The Student Room Group

In a predicament

Keep anon please.

I have realised very late on I chose the wrong degree. I am going into my final year next year but I ABSOLUTELY HATE every moment of it. Thinking about it depresses me, and on top of that I am just relatively **** at it. I struggle immensely when studying it and for coursework often I need help to pass it. Alas, I pass them well but never the less. The concepts within it are hard for me to grasp and as a result my mental health deteriates when I do it due to the thought of feeling absolutely inadequate. On top of that due to events of the past year I really do hate my university town, I find it uninspiring and quite lonely at uni and now I am missing home a lot, which adds to the pain.

Anyway, I am stuck. I can't change degree because it is too late, but what I can do is just leave with a diploma. Currently my degree average is a strong 2:2. I can still get a 2:1 but it will be tough. After my degree I do not intend to work directly in my field unless it involves me working with people, which is what I am better geared towards. My degree is computing sci so it is very technical.

Now I don't know what I should do, one half of me is telling me to risk it, but I just don't know how I will cope in my final year. At best I could get a 2:1, at worse fail or get a third. The other half of me is telling me to quit whilst I am ahead. What do you think I should do?

Thanks.

Reply 1

I think you need someone to talk too, You should talk to your parents or maybe one of them university helpers I don't know but you need to talk to someone before you make a decision you may regret.

Reply 2

Gibb~
I think you need someone to talk too, You should talk to your parents or maybe one of them university helpers I don't know but you need to talk to someone before you make a decision you may regret.


Spoken to everyone, they are all telling me to complete it. The way they all look at it is that I just have 7 months left. What they don't understand is that those 7 months are intense and there is a lot at stake during it.

My department just want me to stay.

Reply 3

It depends what 7 months means to you? Are you prepared to gain an extra 7 months, but lose all the time you have spent already?

I know you've stated that you don't like the course and everything that comes with it, but personally, I would go with the flow and see what you come out with. For all you know, once you have finished, your degree could become a prerequisite for something you may actually find interesting and enjoy?

But at the end of the day, it is your decision. You need to weigh out exactly what it means for you - to continue and to drop.

However, what I will suggest is, have a backup plan ready.

Reply 4

I really feel for you, the idea that I was doing a course that I hate would depress me so much, you need someone close to you to speak to.
My personal advice would be to stick with it and work your socks off to get a 2:1/2:2 :smile: I'm not saying follow my advice, it's just my view and if you feel you can't bear the class any longer, just don't do it any longer because you'll be so upset if you failed. :o: I hope you make the right decision for you, and I'm sure you will (don't feel forced into making a decision by someone else) xxx

Reply 5

WhereIsMyMind
It depends what 7 months means to you? Are you prepared to gain an extra 7 months, but lose all the time you have spent already?

I know you've stated that you don't like the course and everything that comes with it, but personally, I would go with the flow and see what you come out with. For all you know, once you have finished, your degree could become a prerequisite for something you may actually find interesting and enjoy?

But at the end of the day, it is your decision. You need to weigh out exactly what it means for you - to continue and to drop.

However, what I will suggest is, have a backup plan ready.


I probably will leave the field completely, unless I could become an analyst. I don't know exactly where I want to go but it will be a drastic move. Saying that, for a long time my interests have laid in psychology, history, management, or something which directly relates to people or allows me to work with people. Problem is, if I do end up with anything less then a 2:2 I am definently screwed in terms of doing a masters in any of those fields. On the other hand, if I end up with a 2:1 masses amounts of doors will be open for me as I have a degree is a good subject. A 2:2 is meh.

I never did any of the subjects above to begin with due to job prospects. Which was foolish of me.

So, as it stands it is pretty much catch 22.

Reply 6

TomatoKetchup
I really feel for you, the idea that I was doing a course that I hate would depress me so much, you need someone close to you to speak to.
My personal advice would be to stick with it and work your socks off to get a 2:1/2:2 :smile: I'm not saying follow my advice, it's just my view and if you feel you can't bear the class any longer, just don't do it any longer because you'll be so upset if you failed. :o: I hope you make the right decision for you, and I'm sure you will (don't feel forced into making a decision by someone else) xxx


Yeah I mean now that I am home for the summer my mental health has improved considerably. Only until of course I think about anything related to computers. Irony is, once upon a time I LOVED computers; the degree sucked every bit of passion I had for it out of me.

Reply 7

Anonymous
I probably will leave the field completely, unless I could become an analyst. I don't know exactly where I want to go but it will be a drastic move. Saying that, for a long time my interests have laid in psychology, history, management, or something which directly relates to people or allows me to work with people. Problem is, if I do end up with anything less then a 2:2 I am definently screwed in terms of doing a masters in any of those fields. On the other hand, if I end up with a 2:1 masses amounts of doors will be open for me as I have a degree is a good subject. A 2:2 is meh.

