Options outside college?

LegacyUser

Hi guys,

Have been feeling really anxious and down recently, am currently into year 2 of my 2nd shot at doing a degree in college. It really is the most unenjoyable part of my life at the moment, I love working my part time job, and have great friends, love playing sport, going out, hanging with the family etc etc... but whenever it comes down to college matters, i just go into a state of anxiety. I'm currently finishing an assignment due for 2moro, and have a few more to do, but for the last 6 weeks or so, i've been asking myself if the pain of college is worth getting the degree? I've been panicking a lot recently with the thought, have driven into college or been on way in on the bike and jst turned around gone home, not sure why i just felt really anxious at the thought of it.
I know theres a lot of people out there who over-exagerate when it comes to college and school but i genuinely feel terrible and have done so since the first few months of my course. I'd prefer to be working and maybe doing something part-time!
I don't even think its a question of the course im doing, i just feel i want to be doin something else, thats more interactive and involving people, not paper..
Do i really need a degree to "succeed" in life, as they say these days?
I want to challenge myself and go far in whatever industry i enter but I just can't bear another 2 years of college..

Anyone had similar experiences and dropped out and gone on to find something that interests them outside the norm?
Any feedback would be appreciated!

Overheal

ive dropped out and regretted it, if thats what you mean.

The college will have free counseling services available to you. Make use of them. You need to figure out the source of this anxiety and sort it out.

Lady von Purple

I agree with this. I'm in my final year of my course now, and I love it. In second year, and even some of last year, I started to really dislike my course. It got to the point where I skipped lectures I really shouldn't have and did less work than I should have been doing. Thing is, I realised that I was screwing up my chances of finishing college. And that made me cop myself on and start going in more, start doing the work, and seriously put the head down when it came to exams. I was going to go to the guidance counsellor, and would've gone quite happily, but in the end I really wanted to finish my course and that was enough motivation for me. You should definitely go to your counsellor though, and work through your anxiety issues. Also, I do have friends who dropped out of college- some happy, some not so happy. So it can be done if you genuinely don't feel happy in your course but I'd advise trying out every other avenue first. And if it doesn't work out, at least you already have a job you like to fall back on! Best of luck! And try not to worry so much. What will be will be, etc.

LegacyUser

Hi OP I'm in the exact same situation as you, 2nd year of my 2nd course. I hate college, not my course as such, just college. I really wish I'd just done a practical featac course or something and gotten a job.

To be honest I would love nothing more than to drop out but my parents would be so disapointed in me and they have paid for all of my education so far so I feel obliged to finish.

I think it depends what you mean by "succeed". I know people who have very little education and are, in my mind, succeeding but they're not rich, they will probably never have a big house or a BMW, if they're not careful with their money they might struggle in later life. But they're happy.

I can't tell you whether to drop out or not but if you do look into TEFL (though you do sometimes need a degree for that) or volenteering abroad, part time course in something you enjoy be it cooking, beauty or outdoor activity etc., do something that will give you time to get your head around what you want from life. I had the chance to do all of those thing but I blew it off because going back to college was the done thing. I've never regretted anything more.

If you don't drop out, take a week or two, when there isn't much college work, and think. I'm certainly not saying you should plan out your life but it might be helpful to look into what your next move will be after college, it'll at least give you a goal.
good luck

Penny Lane

exstlythesame wrote: »

To be honest I would love nothing more than to drop out but my parents would be so disapointed in me and they have paid for all of my education so far so I feel obliged to finish.

It's only right when someone else is paying for you to get the education that you don't waste their money, but I am sorry to hear you're finding it such a struggle. You're nearly there though so keep at it. The fact that you don't hate your course only college is good, you'll be through it in no time and you then get to use your course in the real world.

OP, there's not many options out there at the moment so I'd be very careful with my decision. At least figure out what you want to do before flushing 2 years down the loo, at least if you knew what you were going to do instead you'd have something to aim for, otherwise you're throwing away an opportunity for nothing.

