To pull out of current college course or not

LegacyUser

I am at a stage where I am concidering pulling out of my college course. At present, I am studying arts and have been for the last 2 years. At this stage however I am fed up of my course. I can't stand it any longer. I won't to pursue in a computer course. I wanted to do this after I left school but things came up that made me choose an arts subject. The question I have is this:

Should I stay and finish the course; it is another 2 years. My parents are strongly encouraging me to finish the course. They have the belief that any degree is good. It pisses me off that all my friends who are in business and science courses are going to have better degrees and better job prospects. I will have an arts degree.

LegacyUser

Not at all. Stay where you are and finish. Two years will be over before you know it. I was asked this question before by a close friend who had already spent six years pursuing what he considered to be a worthless degree (general arts). I said stay, his parents said stay, he stayed and scraped through, and now, many years on, he has a top job initially thanks to his little arts degree.

It's who you are that matters after the degree, not what you study. The only important thing is that whatever course you study, do your best to get good results. It doesn't matter if you hate it (believe me, I know, I spent nine years in student land, hating every minute of my course(s)).

Beecher

I started college when I was 17 and I absolutely hated my course. I managed to get through the first year but I had lost all interest in finishing it midway through second year. I dropped out of that course much to the disappointment and discouragement of my family and ended up doing a programming degree which I managed to finish. Now I work for a very large internet security company and couldn't be happier.

Although your parents are right in one respect at least, a degree is good regardless of the course.

Sad Professor

Give it time, think it through some more and if you still don't want to stay in your current course - then don't and do computers instead. It's your life, to hell with your parents.

There's nothing wrong with an arts degree however. Don't do this just because of what your friends are doing.

What made you choose arts over computers originally?

Ruu_Old

What don't you like about it? Is it just because of your mates in othe courses? I would plug away at it and finish the course, at least it will be something to show for your work. It would be a shame to drop out now. Its up to your of course but your parents are probably correct. Best of luck.

LundiMardi

How old are you?

I will assume you went to college straight after school, and hence are lets say 19 or 20?

I'd say stick it out, you're young... You've started so you may as well finish, and when you do finish you will hopefully have a degree to your name. You will also be still young when you do finish and can go on to do another degree in whatever area you so wish.

cognos

I dropped out of my original degree during 2nd year and swithed to computing and it was the best decision i ever made. Deffinately dont just finish your current degree just for the sake of getting the degree. You shouldnt study something for the qualification, study it because you like it. 2 years doing something you dont enjoy will seem a lot longer than doing 4 years of something you do.

My parents are strongly encouraging me to finish the course. They have the belief that any degree is good.

I was getting the same advice from my parents, they were wrong.

edit: should probably add that I'm still currently doing my computing degree (CASE2 in dcu!)

dumbyearbook

I know its not a money thing but.......look at it like an investment ? I say this first as your not struggling your just 'fed up' everyone gets like this - if it had nt been for beer and birds in first commerce i would never have felt challenged!

I would first consider how important the financial commitment is? and to whom...

Who paid for the first 2 years ? If you took out loans - then its your choice

however if your mum and dad paid for it and you drop out they dont sound like they will pay again so maybe you dont waste the initial investment and finish it? then start another degree - or find out what postgrad options you have? - must be some computer options open even over a 2 yr masters maybe? better than starting afresh...

You should nt waste 2 years now because you dont like it, you must have some interest in the subjects your doing as you have a wide choice in arts?

d also say never mind the attitude that 'any degree is good'?at one stage when nobody had them any degree was good.

Also when you say 2 years done does that mean this May or whatever you finish your second year or are u into your 3rd?

Talk to the careers office - I changed Masters and they were a huge help and i had never visited them before, in the end id say go with what your head tells you, there is no clear answer its tottaly based on the person - if you know your wasting your time and money in Arts get out - if you think you could finish and start again taking time/money /job prospects/interest in studies into account then do that - the choice is yours !!!

PrincessFiona

An Arts Degree is only a stepping stone onto a pathway to any career which u may wish to persue. What subjects are you studying? Maybe they might benefit you in persuing your computers degree? Having already completed a degree (and obtaining first honours ) might lessen the amount of time required to complete the course in computers. Think it through properly before you quit- maybe defer the course for a year, try your hand at computers, and you can always return to the Arts degree if you wish!!

dvega

depense what age you are really,if your still young i'd say go for it i mean your half ways there.

But plenty of people change their courses some even in their 3rd and final year.

embraer170

I agree with what most posters have said, but what subject(s) are you doing?

Anyway you could go abroad for one/two semesters in your third year? Universities are often pretty relaxed about the subjects you take while on exchange so might be able to play around with what you like there.

You'll then be back in 4th year 'refreshed' for your final year.

Just a suggestion.

Anti

I say drop it and do something you actually want to do. So what if it takes 2 years longer then your friends.

