Thinking of dropping out of college

LegacyUser

I'm 19, first year student and I am thinking of dropping out.
It's not that I find the course difficult, as of now I am above the class average but I just sit the test when I hear about it, I don't study. The course is not what I expected. I'm just jumping through the hoops, going through the motions. I'm not interested in the subject matter.

I still have the desire to study medicine. I am in a unrelated field of study at the minute. I got a Leaving of 425 (surprised teachers since they knew as well as I did I never opened a book).. I have been thinking of potentially studying abroad in mainland Europe but I don't know if that's possible.

The true realisation that I really am considering dropping out is the fact that I have a 2500 word essay due today (with a week long extension for the whole class) that I am only 200 words in and can not find the motivation to continue it.
I know I would pass through the year and subsequent years depending what I specialise in but I'm lacking interest.

One reason I don't want to drop out is the friends I've made and girls I've met. I'd hate to just leave and never hear from them again and it's unlikely any would really keep in touch (as naturally happens) its not all sunshine and rainbows but there are some nice people here.

The second reason is fees. I'm past my date to drop out and keep my fees. Accommodation fees would be lost and probably many more I have not looked into.

The third reason is I don't really know what else I would do. I mean my Leaving Cert isn't great and it's certainly not a true reflection of my ability. What if I don't get into Medicine? I will be 21 before I start college the year after.

I'm really at an crossroads, I haven't told my parents or anyone really but they can tell, I'm constantly getting asked "Do you actually like your course?" and the likes.

Repeating is not an option (subject choices)

What should I do?...
Do I continue with a relatively easy but boring course or do I go into the great abyss of not knowing where I am going. Neither appeals to me if I'm being honest.

Airyfairy12

Finish the course, having a degree in any subject will stand by you through out your life and dropping out might be something you'll regret down the line,get this year over with then youve just 2 years left and youre officially graduated from college, use the degree as a stepping stone to get to where you want to go. You can then go study in Europe somewhere, countries like Germany have very low fees, some have no fees at all, you have a much higher chance of getting a place on a course if you already have a BA behind you. 21 is still very young, I didnt go to college until I was 21, I thought id be one of the oldest in my course to discover the majority of the students where 23+ there were 60 something year olds on the course, dont let age put you off, youre never too old to do anything. My course was crap the first year too, most of the class either failed or dropped out,you dont really get into the interesting and engaging stuff until second year, first year is really just about weeding people out. If someones not able for first year they wont be able for the rest of the course. You seem very able for it, really intelligent. I know how hard it is to get motivated to do an essay, break it down for yourself, set a time limit of 10 minutes to work on it, if you go over the ten minutes thats great, if you dont thats fine, leave it there, give it another 10 minutes in an hour or so, you'll eventually get into it and the words will flow, do as much research as you can, tutors love seeing referenced quotes in essays, it shows youve done the work, essays are all about self directed research, i learned more out of my own research than I did from my tutors. Keep going, youre not a normal student if you dont think about dropping out at least 20 times a week.

anthony4335

My simple advice is stay where you are until you have a viable plan to get you where you want to be, also make the best of the course and start to study and make an effort to do as best you can. You may actually find you like it, and you have to learn to stop using excuses to not study.

LegacyUser

You are...8 weeks into a course? Is that right?
You really need to give this a bit more time.

You said yourself,you didn't open a book for the LC. Which would suggest that you're probably not in that great a habit of studying or doing assignments. Now you're in college, and there's nobody breathing down your neck, you have to get it together yourself in order to get stuff in and get the marks. What makes you think that you would find it any easier to do this in medicine? Interest alone won't actually sustain you if your habits of sitting down and getting stuff done aren't great.

I appreciate that you think your abilities are good, I won't debate with you on that since I obviously don't know you. But to be honest, that means absolutely nothing unless you have the ability to realise that you have to put consistent work in to get most things in life, including a degree, or whatever this course is for.

First year in courses is often quite generic and confusing because they try to cover a lot of bases to bring everyone up to a similar standard. In later years, it often becomes a bit more relevant. Do bear that in mind also.

