University isn’t for everyone, and I’ve learned that that’s okay.
At first I didn’t question it. Having been brought up by two parents each with bachelors degrees, and one with a PhD, I’d never considered that there were other options. It didn’t help that the private secondary school I’d attended did everything it could to push its students towards a ‘traditional’ academic route, where going to University was considered imperative for future success.
I moved out when I was 16, went to live with N in Bristol, and attended a city centre college to study my A Levels. It was here that I discovered a host of other pathways that people could take to reach their chosen career goals, such as BTEC courses, Apprenticeships/work-based learning, and part-time/distanced learning. The possibilities seemed endless, but I’d been told all my life that ‘people with degrees earn X-percent more than people without’, so I stuck to the plan.
And then University fees increased across the country, from £3000 per year to a whopping £9000. Graduate employment rate statistics were released, and they were scary. Why would you spend 3 extra years in education, getting yourself into £27,000 worth of debt (plus more for 4 year courses and living expenses), only to find that you’ll struggle getting a job in retail, let alone in the profession you’d set out to do.
I seriously reconsidered going, but I pushed on and applied. Perhaps University life would be as awesome as everyone said it was, and at the very least I’d come out with a great experience? Only a handful of my peers applied to Universities, and an even smaller handful had their applications accepted.
At this point I realised that going to University was not a rite of passage, and that I was actually extremely lucky to have got in. I chose to do a Hospitality degree; a ‘sensible choice’ for the industry’s growth and wealth of jobs. I was excited to start a new chapter in my life, but also sad to leave N and the beautiful South West behind.
I had fun to start with; meeting new people and learning new things on my course, but the novelty soon wore off. Firstly, I started questioning whether this was the right course for me, as I’m sure many students do during their first year, but I also started feeling frustrated by the University atmosphere and culture.
My annoyances with the living arrangements probably stemmed from the fact that I had already lived away from home for two years before uni, something mature students could likely sympathise with. Living in halls can be a great first step for people who aren’t used to being independent, but I hated the feeling of being treated like and referred to as a ‘student’, rather than a regular adult person.
I’ve never been the sort of outgoing person who wants to go out clubbing every night and get ridiculously drunk at the weekends, as I’ve always preferred to stay in and watch a movie or have projects of my own to focus on in the evenings. I couldn’t seem to find any people who felt the same way as me while I was there, and I felt distanced from everyone else who looked like they were having a great time.
I also couldn’t shake the feeling that being at uni felt seriously unproductive. My timetable was slack, I wasn’t enjoying my lessons, and I was spending something like £50 a day to be there (I worked this out one evening). I wanted to earn money, be an adult and actually start living my life rather than be stuck in this weird half-way point.
I spent a couple of months deliberating over my choices, and trying to get advice. I sought help from my family (who were very supportive, even though I felt like a disappointment), friends and the National Careers Service to help me figure out what my next step would be if I left uni.
Let me just say here that my University were no help at all throughout any of this. Not one person asked why I requested to leave, or offered me any sort of guidance or help in my decision. It probably wouldn’t have mattered what they’d have said to me, as I had already made my mind up, but it would have been nice to know that someone cared about me.
Anyway, I left, moved home to Cornwall and did some serious thinking. After talking with several careers advisers, I realised that the Marketing aspect of Hospitality was actually the part I enjoyed the most, and that I should pursue that area. I found that the Chartered Institute of Marketing held a part-time course at my local college, which meant I could work full time and study at the same time. I then got myself a job doing the Marketing for a local software company.
The conclusion that Marketing would be the career for me came by talking through my skills, passions and ambitions, and matching these to the most appropriate profession. With long-standing interests in writing, design, psychology and technology, Marketing stood out as an obvious choice. There are several online tools and websites that can help you do this matching process, or if not I’d highly recommend finding an independent careers advisor near you; I chose the National Careers Service because it’s free, and non-biased towards certain pathways, unlike University careers advisers.