I never did any of the subjects above to begin with due to job prospects. Which was foolish of me.

So, as it stands it is pretty much catch 22.


Ooh. Psychology and History! :biggrin: Nice combo! :woo:

I'm not an expert in ComSci, but is there anyone at the University you can speak to about possible branches off that you find more appealing?

I see your predicament, you feel that you are better off dropping it now, then doing poorly and then potentially ruining your chances for anything else?

ComSci could actually be a nice little prerequisite for Psychology though?

Reply 8

If you stopped now could you not get a HND from the 2 years you have done? could you take a year out or transfer to another Uni? I found the 3rd year hard enough without hating the corse! but on the upside, it doesnt really matter what degree you have, its about experiance a lot now...

Reply 9

WhereIsMyMind
Ooh. Psychology and History! :biggrin: Nice combo! :woo:

I'm not an expert in ComSci, but is there anyone at the University you can speak to about possible branches off that you find more appealing?

I see your predicament, you feel that you are better off dropping it now, then doing poorly and then potentially ruining your chances for anything else?

ComSci could actually be a nice little prerequisite for Psychology though?


Yeah, my uni offered comp sci and psy joint honours as well as management and comp sci. WHICH I would have loved to have done as there would have been a balance. But by the time I found this out, it was far too late and I couldn't make the switch. I tried desperately to make the switch last year.

But yeah thats the predicament. On the flip side, I know without a degree it is just impossible to get anything decent out there. I have taken a year out, got a fair amount of work experience under my belt (IT related) and it was impossible to get any decent paid job due to the market being saturated with all sorts of graduates.

Reply 10

Gaylei
If you stopped now could you not get a HND from the 2 years you have done? could you take a year out or transfer to another Uni? I found the 3rd year hard enough without hating the corse! but on the upside, it doesnt really matter what degree you have, its about experiance a lot now...


Other problem is funding, if I transfer I cannot start a strand of CS with say management because I haven't done the modules for it. Secondly if I transfer it is likely I will have to take a massive drop in terms of uni rep because my modular marks are not fantastic. Currently my department is top 20 in the CS league table.

But yes, I can leave with a HND after this year. But I fear a HND is not worth the paper it is written on.

Reply 11

Anonymous
Other problem is funding, if I transfer I cannot start a strand of CS with say management because I haven't done the modules for it. Secondly if I transfer it is likely I will have to take a massive drop in terms of uni rep because my modular marks are not fantastic. Currently my department is top 20 in the CS league table.

But yes, I can leave with a HND after this year. But I fear a HND is not worth the paper it is written on.

I dont really get what you mean about starting a new strand...

Also taking a drop in Uni rep is maybe the the outcome of dropping out. However if its not for you then dont force it on your self. However, how comes you have come this far and decided its too hard now? I mean I got to my thrid year and was like I cant wait to be finished but I never got to the point of giving up! 2 years of hard work at uni and 2 years at a level waisted and for what?

Although I have a decent job now, it seems 13k for a bit of paper was such a waste!:woo:

Reply 12

Gaylei
I dont really get what you mean about starting a new strand...


In other words doing a degree that is not CS.


Also taking a drop in Uni rep is maybe the the outcome of dropping out. However if its not for you then dont force it on your self. However, how comes you have come this far and decided its too hard now? I mean I got to my thrid year and was like I cant wait to be finished but I never got to the point of giving up! 2 years of hard work at uni and 2 years at a level waisted and for what?

Although I have a decent job now, it seems 13k for a bit of paper was such a waste!:woo:


Family and peer pressure kept me at it. Actually more to the point I can't believe I have lasted this long, incredible. I am not fanatastic at my subject and never will be, but I think I know enough to do it. If you get me.

Yeah one half of me JUST wants to finish it, but then I am also thinking long term too. But then as you have rightly said I am like 13k in debt, and all of my work experience/ Alevels is geared towards computing. Giving up is crossing my mind because despite being able, the degree makes me incredibly miserable, all of my friendships are strained doing it. And I am continiously stressed out.

Reply 13

Anonymous
In other words doing a degree that is not CS.



Family and peer pressure kept me at it. Actually more to the point I can't believe I have lasted this long, incredible. I am not fanatastic at my subject and never will be, but I think I know enough to do it. If you get me.

Yeah one half of me JUST wants to finish it, but then I am also thinking long term too. But then as you have rightly said I am like 13k in debt, and all of my work experience/ Alevels is geared towards computing. Giving up is crossing my mind because despite being able, the degree makes me incredibly miserable, all of my friendships are strained doing it. And I am continiously stressed out.


Ah, I see. My fella did CS and BIS and he now works for IDOX he got a first but he had no social life at all, he started doing some crazy degree at keel but then did his dgree at chester. he will tell you that it didnt come easy! I guess you just have to think just one more year! then see what happens, you dont have to do a computing job! one for my friends did AI and now works for the NHS! Doing Actuary stuff...