Any advice please- thinking about dropping out of uni

[ToastedCheese0]

I think I want to drop out of uni but I don’t want to let down my family. I know they’ll be supportive but deep down disappointed as I’m on a course which will lead to a job with great prospects in terms of salary and job availability. I previously dropped out of a course and changed to this one and I really enjoy it and I’m a straight A student, but I’m suddenly worried I won’t be good enough when I’m graduate and the worry is making me want to quit and drop out . I’m in year 3 of 4, so I don’t know if I’m just stressed because of exams and deadlines and it’s making me feel this way, or maybe it’s normal and everyone goes through a phase or being unsure if they still enjoy their course, I’m not sure.

But on the other side, I don’t have anything I could do instead and have used 4 years of funding for course fees already (3 for this course, 1 for the course I changed from) so would have to pay if I went back to uni in the future. I’m so close to being finished so I know I’ll be better to keep going and graduate, even if I decide not to work in this field.

I still really want to do the job and I think I enjoy the course but I feel so confused now. Has anyone else been in this position and have any advice?

Hello OP. I met with a final year student yesterday who is feeling exactly as you describe. Overwhelmed by last few modules and assessment schedule, bit otherwise enjoying the course and looking forward to their professional career afterwards. My advice would be:

1. Speak to your personal tutor as a matter of urgency.
2. You may find it helpful to put a timeline together of your modular requirements and assessments and look at the things that seem really overwhelming now. Talk about these things as a priority and ask your tutor to help you plan how to prepare for this period. You should also have access to study skills support. At my University there are regular drop in dissertation, critical writing, stats clinics etc. The staff there can help you too.

Please know that you are not alone in feeling this. Lots of final year students and new graduates develop imposter syndrome and feel they are not good enough. You really are. If you are completing a regular structured degree you will have only 4-5 months of academic study remaining.

Don't throw away a brilliant future because you are having a bit of a wobble. Good luck.

Please stick with it, perhaps get some counselling from the uni to help deal with stress. You are doing well, enjoy the course and still can see yourself doing the job! I mean, that's amazing. I never went to uni, and it's always ended up being a bit of a bug bear of mine. Even if you didn't use this particular course in your future career, it's much better to have the degree than not, especially as you are so far in. Well done for reaching out though, I'd suggest talking to someone about the stress etc, and also maybe confide in your family & friends that you have had a wobble, they might be able to offer you some constructive helpful advice, or at the very least, hold your hand and/or give you a hug, Best of luck OP.

Some of the advice on this thread is so genuinely lovely. OP I hope you don't drop out. Good luck!

Don’t drop out!

Take posters’ advice and seek help.

If you drop out, the thoughts of ‘not good enough’ and difficult feelings will still happen, and you’ll be in debt, without the qualification.

If you stay and don’t do as well in your course as you’d like, or do fine but then dislike or don’t do well in the job your course leads to, that would be manageable and better than dropping out.

Don't stop your course! Talk to your family/ Uni about how you are feeling. Sounds like you are excelling at the course and clearly enjoy it. Don't let the voice of imposter syndrome stop you from doing this.

Also, it’s not necessary to enjoy higher education to complete and benefit from it. You’ve done a lot and now just have 1.5 years to go.

‘ I don’t want to let down my family’: this is about you. It’d be you whose situation would be difficult and options more limited should you leave.

Would seek to let go of the ‘straight A student’ identity in your mind. Doing well sometimes or in some things and not others is fine. Other than opening doors, grades at school and university mean little when it comes to work.

You’re doing so well - keep going, and don’t worry about what will happen when you graduate. I expect it’s just stress making you worry about that - you’ll feel better soon.

Definitely talk to someone in real life and get some support from your Uni. You can do this!

Don’t stop now you’re really close. My university had a really good counselling team connected to their medical practice, does yours have something similar? Please go and see them! Get the help you need to keep going. It’s a tough phase but you can get through it

Please try to stick with it. You will truly regret giving up, you can do it. I gave up a nursing degree, due to circumstances I couldn't help, and I have regretted it ever since. I did do other degrees, through the OU, but it was a great mistake not to finish. You'll never regret completing your degree, it will be even more of a triumph when you have had a wobble. Good luck!

You're doing really well, it's been a really tough few years to be at university.
Try not to worry about what's next, concentrate on enjoying what you're doing now.
You're putting pressure on yourself to keep up the As and not let your family down, can you let that go and do this for you? Once you've finished you can decide where to go next, many graduates change direction or get jobs in unrelated fields - a good degree in most disciplines is very valuable in the workplace.
Do speak to your personal tutor or someone in the university counselling team, they may have some ideas about you and your degree itself.
You can definitely do this

Do not drop out.