A few months into my new job, and things went a little crazy. N and I bought a house together, deciding that investing our money in property was a smarter decision than to rent. We also bought a puppy and have had plenty of fun in that department over the last few months.
My life is infinitely better now, and I honestly feel that leaving University was one of the best decisions of my life. Many people will have totally different experiences and will completely fall in love with uni life, but it just wasn’t for me. I feel like I can be so much more productive now, and I am free to learn and live how I like without worrying that I wasted years and thousands of pounds along the way.
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What was your University/education experience like?
Good on you. I did uni because I got the grades and was therefore expected to. I chose London as I’d also already lived away from home and didn’t want too much of the student-y experience. I was lucky to get a part time job that took me through my whole course so felt I had my independence by doing that, and also didn’t have to rely on student loans. It’s done nothing for me though and career wise has been of no benefit at all. My brother on the other hand dropped out of a course he hated, got a job, pursued a career and is now hugely successful. When I get asked now by friends’ kids about uni, I say to them to do what they want to do, but really only think uni is worthwhile if it’s a necessary course, link medicine or law.
Rosie xx
Great to hear your experience on it! Getting a job while you’re there must definitely have helped in feeling independent. The only reason I didn’t do that was because I spent a lot of my weekends travelling back to Cornwall to see N, or him coming up to see me.
It’s such a shame it hasn’t helped you career-wise, but that just seems to be most peoples’ story now! People who don’t go to uni, although we don’t have the qualifications, we get a 3 year head start which, sometimes, is just as good if not better! Unfortunately uni courses currently just don’t have it quite right yet, with regards to gearing people up towards an actual job (rather than just getting a degree paper).
But yes, this is all if we take the really necessary courses out of the equation! x
I love this point of view that university isn’t for everyone. I agree, when I left school I didn’t think it was for me. I left after my first year at sixth form because I had had enough of studying and didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I got some work experience and moved into my own place and three years ago decided I would give university a go. I had found an area I was passionate about and wanted to take it a step further. The course hasn’t been as I expected and at times I have felt disappointed and not very supported but I am glad I’ve done it. I also worked part time time when I could and did not move into student accommodation because I chose to apply to my local university. Hopefully I will graduate this year and all the blood sweat and tears will be worth it.
Steph x
http://inspirationsandme.blogspot.co.uk/
Interesting to hear your rather wiggly career pathway Steph! :) It’s great you’ve found something you’re passionate about, and I think University can be a great way to form a deeper understanding and connection to that. Best of luck in graduating this year! :) x
University in France is really different because it’s almost free (most of the people par 5€ for the year!) but the consequence of that is that you end with 50 people in one room and a only one teacher who does not know what to do! Fortunately most of the people give up so it’s better through the year but it’s really hard to concentrate in those conditions! And let me tell you that the university don’t give a **** about you there!
But I really agree with you! I work in a school and so much pressure is put on the students to go to university whereas there are so many different ways to check out!
It’s so good that you found yours, I found mine as well this year and it really feels better for the future now!
x
Céline from Larry & Co.
I didn’t realise it was free in France! It’s a shame that system doesn’t seem to work very well though :(
The issue usually isn’t about money here in England; even though it’s very expensive, everyone can get a Student Loan, which you pay back slowly when you reach a certain salary after graduating (currently £21,000 per year). The issue is the fact that no one can get a job once they finish! Are University graduates in France able to get jobs more easily? x
No I guess it’s pretty much the same you need to specialise and get work experience…
Ugh – I hated uni too. I started off by feeling the same as you – as though uni is a rite of passage, which it most assuredly is not. I feel sad I felt that way. I went to study law in Hull but I hated it so much that within a month or two I was on the phone to my Dad to pick me up. I hated everything – the people (I still am not keen on over-privileged student-types), the drinking, the course I was taking. I had a year of reevaluation and decided to go to uni at Derby – that way I could commute in, would keep my friends, wouldn’t have to get too involve with student life and wouldn’t get homesick. I used to get tremendously homesick. Still do, actually. So glad you worked out the right path for you. I wonder how many persevere and end up on the wrong path.
