Dropping out of course

LegacyUser

Hi, regular poster but going unreg for this one...I'am in a bit of a state and not sure what is the best thing to do! I'am meant to be starting a postgrad course in a few weeks but I'am seriously thinking of dropping out of it before I even start! Theres a few reasons for this:
1) The cost of it plus the cost of relocating to Dublin (all in all around 17 grand!!). I knew this when I applied for the course but I had my heart set on another course and that fell through and I thought I'd just go for this one then! I just think that all I'am doing with this course is getting myself into massive debt that will take a few years to pay off!!
2) I'am finding it hard to find somewhere to live and the costs of rent are just off the charts!
3) I don't think I even like Dublin...I guess I don't really know it but its just so intimidating and unbeliveably expensive!
4) I dunno if the course will actually help me get a job! Its an interesting course but is it really worth it?
If I want to get a refund on my fees then I need to inform the university by next week! I don't know what to do cause I don't want to move back home and I am just after taking a year out as I couldnt decide what postgrad course I wanted to do! I also found the year out quite isolating and was looking forward to meeting people in college!
I don't want to waste another year by dropping out before I've begun but am I just submerging myself in debt for the sake of having something to do? Any advice welcome!

Burial

Unregfornow wrote: »

The cost of it plus the cost of relocating to Dublin (all in all around 17 grand!!). I dunno if the course will actually help me get a job! Its an interesting course but is it really worth it?
If I want to get a refund on my fees then I need to inform the university by next week!

Well, do you like the course enough to go into 17 grand worth of debt and have little or no job prospects? I wouldn't do it personally. I'd take that year out and then decide. Besides, another year out certainly can't hurt, especially if you can get your fees back.

SpookyDoll

Yeh, €17 grand is a mental amount of money to borrow if you aren't 100% sure!

You'd be paying it back for years!

Dudess

Toss a coin - heads for staying on this course, tails for withdrawing. If it lands on heads and you're disappointed, then inform the university you've changed your mind... or just inform them anyway. You don't seem to want to do it - I think you've enough doubts on your mind to make this the right decision.

I took a job a few months ago that I really didn't want to take for a myriad of reasons but I decided to focus on the positive and take it as I was afraid I'd regret not doing so... should have listened to my instincts but thankfully I got offered another job two weeks later so I was able to leave it. The thought of having to stay there makes me shudder. I was lucky to get the chance to do something else, you won't have that option so I really would advise you to drop it. Your gut instinct is there for a reason. I bet the relief you'll feel if you withdraw will far outweigh any vague regrets. It won't mean you've burned your bridges anyway.

cafecolour

For 17k for the post grad you should either a) be really interested in the subject matter and want to try and get a job in that field no matter how hard it is/how low the be pay is or b) it's not that interesting but it's a fairly good career field now (ie IT, biotech, nursing, etc.)

17k to meet people and 'why not' is a pretty bad idea. I'd cancel the course, perhaps apply for the one you want again next year (and maybe spend some time figuring out how to improve your chances of getting in), and post one of those "How do I make friends" threads on PI

nyarlothothep

While a gut feeling is very reliable it can also be misleading, eg fear of something new/difficult is a gut feeling but may be misplaced. My advice would be to write out all the pros and cons, if you have more of one than the other your decision should be easier. To make it even clearer you could also give percentage weightings to these pros and cons, say one pro could be 70% positive while a 3 cons would amount to 60%. Add them up and see which category is stronger. In addition relate these to the ultimate outcome of what you want to do afterwards, and have multiple redundancy strategies for making back money/quality of life etc, last thing you want to do is spend more years being misreable paying off debts.

Dudess

Another example so: I got offered a radio show with a Dublin station a couple of years ago - had wanted to work for them for ages. But this particular show was extremely specialised and focused on a type of music I neither liked nor knew much about, and it would have required major bluffing by me every week. I agonised over it and every time I decided I'd say yes, things just didn't feel right - so I went with my instincts and turned it down. I've always wanted to be an alternative music presenter, yet zero regrets two years on.

Dave!

Unregfornow wrote: »

but am I just submerging myself in debt for the sake of having something to do?

I would think so, yes!

What's the rush in going for your postgrad? You've got a degree at the moment, head out into the workforce for a year or 2 at least. See how you get on, see what windows will or won't be open for you without the postgrad, and then decide if you want to do it. At the very least save up as much as possible so that you don't have to worry about finances when you should be worrying about dissertations and the likes!!!

Take a step back OP and take a breather! You're holding the cards here, do what you like.

Dudess

Even do a Fas computer course in order to build up your skills but do anything other than this postgrad - doesn't seem right at all....

jane86

Personally, I would drop out. €17,000 is a lot of money to waste on a course you don't seem too keen on and that you're not sure it will improve getting a better/higher paid job afterwards. Take this year to try to see how you could improve your chances of getting into the course you REALLY want to do.

