For wanting to drop this college course?

[PaperFlower]

I decided to do an access course at college to get into uni on a social work degree. Anyway when I applied, I was told it would help my application to do a "Pathway" course which basically ran from easter until June.

So I did and I've only been there 3 weeks and the whole thing is really getting me down. I don't relate to anyone there and really dislike most of the people on the course.

Last week we were sat at a table in a lesson and everyone started going on about how they felt when they "came off smack"/"got out from prison"/"Nutted the next door neighbour" etc. I did get talking to one girl who I thought was nice and she also turned out to be an ex junkie who's boyfriend is in jail and who's brother is still a regular in the local cells etc. One woman was whinging that she missed the good weather over the weekend as she was "in the cells" all weekend.

I just hate it. I try and get on with the work but everyone else is going on about how they kicked their ex in the balls the night before and how they're suffering hangovers and I just sit there thinking "what the fuck am I doing here??"

2 weeks ago we were set an assignment to be in for the following monday. I knuckled down straight away, got it done, re-wrote it twice, printed it, bought special wallets to hold my assignments etc and then on the monday the tutor asked for them to be handed in. Only five out of a class of 24 even bothered to bring it back. Excuses included

"I forgot"
"didn't have time"
"Have had hangover for the past week"
"My son was being a right bastard all week so I've not had chance"
"what assignment? shit was that due today??"

I just sat there wishing I'd never bothered going to so much trouble.

I'm making no friends. If anything I'm just making enemies as I think they can tell I don't want to be there and they think I'm wierd.

I've tried talking to DP is ultra UNsupportive and just says "oh well, you'll just have to get on with it" but I really hate it.

I know he'll think I jjust can't be arsed to go but I really do not fit in and its so stressful walking into a classroom like this.

AIBU? should I quit and just hope I get on teh access course anyway or do I stick out until June?

You're going to do a social work degree - you're going to meet people with social problems/issues.

This is good experience for you, stick it out

Maybe you don't mean to be but you are coming across a touch judgemental.

Just concentrate on what you're doing - it sounds like you're doing a good job.

Can you find out how much benefit this course would actually bring you? Does it guarantee a place the next step up? Realistically, what are your chances if you jack it in? There should be some sort of student counsellig available to help you make your mind up.

June is not that far away. If the course will help you get ahead with what you really want to do, then keep going. The people who are not arsed to do the work will drop out anyway so there will be less of them in a week or two in any event. You are going to the course to learn, not to make lifelong friends.

Don't give up. Be GLAD you don't fit in! Just take what you need from the course and get the benefit of it and don't give the other attendees any further thought.

If the content of the course was a waste of time then it might not be unreasonable to stop it and move to another course - but if you're learning and it will help you, don't make a decision to drop out just because the other attendees are not going to be your best buddies. Make your decisions to benefit YOU.

What LaurieFairyCake said.

Valid point from LaurieFairyCake also there - these are the people you are going to be dealing with on a daily basis as a social worker. Does that make you think twice about whether it's the right job for you?

if you want to progress you have to complete.it does sound gruesome but times and things like this try you to the limit.

lots of positives about you
-you are diligent and hand in essays
-you want to progress

tbh,you need to maintain that driven driven attitude and ignore the others on your course.they sound rough as a dogs head

work hard
get good reference from from tutors
dont be a wuss and pack it in,as you will regret it later

nothing you want comes easily.things worth having are worth working for

good luck with future plans

You could also talk to your tutor about your experience of being on the course.

No its not that I don't want to be around them at all, a few of them are alright and they can be funny but its so frustrating when you're trying to take it seriously and everyone else is just messing around.

In two of the class the tutors insist on saying "work in pairs" or "work in groups" and that usually leaves me sitting there looking stupid because I don't know anyone well enough. In one class I'm having to work with a girl who just goes on and on about eastenders and in another class I have to work with a group who just go on and on about sex, blowjobs and various other non-social work related stuff.

I'm just finding it all a bit tedious. I want to get on and do proper work. In one class a woman asked "what does "historically" mean? so we had to sit and listen to a speech about what the word historically meant.

I just sit there watching the clock for 2 hours.

Hi Paperflower,
Sorry to hear that your DP is being so unsupportive as you are clearly having such a rubbish time, and I think YANBU to want to drop the course, but, by doing the assignments, turning up etc YOU will get a good grade and be able to move on the the access course. Look at it this way:
Two men in a quarry breaking stones. When asked what they are doing one replies: I am breaking stones. The other replies: I am helping to build a cathedral.
It may be worth checking just how likely doing the course is to help getting on the access course, but June isn't so far away - it's May tomorrow already. Keep your eye on the long term goal and go for it.

sw is a challenging demanding career.you will have clients much like the students you describe on your caseload

does this course guarantee access place or is it standalone course.be aware even doing access course is not guarantee of sw place. but strikes me that is april now why drop out before June compleation. if you complete you will feel sense of achievement

Stick at it and your hard work will be rewarded. Your not going there to make friends. Turn up, do your bit and go home.
Your tutor will be aware that you are 'different' to the rest of the group and like people have previously said, you will have a lot to do with these 'undesirables' throughout your career.

Sorry, but I think you have to consider why you want to do social work - do you plan to come in and tell people how to sort out their problems, granting them your wisdom from on high, or do you plan to get alongside people and try to understand them and help them to work through their problems?

If you find these people so hard to get on with, then I think you need to consider how you are going to deal with very similar (or rather, much worse) situations in work.

I can understand your frustration at their attitudes, but they are at least trying to improve their lives by turning up for the course. You don't think it's even worth your while to do that!

PF,why do you want to be SW,do you know what involved - client group,legal statutory responsibilities,report writing,complex caseloads

it is a challenging career with ups and downs
vilified by public for interventions.vilified for not intervening
challenging work
can be satisfying can make difference.just cant save everyone
lots of Post qualifying routes eg criminal justice,children & families, LD, mental health

could you talk to a practising sw for more info,realistic appraisal of the job

you will do placements and probably travel,will dp support you through course (moral/practical) support eg collect children if you on placement or studying

i sympathise completely but like others it makes me think that social work might or might not be the right job for you

were you thinking about specialising in social work with older people? can you even do that??

i think unfortunately now that you've started the course, not finishing it would not improve your application. i would hold on and set yourself some personal goals - maybe to try and get on with the person there that you like least or something!

i really sympathise with having to spend time discussing why other people haven't done the work, when you have. but obviously it's worthwhile doing the work if you get good results from it.

need to do sw degree then specialise .but still pass all placements.older adult isnt a breeze either.clients with people with depression, anxiety, psychoses or dementia and may work within the CMHTs as care manager. also work isnt primarily with the older adults sw work with their families/carers too

no sorry wasn't suggesting that sw with older adults was easy peasy but was trying to work out what has led Paper to decide on social work, shoudl have made that clear