You need to sort your study habits first to be honest, and give yourself til Christmas at the very least before you make any big decisions. If you have Christmas exams, you need to see how they work out for you. It could be a learning experience, even if you do end up leaving eventually.

LLMMLL

If you drop out in the next few months can you get half fees back? That was the case in my day.

Sounds like you're completely unmotivated and its not necessarily just the course given you did nothing for the leaving. I was pretty much the same. Did nothing but got a good leaving. Struggled in degrees that I did find interesting because I find it hard to commit to studying. It's a lifelong problem that doesn't go away and you need to come up with strategies to deal with it. It's not clear to me that studying medicine would be any different for you.

One thing I'll say is you have so many options. The idea that 21 is too late to start a degree is so untrue it's almost funny. Your current age is the BEST time to make changes in your life. But you need to address your ability to study.

twill

Some colleges allow you to transfer to another course. If not medicine, maybe a subject which would train you in an area which would be useful for a future career in medicine. Here are Trinity's procedures, so it's very possible your college has something similar. You might want to make an appointment with the career service to discuss what would suit you.

Secondly, college is worlds away from school when it comes to studying. In school, motivation isn't an issue, because your work is arranged for you in bite-sized pieces, or you're doing rote-learning for the Leaving. In college, you have to treat it like a job, only you decide what work to do. Whatever course you're doing, you need to start working on effective study techniques.

Do you have an individual or class tutor, that is someone who is assigned to help you with issues that arise? If not, maybe someone in the Student Union can talk with you and advise you.

Clampdown

Many students feel this way early in first year. I did as well. And some of my classmates. Those that dropped out didn't do so well with whatever they had planned to do instead tbh. Those that stuck with it have found more success and were able to branch out to other things if they wanted later on either through work or a master's.

Not only will you probably not get the fees back but they will only increase in years to come. People in this country really don't appreciate how much easier it is made for them financially when it comes to getting a degree. People in many other countries would kill to be in your position. Drop out now and you might find it very hard to get back.

1st year in most courses is a boring slog. Just finish out the year and see how you feel then. It's too early to make this decision. Don't worry about liking it for now.

deviladvocate

I understand what you're saying when you say you have no interest in the subject matter, and that makes it hard to have any motivation to put in much work, and my advice on this would be find something you do have an interest in and pursue that! To tell you to finish the course because it's better than not having a degree in my opinion is silly, as you're only half a year in and I'd assume the course is 3/4 years, why waste all that time on something you have no interest in??

However (some brutal honest opinion coming here),

I get the impression you're lazy. You didn't do the work for your LC and left you unable to pursue what you want to do in medicine. So you took a different course that would accept you, and you're in the same cycle, not putting the effort in.

You haven't said what the course is, and we all know there are a load of degrees which mean diddly squat to employers. If you're coasting along in one of these getting around the class average there is no point following this. Having an average mark in a Mickey Mouse degree will not make you stand out.
You're obviously intelligent enough to coast through this, but it'll get you nowhere, even if it is one of the more useful degrees, there will be plenty of people ahead of you because they put in the work.

In my opinion you have 2 decent options.
1. Quit the course, get a job to earn money, while working towards getting into a course which interests you.
2. Continue with this course and actually put some effort in to do well in it. You may learn something interesting, and you're obviously capable of achieving well if you'd put in the work, If by the end of the first year you're still not interested at least you'll have good grades to back you up in an application for another course.

Or you could take the lazy option and coast through this, come out with an average degree, a load of debt and struggle to find a good job at the end of it.

I am a recent graduate myself, I've seen a bunch of my friends coast through uni and end up with a job they could've gotten straight out of school. I've also seen a bunch of my friends find great success and love what they're doing, be it for travelling, financial or just love of the job.
You get back what you put in and all that!!

miezekatze

Maybe give it a bit more time, set yourself a limit, maybe the end of the first year. If you still feel the same, I'd say quit and look into other options. Life's too short to waste years studying for a degree that doesn't interest you and that you don't want to use once you're finished.