I'd say leave it.

wasper

Unregfornow wrote: »

Hi, regular poster but going unreg for this one...I'am in a bit of a state and not sure what is the best thing to do! I'am meant to be starting a postgrad course in a few weeks but I'am seriously thinking of dropping out of it before I even start! Theres a few reasons for this:
1) The cost of it plus the cost of relocating to Dublin (all in all around 17 grand!!). I knew this when I applied for the course but I had my heart set on another course and that fell through and I thought I'd just go for this one then! I just think that all I'am doing with this course is getting myself into massive debt that will take a few years to pay off!!
2) I'am finding it hard to find somewhere to live and the costs of rent are just off the charts!
3) I don't think I even like Dublin...I guess I don't really know it but its just so intimidating and unbeliveably expensive!
4) I dunno if the course will actually help me get a job! Its an interesting course but is it really worth it?
If I want to get a refund on my fees then I need to inform the university by next week! I don't know what to do cause I don't want to move back home and I am just after taking a year out as I couldnt decide what postgrad course I wanted to do! I also found the year out quite isolating and was looking forward to meeting people in college!
I don't want to waste another year by dropping out before I've begun but am I just submerging myself in debt for the sake of having something to do? Any advice welcome!

Get a job & let the employer pays for the post graduate course.

Von Manstein

Interesting prediciment you got yourself into there. Strangely enough I'm kind of in the same boat myself. I decided on a postgrad that cost €12,000 out in UCD. Believe me it looked great on paper - it still does - but I quickly realised after a week that it wasn't nearly as interesting as I thought it would be.

Predictably, I got a little worreid and worked up on what the hell I was going to do. It didn't help matters by the fact that I'd also been awarded €9,000 (6,000 for fees + 3,000 living expenses) by the local county council.

So what did I do? Well, as you mentioned yourself, I was under pressure to decide quickly as the closing date for getting a refund of any fees paid was approaching fast! Basically, although I'm not afriad of hard work and sacrifice, I knew that the course was not for me.

Perhaps I may do another postgrad next year. I've been told that apparently I can still reapply for local authority funding. But, to be honest, it was the only real course in the whole country I liked the look of.

In no way do I regret making the decision. I know of so many people who have dithered on making decisons on their courses and as a result lost 000s of euros in fees later on as a result of eventually dropping out. Equally I know of a few people who choose to do master's courses through to the end only to hate the line of work it brought them into.

The lesson of the story is obvious. Choose wisely on whether you do a postgrad, and if you do, make sure to choose one you enjoy - regardless of how cheap or expensive it may be.

As for me, I'm still trying to get my fees back. Although it should not be a problem, it will still take another few weeks. I guess for the time being I'll find something to do me over. I'm still 50/50 on whether to do a masters in college next year. In any case, I'm not too eager to get a 'proper' job until the new year as I dont wnat my income to go over the limits for getting a grant next year if I do decide to go back.

Anywho, choose wisely!

AngryBadger

OP it sounds like you're getting ready to do a course you hate and which is going to put you into significant debt. I'd bail.

What I will say is that it's what you do with the qualification that gives it any kind of value not the qualification itself per se. That in mind maybe the options with this course are not as limited as you seem to think?

Moving to Dublin and starting this course IS a huge move on your part, and it's natural for you to be stressed about it. But try to break the problem up, look at the course first, and ignore everything else, then ask yourself "Do I want to do this course, will it chall;enge me, will it interest me?", if the answer is yes then start looking at the other elements of this problem, finding a place to live for example.

Also have you considered applying for any funding? That might take a significant piece of the fiscal burden off you. Definitely worth looking into at the very least.

Loose Lips

Unregfornow wrote: »

Hi, regular poster but going unreg for this one...I'am in a bit of a state and not sure what is the best thing to do! I'am meant to be starting a postgrad course in a few weeks but I'am seriously thinking of dropping out of it before I even start! Theres a few reasons for this:
1) The cost of it plus the cost of relocating to Dublin (all in all around 17 grand!!). I knew this when I applied for the course but I had my heart set on another course and that fell through and I thought I'd just go for this one then! I just think that all I'am doing with this course is getting myself into massive debt that will take a few years to pay off!!
2) I'am finding it hard to find somewhere to live and the costs of rent are just off the charts!
3) I don't think I even like Dublin...I guess I don't really know it but its just so intimidating and unbeliveably expensive!
4) I dunno if the course will actually help me get a job! Its an interesting course but is it really worth it?
If I want to get a refund on my fees then I need to inform the university by next week! I don't know what to do cause I don't want to move back home and I am just after taking a year out as I couldnt decide what postgrad course I wanted to do! I also found the year out quite isolating and was looking forward to meeting people in college!
I don't want to waste another year by dropping out before I've begun but am I just submerging myself in debt for the sake of having something to do? Any advice welcome!

OP: Your education is very important. But 17,000 euros is a lot of money and Dublin is an expensive city to live in. You need to weigh up the pros and cons of doing the course and then decide is it really worth it.

Best of luck