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Thinking about dropping out of college

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  • 24-01-2021 7:14pm
    #1
    johnny five
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭


    Hello there. I'm a 29 year old mature student in my final year/semester at one of the popular colleges in the country. I'm doing a pretty sought after degree by employers and I'm getting very good grades. I even have a job lined up after graduation.
    On paper it sounds great but my mental state is extremely bad right now. I'm incredibly stressed and depressed, to the point of feeling like I am on the verge of a mental breakdown.
    I am also starting to have my doubts if this is something I want to do for a living. On top of that, the company I got a job with seems a bit... sketchy somewhat. They have pretty bad reviews on glassdoor and in the interview process they seemed kind of desperate for people. I have a bad gut feeling about them.

    Do you think taking a year off to clear the head would be a good idea? Or do you think I should grind it out for the next couple of months?


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    #2
    ILoveYourVibes
    Registered Users Posts: 15,176 ✭✭✭✭ILoveYourVibes


    Maybe you should ask the mods to move it to PI for you OP??

    Im really sorry you are feeling that way.

    I think if you are on the verge see someone.


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    #3
    DrSpongeBobz
    Registered Users Posts: 256 ✭✭DrSpongeBobz


    Im in a similar boat but just going to push trough I think. My grades this semester will probably drop as my motivation is zero.


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    #4
    EmmetSpiceland
    Registered Users Posts: 10,561 ✭✭✭✭EmmetSpiceland


    Finish it, clear your head after.

    “It is not blood that makes you Irish but a willingness to be part of the Irish nation” - Thomas Davis



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    #5
    annfield1978
    Registered Users Posts: 564 ✭✭✭annfield1978


    Finish degree, you dont have to work for the sketcy outfit, find something else you are more comfortable with

    Not having a degree closes the door to many opportunities,

    It would be a shame to waste hard work 3 to 4 yrs when you are finished in 5 to 6 months

    Difficult to get headspace in these covid times


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    #6
    Sephiroth_dude
    Moderators, Computer Games Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators Posts: 80,043 Mod ✭✭✭✭Sephiroth_dude


    Will move to PI OP.


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    #7
    Hannibal_Smith
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,961 Mod ✭✭✭✭Hannibal_Smith


    Mod Note

    Thread re-opened. PI Charter now applies.

    Thanks

    HS


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    #8
    never_mind
    Registered Users Posts: 915 ✭✭✭never_mind


    Hi OP,

    I would have to agree with others and look at ways to get support while continuing to be engaged in your programme. I wouldn’t worry too much about that company, to be honest. Completing your degree is more important at the moment. Park the hypotheticals right now and reach out to student services who can sign post you to counselling or academic advisors.

    While it doesn’t say it, this has been a horrible year for us all and that had to be compounding the stress. When in my final semester I also got quite anxious and down because I was worried about the next move.

    It doesn’t matter what subject you’re doing, having your level 8 would open up opportunities to progress to a postgrad in another field. Having your degree will never, ever be a waste of time even if you don’t directly work in that area. Undergrads give students the critical and analytical skills to develop as people. You can transfer this to other careers in the future.

    In short, forget about the job for now. Stay the course and get the piece of paper and then take some time off to figure out what you’d like to do.


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    #9
    jimbobaloobob
    Registered Users Posts: 5,153 ✭✭✭jimbobaloobob


    Well done OP for putting it down on paper. Don’t forget all colleges have services now to assist students who are under pressure in many different ways. I would suggest you contact them at some point. While your situation maybe a first for you it’s something they will have come across many times before. On top of that they may have solutions to assist you get your best effort from the work you’ve already put into your course.

    Reading your message a lot of your fears or apprehensions are for future possible problems or happenings. Remember that many people change course in life and don’t necessarily work in an area they initially studied. Myself included. Whatever you do don’t take a hasty decision weigh up all the actual solutions and then make a decision. Once that’s done whether others think you made the right choice is not their decision. It’s your life. Best of luck.


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    #10
    johnny five
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭johnny five


    Thank you for the input guys. I think even just making this post and reading the replies has made me feel a bit better about things. Contacting student services is something I never really put much thought into but I think that would be a good thing to try as they deal with these kinds of issues all the time, as a couple of people above have pointed out. I will definitely give that a shot before making any crazy decisions anyway.


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    #11
    Tork
    Registered Users Posts: 3,270 ✭✭✭Tork


    As the others have said, you'd be mad to drop out at this point. If nothing else, you'll be left with this 3-year gap in your CV that you'll have to explain away in some form or another. Dropping out this late in the day isn't a good look, no matter what spin you try to put on it. If you stick things out for the next few months, you'll have a good degree to show for your efforts and you can use it to branch out into something else that's more suited to you. For some jobs too, employers are equally interested in seeing that you were bright enough to do the degree but also had the staying power to keep with it until the end.

    Don't underestimate how badly this pandemic is affecting people and wrecking their heads. January is a depressing month anyway and thanks to Covid, what we'd usually have to cheer us up has been taken away from us. It's very easy to start thinking dark thoughts and to make hasty decisions based on how you're feeling just now. I really hope that you talk to somebody and gain some perspective. Dropping out to "clear your head" is a temporary solution to a bigger problem you'd be creating for yourself in a few months time.


