you decide which is the best option for you. If you ask the careers team, they should be able to talk you through what some of your options may be in terms of future career paths with the course you are thinking about doing and the one that you are already doing now. This may help you to make up your mind if you are struggling.

In terms of being lonely on a gap year, I understand how you feel as lots of my friends moved away to uni and I was still at home. However, there will still be lots of places you could make friends and if you end up getting a job on your gap year, you will meet lots of people here too and you will have plenty of things to be doing. You can also always visit your friends at the universities that they are at and you can still see them and experience the uni cities that they are living in too!

If you have thought through all of the options thoroughly, you won't regret dropping out as you will know it was the best decision for you at that time.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Original post by amymccrea

I want to drop out of my course because it’s not what I excepted/ i’m not enjoying it. However I’m scared to spend a year “out” due to the fact it’s too late to switch to the other course I want to do. I’m scared that I will become lonely as most of my friends have moved away for uni and I’m scared I’ll regret dropping out. Any advice from people who took a gap year/ dropped out

Hi there,

Thankyou for reaching out with this, and sorry to hear you're feeling like this.

One thing I would say is that it is absolutely not too late to swap your course if you are confident you would enjoy another one more. You are very young and have tonnes of time to work out what you would like to do. My best friend at uni had completed two years of a different course before deciding it wasn't for them and moving to our psychology course. Its very normal, but it is a big decision you should try to get as much support with as you can. Perhaps talk to your personal tutor about the possibility of transferring and what your next steps would be, chat to your parents. Explain your thought process, even write a pros and cons list as this could help visualise your feelings.

If you decide that you are definitely not motivated by your current course and it is not for you, then this is absolutely fine and I do not think in this case you would regret dropping out. Take some time out - try to find some work, or volunteer, perhaps travel to a few places. You mustn't worry about not meeting anyone new because you have so many opportunities to do this ahead of you.

You can only make decisions based on the information you have at the time, and its totally normal to not get it right the first time. If transferring to another course is the right thing to do for you, then you have to put yourself first and take that leap of faith 🙂 you deserve to be in a place where you're enjoying what you're doing and feel motivated.

I hope this helps, best of luck

Holly
University of Bath

Original post by amymccrea

I want to drop out of my course because it’s not what I excepted/ i’m not enjoying it. However I’m scared to spend a year “out” due to the fact it’s too late to switch to the other course I want to do. I’m scared that I will become lonely as most of my friends have moved away for uni and I’m scared I’ll regret dropping out. Any advice from people who took a gap year/ dropped out

Hey @amymccrea!

First off, I'm sorry to hear you've not been enjoying your course. Although dropping out can be an intimidating prospect, if you truly feel like your course is not right for you, it might be the best decision in the long-term. I'd recommend speaking to your personal tutor/designated point of contact on your course to discuss your concerns, and if necessary, they can signpost you to the correct university body to help you unenrol from the course.

It's not uncommon for students to find that their course isn't the right one for them and take a gap year to re-apply again - so you're definitely not alone. To avoid feeling isolated during this time, I'd recommend trying to get involved in a social activity, such as volunteering at a local charity shop or getting a part-time job to build some money for next year. 🙂

Best of luck!
Eve (Kingston Rep).

Help uni

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you