Dropping out of college

Sean7

I'm in my 3rd year of a course I should never have stayed in past 1st year. I was only 17 when I went to college and my only ambition was leaving my hometown so I took the only course I was offered (no I didn't make any effort in secondary school, so I only came out with 325 points). Since then I have just pushed on with this course to try and get the degree so I could do another course. Now I'm in my 3rd(Final) year and very likely to fail as it's going. I don't think I can face repeating the year but I'm afraid this severly limit my prospects for getting another course. Also I have gotten alot of financial support off my parents over the last 3 years and they're good people wg=ho I don't want to let down.

Anyone got any advice? People who have dropped out and done something else? Anyone who's persevered with a course they didnt like? Anyone who's got any experience at all with this sort of thing your advice would be appreciated.

Atrocity

I dropped out of law in my final year and I have decided to go back next september. But I don't regret it, I've sorted a few things out and am really enjoying a break for a while, I was going crazy.

A year out could be just what you need

Nightwish

I had to take a year out after 2nd year of my course. I hated it so much, but the year out did me the world of good. I went back as my parents wouldnt let me drop out and I'm a few weeks away from finishing. I have spent 4 years of my life being miserable in college and I cannot wait to leave. To the OP, if you really are unhappy and cannot face the final year, you should leave, or even take a year out to clear your head.

LegacyUser

If you want my advice, just finish it off, you're nearly there. It'll stand to you as a stepping stone if nothing else. I've been in the same boat and I actually left after 2nd year. I realised that I needed to finish, not only for myself but also my family who supported me. A year woring in Centra makes you appreciate what you've got and what you could have. Not that there's anything wrong with working in Centra or any service area.

It's hard, I know. I'm watching my youngest brother going through the same thing but he knows that he just needs to get it finished and done with. Another sibling left college for two years after quitting a course and is now doing a doctorate.

If it's any help, I'd recommend getting a trade. I'm still sorry that I did went to college and not to get an apprenticeship. But at the end of the day, you can only do what's right for you.

I don't know if this was any help?

Dave!

I think that you should finish the year and see how you get on. If you pass, well and good, you're finished; if you fail, then I think take a year out and see how you feel after that. If you were in first or second year I'd say drop out, but in your last year it seems a bit of a waste to throw it away, especially this late in the year. See how you get on.

I'm only in my first year in college, hated it for the first 4 months or so, and was gonna drop out (I actually posted a thread on it, have a search for my username in this forum), but I'm sticking at it for now. It's getting a bit better, I'm starting to get to know more people and plan on being more active in societies next year, and while I don't enjoy my course for the most part, I think I could enjoy the experience if I make more of an effort.

Good luck to you anyway

Tim06

I know that you really want to drop out but what if you really put your head down from now till the exams. might not sound appealing now but it will be when the results are out, you have a qualification behind you and you can basically do as you want. i didn't like my course at all, haven't done anything in that area since qualified in 2001 but i can still stick that i have a degree when i go for any job.

Vegeta

Finish your course man, don't drop out. As others have said at least if you pass the final exams you have a qualification to slap down on a CV, if you don't like your area then do a postgraduate course in something you do like/enjoy.

Keep your chin up, you're young and even if you did another course or trade after this you'd still be relatively young and have twice the qualifications of someone your age. Finish the course if you can

memphis

I went and did Software Development when I finished my Leaving, and by the way I did a crap leaving, was below 300 points I got! Anyway, I failed my 2nd year of the course, but went back and repeated it, but once again failed miserably. The course wasn't for me, I regret having wasted 3 years in a course I genuinely hated. However, I went out working, was working night shifts and that on a production for over 12 months... I then realised that's certainly not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.... I'm now back in college in my 2nd year of business studies and loving it. It was the best decision I ever made.

My advice to you is stick it out to the end. Sit the exams, and then decide after that. You are in your final year. If you pass it well and good, if not its not the end of the world, and its never too late to return to college again in the future if ya so wish.

Only you know what the right decision is for you though. Best of luck!!!

