quitting college?

gerk86

Hi, im 22 and currently in college. I had no idea what i wanted to do so i read up on the first degree course i stumbled across at a college open day and went for it. I didn't really care what I was going to do as I just wanted a taste of college life as I was/am keen to join the Gardai.

From the start I didn't really like it but I passed first year so I decided to stick with it. In 2nd year I began to lose motivation. The course started boring me and I knew I couldn't see myself enjoying work in the prospective field.

At the end of 2nd year I failed 2 subjects and I stupidly decided to spend a year repeating them. So im in my 3rd year in college heading towards exams that im not so sure I will pass.

Im 100% certain i want to join the guards. I cannot see myself in a office/manufacturing/enginnering job.

Should i just cut the last three years and go for the guards in the autumn or start a different college course to try to get a 'plan b' degree.

Thanks lads.

pow wow

Assuming you pass the forthcoming exams how much longer would you have in college until graduation?

gerk86

another year until I get a degree.

AARRRGH

gerk86 wrote: »

Hi, im 22 and currently in college. I had no idea what i wanted to do so i read up on the first degree course i stumbled across at a college open day and went for it.

This is the way most people go to college!

gerk86 wrote: »

I didn't really care what I was going to do as I just wanted a taste of college life as I was/am keen to join the Gardai.

Have you ever spoken to a Gardai about their job? Most hate it. It is the opposite of glamourous. Just a FYI.

gerk86 wrote: »

At the end of 2nd year I failed 2 subjects and I stupidly decided to spend a year repeating them. So im in my 3rd year in college heading towards exams that im not so sure I will pass.

Give it your best shot. Having a degree will open so many doors for you, even in the Gardai.

There are loads of interesting post grad courses you can do.

I really think in a few years you will regret dropping out of college. Put in a bit of effort get your 2:2, and then do a post grad in an area that interests you.

Or join the Gardai.

But get your degree first. Honestly, you'll be really happy you stuck with it.

jd83

having a degree will help look good when applying for garda, if you have 1 year try and finish it and you can apply for the cops then ( better chance of getting in) and you have something to fall back on if you dont get in or leave later on live. Like whats a year you prob have a few months off aswell so its not really a year in college.

eddiej

If third year is final year and you are almost at exams why not finish them out it looks better that you can start and finish something rather than give up and work at a random job till templemore. Plus get an increment in the Gardai for college qualifications kick in after probabtion I think. Also you may not like the Gardai and its good to have something to fall back on sure wont do any harm to have the auld qualification

Precociousg

gerk86 wrote: »

another year until I get a degree.

I think its worth sticking it out for another year to finish your degree, if you quit now it would mean you would have nothing to show for your years in college plus its always good to have some form of degree to fall back on!

jmcwobbles

I'm gonna go out on a limb and go against most of the advice here. If your degree is in a field you know you have no interest in - and if you have researched the gardai and are completely sure it's what you want - then I don't see why you should go back for a degree in a subject you have no interest in. I did a degree straight out of school, and by the time I had graduated I knew I didn't want to work in that field so I've never used it. Now I'm sure that having it has been an advantage with job applications and stuff, but only because I've been bouncing around figuring out what I do want - whereas you can still get into the gardai (afaik) without the degree.

I also have a friend who dropped out of college just before her second year exams, so similar to your situation, and we all tried to talk her out of it at the time, but she's figured out what she wants and is on route to that without some unrelated degree and she's never looked back.

IMHO it stands better to you when someone refuses to waste their time doing something they know they don't want, and concentrates instead on getting what they know they do want.

AARRRGH

The OP will greatly increase his chance of getting a good job by having a degree.

What if he doesn't get into the Gardai? He's stuck with no qualifications and no idea what to do with his life. At least if he has a degree he can choose some post grad work or start higher up the ladder in a company.

Lots of people regret dropping out of college. One more year and a bit of pain is the least risky strategy IMO.

nesf

jmcwobbles wrote: »

IMHO it stands better to you when someone refuses to waste their time doing something they know they don't want, and concentrates instead on getting what they know they do want.

To an extent. I dropped out of college and ended going back to get a degree (admittedly it was different, I had to drop out of college due to illness rather than lack of interest) so I am somewhat aware of what it is like to search for jobs with only part of a degree done. If he was a first year and had three more years of it ahead of him I'd agree with you. I'd even suggest going and having a very long think about it and starting either an apprenticeship or a different degree depending on what interested him. However, he has three years done and one year left. The problem with dropping out at this stage is that he will have nothing to show for three years of effort (it used to mean something back before degree became so common but not really these days). It's only a year, which isn't that long really, and he will have something to show for the time invested at the end of it.

It's not like his degree will pigeon hole him into a certain field. It is extremely common nowadays for people to enter the workforce in areas completely unrelated to what they did their degree in. I'd say if he can comfortable expect to pull a 2.2 or 2.1 degree result that it's a no-brainer and that he should finish it.

My brother got offered the guards when he was in his second year of a three year degree. He wanted to go for it, but after much annoyance from the mother he stuck it out. Re-applied for the guards and was accepted, and he has the added bonus of getting more money than guards without degrees.

So feel free to apply now, if you don't get it you'll at least have gone through it all before and would be less nervous.

You can look at having a degree as being something that will get your foot in the door, but personally I always thought of a degree as a great 'back-up' in case you lose your job sometime in the future.

jmcwobbles

nesf wrote: »

I'd say if he can comfortable expect to pull a 2.2 or 2.1 degree result that it's a no-brainer and that he should finish it.

Well the OP has said that he failed 2 of his second year exams and is now repeating them - so it's not looking like he will comfortably get the 2.2 or 2.1 which would make the extra year worth his while. Perhaps I would say yeah go ahead and finish this year, give it a good shot and if he passes his exams then consider finishing the degree - but if his lack of motivation and interest in his course is so bad that he's failing his exams as a result, then I don't think there's any point flogging a dead horse.

nesf

jmcwobbles wrote: »

Well the OP has said that he failed 2 of his second year exams and is now repeating them - so it's not looking like he will comfortably get the 2.2 or 2.1 which would make the extra year worth his while.

It depends on the structure of the degree. The degree mark could be 100% Third year or 66% Third Year 33% Second Year or similar.