Disillusioned - Should I drop out or continue?

LegacyUser

I'm in my second year of university now, doing an arts course with subjects which honestly aren't going to get me anywhere unless I became a lecturer. I didn't put much thought into my choice. I was extremely depressed when I picked it and just went for the easy option, my reasoning being I'd probably be dead by the time I had to face any consequences.

I'm better now and starting to think of my future, or lack thereof. No matter how much I like my course (which is becoming less and less as I think about it), it's going to lead nowhere. The idea of doing an apprenticeship and becoming an electrician has been in my head for a few months now. Career guidance in my secondary school amounted to how to calculate LC points, apprenticeships were for people doing LCA who couldn't get enough points for university, so it never seemed like an option until now. I feel like it wouldn't suit me too badly, I've always been practical and maths-minded (A2s in LC maths and dcg, b3 in physics). Even if it wouldn't be the most exciting career in the world, I'll at least be doing something rather than sitting in lecture halls pretending to listen to people who made the same mistakes as me ramble on about dead people. It's a necessary job, one that can't really be replaced by computers anytime soon, so I'm hoping it's at least semi-definite.

Now here's the problems. It's not completely definite. I've seen a number of people complaining they were dropped in the middle of their apprenticeship, or that ESB train apprentices and then have no jobs for them after. In another recession or housing crash, how well would electricians fare?

My boyfriend is another issue. The ESB training centre is in Portlaoise (assuming I do go with them, otherwise I'd be somewhere around Dublin). While it's close to my parents' house it's very far from my boyfriend's, and even farther from where he goes to college. Even though I know our relationship could survive I feel like it would take its toll on both of us, both having a history of depression, both being shy and finding it hard to make friends. I'm very worried about how he'd cope without me.

The biggest problem is my parents. I have no idea how to tell them "while I'm grateful for the nearly 10 grand plus accommodation fees you've spent on my education thus far, you wasted your money because I can't make decisions". I know they'll act supportive but I feel sick knowing how much of a drain and a waste I am to them.

I have no clue what I should do, drop out and spend more money, disappoint my parents and boyfriend, but have a more stable career path, or continue with my degree and take what comes after that (a masters or conversion course, for example). There's also the fact that if I wanted to come back to college in the future, I'd need to find the tuition fees from somewhere. It's all just swimming around in my head.

I haven't discussed this with anyone yet. Today I signed up for an ESB apprenticeship preparation course, which is the first real step I've taken in solidifying what was til now a pipe dream. This post is the second. I know nobody can tell me what to do or make my decisions for me (as lovely and easy as that would be), I'd really appreciate any advice anyone can give, or if anyone has gone through similar experiences and wouldn't mind sharing. Thanks for reading.

pookie82

While it would be lovely to tell you to "go for it" and "follow your dreams" the real world doesn't always work like that; you need to assess practicality, and I can tell you now that my advice would be to get your degree. You worked hard for a good LC, got into Uni (something a lot of people would kill for) and you don't out and out despise it ... you're just not that "into" it. Does it make you miserable inside? Are you struggling with the course work? Do you see yourself failing exams?

If not, I'd stick with it. Assuming it's a 3 year Arts degree it's not that much time in the grand scheme of things to dedicate to getting a BA. That will remain on your CV forever and really stick with you.

For what it's worth, I did an Arts degree in some extremely "airy fairy" subjects and have been long term employed since leaving college almost a decade ago in an industry I could never have anticipated while studying. These generic degrees are not as "worthless" as people make out. They prove discipline, an ability to see something through, and adaptability. You'd be surprised at what kinds of jobs might open up to you in unlikely paths when you're through. And don't forget the wealth of opportunity to diversify with a post grad after in a whole range of new areas.

If, when you graduate, you still desperately want to be an electrician, you can pursue that with the safety net of a degree behind you. I was chatting to a friend recently who has a decent position in the company she's with but applied for a really good job elsewhere. They were very excited about her interest until they asked for her CV and realised she doesn't possess a degree (she dropped out of college and "worked her way up"). All her experience and success to date was undermined by that one factor ... that she never saw through a degree, and she lost the opportunity on the spot, as it was a minimum requirement for application.

If you don't hate the bones of it, I would see it out.