Caprisun

if you were to drop out now you'd still have to pay for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year in another course, a heck of a lot of money. plus i doubt your parents would be very understanding.
i can understand where your coming from, the thoughts of failing exams kills me, i'd rather not sit them at all but is there anyway you can even sit and pass the repeats in August?

memphis

Caprisun wrote:

if you were to drop out now you'd still have to pay for 1st, 2nd and 3rd year in another course, a heck of a lot of money. plus i doubt your parents would be very understanding.
i can understand where your coming from, the thoughts of failing exams kills me, i'd rather not sit them at all but is there anyway you can even sit and pass the repeats in August?

He may not have to pay full fee in a different course. It could be considered as a change of mind!!! I changed course (though still in same college) after repeating my 2nd year, and then dropping out of the first course. I'm now back in a different course and not paying fees.

Caprisun

oh right, is that out in dun laoighre? ive heard they let you do that. i was in ucd and did a year of arts then dropped out, i had to pay for my first year in another college. a friend of mine also did nearly three years in ucd and dropped out right before the exams and has had to pay her whole way through the course we're in now. whats the deal with this change of mind thing? could i have saved myself a credit union loan??

LundiMardi

if you were in your first year i'd be the first to tell you to just leave, but come on, you've only a matter of months until you get a degree, you would be completely crazy to leave for the sake of a few months, what a waste of 3 years!

Suck it up, finish the course, have some form of education, and then find out what you really want to do.

The Doktor

Right, I`m not gonna bo into the whole story, but was in a VERY similar position to u a number of years ago.
First thing you need to ask yourself, is there somthing you want to do? Any thing you are interested in? If so, drop out ASAP and persue it.
If you`re not sure, u can always get some work, and it will give you a better insight on life, what u might like to do, and what you DONT want to do.
At the moment you probably think about it before u go asleep? When you wake up? And its making your life miserable.
Dont worry about what other course you can do. There is always a route to what you want to do. Weather it be wait a couple of years, or do non degree type courses etc.
When I dropped out, it was like the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders, and I felt great
This business of putting the head down and getting the course, I just dont go for. I`ve seen it happen to so many people, that just want to get the bit of paper. They end up getting a job in the field of their course, and hate their job too... They dont want to admit to their friends and family that they always hated it.
As for being a waste of a few years... Its not.. U must have learnt something.. therefore not a waste of time!
The hardest part is dropping out! I did and look at me >>>:D
Ill stop me rant now...

LegacyUser

LundiMardi wrote:

come on, you've only a matter of months until you get a degree, you would be completely crazy to leave for the sake of a few months, what a waste of 3 years!

I second that.

In my experience practically everyone I know who went to college felt like this at least for some period of time. I don't think anyone with a degree would tell you to drop out a few months before the finals. Yes, it is the hardest time, and you'll have to bust your ass, but, believe me, it's worth it. You'll be free in the summer and then can go travelling/sitting around/thinking or whatever the hell you want.
Dude it's really really worth it just busting your ass for the next few months. It's such a short time left when you think of it. And anyway. Think how pissed off you'd be in a few years if you dropped out - you could be thinking how useful it would be to have a degree, yet you wasted over two and a half years, and then dropped out with only two(?) months to go.

rainbow kirby

I left my old course just under a year ago... the day before I was to start my 3rd year exams. I'd been miserable in that course pretty much from the start of 2nd year, I'd failed my 2nd year exams in the summer (barely passed in autumn to get into 3rd year), I just hated what I was doing and I was about to fail my 3rd year exams - though if I'd passed 6 of them I'd have a pass degree. However, I knew when I left that course exactly what course I wanted to do instead. I made the change, it's cost me a bloody fortune (half my wages in work goes on paying off my fees loan) but it's one of the best decisions that I ever made.
Do what feels right for you. Dropping out of college now could be the best thing that will ever happen to you. And don't be afraid to go working for a year to get your head together. Maybe go travelling or whatever it takes. But don't stick with something that makes you miserable.

Sleepy

If you drop out now, you've wasted two and a half years of your life.

There's not far to go, two, three months tops and you're finished. Go travel the world/get a completely unrelated job/find a course you are interested in afterwards but for the sake of common sense, finish off the course. Even if you barely scrape a pass in it, you'll at least have something to show for 3 years of your life.

From a CV perspective, a lot employers don't really care all that much about what degree you have: it's about having one.