I started college straight after school and left after a year. Not because I wasn't good enough, but just like you I just hated the course and I knew it wasn't for me. My parents were disappointed and I felt a bit lost for a while cos I didn't really know what else I should do. Eventually I found my way though and got a different degree, and I'm glad I left when I did, and didn't finish it just to have any degree.

sneakysnake007

I have been in your exact situation. I've had my heart set on studying medicine since as long as I can remember. I didn't get the points with the HPAT for entry after secondary school. However, I went to college anyway with my second choice and through studying it I always knew it wasn't for me.

That said, I studied hard and tried my best and came out with a 1.1 degree. I always had medicine in the back of my head but never had the confidence to try again. After finishing my degree I did a masters in my field as I thought this is what I've chosen to study and this is my only option. Although my results were good and I was very capable, I didn't have a strong passion for it. Half way through my masters I made the decision that I was going to try for medicine again. I found out about the GAMSAT exam which offers a 4 year postgraduate medical program for those who have achieved a 2.1 or higher in their first level 8 degree. I hope to start studying in September 2017, if my GAMSAT result is good enough.

I think this could be a great option for you. Stick with your current degree and set your ambitions high for postgraduate medicine.

LegacyUser

Just my 2c Op and a route you could look into. I know two people who studied Physiotherapy and before moving onto medicine. Obviously a longer road but they were able to work flexible hours as physios whilst studying medicine to subsidise their studies and make a decent living. This may be an option to look at. Good luck.

Rubberchikken

i have to agree a bit with deviladvocate. they make the very points i thought up when i read your post.
it's all well and good saying you'd like to study medicine, but will you, truthfully, be capable of the studying required? there would be, as there isn't now, anyone looking over your shoulder willing you on. college is a lot about working by yourself with input from lecturers and support when needed.

why not try to improve your study for the moment, see if that can happen and then decide. if you're gone past the time for fees/accomm repayments etc then what do you have to lose?

i don't agree with the advice to just stick with the course and get 'a degree'. four years is a long time and if a person isn't enjoying the work, then that's just time wasted imo.

LegacyUser

OP you need to go speak with someone at the college about your options before taking drastic steps. Plenty of people find they are on the wrong course when they start college so it's not something they've not had to deal with before...honestly college guidance given in most secondary schools in Ireland is awful. Speak to someone, be it college admin or student union rep to get advice. You will most likely have to finish at least this year and transfer to another course or college. Yes there are options to study within the EU that Irish students really need to start taking more advantage of but you need to speak with someone with more knowledge on Erasmus and similar programs.

Devil's advocate - if you want to drop out, drop out.

I did the first time in college, towards the end of my second year. Since then I went on to complete a 4 year course in something I was extremely interested in, went on to do a postgrad, and now, thankfully, am working in an industry close to my qualification.

You know you better than anyone else and if you feel like it isn't for you, then hat's the case.

silverbolt

LLMMLL wrote: »

If you drop out in the next few months can you get half fees back? That was the case in my day.

Sounds like you're completely unmotivated and its not necessarily just the course given you did nothing for the leaving. I was pretty much the same. Did nothing but got a good leaving. Struggled in degrees that I did find interesting because I find it hard to commit to studying. It's a lifelong problem that doesn't go away and you need to come up with strategies to deal with it. It's not clear to me that studying medicine would be any different for you.

One thing I'll say is you have so many options. The idea that 21 is too late to start a degree is so untrue it's almost funny. Your current age is the BEST time to make changes in your life. But you need to address your ability to study.

Nope. My gf is doing a one year masters and utterly hates and despises everything about it. But she was told that she cant without her fees being paid for the whole year.

GalwayGrrrrrl

Medicine is hard. There will be no coasting and you'd be in with a class of super swots who got top marks in hpat and leaving cert. you need to improve your study skills and attitude to work before you attempt to get into medicine here or in the UK.

Check with your students union- there should be someone there who can advise you and help you get things clear in your own mind.

Hope you get things sorted - you are young so don't panic about being old if you do a second degree etc.