College mess

LegacyUser

Hi all, this may turn into a long post but I am looking for some advice so I'll ask you to maybe bear with me as you could be able to help me.

I seem to have made a bit of a mess with college this last year and it has left me not knowing what to do with my life. Here is the thing I am three years into a computer course which I hate and honestly don't think it's somthing I can see myself working on for a career.
I didn't really like the course when I started it, but I stuck with it as my parents were so happy that I had finally started college, having worked in a dead end job for 3 years after leaving school. The first year was stressful, but I got through and did well in my exams. The second year was a lot tougher but I still managed to get through with some help. Then came third year. The last year of my life has quite possibly been the most stressful I have ever experienced.

I had a year long project to do this year which fell apart completely. I was given a second chance by the examiners to re-do it over summer. Which I started into with great enthusiam. But I just don't seem to be able for it. I have tried so hard, but seem to get no where with it. I have a family member who works in the computer industry who has given me a major dig out with this project and some of it now actually works. But I know without her help I would have nothing done. Even if I do pass I don't feel like I deserve to.

I guess I am kind of in limbo and don't know what to do. If I submit this project which and pass which I'm not sure I deserve to I will then be in fourth year of a course I hate and feel I just don't learn from. If I don't submit this project I will surely fail and then what do I do? Spend a few grand repeating something I hate?

I never quit on anything. I really hate quiting infact, but I am at a loss as what to do. I feel I am too old to start studying something else as I would be nearly thirty on graduation and I would really like to be in a position to support myself by then as opposed to living with my parents which is not fair on them. I don''t want to be a grown up child thats freeloading.

Can anyone please help with some advice. It may sound all trivial and silly in the grand scheme of things but I feel like I'm cracking up. I was sitting at my computer this morning feeling so trapped I wanted to die.

Kidchameleon

Hi,

Nothing at all trivial about your situation. Remember that your young, most young people go into "limbo" at some stage. If I were you id grit my teeth and try yo pass third year, then you can start afresh on a course that you like. Theres nothing wrong graduating after thirty, thousands do each year.

Regards.

Penn

Unregistered wrote: »

Hi all, this may turn into a long post but I am looking for some advice so I'll ask you to maybe bear with me as you could be able to help me.

I seem to have made a bit of a mess with college this last year and it has left me not knowing what to do with my life. Here is the thing I am three years into a computer course which I hate and honestly don't think it's somthing I can see myself working on for a career.
I didn't really like the course when I started it, but I stuck with it as my parents were so happy that I had finally started college, having worked in a dead end job for 3 years after leaving school. The first year was stressful, but I got through and did well in my exams. The second year was a lot tougher but I still managed to get through with some help. Then came third year. The last year of my life has quite possibly been the most stressful I have ever experienced.

I had a year long project to do this year which fell apart completely. I was given a second chance by the examiners to re-do it over summer. Which I started into with great enthusiam. But I just don't seem to be able for it. I have tried so hard, but seem to get no where with it. I have a family member who works in the computer industry who has given me a major dig out with this project and some of it now actually works. But I know without her help I would have nothing done. Even if I do pass I don't feel like I deserve to.

I guess I am kind of in limbo and don't know what to do. If I submit this project which and pass which I'm not sure I deserve to I will then be in fourth year of a course I hate and feel I just don't learn from. If I don't submit this project I will surely fail and then what do I do? Spend a few grand repeating something I hate?

I never quit on anything. I really hate quiting infact, but I am at a loss as what to do. I feel I am too old to start studying something else as I would be nearly thirty on graduation and I would really like to be in a position to support myself by then as opposed to living with my parents which is not fair on them. I don''t want to be a grown up child thats freeloading.

Can anyone please help with some advice. It may sound all trivial and silly in the grand scheme of things but I feel like I'm cracking up. I was sitting at my computer this morning feeling so trapped I wanted to die.

If you feel like your course isn't something you can see yourself doing for the rest of your life, then get out of it. Maybe finish the year you're in, and get out of there. Your parents may be disappointed that you've dropped out, but if its making you this unhappy, it isn't for you. Normally, I'd put it down to stress and pressure, but you don't seem to actually like the subject.

That being said, you're not too old to start a new course. Maybe take a year out, get your head together, put away a bit of money, then if you decided what you want to do, go to college. You can get a mature students grant, you'll have put aside a bit of money so you may not be dependant on your folks, you could get accommodation. And don't worry about being nearly 30 when you graduate, plenty of people do it and a lot of them are much older.

You wouldn't be the first person to want to change the direction your life is heading in. The important thing is that if you're sure you don't want to do your current course, change it. Your parents may be slightly disappointed, but they'll be happier knowing you're doing what makes you happy.

