Some advice please - University.

2009-01-14 22:38:46

#1

Shem: sɥǝɯ; +152|6970|London (At Heart)

Hey guys,

Not the biggest poster around here, more of a lurker but I'd consider this forum the best for such a question.

The deal is, I'm currently studying Pharmacy at uni, been at it for 3 months and to be frank, I can't stand the course, I can't stand the people and I can't handle the work load (~30 hours a week of lectures with at least 30 hours of self centred learning expected of me on top).

I'm completely demoralised at the moment and this was accentuated after coming back from Christmas.

In general I'm enjoying the social life, perhaps too much in a way as I'd rather go out, get laid, get pissed and dance rather than care about the course.

The problem is, if I leave, I go home to the monotony of life in East London. A failure in the eyes of many people and letting down a ton of friends here.

Anyone had a similar problem in their life?, any advice on what to do would be highly appreciated?

Danke

2009-01-14 22:42:02

#2

SgtHeihn: Should have ducked; +394|6930|Ham Lake, MN (Fucking Cold)

Then change you major to a different subject.

2009-01-14 22:43:06

#3

Benzin: Member; +576|6442

SgtHeihn wrote:
Then change you major to a different subject.

2009-01-14 22:44:11

#4

Shem: sɥǝɯ; +152|6970|London (At Heart)

I really really have no idea what I'd study, forgot to put that in there.

I don't want to go study some dead end course where job prospects are just not high enough to justify the costs and time spent at uni.

Last edited by Shem (2009-01-14 22:44:36)

2009-01-14 22:45:20

#5

mtb0minime: minimember; +2,418|7098

Change your major. Do some research and investigation and find something you enjoy. It's completely ok to do that, and it's not too late. And don't feel bad either, you won't be seen as a failure at all. Better to change now when you're just getting started than make yourself suffer for the next 4 or 5 years and be completely fed up with it. Only then will it be a complete waste of time.

Changing majors is not a big deal at all, and the earlier the better. I know many people who have changed majors to find the right one. In fact, one of my friends was in engineering, found out he completely hated it, so I convinced him to just change his major. He switched to math and is enjoying the hell out of it and has no regrets. I also know someone who has switched majors 3 or 4 times. If that's what it takes, then that's what it takes.

College/University is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. If you're not enjoying learning and taking the classes you're taking, then something is wrong. (Well you don't have to enjoy ALL of them, but as long as you like most of them, or even only a few of them but love them very much; for example, I really want to get into transportation engineering, which is part of Civil and Environmental Engineering. I really loved the two transportation classes I took and got A's in them, but the structural, geotechnical, and environmental stuff I don't like as much and I've gotten pretty crappy grades in those.)

2009-01-14 22:46:33

#6

Benzin: Member; +576|6442

OK, I will give you the best advice I can offer in such a situation ...

Go and study or work abroad for a semester or two. I was in a similar situation back in the USA, stuck somewhere I didn't want to be with no way out. Left to come here to Austria and be with my girlfriend and study abroad and it has been an amazing journey of self-discovery that I will never forget.

2009-01-14 22:46:56

#7

mtb0minime: minimember; +2,418|7098

Oh, and now that I see this

Shem wrote:
I really really have no idea what I'd study

At the very least you can go to Community College (or whatever the European equivalent is called) and get your general ed's out of the way, and for a ridiculously cheap price. Use that time to figure out what you want to do, while not wasting any time sitting around not doing anything.

2009-01-14 22:48:32

#8

blademaster: I'm moving to Brazil; +2,075|7088

well yeah kind of similar situation but I live in America which is across the pond, but yeah some of my friends dropped out of college, some however went to college and graduated, some went to college but partied and ended up staying in school even longer. So its really up to you, you have to look at the bigger picture sure its nice to party and go out and stuff , but u can do that at university 2, and also study. Just find a way to balance ur life, also if u are not enjoying what u are doing right now change ur major or do something else, or if not that finish what u are doing now then get a Masters Degree in something u like that way u can fall on pharmacy in case things dont work out with the other job u get. Just tough it out talk to other people and see how they are doing, they might be struggling 2 so that might give u some comfort since u may not be the only one having hard time with the classes. But yeah best of luck.... if you dont like what u are doing either change ur major or finish up what u are doing now and go to grad school if u haz money or get a job then go to grad school either way u have plenty of options.

