Should you drop out of university?

Going to university is a big change in a person's life so this new experience may be troubling at first and could have you questioning if you should drop out of university.  Being independent for the first time in your life is a rewarding yet challenging experience.

In the past you may have had a loved one take care of all the little details in your life such as washing up, cleaning, doing the shopping and cooking.

When you move to university you will then have to do all of this yourself along with studying at a higher level than before. If you are feeling overwhelmed and you are considering dropping out of university you aren't alone.

What are the main reasons why you may feel like dropping out of university?

There are many reasons why you may want to drop out of university these include feeling alone, the course being too hard, you don't enjoy the course, the commute to university being too far, you don't like your housemates or a mixture of the above.

Don't panic, you aren't alone and other students feel the same.  The student room, which is an excellent website for students shows many other students feel the same too:

• Dropping out of university
• I want to drop out of university
• Should I drop out of university
• Advice about dropping out of university
• Should I drop out of uni

As you can see many students feel that university isn't for them and if you feel the same you can change your situation.

Beating homesickness

Leaving your home and going to university for the first time is a big change in your life so it's only natural to miss your family and friends.  If you are feeling lonely and haven't made any friends at university yet, one of the worst things you can do is to stay in your room and be upset.

Making friends may be difficult for some, but at university, everyone is in the same situation and going to events, joining clubs and talking to your housemates and students in your class is going to give you a chance to make friends.

If you don't like the people in your house or your class it could be that you need time to get to know each other.  Making friends all over again can be difficult, as most of us would have had the same friendship group for many years until now.

Beating the commute

With the cost of living being so high, many students may choose to stay at home and commute to university. While this can save money it can take a toll on you.  If you are finding commuting difficult you have two options, either move close to the uni or you could consider enrolling on a distance learning course such as the Open University.

Take your time to consider whether you should stay at university

Starting anything new including university can be difficult and wanting to quit can be a normal reaction.  Quitting university may feel like the right choice but big decisions should be considered heavily.  Our advice would be to give it a few months to see if the problem fixes itself.  If you still feel the same after a few months then talk to your tutors to see what your best option is.

Sometimes you may have taken the wrong course or feel the university course is too difficult for you to pass.  If you feel like this and it makes you want to quit university talk to your tutors, there may be additional help available.  Also consider that university is supposed to be hard too, challenging yourself is a great way of growing as a person.

Do you have to pay back uni if you drop out?

If you drop out of university you will still be charged the full amount for that term and any other terms that you may have completed too.  Dropping out of uni means that you will pay back your loan in full.

Taking time off uni for mental health issues

University and life, in general, can be difficult so if you are enjoying university and want to stay but your mental health is affecting you then our advice would be to talk to your tutors and student services to see if you can take a break from your studies due to mental health reasons.

Each university will have different policies, but talking to your student services will put you in the right direction.

Disadvantages of dropping out of university

One of the biggest disadvantages of dropping out of university is having no degree at the end of the course while still having all of the debt that will need to be repaid.  University for some careers is very important so not having the degree that you need to continue within your career could cause you to pursue another career.

If you drop out of university early you may also limit yourself when it comes to meeting new people.  Making friends at uni can take time and dropping out will stop you from experiencing that.  While university can be tough it can be some of the best times in a person's life and persevering through can be rewarding and will help you grow as a person.

Good reasons for dropping out of university

With all of the above said, there are good reasons for dropping out of university.  You should consider dropping out of university if you have no interest in the course you have signed up for.  University is expensive but having a degree in a subject which you have no passion for is worse.

It's estimated between 5.3% and 6.3% of students drop out of university in the UK every year. That's roughly 5-6 students out of every 100 students.

Alternatives to university

University isn't for everyone and there are alternatives such as The Open University or a distance degree that can be more flexible for some students.  Distance learning can be a good alternative to going to university as you can study from your home without having to worry about feeling homesick.

Alternatively, if you are finding university too difficult you can talk to your tutors about switching courses.

Conclusion

Deciding to stay in university or to leave is a big decision that can have a big financial toll on you right now and in the future.  Our advice would be to take your time and talk to others about your situation.  Talk to friends, family, tutors, student support and other students in your university and on your course.

We hope this article was helpful, and we know that student accommodation doesn't allow you to store much of your home comforts either.  If you are finding your student accommodation too small or you want somewhere to store your goods while you leave university during term breaks at Pink Self Storage we have plenty of affordable student storage in Cardiff and the rest of South Wales.

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