No matter what student life looks like in the movies, being at university isn’t just about lying around on the grass with your friends, sleeping all day and downing shots in the local Wetherspoons.
Being a student takes a lot of hard work, stamina and dedication. With that in mind, there may come a time when you’re questioning your life choices and wondering if dropping out of university would be the best thing to do.
If you’re reading this because you’re thinking of dropping out of university, I’m sorry you’re feeling stressed. Dropping out of university isn’t a decision to be taken lightly though, so before you phone your mum to tell her you’re coming home, here’s some advice.
Think about your reasons for dropping out of university
There are many reasons why a student might think about dropping out of university. Some of those reasons may be:
You’re not enjoying your course.
You’re not getting on with your course mates or the people you’re sharing with in student accommodation.
- You don’t like your tutors.
- You’ve changed your mind about your chosen career.
- You’re feeling homesick/lonely.
- You’ve got financial worries.
- You don’t like your university.
- You don’t like the town or city your university is in.
Once you pinpoint the particular issue or issues that are causing you concern, you can start to address them.
Speak to someone about your concerns
Once you’ve narrowed down whatever it is that’s making you unhappy at university, there will be someone to speak to about it. For example:
- If you’re questioning whether you’ve made the right graduate career choice, you can speak to a careers advisor.
- If you’re not enjoying your course, speak to your tutor or programme director and see if you can transfer to another one.
- If money worries are playing on your mind, speak to the financial support team – there may be grants available to you.
- If it’s homesickness or loneliness that’s bringing you down, get involved in events and societies to enable you to meet more people who share your interests.
Give it time
It’s completely natural to feel overwhelmed when you first start university. After all, it may be the first time you’ve left home to become independent and live apart from your family. You might be miles away from everything you’ve ever known and the temptation to run back to familiar ground can be strong.
Don’t make any hasty decisions and rush into anything though. You may think you’re sure in the first term that university isn’t for you but try to give it at least a year before making any major decisions. Unless you’ve decided that university isn’t for you full stop, it’ll be easier to suspend your current course and transfer to another course or university if you can complete a full year.
Don’t be embarrassed about dropping out of university
If, after a long hard think, a deep discussion about it with someone and a decent amount of time, you do decide to drop out of university after all, don’t feel ashamed about it. University, while the experience of a lifetime for some, isn’t for everyone and there are plenty of successful people out there without even a GCSE to their name, let alone a university degree.