2009-01-14 22:49:39

#9

blademaster: I'm moving to Brazil; +2,075|7088

mtb0minime wrote:
Oh, and now that I see this
Shem wrote:
I really really have no idea what I'd study
At the very least you can go to Community College (or whatever the European equivalent is called) and get your general ed's out of the way, and for a ridiculously cheap price. Use that time to figure out what you want to do, while not wasting any time sitting around not doing anything.

I agree good point either that or go to University which has number of different branches across the country if they have that there

CapnNismo wrote:
Go and study or work abroad for a semester or two.

yeah come to AMERICA!!

Last edited by blademaster (2009-01-14 22:51:22)

2009-01-14 22:59:13

#10

Beduin: Compensation of Reactive Power in the grid; +510|6193|شمال

Don't care about what others think. Your profession will follow you the rest of your life. Pick something you like and something you find interesting.

I am a car mechanic. Started bachelor in mechanic engineering and finished one yearn then dropped out (bit boring) . I started electronic engineering and now I finished the first year, and I love it.

Again, calm down, take a deep breath....Maybe use half year to look around the different categories while having a job at the sideline.

الشعب يريد اسقاط النظام
...show me the schematic

2009-01-14 23:29:27

#11

Parker: isteal; +1,452|6837|The Gem Saloon

im a persistent bastard, so i always go back to my boy Churchill....

"If you are going through hell, keep going."

didnt someone have that as a sig here at some point?

2009-01-14 23:35:53

#12

CommieChipmunk: Member; +488|7013|Portland, OR, USA

Shem wrote:
I'd rather go out, get laid, get pissed and dance rather than care about the course.

Who wouldn't, but life's not that easy. You can have fun now and pay for it later, or pay for it now and have fun later...

2009-01-15 01:27:26

#13

m3thod: All kiiiiiiiiinds of gainz; +2,197|7114|UK

Well you're on a gaming forum...how about software engineering/computer science or IT if you can't stand (or don't get) programming.

You'll have to start again from the first year though.

Blackbelts are just whitebelts who have never quit.

2009-01-15 02:49:07

#14

bennisboy: Member; +829|7089|Poundland

What uni are you at? What year are you in? You really have 60 hours of work a week? Thats mental. I do economics n have about 15 hours of contact time a week and 5-10 hours of work to do!

2009-01-15 03:25:23

#15

..teddy..jimmy: Member; +1,393|7092

I'm in a similar situation although I don't mind my course. I'm doing law and it's a lot of work which I'm not really doing atm because of the whole social side of things.

The problem is I really don't like this country (sorry to you brits) and would rather just study in Norway so I'm going to re-apply to do Norwegian law and start fresh next year in Oslo.

My advice: If you don't like the course then switch...but you should spend a good deal of time weighing up the pros and cons and then make your decision.

2009-01-15 03:29:31

#16

1927: The oldest chav in the world; +2,423|7117|Cardiff, Capital of Wales

I never went to Uni but stick at it, even if you pick a diff course, there are no jobs out here right now, the econmy is fucked, get ya qualifications and when you have things will look better. You won't regret leaving now by the sounds of it but when your 30+ you might as you could be on a very good wage by then.

2009-01-15 03:39:16

#17

Dilbert_X: The X stands for; +1,822|6549|eXtreme to the maX

You're not at University to have fun, sorry.
Start working, change course or drop out.
There will be people at uni you can discuss this with, seek them out.
At least let your tutor know you're in difficulty.

As the guy said, have 3 years of fun now, and work like a dog for the rest of your life, or work like a dog for 3 years and have fun for the rest of your life. Take your pick.

Good luck, hope it works out.

(I hated university, I couldn't take the work, I was depressed anyway and uni just depressed me further (second hardest course in the UK in terms of workload - apparently, and a hell of a lot of unrelated maths, it was changed from a 3yr to 4yr course the year after mine, bastards!), maybe I should have changed course, couldn't really think of anything better.
Still, did make University of London Pistol Club Captain, and here I am a Chartered Engineer being headhunted regularly, for which knowing how to use a pistol is very handy - no-ones having my shrunken head for an earring.)

