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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Dd wants to drop out of uni 1st year maths degree

53 replies

hhsa · 09/04/2021 20:15

As you know uni students have had it hard this year with online studying. She wants to drop out. Need advice on what she can do next. Maybe apprenticeships? Dont know where to turn for advice.

OP posts:
NotDonna · 10/04/2021 14:16

Has she read the links StAndrews posted? They’ll be pretty helpful.

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2021 14:17

How does she know she won't use the degree? Does she have a career plan?

Putting the debt to one side , all surveys show that people with a degree (especially females) earn more than their non degree counterparts over a lifetime.

he needs a plan. Does she have friends who aren't at uni who appear to be earning more/living abetter life than her? This does sometimes happen so she needs to take a longer view.

Original poster
hhsa · 10/04/2021 16:22

She doesnt have a career plan. She chose to do maths as she was good at it. Its was maths or art. But art became more of a hobby. I would like her to complete this year and maybe in September things would be better regarding covid. They can maybe have a normal uni life.

OP posts:
Northernsoullover · 10/04/2021 16:28

I'm a mature student and quite a few of my cohort went to university at 18 and dropped out only to do really well this time around. There are so many degrees out there that aren't even considered by 18 year olds that it makes sense to see some of the working world and finding out what else is out there. I wouldn't rush her to change to a different degree now. If she stops after a year she still has the opportunity to have funding for a degree in the future if that's what she wants to do.
Many of my friends regret their degree choices but felt that was the done thing at 18.

Newgirls · 10/04/2021 16:31

Would she consider switching to a business degree? To use her maths brain but perhaps to think about how she can also use her art/creative brain? So many well paid finance roles out there in creative industries that might bring it all together for her?

Piggywaspushed · 10/04/2021 16:31

If she doesn't have a career in mind I think she should stick to the degree. Maths is pretty broad and opens more doors than it closes. An apprenticeship will force her down a path and then she might not like that either!

My DH did a maths degree and did hate it but he made his way through the three years, I guess!

TeenMinusTests · 10/04/2021 16:38

I did a maths degree. I have never used the content, but I did use the way of thinking.
Finish the academic year whilst contemplating what she want to do next.
Can she switch courses to e.g. Comp Sci?

Springsnake · 10/04/2021 16:40

My ds has also dropped out of his maths degree ,he says it’s impossible to learn maths on line without the proper teaching,he got A* in Alevel maths and further maths,but I guess it’s a different ball game once at uni

NotDonna · 10/04/2021 16:43

I agree with piggy. Apprenticeships are very career focused rather than generic. Whereas, a graduate is a graduate and lots of careers/employers don’t mind what the subject. Having said that, most want a 2:1. Is she managing the workload? Understanding it? Likely to get a decent result?
Your posts don’t really say what the issue is. You seem to be suggesting it’s because it’s not face to face. In which case, it could all be so much better next year.
Has she thought about work experience during summer? That may help give her perspective?

TheQueensCousin · 10/04/2021 16:53

You seem a very supportive DM. If it was my DC I would be advising them to finish the year (they've not got much longer) and get the 120 credits for doing so.
She can then either take a break and look for another course better suited to her or look for an apprenticeship.
Completing the year, even though she doesn't want to continue, shows future employers/unis that she's got a sense of commitment to seeing things out.
She'll still be paying 2/3s this year if she leaves now and with nothing to show. Staying for a few more weeks she can walk away with the credits.

GoWalkabout · 10/04/2021 16:54

I think she should stick it out until she has a plan. There's a government economic service apprenticeship that looks good.

FoolsAssassin · 10/04/2021 17:06

I think she should finish the year and see if there is anything she would feel happier switching to.

DD did something creative for year 1, got her certificate on higher education for that then went into year 2 of completely unrelated degree so will hopefully come out with that plus her certificate of higher education from first subject

MarchingFrogs · 10/04/2021 20:58

If she is really ambivalent / unhappy, then the question thing she can do is start second year of this degree in the autumn in the hope that it will get better, but find that it doesn't. One year 'wasted is still a year's tuition loan which is due to be paid back I'd her earnings go above the threshold - but she will still be entitled to a loan for the whole course if she starts again.
Once into a second year, even if she doesn't complete it (and even if she suddenly found £9250 under the mattress and decided to pay for it herself, as its the 'study', not the taking of finance which counts, iirc), the first year of any new degree course would have to be self-financed.