Turtle_

Two academic years and you will have your degree... That's actually only a year of your time when you take all the time off out. Get the piece of paper, get a 2.1 and then you've checked the boxes in the that say applicants must possess a 2.1 in a degree of any discipline. Having spent plenty of time in college I can tell you that the vast vast majority of people can get that 2.1 with a bit of effort.

What do you think graduates of your course normally do?

I think it would be hugely beneficial to attend the careers service in your college, and attend the recruitment events they run. Go to further study and work expos. And talk to electrician apprentices and qualified electricians. Find out what the work is really like. Would you be happy to spend all day every day during winter on cold building sites, in cramped and dirty conditions? Not saying it's not a great job, but you need to be realistic about what's involved. At the moment it's the faraway hill and you don't seem to be looking objectively at it.

You're obviously a clever person. You have a very long working life ahead of you. You need to think about what will challenge you, and keep you engaged and interested for the next few decades. But not on your own, there are so many people who can help with information and explain.

beks101

TBH you need to get this "arts degree is useless" cock and bull out of your head because it's simply not true and it's allowing you to think that dropping out of college would be no big deal to a future employer. The direct opposite is true - to many/most employers the degree would be a box ticked, whereas an unfinished degree would be a red flag against you. That's just the reality of it.

I hated my undergraduate degree with a passion for the first two years of it. I studied journalism and if I'd listened to anyone I'd have believed it was as useful as a chocolate teapot and dropping out was my best bet to secure a future for myself. I stuck with it and have spent a decade working for the biggest TV networks in the world. Some of the people I've worked with - CEOs, senior management, producers, successful journalists - have arts degrees in random subjects that somehow landed them in newsrooms after they graduated. Philosophy and economics. History and English. Music and psychology. They are considered well-rounded, well-educated individuals as a result who bring all sorts of fresh ideas and philosophies to their workplaces.

My advice would be to see the degree out, seeing as you don't seem to entirely hate it. I think you'll regret leaving or it will be something you become paranoid and insecure about in future job interviews when the question comes up (which it always will). If you still feel strongly about the electrician apprenticeship, you can go that route after college. It's not going to suddenly disappear as an option.

MouseTail

ESB only take on a relatively small number of apprentices, most electrical apprentices work in industry or with small employers. There are training centres throughout the country where you could do your off the job training.

Having said that, I'm with the other posters, finish what you started - get the degree.

retro:electro

Your degree is only three years right? So after this year its final year and then you're done. And the semesters are so short they're nearly over before they've begun. Just stick with it and get it over with. You can still do an apprenticeship once you've finished your degree. Even if you just plodded along and passed, well that's something right? And you'd have a degree for the rest of your life that nobody can take away from you. Dropping out halfway through second year seems like madness to me. You're almost there.

LegacyUser

OP: You're half way there.
Finish your degree.
You will never get the chance of having a "paid for" student life again.
And during the summer recess you can think of a strategy.
Just finish what you've signed up for, you are so young, you have so many options in
front of you, and with a degree, so many more.
I remember myself in college at your stage, and by God am I glad I saw it through.
Best of luck xxx

amtc

My friend did an Arts degree and is now a pilot. I actually work in the area I did my degree in but far from the norm. You'd be nuts to drop out for chance of an ESB apprenticeship which takes on v few each year. I actually didn't hire someone because they dropped out final year. It's a tick in a box you need to have for a professional job, and I wouldn't have been able to get this person professional indemnity insurance

intheclouds

Get the degree. You dont even really sound like you want to be an electrician!

Enjoy college, its the only time you will ever experience it like this. Its way too early to see where your career will take you, why box yourself in at this age? Youre keeping your options open doing an arts degree which is exactly what you need to be doing while youre still unsure of what you want to do.

Katgurl

Finish it. You don't need to love it, you just need to complete it.