You are in a course you dislike, therefore you are not even putting any effort into it.

Join the course you want, and really put extra effort into it. Become the best in your class. And get a great job.


Good luck with whatever you decide, even thouhg you more then likely have your mind made up.

dazftw

Yea I was doing a one year multimedia course after I finished sixth year just this year and went straight to college.. around september.. I wanted out, even though I was really enjoying the course I just didnt want to go straight from school to college and having to do reports and stuf it was just too much hassle, I wanted to get a job(im 18 and have never had one)

So I left and got a job and I like the stress free and money side to it! I feel I can do this for awhile and then go back to college when I feel ready for it i.e mature!

This has got nothing really to do with what the op has said but I think what you should do is:

Whatever you want to do! If you rather computers I reckon go for it! If you know you would enjoy it more theres no reason not going for it!

muckwarrior

If you don't like your current course and are really sure you wanna do computers then I say go for it. If you finish your current degree then your gonna be stuck lookin for a job in somethin you don't like. I seriously doubt you'd wanna start another degree straight after finishing one. 8 years in college is a hell of a long time but 6 ain't so bad. It's now or never if you ask me!

lostexpectation

whats this nonsense people are talking about, stick out the next 2 years and make sure you get an honours, quit and change courses asap, its much braver move then the cowards who would stay in the course they're getting nothing out of

InFront

If you happen to be in UCD (I'm not sure about other colleges) is it not possible to do computer science through arts?

Aanyway, I was supposed to be leaving my course last Summer. One day, on the way over to a mates house after having already made the deicision, I thought that I would simply walk into the admin place and let them know, or if there was anything I needed to do or to return that I would find out.

As it happened, when they insisted that I speak to a careers advisor, she pointed out all of the problems that one encounters with dropping out, and the wide variety of careers available to all graduates.
So although I (doing med) have no real interest in practicing in any direct way what I am learning now in my degree, I have decided to stick with it.
Because in one sense, your parents are actually right. there is a certain amount of truth in saying "all degrees are good". They all bring you to a level of education that takes you onto somewhere else, often places you never would have expected.
Did you know that Bertie Ahern was an accountant? The provost of Trinity College has a Masters in Physics. that Marian Finuacane and Ruairi Quinn have architecture degree... okay these guys are not icons, but the point is simply that your degree does not singlehandedly define your future career.
Presumably, if you are in 2nd or 3rd year you have some degree of choice left in your arts degree? Can you not find any course in it that interests you like computer science? And is a degree in computer science really necessary to work in that area anyway?

dumbyearbook

Talk to the careers office

there is nothing 'brave' about leaving a course...u put 2 yrs in and if you leave its a total waste no two ways about it but if the guy decides to do that then thats up to him.

Being 'Fed up' is no reason to leave a third level course IMO

There was a good idea there to defer the yr. do that if you do drop out to have as a back up. Even a degree you have no interest in will get you interviews in general office stuff banks/insurance etc.

muckwarrior

InFront wrote:

And is a degree in computer science really necessary to work in that area anyway?

Yes

el Bastardo

Finish your degree. If you really want to work in IT or computer science after that, you will. You can do postgrad one-year dip in programming or some other IT subject, or you can train up along the way.

Side note: I work in IT and I certainly didn't need a computer science degree to get there - I finished college with a mediocre degree, eventually found a grad entry level position, moved on through two other companies along the way, sucked up whatever training that I could get and finally got to the same point in my career as former CS students did. It can be done.

Jonny Arson

OP, firstly forget what your parents think and what courses your mates do: that's irrelevant, this all about you and your decision.

Secondly, get rid of the notion that your course is ''just'' an Arts degree: many people who work hard at their Arts degrees end up in good jobs and have many postgraduate opportunities.

The fact your dislike your course and want to go into Computers suggestes to me that you should leave your course. If you didn't an alternative choice in Computers I may have suggested sticking with the course for the sake of getting a degree but having the option of choosing something you have a keen interest in and like over something that means little or nothing to you is a no brainer if you hate your current course that much.

I was in a similar situation a couple years ago. Doing Arts in UCD, hated my college and wasn't interested much in the course. I wanted to leave but stuck it out - I failed the year. I didn't have any other course I was interested in so it was either work or repeat the year. I chose to repeat the year, passed it and I'm in 2nd year now happy with my course, still not liking the college much but i'm already looking at postgraduate courses before i've finished my degree, in other words a tough situation had made me focused on what i want in life - In one way sticking it out resulted in the worst scenario failing the year but choosing to stick it out again resulted in things eventually working itself out. In other words, don't be afraid to make a decision to stay or not stay, something that looks bad can turn into a positive situation, no decision is a bad one!!

No doubt it's a tough decision for you but go by your heart and instincts. Do talk to a councellor in college or your Student Union as they will give you further advice to make up your mind.

Good luck!