Genghiz Cohen

If you pass this year, maybe you can find another course to switch into and skip 1st/2nd year.
As for deserving the pass, in the real world, it's not about what you know, it's about what you get done.

ReacherCreature

Here is the thing I am three years into a computer course which I hate and honestly don't think it's somthing I can see myself working on for a career.

I think you've answered the whole thing for yourself. A section of college is going there to get something which will apply for your life. You don't like it in college, so you definately won't want this as a career.

I guess I am kind of in limbo and don't know what to do. If I submit this project which and pass which I'm not sure I deserve to I will then be in fourth year of a course I hate and feel I just don't learn from. If I don't submit this project I will surely fail and then what do I do? Spend a few grand repeating something I hate?

Submit any project, make the effort. Then deceide what you think you want to do. If I was in your shoes I think I would have dropped out by now and do another course. Think of it this way: You've THREE years of computer stuff in your head, you probably know more about this stuff than most of us on Boards. You had a crack at it and it didn't suit, even three years later. Why don't you think about dropping out, taking a year off - work in that year and come back to college and do something else?

I never quit on anything. I really hate quiting infact

I can understand this but you need to love it or lump it. You're obviously not happy in this course so you're gonna have to quit or not. Forget about being a 'quitter' and focus and your health and life; which is vastly more important than hating quitting.

I feel I am too old to start studying something else

Not at all. You're nearly 30, you're not 90. There's plenty of mature students in my college. If there's something that you want to study or do then by all means do. There'll always be other mature students in your year, class and college.

I would be nearly thirty on graduation

Again not a matter. Plenty of people from 20 to whatever graduate. It's not an age concern.

Hope I've been of assistance OP.

LegacyUser

I am also a 3rd year Computer Science student and tbh I know squat and I have gotten very bad grades expect for this year where I just managed to get a 2.2. I am really not looking forward to going into 4th year as I will have to do a project all on my own when I can even program to save my life like I would probably would get stuck writing 'Hello World' and I have no interest at getting good at programming.
I want to get into another area of Computers that I have covered in college (only had two modules in this area) so am I going to have to work hard next year even though I dont have much interest in the modules I will be doing.

You have already done 3 years, I would say just stay in the course for another year work hard on getting a good grade but then after that go off and do something else because just look at Arts students they do subjects like Philosophy and Anthropology and they go off and go into completely different field after they leave college. There isnt much jobs out there at the moment so the year in college might do you some good.

KiLLeR CoUCh

Assuming you're studying for an honours degree, if you pass third year would it be possible to take an ordinary degree and then start afresh with something new? That way at the very least you have something to show for three years work

Taltos

look at it this way.
You have found out now that you do not like what you are doing - just think of all the time you have saved in a dead-end job.

Also - you are in college - so depending where you are it is much easier to transfer to another course

Talk to your tutor / student group and find out what your options are in terms of transferring or deferring the transfer for a year.

Personally I think you are lucky you found this out now

MizzLolly

I'm a student too and haven't a bloody clue what I'm gona do in the grand scheme of things either.

One thing I'll point out to you though, your family home is obviously not too far from your college so take comfort in the fact that you have that much. It may not seem like much to you now and I know family can sometimes be a pain to be around, but when you add rent, bills etc to the equation the stress and hopelessness of exam pressure multiplies way over your head. And then you really wonder what the hell you're doing and wonder if this is always how it's gona be for you. So do take some comfort in the fact that, if it all goes wrong, you do have your family on hand. That's one thing you can be sure of.

You're obviously pretty young, I'm gona go out on a limb here and guess that you're 23 There really, really, really isn't any need for you to be believing that you're too old to start all over again. 23 is so young. I know when you're doing an undergrad it can feel as though you're among the oldest there at that age but it's really not true. In my college there are loads of people 30+ studying with me and I really have so much respect for them, for being brave enough to screw the idea that they 'should' be at a stable and settled phase in favour of doing what they really wana do.

Computers obviously isn't your thing. You'd know by now if it was I reckon. Don't worry about it, chalk it down to experience and focus on the next road you want to take. Don't let uncertainty hold you back from anything. I'm guessing you've got a good family and some friends who think the world of you. Like the rest of us, if everything fell apart tomorrow you'd still have that much. And to be fair, not one of us here can say for certain that we'll know where we're gona be one year from now so really, your age means nothing.

You probably had a rough day today, don't let that knock you down. It'll all become clear. Just enjoy being young and free in the meantime!

CDfm

OP submit the thing and hope you pass and hopefully you have enough friends and smarts to get thru year 4.