FoolsAssassin · 11/04/2021 08:48

I agree with MarchingFrogs about the finance and preserving the possibility of starting a new degree. I would try to get her to the end of year 1 if possible then if needs be take some time out and rethink.

DD was able to blag her way onto 2nd year of current degree but if it had come to it she would have still been able to do the full degree course, would have been awful if she had started the second year of first course and lost the chance to switch.

MarchingFrogs · 11/04/2021 09:11

Unless what she wants to do instead involves an earlier UCAS deadline, she has 9 months to have a good look at alternatives (hopefully, even get to visit other universities - at least one is already starting to book campus tours again - even though no buildings are accessible, it's a chance for a half hour in-person chat with a current student). Or apply through Clearing for a September 2021 start, if she finds the right course in the meantime and it has places available.

Kerberos · 11/04/2021 09:19

I did a Maths based degree which was about half maths and half business courses.

It was about 15 years after I left that I had the clarity to realise I should have switched degrees. The maths parts I was mediocre at, and weren't interesting to me. The business parts I aced.

If your daughter has clarity now then good on her.

I'd suggest you counsel her to complete this first year, then either defer later years until she has a plan B lined up or switch courses.

Weirdly having a Maths based degree does still carry some kudos even 20+ years later.

Does she know what kind of role she'd like to head for?

GCAcademic · 11/04/2021 09:23

@hhsa

It's just been difficult as they not attending uni so they cant really talk to the advice team or counselling etc.
Of course she can. She needs to contact them and they can arrange an online meeting,
PresentingPercy · 11/04/2021 09:29

Loads of students don’t use their degrees. It’s a stepping stone. A door opener. She must not view the loan as a bank loan. She may never pay it back because repayments are based on earnings. If she doesn’t earn much she won’t pay much - eg as a teacher.

She should ask if she could transfer to another vocational course. Apprenticeships are very reduced right now. Highly competitive too.

I would do the Morrisby test and look at possible careers but a maths degree keeps so many doors open. I would also check she’s not actually failing. Is this why she doesn’t want to continue?

Mintjulia · 11/04/2021 09:30

Perhaps she could consider switching to a business degree. More applied learning, a mix of marketing, finance, business strategy, economics etc? Normally with a year working in a business.

Career opportunities are much wider and can be equally well paid.

Parsley1234 · 11/04/2021 09:37

I work for UC and I have been tasked to work with 18/24 year olds in Kickstart so here’s my musings for what it’s worth. The job market is harsh I didn’t want to do that demographic as I thought I would be dealing with Kevin and Perry on repeat no and no again. My claimants are bright inspired forward going young people I really have a great rapport with them BUT it’s a rare one that doesn’t have a degree or a masters even for the kickstart some companies are asking for a degree and some jobs are awful slave labour which I won’t refer to. Apprenticeships are ok some ok again some not I would get your daughter to think again maybe change course after finishing the year. If she choose maths she must be good at numbers she has the golden ticket having that interest. I’m not sure where you live and as a poster says up thread very much depends on your area as the choicesc

Original poster
hhsa · 11/04/2021 13:31

I am from the north west england. Thanks for all ur replies. I'm taking all info in and passing onto my daughter. I have advised her to complete this year atleast.

OP posts:
TheQueensCousin · 11/04/2021 15:29

@hhsa

I am from the north west england. Thanks for all ur replies. I'm taking all info in and passing onto my daughter. I have advised her to complete this year atleast.
Good advice x
sendsummer · 11/04/2021 16:05

Agree with a PP that for somebody who is good at maths and is arty, a switch to a computer science degree is a strong option. Plenty of creative scope in that and her first year of a maths degree won’t be wasted.

PresentingPercy · 11/04/2021 16:11

I do know people who have been really bored by computer science. It can feel very geeky. I think Business or Management is a far better option. It is not true to say maths limits opportunities. The opposite in fact. However Business and Management is more obviously work inclined. Might also have work placements in the third year.

Also look at marketing, Business finance and other degree allied to work. This might make studying feel a lot more relevant.

wandawombat · 11/04/2021 16:15

My best mate at Uni was a maths student. He said he never understood it past the 1st term, despite an A at A level. He liked sums, Uni maths is very different.

Definitely change course, he didn't, scraped a pass degree eventually and joined the family firm. Totally suffered for 3 years.

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