Should you drop out of University?

Going to university is one of the best times in most people’s lives.

It’s the first chance for independence for most and it gives you the time needed to grow as a person.

University is challenging but rewarding and not only can it prepare you for a career in an area which you may love but it also allows you to make new friends and socialise. Being away from your parents or carers, making new friends and studying in an area which is of interest to you sounds like a dream to most students, but with that said University isn’t for everyone and if you feel like you want to drop out of university this is the article for you.

What are the reasons why students drop out of university?

There are many reasons why students may want to drop out of university and if you feel like university isn’t for you then you aren’t alone.

Just looking at the threads on The Student Room will show you that many students want to drop out each year. You can see some of the posts below with what other students have said too:

• Dropped out of uni
• Life after dropping out of uni
• How do I drop out of uni?
• Is it too soon to drop out of uni?
• Not happy with uni, should I drop out?

 

As you can see from the above examples you aren’t alone and there are thousands of other students that aren’t enjoying uni for one reason or another.

Some of the reasons why you may want to drop out of uni include:

• The course is too difficult.
• You don’t enjoy the course.
• You’re living away from your family and you’re homesick.
• You haven’t made friends.
• You don’t like your housemates.
• Your commute to university is too long.

If you feel like any of the above, the good news is that all of these problems are fixable.

If you’re finding the course too difficult for example you can speak to your tutors about switching courses, the same can be said if you don’t enjoy the course.

Most universities will allow you to switch courses if it’s during the first semester, if it’s any later you may have to start from scratch the next year.

If you are homesick, you should realise that this is only natural. Going to University is often the first time that people leave the comfort of their homes. If this is your first time away from your family and friends and you are finding it difficult phone them and let them know.

Your family will comfort you and if you give it time you will adapt.

Save the student has a great article on how to deal with homesickness, we highly recommend reading it. If you haven’t made friends yet that’s normal too. Not everyone is an extrovert and if it takes you longer to make friends don’t worry about it. Everyone is different.

If you do want to make friends make sure to join as many clubs as you can and join Facebook groups too. If you don’t like your flatmates then this can happen, but as with our other advice give them time. They may be homesick too and if they are acting up it could be because they are missing their family as well.

If your flatmates don’t grow on you and they make you want to quit university then you can always move into different accommodation in the second year of university. Not all students will live at the university and if you have decided to commute but you’re now feeling the toll of spending hours getting to and getting home from university then you can either stick it out until the new year or you can try to find accommodation closer to the university.

Big Decisions take time.

If your problem isn’t listed above and you still want to drop out of university then our advice would be to give it time before you make a big decision. If you still feel like dropping out of university after that then at least you have thought the problem through enough.

What will I have to pay if I drop out of university?

If you have taken the time and still think you want to drop out of university then you will need to know what your next steps are.

First, you should inform student services so they know of your intentions. The bad news is that if you have decided to drop out of university that all student loan services will then be withdrawn from you so you won’t be able to get help if you do decide on going back to uni in the future. You will also be responsible for whatever you have borrowed until you have dropped out of uni. Depending on what term you drop out of uni will affect the final price you will have to pay.

Alternatives to University

If you do decide that university isn’t for you and you want to drop out of it then don’t be ashamed or even worry because university isn’t going to be suitable for everyone and there are great alternatives that you can do to advance your career. Maybe the reason you wanted to quit university is that you found it too fast and you needed something that you could do in your own time.

If this is the case you could try the open university. The open university is a distance learning method that allows students to learn from the comfort of their own homes without having to live in a university.

There are also apprenticeships and entry-level jobs that you can apply for if you want to jump right into the working world and start earning yourself a wage. Lastly, you can also choose to take time off. If you jumped into university straight from school then you may need it.

Reasons why you shouldn’t drop out of university

While it may seem like you need to drop out of university, doing so can have a negative effect on your life. Here are some of the reasons why you may not want to drop out of university.

Firstly, a degree can improve your career prospects, not having one may harm your chance of getting a job in your desired field. University also allows you to develop many skills, some of which aren’t academic either. Going to uni can make you grow as a person and challenges which may seem difficult are part of that.

Uni is also a great place to network, if you drop out you may miss out on connections that can help you in your career.

Overall the final choice is up to you and I would urge you to talk to someone before making a choice either way.

Final thoughts

Do not panic or worry, dropping out of uni is probably a thought that many of us students have had over the years.

You won’t be the first person or the last person who wants to quit their uni course. Take your time and ask for support from the university, your family and your friends.

Together you will be able to make the right decision for you. As always if you need help with storing your items while at university we have great deals on student storage and general storage in the London area. If you need storage you can get a quote here.