Stop feeling sorry for your self there is a recession on and you are better off in college than giving up.

LegacyUser

My advice would be (I work in an Admissions office in third level):

Pass year 3 and look for a transfer (either internally or externally) into something else. I would not apply for September 09 a) because you are not sure what you want to do and b) because closing dates for most places are gone (unless they are taking late applications).

The only thing about transferring is that it would have to be in a cognate area i.e. something else in IT. i.e. you could not transfer into a science course for example.

A transfer may get you into year 4 of something else in IT but I would see it as you getting more year 3. In this case you would have to pay full fees (tuition and registration) for 1 year and more than likey not be eligible to receive a grant.

Students who begin first year this year and next year will more than likely have to pay tuition and registration fees next year. You would be caught anyways for fees but If you have the money (1 year in an IoT for a L8 is around 4000, in a uni around 7000) go for it, otherwise transfer or finish your current degree and do something post-graduate-wise in relation to IT but not specifically IT science.

In a nutshell:
A: you persevere and finish your degree = no tuition fees = go on to do something different postgraduate wise.
B: Try to transfer into another cognate area. Worst scenario you pay 1 year full fees.
C: Start in 1st year again and get caught for 3 years paying full fees.

LegacyUser

OP..wow your post could have been written by me lol. I did computers in college, hated every second but didnt want to drop out cos of how my parents would feel. I struggled on until 4th year and completed my project only after being allowed the summer to finish it. I didnt finish it and just scraped a pass....it was the worst year of my life without doubt.
Anyway the one thing that kept me going throughout college was the idea ( i dont know where i even got this idea from) that once i got a job things would be sooo different, i wouldnt have to program cos id go into another area, id have a team of people to help and best of all id be getting paid for it. Three computer-related jobs later, every one of which i absolutely detested, ive decided to forget computers as a career and gone back to study psychology. Im 29 now, just finished 2nd year. I love this course. I never realized studying could actually be enjoyable. I know that to be an actual psychologist i may have years ahead of me, but i thought to myself that i had 2 options

(1)-stay in computers til im 65yrs, hating every job and never having a chance of being promoted cos i was crap at it. You really need an interest i think to grow in a computer job, cos the technology is changing all the time so you have to keep up.

(2) get out, study something im interested in for a few years and then spend the next 20 odd years til retirement working in a job i enjoy.

so option 2 won. On a sidenote im studying at the Open Uni in the UK (distance learning) which allows me to work while i study so i didnt have to go back to being a poor student. (unfortunately, mid way thru my most recent course i lost my crappy computer job due to the downsizing, but anyway...) Im also able to use my computer degree to get out off doing the generic first year courses, so it shortens my time there.

Kevster

Well, I did a Computer Science course too but left it during the final year. My whole world was crumbling around me and I had to leave. I think that I could ave finished it were it not for other thing's happening in my personal life, but c'est la vie. It's now 6 years later and I have a higher cert, degree, and honours degree; and I'm about to start a PhD in the UK. I also won student of the year last year. Things can turn around.

RossFixxxed

I did a computer science degree myself. But my grades steadily declined over the years as my interest waned. I worked one crappy IT job and moved on. I now have nothing to do with it at all. I should have left in second year when I knew it wasn't for me. Forget the 'quitter' talk, there's nothing to be gained being a bullheaded maschocist.

You are never going to love all of a course, but if it affecting your life or health, they are FAR more important!

HOWEVER, looking back I still should have put the effort into my final year. There's a loss of pride (I didn't do great, and interviews can be a bit a problem working around the issue) and a regret, even though I don't use it really anymore. If you decide to stay... Work at it. Work hard and be proud.

A bit OT: but computers just anger me these days. I'm beginning to think a pen and paper is the way of the future!!

R

Kevster

RossFixxxed wrote: »

A bit OT: but computers just anger me these days. I'm beginning to think a pen and paper is the way of the future!!

Here here... ...I agree. This technology stuff can't seriously continue unless we sort out our energy needs first. We're running ourselves into the ground.

RossFixxxed

Kevster wrote: »

Here here... ...I agree. This technology stuff can't seriously continue unless we sort out our energy needs first. We're running ourselves into the ground.

I've attached my reply to the carrier bird!

Look, OP, the decision is with you. People will be reluctant to say 'do option A' as you may be resentful. Write it out, have a think and give 100% to what you decide to do.

These things, Leaving Cert, college etc seem HUGE at the time. They rapidly lose their importance as you move on. The real important things are your friends, your health, your relationships, family etc. Whatever you decide there are options and you will be ok mate!