To be considering giving up uni?

[DancingWithWillard]

So I have been studying with the OU for 8 years now. Due to life, health and employment I am at the point where I have no more extensions available and basically have to do the next three modules in the next three years to gain my degree. I am exactly half way through.

The original plan was to get the degree and then do a course to qualify as a counsellor. Whether the rules concerning registered counsellors changed in that time, or I misunderstood the correct path to take I don't know, but I'm now in a position where I can't do anything useful with the degree (other than the hard work of having got through it and the skills from studying bring) vocation wise.

I have got to a point in my career where the next step up would take me over the threshold for a newly qualified counsellor anyway, and have the chance at a second, part time job, which I would relish and would look great on my CV, but would mean, in conjunction with the step up in current career, a 50 hour a week job at least before the 17 needed for my uni work.

At this point I am starting to question the sense in continuing to break my back over my course (which I do enjoy but could still study independently with no pressure) when I can get the financial rewards and the cv boosting experience elsewhere.

I need to step up in my career regardless, as I need the money frankly, the second job is by no means in the bag, but would be a huge bonus. If I didn't get it I could look at doing something similar albeit possibly in a voluntary capacity.

So would I be stupid to give up my degree, which I have put 8 years into so far? Would it be worth the 67 hour plus weeks to get that qualification, or should I concentrate on climbing my current career ladder instead?

Please help me decide! Any opinions and experiences would be seriously appreciated.

Apologies for the awful grammar, I just typed and posted forgetting there is no edit function!

So you're saying even if you finished the course, you couldn't then do the counsellor course after it? So in effect it's pointless?

Sorry, I should have specified. Originally I thought I could do a course a few months long or combine a year long course with on the job training. But I would either have to do a post graduate degree in counselling, or do another degree (or equivalent) course in counselling to be employable under the current guidelines.

Can you not transfer your credits from your current course to one that would be more useful, and finish?

Seems a shame to waste 8 years, but another 3 is still a long way to go

Have you asked whether any further extension is possible. I'm thinking of COVID disruption which the university may consider a reasonable reason why it hasn't been possible to complete. For examples parents who have had to do more childcare so will have had less time for studying.

You have done 8 years, you may as well finish it. In the mean time you can build up your credentials, volunteer at a counsellor's office, observe a counselling session, art therapists, play therapists etc,

Thank you to all those who replied.
justasking1 there is no option to transfer to a more suitable course, I’ve done too many modules down this path now. Out of 180 credits I currently have I think I would only be able to transfer 60.
RummidgeGeneral I haven’t asked, it may be possible but then that would just be kicking the van down the road a year. I’d be in exactly the same position next year (the second job I’m applying for is a 4 year post).
buildingbridge I wouldn’t have the option of doing any volunteering as I will be doing the uni course on top of my job and possibly a second job if it pans out. It would already work out at 67 hours a week without any additional vocational training. If I didn’t get the second job then yes I could also volunteer but I’m not sure I could sustain (or want to) an almost 70 hour work week for 3 years.

*van

Oh ffs *can not van

I'd stop the OU asap.

To be brutally honest you are not cut out for a degree if you can't complete it in eight years, have misunderstood what it actually was, and it is of no use to you.

You may be one of those people who just can't finish things.

Thanks to replying Daphnise I think you are being a little harsh though. I would have been perfectly capable of doing a degree at uni in the normal way, it’s not the work I have found difficult at all.

My circumstances have changed a lot over the last 3 years (out with my control) which meant the support and time which allowed me to study is no longer available.

I didn’t misunderstand the degree but the requirements for me to use it for my chosen career aren’t as simple as I believed (or may have changed during the course of my study).