Should I drop out of uni

9

Have enrolled a three year counselling full time course, and have done the first 1/2 term. I am very passonate about mental health and enjoy the subject greatly - I hold Level 2 and 3 qualifications in counselling however didn't expect for the course to be so demanding so fast, with finding your placement, a supervisor and personal counsellor (which I have the later two not the placement). The cohort are great, and the disability support who I'm working with as I have epilepsy are wonderful but I don't really feel as though I can approach the teaching team or feel very comfortable in the lectures. I enjoy what we're learning but it's too much and I honestly think if I remained my mental health would just massively deteriorate.
They're trying to encourage me to stay with phrases like "We would be very sad if you leave" but I'm starting to think this isn't the right fit or course for me.
What should I do.

Reply 1

hallamstudents

Official Rep

18

Original post

by bird019

Have enrolled a three year counselling full time course, and have done the first 1/2 term. I am very passonate about mental health and enjoy the subject greatly - I hold Level 2 and 3 qualifications in counselling however didn't expect for the course to be so demanding so fast, with finding your placement, a supervisor and personal counsellor (which I have the later two not the placement). The cohort are great, and the disability support who I'm working with as I have epilepsy are wonderful but I don't really feel as though I can approach the teaching team or feel very comfortable in the lectures. I enjoy what we're learning but it's too much and I honestly think if I remained my mental health would just massively deteriorate.
They're trying to encourage me to stay with phrases like "We would be very sad if you leave" but I'm starting to think this isn't the right fit or course for me.
What should I do.

Hi there,

This is a tricky one and ultimately it is up to you and if you think the best thing for you is to leave then don't feel bad for doing this.

Your mental health is very important and if you feel it may deteriorate then it may not be worth staying. It might be a good idea to have a chat to one of the wellbeing team at your university as they might be able to help you and chat to you about your decision and help you with what to do with this. If you haven't already, maybe think about making an appointment with them as they are there to support you through decisions like this.

If you do end up staying, I would also maybe recommend talking to your GP about how you are feeling as they are there again as a point of contact for you I you feel this way and it might be helpful to have someone to keep in touch with and they can help and support you.

With the actual decision on whether to stay or leave, the most important thing ultimately is how you feel. If you feel you would massively benefit with the degree in your future career, it might be worth trying to stick it out. Your uni should be good at helping you find a placement and if not then you can keep asking them to help you, or ask your supervisor as you have met them.

There us also an option to think about trying to move universities for next year as you might find it better in a different environment. It's worth thinking about anyway as you might find this works better for you.

I hope some of this helps,

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Reply 2

UniLancashire

Official Rep

15

Original post

by bird019

Have enrolled a three year counselling full time course, and have done the first 1/2 term. I am very passonate about mental health and enjoy the subject greatly - I hold Level 2 and 3 qualifications in counselling however didn't expect for the course to be so demanding so fast, with finding your placement, a supervisor and personal counsellor (which I have the later two not the placement). The cohort are great, and the disability support who I'm working with as I have epilepsy are wonderful but I don't really feel as though I can approach the teaching team or feel very comfortable in the lectures. I enjoy what we're learning but it's too much and I honestly think if I remained my mental health would just massively deteriorate.
They're trying to encourage me to stay with phrases like "We would be very sad if you leave" but I'm starting to think this isn't the right fit or course for me.
What should I do.

Hi @bird019,

I'm sorry you are feeling like this but please don't be too hard on yourself. University isn't for everyone or it's just not the right course for you. It's your decision at the end of the day and only you know how you are fully feeling about this. It's a step in the right direction if you think it may affect your mental health later down the line.

You are not alone in feeling like this and there will be many students feeling overwhelmed or second guessing their choice. I would recommend speaking to someone other than your lecturer if you haven't already as there are teams to help and support students in these situations. It may be worth ringing or emailing other universities and finding out if their counselling courses are any different? Even if you stay on it's worth familiarising yourself with student support and wellbeing teams as they helped me massively at university. Make the most of the support you have within uni.

You have other options such as starting uni next year, getting some experience or working this year or doing a completely different course. Spend some time with yourself and ask what would be an ideal course and then look into it. Research and compare to your current course to find the best option for you. It may sound really simple but pros and cons lists really helped me in deciding when it came to university but even life now. Seeing it written down side by side just helped it sink in and once I decided I felt a lot better. The decision making can be worse than the action so keep that in mind. Often once I have made a decision it does feel a lot better and then the process/action of the decision isn't as bad as it may seem before making the decision.

You have options but most importantly it's about knowing what you need which seems like you already do. Do what you think is right for you and will benefit you and your mental health as mental health is super important! You've got this! 🙂

Hope this helps and you make the right decision for yourself,
^Zac

Reply 3

University of Bath

Official Rep

14

Original post

by bird019

Have enrolled a three year counselling full time course, and have done the first 1/2 term. I am very passonate about mental health and enjoy the subject greatly - I hold Level 2 and 3 qualifications in counselling however didn't expect for the course to be so demanding so fast, with finding your placement, a supervisor and personal counsellor (which I have the later two not the placement). The cohort are great, and the disability support who I'm working with as I have epilepsy are wonderful but I don't really feel as though I can approach the teaching team or feel very comfortable in the lectures. I enjoy what we're learning but it's too much and I honestly think if I remained my mental health would just massively deteriorate.
They're trying to encourage me to stay with phrases like "We would be very sad if you leave" but I'm starting to think this isn't the right fit or course for me.
What should I do.

Hi Bird,

If its any consolation, what you're feeling, although it must be stressful and difficult, is actually very normal.

You are embarking on a wholly new chapter of your life, and agreed from experience, once you start a course, it moves fast and things start to happen quickly - you're thrown into a whirlwind of having to make decisions.

If you enjoy the subject, can really see yourself working in mental health and enjoy your uni life outside studies, then these are the most important things. Do you know about the Yerkes-Dodson Curve? As in, people tend to perform at their optimum when they are under a certain level of pressure and stress and it can actually allow them to grow as a person - if you are under stress now, I am sure it will not last and will pay off in the end by making you stronger and more resilient.

I would recommend speaking to your uni's wellbeing time and/or your personal tutor or academic advisor - it is often really helpful to talk through how you're feeling with someone. Is there also anyone on your course facing similar struggles to yourself? Trust me, you won't be alone in feeling the pressure of a new course, and finding people in the same boat as you can be very reassuring.

Hoping this helps - best of luck whatever you decide to do next 🙂

(edited 5 days ago)

Should I drop out of uni

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