Last edited by Dilbert_X (2009-01-15 03:41:13)

Fuck Israel

2009-01-15 04:45:36

#18

Aries_37: arrivederci frog; +368|7018|London

You're trying too hard. 60 hours a week is more work than anyone I know does...and I know some pretty hardworking people. If it's just the workload you can't stand then you better suck it up and become more efficient...I do a harder course and they'd be lucky to get 60 hours a month out of me.

However if the problem is more the course than the workload then you should change. A year out is not that much of your life and is much better than wasting it on something you hate. That being said you need to take job propects into consideration, pharmacy is a pretty lucrative career to get into, especially if you're good at it. Unless you're good at math/business/physics you're gonna have a hard time matching the pay you could earn. As another alternative if you weren't good at any of those subjects, you could go into IT/computer science. That's a career path that can pay top dollar if you excell, but the vast majority of people will end up as technical support at some school or office (no offence if this is what anyone here does, I'm sure you're the only person who can judge your satisfaction with it).

2009-01-15 05:04:46

#19

bennisboy: Member; +829|7089|Poundland

Like aries said, if you're doing that much work a week, you're going overboard.

I've also come to the conclusion, no one REALLY likes their course, they do it because they are good at it and its the best of a bad bunch.

I've not met anyone at uni that genuinely enjoys their work. We put up with the work n love the social side

2009-01-15 05:39:04

#20

ghettoperson: Member; +1,943|7092

I had this last year. I ended up changing my course. Means it costs me an extra year, but I'd much rather be doing something I enjoy that something I hate for another two years. I'd tell you to change course, but if you don't know what you'd do that isn't much help.

2009-01-15 06:30:13

#21

oug: Calmer than you are.; +380|6962|Πάϊ

All I can say is that life as a student was the best thing that ever happened to me - despite the fact that I too was stuck with something I didn't really like. Around here we don't get to switch majors in the middle of the run - but I know now that if I had that opportunity on my first year I'd take it.

My advice to you is to make use of all the things you're given atm. Do some research, find what you like and change your major. Also go abroad - either with Erasmus (don't know if you guys got that around there) or as an intern.

Mind you - the work load will probably be the same whatever you do (and it's not that much really). But it won't feel as much if it's something you like.

_ƒ³

2009-01-15 08:18:18

#22

Shem: sɥǝɯ; +152|6970|London (At Heart)

I appreciate all the advice guys.

I am pretty set on kicking it in, at least for this year, I simply have not got the energy to continue with it, and despite it being a good career path with damn good money, I don't have it in me to go for another 3(4) and a half years to do something I do not enjoy (detest).

I think I might look into going abroad, I'd love to learn German or Japanese or if not, I've wanted to go to Canada for a long time (No hate), if anyone can point me in the right direction for that you'd be awesome.

In the meantime, it's back to ucas looking through the courses.

Last edited by Shem (2009-01-15 08:20:52)

2009-01-15 08:19:33

#23

jord: Member; +2,382|7121|The North, beyond the wall.

Shem wrote:
I appreciate all the advice guys.

I am pretty set on kicking it in, at least for this year, I simply have not got the energy to continue with it, and despite it being a good career path with damn good money, I don't have it in me to go for another 3(4) and a half years to do something I do not enjoy (detest).

I think I might look into going abroad, I'd love to learn German or Japanese, if anyone can point me in the right direction for that you'd be awesome.

In the meantime, it's back to ucas looking through the courses.

You should try joining the French Foreign Legion.

Awesome...

2009-01-15 09:49:57

#24

Benzin: Member; +576|6442

Check your PMs, Shem.

2009-01-15 11:27:07

#25

CanadianLoser: Meow :3 :3; +1,148|6951

this is why you need to go into something that you truly enjoy, not something where the money is or where your parents want you to go. It sounds cliche, but its true.

BF2S Forums Some advice please - University.

SgtHeihn wrote:

Shem wrote:

mtb0minime wrote:

Shem wrote:

CapnNismo wrote:

Shem wrote:

Shem wrote:

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