LegacyUser

I'm saying it finish it too, and here are my reasons.
I did civil engineering (I'm a woman). Loved it. I worked in construction for five years, until it all came crashing down. I was on site, a site engineer for five years.
You can absolutely become an electrician. But - and I am genuinely being practical here, because I've experienced it myself - it's a man's world.That is not something that bothers me but you have to be practical about it as a long-term future. But it's set up for men. So while you're young and carefree, working as an electrician is fine. The minute you start thinking about having a family or anything along those lines - you run into trouble in that career. The heavy lifting, being on your feet all day, crawling around small spaces etc. It's not practical. I'm not saying that you can't become an electrician because you certainly can. I'm simply saying that with a degree you have another option if you ever reach a point where being an electrician is just no longer a viable option.
Personally, I left site work 5 years ago and have since had 2 children. There's no way I could go back to site work. And I certainly couldn't have been pregnant while working on site.Believe me you do not want to be starting college or education all over again ten years down the line. For the sake of another couple of years, finish out the degree and consider it as your B option. You should always have plenty of strings to your bow in life

Airyfairy12

Your parents paid all that money and now youre considering dropping out half way through? are they going to financially support your postgrad too? Sorry OP but you sound a bit spoiled, you need to appreciate that. Me and many others get nothing from our parents, my sole income was my grant which meant I lived on 20 euro a month after rent and bills were paid. I also have an arts degree. I wonder if you had to struggle financially to get as far as you are now would you be as willing to drop out or if all that money had been coming out of your own pocket? I really doubt it, youd be allot more appreciative. I wanted to drop out of my course 100 times. I only did it because I wanted to become an art teacher but half way through my course the Hdip was made into a two year masters course and the fees went up to 10 grand and I realised that my art course was now a total waste of time, a 10 grand postgrad is a pipe dream for me. I still didnt drop out though because getting to where I was had been such a struggle, I wasnt about to waste it or throw away the chance of getting a degree even if it is an arts subject.
Maybe try support yourself for awhile and see how much you appreciate things then, we'd all love to stamp our foot and throw things away when they get difficult but unfortunately the real world doesnt work that way.

retro:electro

shesty wrote: »

I'm saying it finish it too, and here are my reasons.
I did civil engineering (I'm a woman). Loved it. I worked in construction for five years, until it all came crashing down. I was on site, a site engineer for five years.
You can absolutely become an electrician. But - and I am genuinely being practical here, because I've experienced it myself - it's a man's world.That is not something that bothers me but you have to be practical about it as a long-term future. But it's set up for men. So while you're young and carefree, working as an electrician is fine. The minute you start thinking about having a family or anything along those lines - you run into trouble in that career. The heavy lifting, being on your feet all day, crawling around small spaces etc. It's not practical. I'm not saying that you can't become an electrician because you certainly can. I'm simply saying that with a degree you have another option if you ever reach a point where being an electrician is just no longer a viable option.
Personally, I left site work 5 years ago and have since had 2 children. There's no way I could go back to site work. And I certainly couldn't have been pregnant while working on site.Believe me you do not want to be starting college or education all over again ten years down the line. For the sake of another couple of years, finish out the degree and consider it as your B option. You should always have plenty of strings to your bow in life

I think the op is male.

taytobreath

anna080 wrote: »

I think the op is male.

I was wondering the same thing.

I'm an x-electrician, I'm now back at college, because
I did not want to be pulling cables through mud and peoples gawks, I did not want to be crawling through attics when I was 50 years old. (I know its a worst case scenario) I would not want to be treated the way I was treated when I was an apprentice and op if your gay, you will be treated differently, there are imbeciles everywhere but sometimes I used to think they mainly worked on building sites. I've only ever saw 3 or 4 female apprentices in my 18 year electrical career, building sites are tough places to go for someone who is different.

Magicmatilda

I dropped out of an arts degree at the end of second year.

that was 17 years ago. I have been pretty successful and managed to get a good job and work my up in the industry I am in. But this industry and many others simply would not consider me now, because I have no degree. I was luck with timing. To be honest this is not an industry I love but it pays the bills and its easy enough.

My life has worked out well but to be honest I regret dropping out. I have regretted that decision at various stages over the last 17 years. I regret it because I would have loved to do post graduate courses and not having a degree limited my choices massively. There are ways around this and I have since gone back part time and got a degree but had I just stayed one extra year I would have saved myself a lot of money, effort and stress later on.

I was also pretty depressed and anxious when I dropped out. Dropping out did not help with that, though a few years therapy have!

My advice, stick it out for one more year and just get the degree. You can always apply for the apprenticeship afterwards anyway. You will have way more options if you get the degree.

There really are not many choices I regret in life, very few indeed, but that one is my biggest.