Curry Addict

so u dont like college, well college one of the more plesent enviroments you will have to endure in your life. the enviroment of most jobs out there are way tougher and it doesnt end until your 65....

most people go through this imho. people get things too easy these days tbh and are afraid of sweat and tears. i went through this long time ago, my son went through it last year.
i noticed he wasnt going into college much for awhile so i had a chat with him and it all came out. i told him that it was likely a temporary thing and if he has to repeat 2nd year, its no big deal, he will get there in the end. he felt the pressure lifted, went on to do his exams and failed 3 subjects. hes now repeating those 3 subjects only, so has a relatively easy year this year. next year he will go into 3rd year which is usually easier than 2nd and he will get a degree at the end so hes sorted. this has been a big eye opener for him and he feels really good about it all now and has learned a lesson in life.

u need to toughen up and get on with it. life is tough sometimes and one of those times is right now. its charachter building and will make u stronger. u will draw confidence from this when u succeed in the end and you will value this experience through your life.u dont need to pass everything this year u can repeat some subjects if necessary so take the pressure off yourself.
i urge you to tell your parents and family and seek their support, u dont have to go through this alone.

LegacyUser

man, do i know how you feel. im in a 5 year course and i've repeated 2 years already. most of my original coursemates have been graduated for a while now. its coming up to christmas exams and i feel like im in the same position all over again, not really enjoying it and thinking of all the reasons in the world to just drop out. but there aren't so many things waiting for me without this degree. i did sit down and plan out my future without it, i thought i wanted to be a teacher - but you need a degree for that! i just keep turning up for all my lectures - the real key to failure is not turning up! just try and engage with it as much as you can, do the minimum requirement and keep tapping away at it. it's a little thing i learned in the leaving cert, the first 40% are so easy but the last 10% is almost impossible - just make an attempt and you're almost half way there, make an effort!

whenever i'm having difficulty i come on here to the personal issues board. it really gives me the courage to keep going knowing that a lot of people are going through the same thing. you are not alone! it's a life lesson, it builds character, i'm learning about perseverance and i know that later in life when i have some trouble with something or other; i can draw strength from this period of my life when i kept going despite the setbacks. i will overcome this!

having said all that, im way too deep into this to turn back now. if you are only starting into your second year you should put some serious though into an alternative. i couldn't wish the dark moments of anxiousness on anyone. even though im not suited to this course - i know i can get through by trying hard enough. if you really want this degree then you can get it. if you don't want it so much - dont waste your time. i want it!

like you, i've enjoyed the jobs i've had through the years, temporary part time work with no real responsibilities. but one of these days i'm going to grow up and part of growing up is accepting more responsibility and reaching the stage of self actualization (maslow's hierarchy of needs) . you won't be happy until you feel like you're doing something worthwhile. don't look back on life with any regrets!

hope this helps. don't be miserable; life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. go to the career guidance counsellor and come up with a strategy. in some strange way, when my counsellor told me i should think about quitting, it actually pushed me forward - i didnt expect her to give up on me so easily! it was scary! i had to prove her wrong!

(sorry, it was a bit of a rant - i'm trying to self-motivate at the same time)

Drodan

Similar situation myself, nice to see I'm not the only one tbh.

I hate my course, college, lecturers are useless and incredibly unprofessional (you should not have to go hunting down a lecturer to take her class as she's sitting in the canteen with a coffee talking about shoes, who then lies about going over to the class, seeing no one and leaving. No word of a lie). I repeated my LC and am repeating 2nd year, so trust me I know. Our generation seems to have an attitude in which we expect things to be easy and handed to us, sadly that isnt going to happen.

I wanted to go into carpentry, or theatre technical work (did a lot of work in stagecrew etc in school and loved it, we were lucky to have access to a theatre) but my parents wouldn't allow it. Wouldn't allow me to do art in NCAD either, there's no jobs in that apparently.

Your going to have to stick it out OP, just like I have to and everyone else in this situation has to. It's a pain in the **** but it just has to be done. It's only a couple years of your life, just think about what it will open you too with that degree, forget the money, house or car etc, think of the life you want to have and how you can get it.