Confused & depressed

LegacyUser

Well I started a course in college, and I'm now in my second year and since I've started I've really wondered why I'm in it. I dislike the majority of the content, and the thought of working practising the content for the rest of my life bothers me. I still not entirely sure about why originally went into it, I think I wasn't really bothered at the time, and my parents wanted be to do it so I did.

And now I'm in the situation where I am absolutely depressed about the course, I am quite shy and have no 'real' friends in the year and lately I have been feeling extremely depressed, and I mean really bad. I'm 20 now, 21 end of june, and if I transfer well I don't know how my parents will react, I have the fees to worry about and well the thing that gets me the most is the fact that I would have wasted 2 years of my life because I am such an ambivalent asshole and it's this fact in particular that makes me feel incredibly depressed as well as the fact that I would be 24 when I'd graduate. I really honestly just don't know what to do whether I should stay in the course and get it finished, keep my parents happy, not have to worry about the fees and moving to a new college or whether I should go for it, start afresh. If anyone has any thoughts or comments I'd appreciate it.

LegacyUser

For me anyway I was similar. I did a course I wasnt interested in for a year simply because it was a way into uni....I decided it wasnt for me and changed courses. This turned out to be another course I had no interest in at all. However my parents were so keen on me getting a degree that I felt I had to. If I had my way I prob would have went straight into working. I did this course for 4 years, I failed several exams each year which cost several hundred in fees each time and I also had to repeat a year which cost over 3,000 in fees. I paid for all this myself through part time work.

I hated every moment of it, I just got more and more depressed and by 4th year I just felt so much pressure I thought I was going to burst. I kept thinking to myself im stuck in a course I hate, in a uni I hate, not interested in socializing with anyone in my class, if I fail again it will have been a waste of 6 years of uni and not to mention having to dissapoint my parents by telling them. When you are doing something you havent the slightest bit of interest in it is extremly hard to motivate yourself to study. I managed to blag my way through 3 years somehow but 4th year was just too tough, I failed the year twice and it meant I couldnt get my degree.

When I realised I had failed I was a little upset but it literally felt like the world had been lifted off my shoulders and I was so much happier. I went out and start working and the fact I never had my degree has never held me back. I went straight into my job on more money than others who had masters purely because I had a years experience over them.....I regret even going to uni now as I think experience means alot more.

Do what you feel is right, maybe even defer for a year and go travelling or do some volunteer work. You may come back with a clearer perspective of what you want to do with your life. Its tough for people like us who just dont know.

Denerick

Talk to your parents about the depression and how you think the course is getting you down. You need to think about this hard, if you want to drop out and start again next year afresh. Graduating at 24 isn't the end of the world either. At times like this, its actually not a bad time to start a degree course! (Considering there will be no jobs if you graduate in a years time with a degree and career prospects you despise anyway)