Considering dropping out of college

ASOIAFfan

I've recently left my hometown and come to college. I was very homesick or the first 3 or 4 weeks but I pushed through it although I'm still unhappy here. I'm doing Arts and I find the course really boring due to the short days and lack of work. I'm only 17 as well and I think I came to college too soon and my experience would be better if I came next year. I'm still finding it hard to get out of the secondary school routine and it's tough to fill my days after college even with clubs and socs. I put Arts down on the CAO as my first choice because I didn't really have an idea of what to do at the time. There's a few courses that I'm interested in in my local I.T. and in order to get full fees for next year to do one of them courses, I have to drop out before Friday. I want to drop out but I'm worried that if I can't find a job, I won't be doing anything at home for the next 6 months.

Is it a good idea to drop out of college? What can I do at home apart from getting a job? Thanks in advance.

Santa Cruz

The advantage of doing the Arts degree is that you don't have to decide what your long term plans are. After three years in third level you will have a better view of the world. You may wish then to follow the law degree route, journalism, teaching etc. Throw in a business course on top of your arts degree and see what opportunities occur.
Stick with it, do your study and make good plans for the Summer even if it is working in the UK.

As a 17 years old what job can you get that you won't get fed up of quickly and then what? You are not alone in feeling like this, have a word with the Students Union Counsellor or the College Counsellor. They see this situation every year.
You are 17 which means soon you will be 18 (good at the numeracy am I not?) Stick with it. As regards the study don't be taking it for granted either. The exams and essays will come quick enough

SureYWouldntYa

If you drop out and don't get a job, volunteer. Don't waste the year, either make enough money to have a reasonably comfortable student life if you're lucky enough to get a job, or volunteer in your local community in some way, as well as looking good on a CV it should give a sense of fullfilment for the year

thegreatgonzo

I agree with Santa Cruz. Speak to the college counsellor/chaplain/Students union/course coordinator whoever. That's what they are there for.
I don't think dropping out is a good idea. You've only just started even though you might be feeling the time long. A lot of people (especially in this recession) unfortunately dismiss Arts degrees because they are general and you don't qualify as anything in particular. I think that's a very narrow minded view. Like you I went to Uni at 17 and did an Arts degree not knowing what I might do with it. I met the most interesting people and even though I have since completed a degree in Science and changed career, there is a value to having an Arts education that will give you an edge later on no matter what you end up doing. Be open minded about what you can get from the course and engage with your lecturers and mature students too, you will have so much more of an experience:-)

tweniebaby

I was in the same position a couple of years ago. I was doing an Arts degree and I knew within the first six weeks or so that it wasn't for me. However I didn't drop out then, instead I tried to push on and it was second year before I eventually decided to leave, meaning I had full fees to pay for a year and a half of my new course. It was, for me, the best decision I ever made.

If you are interested in another course somewhere then do as much research into it as you can, try and find out how many hours a week there are, the specific subjects you'll be taking, etc. There is no point diving head first into a course you know nothing about.

As regards jobs, yes they are difficult to find but as was mentioned above volunteering is also useful.

Stavro Mueller

If you drop out, it should be for the right reasons. Not because you're running away from what's probably the first big challenge of your life.

ASOIAFfan wrote: »

I've recently left my hometown and come to college. I was very homesick or the first 3 or 4 weeks but I pushed through it although I'm still unhappy here. I'm doing Arts and I find the course really boring due to the short days and lack of work.

Are you still homesick? Have you settled, made friends?

As someone who did Arts, I can assure you that the short days and lack of work you're complaining about soon become a thing of the past. Just you wait until the essays and assignments start coming your way. Because of the nature of your course, you're supposed to be using the gaps between lectures to do college work. Be it reading, writing essays etc. Maybe you're so institutionalised that you're finding it very hard to manage your own time without a strict timetable?

I'm only 17 as well and I think I came to college too soon and my experience would be better if I came next year. I'm still finding it hard to get out of the secondary school routine and it's tough to fill my days after college even with clubs and socs.

It's not all that long ago that quite a lot of 1st years were 17 years old when they started. Do you really honestly think that being 18 is going to make all that much difference?

To be honest your problem isn't necessarily the course that's at fault here. It's your inability to get yourself out of the comfort zone that was home/school.

I put Arts down on the CAO as my first choice because I didn't really have an idea of what to do at the time. There's a few courses that I'm interested in in my local I.T. ..

If you think that the course in your local I.T. is a better choice for you, then by all means drop out. But before you go, ask yourself this question. Why did you not pick these courses before now? Have they suddenly become far more attractive because they're a means to get you back home into familiar territory?

average hero

I dropped out of two college courses in two years and effectively wasted those two years so I hope I can help.

Only you can make the decision for yourself. If you were to ask me, I would say to persevere IF YOU CAN and get the qualification behind you. As previously mentioned, an arts degree coupled with a short business, law or IT course would be formidable in the jobs environment.

You mentioned long days and boredom. May I offer some advice coming from the best possible place - take up a hobby.

For example, if you were to take up a martial art such as boxing or Judo (as I did ) in your university, after three years you could be a formidable athlete, fit and well on your way to a Black belt.

If you were to take up a language, you could be halfway to fluency after three years with not a huge amount of effort.

My point is, to break out of the very 'Irish' way of thinking that learning is only through academic institutions. Languages, sports and skills are also ways in which you can broaden your horizons, get fit, learn and gain opportunities.

If you KNOW you can't persevere through three years, drop out, if you think you can push yourself through it and it won't bother you TOO much - stay on. College is a big change for a lot of people.

Good luck OP, Carpe Diem.

Manco

OP, the lack of hours in Arts drove me mad too when I started college, I felt lost. It's a matter of adaptation I suppose, I eventually got used to it and indeed I'm now doing a PhD in the same college lol. If you feel dropping out is the right choice for you, then go for it- but make sure it's for the right reasons, as has been said. We all need to transgress our confort zones at some stage.