It’s great that you made the decision to change and found a situation that was right for you! It sounds idea.
I met some great people at uni, but I do know exactly what you mean by the ‘over-privileged student types’. Just people who had never had to lift a finger a day in their life and whose parents would come and bring them cooked meals and do their laundry, while they spent all their money on getting wasted every night. I just wasn’t used to being around people like that.
At college, I was living hours away from my family and all my closest friends were really independent too, so it just felt like going backwards when I met those other types of people at uni.
xx
That is precisely how I felt. My friends had always been that bit older too and so I found most of the people there that bit more immature which made it tough too – exactly like stepping backwards.
I really enjoyed uni but then for me it has been a necessary part of getting the job I want to do. I think it is really important to find the ‘right’ uni though. That may sound strange but I think that every university offers a really different experience and so thinking about the type of place you would be happy is almost as important as the intricacies of the course.
I completely agree that it is not for everybody though and I think there should be more publicity about alternative options to uni. It is very expensive if it doesn’t progress your career and/or benefit your life in a positive way!
I also think it is really brave to decide that it isn’t what makes you happy and to do something about it. That is not an easy choice when it is often treated, as you said, as a right of passage.
Becca x
http://www.butterflybecca.com
It’s great that you enjoyed uni! And yes, I agree it helps when it’s the ‘right’ one. I really thought mine was though – it seemed perfect, and everyone around me (and people who are still there) absolutely love it, so I do honestly think it was me, not the uni, that caused the issue in this case.
I just wasn’t suited to it; the culture and the way of life there. I felt like my college had treated me more like an adult than uni did, and I just was desperate to get a job and earn money and start life! It wasn’t benefiting me at all, but I know plenty of others will get loads out of it :) x
I have to say coming to the end of my student days I am pretty desperate to start earning now!!!! :)
Good on you. It takes bravery to do what makes you happy and not what society and your family expect of you. Best of luck in your future :) x
Sinead | Dreaming Again
Thanks so much! :) x
I have so much respect for this post – well done for not just staying where you were clearly unhappy! I decided at 18 that I didn’t want to go to uni and I was happy with my choice – I was luckier than you in a sense as neither of my parents went to university so that pressure wasn’t there. Lots of my friends went to university or off travelling, I would honestly have loved to do both and I still would love to go travelling more but I decided to work. There are so many people working in the same role as I have at my place of work and some on lower ranks and wages than mine who have got university degrees some more than one and I think why did you waste all that money for nothing?!
I didn’t go because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I know that when I do find my dream career I can always choose that if I need to then, but in truth like you I would probably chose a different pathway!
Great work on being brave enough to accept that Uni wasn’t for you and working hard to get what you truly want – hope life continues to be more awesome for you :)
x
Thank you so much for your kind words! It was a great decision for me, and so far I’m loving proving to everyone that you don’t need an expensive degree to go far in life. x
So glad you wrote this :)
My other half, George is dropping out of Uni this year after just one year as it just isn’t for him and it’s really damaged his confidence. I can seriously relate to the parts about doubting whether a course is right and certainly the part about halls and preferring not to party. I transferred course after two years of apathy (to one I now absolutely love) and thankfully found a house full of biddy’s like myself to live with :P However George is now looking at other routes and its so reassuring to find a success story from someone who didn’t go to Uni.
To be honest, my course isn’t at all related to what I want to do in my future – what I want to do doesn’t even require a degree >.< I just love books and studying them and I guess I'm spending a fortune on indulging in creative writing for a little while…
Also reassuring to know that we can make it in Cornwall! it's my plan to come back when I've finished my degree and everyone tells me it's daft because of the lack of jobs but with enough determination and knowing which steps to take, I know I can make it work :D
Look forward to meeting you in the summer!
Sarah xxo | thesaltyseablog.blogspot.co.uk
You too! Let me know when you’re down :)
It’s lovely to hear that you enjoy what you’re studying now, and you’ve found a great group of people to live with! If you enjoy following your passion, then why not!
