So frustrated with myself.

[OrlandointheWilderness]

I've put this in mature study but no one seems to lurk there much. I'm 8 weeks into year 3 of a nursing degree. I'm withdrawing this week, after fighting against my better instincts for 2 years. Staying is NOT an option, this bloody experience has made me ill with stress and given me bad panic attacks. I'm so furious that I didn't withdraw earlier, I'm now stuck and I'd love to do a degree in an area I actually want to work in but obviously student finance won't fund. I'm bloody lost.

I don’t think there’s any right or wrong way to view your regret at not finishing earlier.

At each point in your decision to stay you probably weighed up the pros and cons, and previously decided to stay. You made the decisions on what was happening at that time. It’s obvious that the stress has made you ill enough to reverse that decision, but previously you couldn’t have known this.

It’s still a fresh decision so emotions will be be high. Give yourself a bit of time before deciding what to do next.

I decided I wanted a divorce last year, without realising I was letting my self into a world of pain with an angry, scheming, manipulative ex husband to be. But I know I made the right decision, and it will be better for me in the long term.

You could have persevered, done the training and had ended working for years in a job you were not suited for.

Be proud that you have the strength to make that difficult decision.

Oh thank you so much for your reply @Isheabastard - that made me feel better. Thank you.

Thank you.

Im probably twice your age. Experience has taught me a couple of things.

When a big decision has to be made at a point in the future. Job, home, babies etc, and we don’t know yet what to decide. I find the closer you get in time to that decision point, sometimes things change and the decision gets easier or even gets made for you. Sometimes the trick is to keep all options open until that point.

I think because I am a big overthinker, I have less regrets about past decisions than many other people. I gave my all at the time, so if in the future there could be regret, I just remind my self it was the best decision I could make at the time.

Im not sure that the above is relevant to your post, but it’s what has helped me in the past.