I went through similar.
And ended up stressimg myself out so badly I spent a fortnight revising for exams to the point of hallucination then didn't even the exams! I got to the hall and left dropped!!! Then dropped out in Easter and then had to redo all of my 3rd year.
It was more extreme in that I didn't like my uni hadn't found "my tribe", disliked most of the course and was generally super unhappy.
The university were pretty shot but did help me back date a medical sign off so I could redo the year rather than fail and get kicked off the course.

I took the time out to sort my head out and decided I just needed the degree to get on with my life so I would just go back and get on with it.

Looking back it was some of unhappiest and most destructive times of my life.

I got the degree and am SO happy I did. I cannot tell you.
It let me move on with my life and have ope.ed a tonne of doors.
I live comfortably and have a good career/life in general (my current boss IS an asshole but... i earn 6 figures and you can't have everything )

Keep on trucking

Oh I was straight A and ended up scrapping a 2.1.... I got a 59.9 or 60.1 or something

Literally no one knows or cares!!!!!

'I’ll be better to keep going and graduate, even if I decide not to work in this field. '

You answered your own question ! Sometimes in life we have to stick out doing things we don't want to do or aren't sure about. Get yourself a degree and give yourself the best opportunity for a job role in ANY field. Even if you never use your degreee it does help with job prospects as it's proves you can stick things out off your own back and trust me you will have such a mess of achievement once you pass and that make give you enough confidence to go for whatever job you want

[quote lastminutetutor]@YouCantTourniquetTheTaint contact the SST. You can also contact your tutor or put a message on your cluster forum. Not all tutors are striking, and those who are still would not want you to be feeling like this. We want our students to succeed. Someone will be able to talk to you. They will be able to arrange a support session (ISS). If you are still at level 2 then don't worry too much about the grades yet, level 3 counts for much more.

Send a couple of emails today and get some support in place.[/quote]
Oh really? That's good to know, I was reading my OU profile yesterday and I think I'm meant to have a lot more support in place than what I'm getting, I possibly, should even an advocate who can help me articulate what I need from the OU. I did say before Xmas that I was 3 weeks behind, I caught upish, but it's now 5/6 weeks, it's gotten so big I don't know what is and what isn't important TMA or EMA wise, so I've shut down, I can't do it. I will email my tutor and SST, though, thank you. I am in the last year of level 2, I can't wait for it to be over tbh.

@YouCantTourniquetTheTaint an advocate is someone you appoint, so it could be a partner, parent, friend. Just find someone who has your back and can email the university if you are unwell/ can't cope. I would suggest that for the OP too. We can't contact parents etc without that and sometimes when you don't feel able to it is good to have someone who can help with the discussions. You will still need to make the decisions yourself but it means there is someone else at your end who can support you. Last year of level two can be really draining, you are not the only one struggling. It doesn't get any easier though if you struggle alone and don't talk to anyone.

Oh lovely, please don't drop out before doing every single thing that pps have advised.

I dropped out in the last semester of my 3 year course 25 years ago, and it continues to be the biggest regret of my life.

Covid has absolutely destroyed your university experience, so I can really understand how much extra pressure you're feeling.

Please speak to your course tutor, personal tutor, pastoral team etc. Can you take a year out for a breather and keep your credits?

Big hand-hold op, it's the toughest decision. Speak to your family, explain how you're feeling xxx

Stick with it, OP. Give yourself a day off working if you can & try to get your head a bit clearer. Talk to someone - a tutor, a mate, whoever. But it doesn’t sound like you should quit.

@lastminutetutor thank you so much for your advice, yeah I want to pass this course, I need to pass this course, so I'm going to ask for help in coming up with a plan as to what I should focus on whilst studying, the year before last I studied to the TMA, and came out with a 2:1 so fingers crossed lol.

Please, please talk to people.

My DD was in this situation a year ago, I finally got her to contact student welfare if only to discuss her options for retaking or having a year out. She doesn't have a personal tutor like most students seem to have.

She now has a supporting statement and help. She took/takes things one essay at a time and tries not to look to far ahead. She has s also finally accepting she is far from the only one in this situation, and noone is judging her.

Her own advice is to trust yourself that you need help. She has come up against dismissive GPs and believed them. Also this term she contacted Student Welfare with a query, got an answer back that didn't help, and realised she needed to frame the query differently.

If you can, please talk to your parents.