Should I go to uni?

[GAJ20]

I’m supposed to be starting uni in September after deferring for one year due to me not being in the right place mentally. I’ve been working throughout the past year and love the job, new friends and am generally happy.
Now the time has come to actually go, I’m happy with the uni I have a place at and think the course is the right choice but I’m second thinking whether it is for me. The problem is I’m so numb to the idea of it I can’t process whether I want to go or not. I deffo want to go to uni at some point I just don’t know if I’m ready to face going back into education as a levels mentally drained me. I just don’t feel interested in the whole idea of it and struggle to have a conversation about getting ready for it but can’t work out why… is that because I shouldn’t be going? It’s not made easier by the fact everyone I currently spend my time with gets to stay doing the job I love, where I’m happiest. I think I will enjoy uni…I just am not excited about it at all and can’t tell if it’s the best thing for me to do right now/ whether I need a bit more time. Equally I don’t want to fall behind academically and also be rlly old when I get there if I postpone it more.

I was just wondering if anyone’s ever been in this situation and what they did? I genuinely can’t face thinking about preparing to go which is making me think maybe deep down I don’t want to but just can’t tell.

Many thanks :)

Only you know deep down what’s right for you. As someone who left school with almost straight A’s but never went back for A levels or did anything much for a few years other than raise a child , work in bars and waste time on stupid men … I then went back and got a BSc and a BA in my 20’s and 30’s respectively and have achieved pretty much everything I wanted to do with my life before the age of 40. So I got away with it I think :)
your subject and career path maybe something more competitive and less flexible though.
starting uni at 19, 20, 25 only really changes the experience from a social perspective I think. As an introvert it never bothered me at all but if you do start much later than the others you may feel a bit less ‘in with the crowd’.
if you want the degree but aren’t up for the uni experience you can always do it part time and continue the job you like, your bank balance will thank you in the years to come too.

@GAJ20 difficult to say without knowing a little more.

firstly i’m glad you are in a better place with the MH and have found friends and a job you love!

Generally A levels are the hardest thing you’ll ever do - a degree & masters is easier.

What is the course and what is the current job ?

If the job has career progression and a pathway perhaps even apprenticeships available or day release for study then it might be a stay where you are.

if it’s min wage no progression but fun then you could start to get fed up when others leave and there’s no obvious route as you get older.

everyone gets nervous with change - you don’t want to go back to a dark place with MH and associate studying with being bad. So change feels unsettling. But it’s likely to be fine

what’s the job and what that course ?

Can you do the degree part time and keep the job?

Its a life altering amount of money to spend and a huge commitment if i was really fulfilled in life and had uni doubts id park it for a few years and see where the job and life went.

People of ALL ages do degrees. And actually some subjects are almost a litter easier to do and enjoy when you have that little bit more life experience. The people i know who did them later on in life actually got better results as they took it seriously as oppose to uni work being an inconvenience to a three year party in their late teens.

Uni also isn't the only way to get additional qualifications.

You are young and have time before retirement to have many different careers and try many different things. Just enjoy this sweet spot.

I’m just finishing my masters and it was a LOT easier than my a-levels! My BSc was easier too, but longer obviously. You will find uni fun and having a degree will open doors for you that you don’t even know exist yet. You could always start and give it 6 months to see how you find it. If you are not feeling motivated by it, it could be your subject choice that is wrong?