Thinking of dropping out of college, but I should know better by now

LegacyUser

I've encountered a problem recently. I started first year after a few years out (not by choice) and I started college this year very eagerly. The course is tough and the workload is very heavy, and I found myself getting burnt out frequently, made worse with me adjusting back into the flow of it again. At one point I got very sick of it all and sincerely contemplated dropping out.

I persevered and copped on, continued working really hard, early days, latest nights and all that, but still struggled badly with some subjects.

I'm off now but I've projects to get finished over the break, one particular one I need to do well on or I'll fail the module. I just can't get myself around to starting them and I don't know why. I'm feeling guilty with a massive build up of pressure and I'm thinking of dropping out again, but I just think that's the easy way out and everything else will be for nothing.

If I do stay I don't know how I'll face the pressure and expectations on me to do well. I feel even by putting these projects off I'm letting people down.

I'm just not sure of what to do. I honestly don't have a clue what I want.

EuropeanSon

Do you like your course?

If you don't, I'd suggest dropping out and trying something else next year, tbh. You can possibly get by with only having to pay half a year's fees in that situation (if you drop out now), and several more years of doing something you dislike and find difficult just for the sake of doing it isn't a good course of action IMO.

dollybird2

Your mind is the most powerful tool you own.
Once you start thinking of the projects you need to complete it causes a panic that means you put them off & think you won't get them done in time/well enough or the likes.
All I can advise from experience is to sit down, take a deep breath and tell yourself that you will do it. If hundreds others manage it year after year, than you will manage it too.
Do a to-do list. Write your project out in headings. Allocate the number of words required per heading. Then put in the sub headings that you need to focus on, or else the key words to work around.
Then just tell yourself lets get this s**t done & begin. Do what you can in the timeframe you can manage.

College stuff is hard. But it isn't the end of the world or the shaping of you as a person. It is manageable with the right attitude and the right plan. Go for it & succeed.

The Red Shoes

Hi OP I just had to reply because I recognise how you're feeling all too well. The pressure to do well can be overwhelming - panic sets in, logic goes out the window, things get put off, restarted, restarted again and then there's no time left! I messed up my original degree because of it.

Second time round my motto was simply "word count" - it doesn't matter if you think that what you are writing is rubbish, leave editing to the end, don't stop, don't restart anything, just keep ploughing through it and get it done. Worry about the quality of it when it's done.

Also, figure out how you work best. First time round I beat myself up that I was always leaving things to the last minute, second time round I celebrated it. I knew that with limited sleep I could get projects done in 3/4 days - working flat out for those days. That's how I worked best. Consequently, I took my rest before and after and stopped giving myself a hard time for not doing it or worrying that I'd left it too late.

Another thing that worked for me was convincing myself that I loved what I was doing ... "Can't wait to get started on X etc..."

Finally, I established a good routine. I discovered that I never did a tap when I was at home so I went to the library every day and did it there. On the plus side I never had anything hanging over me when I was at home and could relax because even if something wasn't completed yet it wasn't going to be done at home.

Hope some of these ideas help. I doubt that your course is too hard for you but you need to stop worrying about it and start doing it. Best of luck OP!