Ever felt like your degree isn’t right for you, but it’s too late to change?

2

Hey everyone,
Lately I’ve been feeling a bit lost about my studies. It just doesn’t feel like something I’m passionate about, yet I’m already quite far into it, so quitting doesn’t really seem like an option. I’m hoping it’ll be useful for my future job....
Has anyone else felt this way? Did you just push through or try to change direction? :s-smilie:

Reply 1

PolkaPotato77

5

Hey,

I feel like this is me too. I did a degree in Natural Sciences and a masters in Nutrition as I wanted to do medicine. I wasn't interested in both subjected but I did them to study medicine. I then started medicine but now I am thinking of doing dentistry as I picked the wrong uni and that ruined the degree for me.

I observed dental students in my uni and noticed that they were doing way more patient and hands on exposure from 1st year than medical students and decided to explore dentistry more. I have to take a year out of my studies anyway but am thinking of reapplying next year for dentistry.

I don't think it's too late to change. If I switch to dentistry, I'd be 30 when I start the course.

But for you, it depends on how far you are into your study. If it's your final year, I would finish it. If it's 2nd year, see if you can change some modules to ones you like? And maybe get a part time job? This helped me for my 1st degree too. I had a few customer service roles and that helped me boost my confidence more. Especially now that I am job hunting in between degrees.

Reply 2

LJMUStudentReps

Official Rep

18

Original post

by Veronikita

Hey everyone,
Lately I’ve been feeling a bit lost about my studies. It just doesn’t feel like something I’m passionate about, yet I’m already quite far into it, so quitting doesn’t really seem like an option. I’m hoping it’ll be useful for my future job....
Has anyone else felt this way? Did you just push through or try to change direction? :s-smilie:

Hi,

You’re definitely not alone. Many students experience doubt about their degree, even if they’re well into it. It’s normal to question whether it’s the right fit at any stage. Sometimes pushing through works, especially if the degree gives you skills or qualifications that will help in your future career. If lack of motivation is part of it, you may find it helpful to focus on modules you enjoy, join course societies, or talk to lecturers about areas that interest you.

If your doubts continue, consider speaking to your personal tutor or the university’s student support team. They can offer advice and support, even later in your course.

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 3

Veronikita

OP

2

Original post

by PolkaPotato77

Hey,
I feel like this is me too. I did a degree in Natural Sciences and a masters in Nutrition as I wanted to do medicine. I wasn't interested in both subjected but I did them to study medicine. I then started edicine but now I am thinking of doing dentistry as I picked the wrong uni and that ruined the degree for me.
I observed dental students in my uni and noticed that they were doing way more patient and hands on exposure from 1st year than medical students and decided to explore dentistry more. I have to take a year out of my studies anyway but am thinking of reapplying next year for dentistry.
I don't think it's too late to change. If I switch to dentistry, I'd be 30 when I start the course.
But for you, it depends on how far you are into your study. If it's your final year, I would finish it. If it's 2nd year, see if you can change some modules to ones you like? And maybe get a part time job? This helped me for my 1st degree too. I had a few customer service roles and that helped me boost my confidence more. Especially now that I am job hunting in between degrees.

Luckily, I’ve found a job that I really enjoy, and right now I prefer to focus more on work than on my studies — but I’m not giving up on them completely.😌thanks for your reply!

Reply 4

AllThingsCCCU

Official Rep

11

Original post

by Veronikita

Hey everyone,
Lately I’ve been feeling a bit lost about my studies. It just doesn’t feel like something I’m passionate about, yet I’m already quite far into it, so quitting doesn’t really seem like an option. I’m hoping it’ll be useful for my future job....
Has anyone else felt this way? Did you just push through or try to change direction? :s-smilie:

Totally get you. A lot of people hit that stage where the course just isn’t sparking anything anymore. Being far in can make it feel like you have to stick it out, but you’re not alone in feeling unsure.
Some people finish the degree and use it as a stepping stone, even if it’s not their passion. Others look into switching paths or adding something alongside it that actually interests them. There’s no one “right” move; it just depends on what feels less heavy in the long run.
You don’t have to have it all figured out right now, honestly.

Reply 5

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

18

Original post

by Veronikita

Hey everyone,
Lately I’ve been feeling a bit lost about my studies. It just doesn’t feel like something I’m passionate about, yet I’m already quite far into it, so quitting doesn’t really seem like an option. I’m hoping it’ll be useful for my future job....
Has anyone else felt this way? Did you just push through or try to change direction? :s-smilie:

Hey @Veronikita , thank you for being so honest.
This is so normal and I have to say I relate. Looking at the other responses, they vary between changing and pushing through. I would say, my advice involves both.

Firstly, I always believe that if you have started something and you feel like you can push through, then definitely consider it because sometimes the practical aspect of a degree, is a lot more interesting than the actual studying for the degree. In addition to this, I would also say consider job shadowing or even work experience in your area of study just so that you can have that exposure to be completely sure that this is not something you want to do.

Another thing I would also say you should consider is other career paths you could get into depending on your degree. Often times we believe that for example, if you are studying law, you must end up a solicitor or barrister, when in actuality there are so many other fields you could explore due to the versatility of the degree. And this is common for most degrees, so if you do decide to complete your degree, do consider other career paths you may be interested in that you can actually get into.

In my experience, I would say getting external work experience helped me regain that passion. I felt exactly how you felt, wondering how on earth I would do this for the rest of my life, but that external exposure made me realise that there is more to it outside of the classroom. Hence me advising you to consider the same.

I really hope this was helpful, and if you have more questions feel free to ask.

Ru
BCU student rep.

Reply 6

PinkMobilePhone

Chat Forum Helper, Life & Style Forum Helper

22

I changed my discipline after 1 year of study.

Reply 7

Kingston Eve

Official Rep

13

Original post

by Veronikita

Hey everyone,
Lately I’ve been feeling a bit lost about my studies. It just doesn’t feel like something I’m passionate about, yet I’m already quite far into it, so quitting doesn’t really seem like an option. I’m hoping it’ll be useful for my future job....
Has anyone else felt this way? Did you just push through or try to change direction? :s-smilie:

Hey @Veronikita,

Lots of people feel this way about the degrees at some point - sometimes studying a subject in depth can cause people to lose their passion for it and other times students discover they're actually interested in a different field of study entirely.

It's important to remember that you can re-train at any point in your life, and your current degree doesn't have to be your last major educational milestone. It's not uncommon for people to study postgraduate degrees in unrelated fields (e.g. PGCE, postgraduate law) or to switch career paths ten years down the line.

If you're nearing the end of your studies (e.g. third year), it might be worthwhile to keep going. You're close to graduating, and starting a new undergraduate degree at this point may not be worth the loss of tuition fees. However, if you're only in first or second year, it's not too late to reevaluate your options and consider if there's another course/pathway you'd like to pursue.

Whatever you choose, don't feel like it's your 'final' choice. It's okay not to know what you want to do or where you want to be - after all, you're only at the very beginning of your professional life. 🙂

Best of luck,
Eve (Kingston Rep).

(edited 4 months ago)

Ever felt like your degree isn’t right for you, but it’s too late to change?

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