For the sake of putting your head down for 2/3 months and grinding out a pass, why would you even think of not finishing it out? If you started working tomorrow it's not like you'll make much money in any job you can get without a degree in those three months. Certainly not enough to pay for another year at college should you decide that dropping out was a mistake and want to have another shot at 3rd year. If you fail your exams, that's the time to call it a day: after you've tried, failed and would be throwing good money after bad. Quit now and you're just throwing away the good money (and potentially future earnings as most employers don't look kindly on people dropping out of college at this advanced stage).

skywalker

Ive gotta agree with the finish the course voices. If you really put your head down for the next 2 months there really arent a lot of courses you cant scrape a pass in, having done them for 3 years.

Once the exams are over you can forget about that area for the rest of your life if you want, & be happily in a postgrad or masters (in a completely unrelated area) come September if you save your cash over the summer.

[Jackass]

Just knuckle down man...it's only a few months...try and do 2 hours of study at home on mon, tues, wed, thurs & sunday (and if you get into "the zone" maybe a couple more..) and have fri & sat to do whatever you want...

It's a fair enough study plan, not too intense and don't miss lectures.

A degree is a degree and I think you'd be foolish to throw it all away so late in the game and that would disappoint your parents too i'd imagine. What a waste of the last couple of years too dude.

Just get it done man, you'll be delighted when it's all over, you have a degree and you don't have to do any of that crap ever again and you're pressure free to go study something you like and are interested in.

Good luck.

Sam Vimes

absolutely do not drop out of college. you're in your final year for feck sake. a few months and its all over. i you fail you can go back in a few years and finish if you want. if you drop out you've wasted three years of your life

killeoin

Just a thought....If you have a degree then this excludes you from going back to College as a mature student when you're 23. So If you feel that you 100% don't want to work in the area you're studying then this might be something to keep in mind for the future if you ever wanted to go back?

Sean7

Hey,
I think I'm probably gonna stick it out. I was to begin with but every so often I get so pissed off with this course I feel like I couldn't last another day.As many have said it's my final year, only a few months and all that.
You've raised a good point about the mature student thing but I think I take my chances. I might not even pass but if I do get it, I'll get a loan to go back to college I suppose.
Thanks to everyone who took the time to lend some advice or share their experiences. Wish me luck.
Seán

memphis

memphis wrote:

I went and did Software Development when I finished my Leaving, and by the way I did a crap leaving, was below 300 points I got! Anyway, I failed my 2nd year of the course, but went back and repeated it, but once again failed miserably. The course wasn't for me, I regret having wasted 3 years in a course I genuinely hated. However, I went out working, was working night shifts and that on a production for over 12 months... I then realised that's certainly not what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.... I'm now back in college in my 2nd year of business studies and loving it. It was the best decision I ever made.

My advice to you is stick it out to the end. Sit the exams, and then decide after that. You are in your final year. If you pass it well and good, if not its not the end of the world, and its never too late to return to college again in the future if ya so wish.

Only you know what the right decision is for you though. Best of luck!!!

Software Development in which college?

I did the same course in the GMIT.

Basically I passed the 1st year, grand. Got into 2nd year having done nothing all summer, forgotten all my programming, and thrown into the deep end. 10 projects between September and October/November. Throughout the course of the year I suffered from panic attacks (something I never had before), depression (where I would be sitting in classes and thinking, "what the hell am i here? i shouldnt be here. im going to fail. im going to fail") and to top it off, I have a heart condition which has never been diagnosed. Basically my heart begins to go crazy for absolutely no reason. The normal heartbeat is 20 in 15 seconds, i once got 47. Anyways, this would happen more more.

So, weighing up the pros against the cons, I decided the best thing for me to do is to drop out of college. So I did, last month. I plan on doing a PLC course in journalism, as I am still confined by my points. Also, a PLC course is a better alternative than going back to college. I don't know if I like journalism. So there's no point in paying over 2 grand if I discover that I don't want to do it anyways. Also, it would only be a year gap 'til I can apply as a mature student.

But in answer to your thing. Your best bet is to do what I did, and sort out the pros and cons of staying in college; taking into account what effect it has on you physically and mentally.

I hope it all goes well