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    #12
    rainbowtrout
    Registered Users Posts: 15,381 ✭✭✭✭rainbowtrout


    Finish the degree. You're under no obligation to take up this job or any job in this field when you finish. The degree will open doors for you, it sets you apart from people who don't have degrees. You can use it to apply for graduate programmes if something catches your eye. You can use it to apply for a post grad in another area if you find a course you are interested in, but don't want to go back and do another 4 years. Do get some help for your stress. If you finish the degree, you can go and get a job just to keep you ticking over for the year while you take a break and assess your options. This doesn't determine the rest of your life.


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    #13
    whiskeyman
    Registered Users Posts: 12,564 ✭✭✭✭whiskeyman


    Finish your degree.
    However seek help in the meantime.
    Don't be under too much pressure.
    You've acknowledged you're under stress.
    Go to student services and perhaps GP to get any assignments etc... Deferred for a couple of weeks.
    Take time out and work on yourself.

    Be kind to yourself.

    Best of luck.


    Oh and ignore glassdoor.
    It's mostly full of negative reviews anyway.

    Stay positive.


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    #14
    HildaOgdenx
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,516 Mod ✭✭✭✭HildaOgdenx


    johnny five wrote: »
    Thank you for the input guys. I think even just making this post and reading the replies has made me feel a bit better about things. Contacting student services is something I never really put much thought into but I think that would be a good thing to try as they deal with these kinds of issues all the time, as a couple of people above have pointed out. I will definitely give that a shot before making any crazy decisions anyway.

    Good stuff.
    And I suggest putting the job out of your mind for now. Cross that bridge when the time comes. Keep focusing on the here and now, and fair play to you. Writing the post is a step forward, it can be hard sometimes to say out loud that you're not feeling great.

    And when we are stressed, it's hard to focus, everything can just seem overwhelming. So one step at a time.
    It's been a year like no other, that's for sure.

    Mind yourself and best of luck.


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    #15
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users Posts: 3,970 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    Finish it,
    What lectures don't tend to tell you is that by the final year you pretty much have proven yourself and would really have to mess up to fail. Stick with it. If you aren't happy with the company then look for something else or even don't take the job.


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    #16
    whomadewho
    Registered Users Posts: 84 ✭✭whomadewho


    Was in the same boat Op, went back to college at 40, while working full time. Nearly had multiple nervous breakdowns with the amount of course work that had to be done, and how hard some of the subjects were. I was constantly thinking of dropping out all through the course, but I got there in the end, with good results. Grind it out, the relief you will feel when you hand up your disetation and when you walk out of that final exam in May will be worth it. Don't let it hang over you for another year.


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    #17
    shesty
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 6,894 Mod ✭✭✭✭shesty


    Go for it OP, finish it out, you are nearly there.This is the final hurdle.Ask for all the help you need but definitely finish it out if at all possible.

    The job is a worry for the future.You don't have to take it.


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    #18
    bertiebomber
    Registered Users Posts: 728 ✭✭✭bertiebomber


    grab a few anti depressants / anti anxiety drugs via your GP and finish your degree


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    #19
    Rubberchikken
    Registered Users Posts: 5,083 ✭✭✭Rubberchikken


    Finish your degree.
    Get support from student services if you can.

    Listen to your gut about the job offer.
    Past experience has taught me that if you feel that way there's a very good reason.

    Good luck


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    #20
    heretothere
    Registered Users Posts: 616 ✭✭✭heretothere


    It's tempting to put off the degree, but don't. You'll feel so much relief if you can just get it over and done with instead of it hanging over your head for another year.
    With the job, if your gut tells you don't take it, well don't. I had a very strong feeling about a job before so didn't take it. About 6 months later I was talking to an old colleague who was 3 months with the company and hating it, said they were awful to work for.


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    #21
    Green Peter
    Registered Users Posts: 947 ✭✭✭Green Peter


    Stay with it and finish the degree. Take some time out afterwards. It will always be in your back pocket and may become an ace for you in the future if not it will still have been a great personal achievement.


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    #22
    santana75
    Registered Users Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭santana75


    Finish it out Op. You're at the one yard line so dont quit now. When you're finished you can take a break. You dont have to take that job, give yourself time to get some perspective. Nothing is a waste, maybe after some reflection you'll still think that this is not for you, and even if you do you'll have learned some things you can use in future. Either way life is too short to be spent in misery. Theres too many people stuck in jobs that are sucking the life out of them and that's no way to live.


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    #23
    Tig98
    Registered Users Posts: 363 ✭✭Tig98


    One good thing about Covid is that people are more appreciative of struggles other people are facing. Im in the final year of my undergrad and a few lecturers have mentioned that if I face any issues to let them know straight away, we all know that its a non-traditional year and generally a very ****ed up time. So go handy on yourself.

    I would contact student counselling, so in the very least it's on your record if someone goes looking. Then contact the head of discipline, give them a very brief outline and ask for a meeting (it'll probably be virtual). If it comes down to it, you can complete your first half of final exams this May and get a sick cert from the doctor for the other half (you can use anxiety/overwhelmed as an excuse) , and complete them in August with the repeat students.

    The academic staff really are there to help, and talking to them could do a lot of good. If you're not sold on the degree as a career then that's grand, but I would at least finish it out and get your bit of paper. Employers will respect you sticking it out, and a huge amount of skills or knowledge from it are probably transferable to other jobs. It might also be a good shout to contact the student careers service as they can point you in the right direction for after you graduate.


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