It’s a shame about George, but there are so many other routes he can take; and he has barely wasted any time at all in the grand scheme of things! A year is nothing to worry about! It’s good that he is making this decision now rather than waiting until 2 or 3 years down the line. Good luck to him!
There are plenty of opportunities in Cornwall, depending on what you want to do of course. But if you’re determined enough, you can MAKE it happen! :) xxx
So glad you finally have written this post. Everyone makes out uni is so amazing but actually there’s a large percentage of people who don’t enjoy the experience and yet you never hear that side.
I’ve actually heard from a friend that Truro College are making everyone apply to university even if that’s not what they want to do! What a joke!
Although I’ve done an apprenticeship which I think is a great alternative, I’ve realised I actually want to get into health and nutrition and have just been accepted on to a Foundation degree down at Penzance! Only two days a week so I can work part time the rest of the time, no homesickness and actually learning about something that I’m passionate about. Really excited to get back into education without having to move away or be surrounded by a bunch of young party lovers! x
Liv | http://www.maidenincornwall.co.uk
Even though my college in Bristol was really open minded, they did encourage everyone doing A levels to apply to uni, because they said ‘you might as well apply, even if you don’t end up accepting your place’. I think their thought process was that some people might change their minds last minute, so it’s better to apply just in case, rather than leaving it too late and having to wait another year. I guess that’s fair enough!
Apprenticeships are great alternatives! Sometimes I wish I went down that path myself, but at the time I was looking at those sorts of options, I didn’t have a really clear idea of what I wanted to do. Even if I had at the time, it’s likely that would have changed, and it might have ended up like the Uni thing with suddenly freaking out that I’ve chosen a way too narrow career path!
That’s great!! So happy for you; that sounds like a great plan :) Doing a part time course is awesome, and definitely something I would recommend to everyone! It’s the best of both worlds really. Better get your driving license soon ey! x
I love this post so much. For ages I thought I was such a failure of weird because I didn’t really like uni nor want to be there. Unfortunately for what I want to do I have to get a degree which is annoying but I am trying to do Uni in my own way and not the way I am told I am supposed to do it. I was so unhappy for ages because I thought I was the only one who didn’t like it. This post has also come at the best time, my boyfriend just left uni and we have been trying to figure things out whilst being told by everyone that uni is the only way to go in life. Thank you so much for writing this!
http://lifewiththeroofdown.blogspot.co.uk/
Awh I’m glad you like my post about it!
It is really hard, especially when everyone around you is loving it! You just feel like ‘what’s wrong with me? Am I missing something?’. But I think actually there are usually lots of others who feel the same, and it’s just difficult to speak out and find people like that.
Uni definitely isn’t the only way to go! And the earlier you get out when you realise it’s not for you, the better! Your boyfriend has a million and one other options now, and I hope that he soon starts to see it as a positive door opened to lots of fantastic opportunities! :) x
Hi, Anna! Thank you for this post. I am now in the phase of dropping my master. I have moved to Holland after finishing master Accounting&Audit in my native country. The reason I moved was that I found a partner and now we are happily married. However, I had to learn Dutch from zero and English, as it was less than advanced. From the day I moved tried to find job and that was really hard. The labor market is very aggressive and potential employees have European education and couple years of experience. I have done volunteer job within my specialty, but it did not help me either.
Eventually, I decided to do the master education again but this time in Holland. They have accepted me and I was so happy and motivated. I was studying even before the course started, as I knew I miss some knowledge (as the standards and regulations are different) and I need to learn a lot of terms in English. Since the course has started I have been just studying all day long incl weekends. The workload was 3 courses within 1,5 months and those were completely new for me… After exams I knew I might fail one (as I had less time on it), but other 2 must go good. When I got my results it was just heartbreaking – I failed all 3 exams. I have spoken to service center asking that I have no idea why it did not go well and that I’m not sure I can successfully complete this education. I heard to keep on going and go to resit in July… And if more failure then to do the master in 2 or even 3 years and she mentioned that courses after each year can be also be changed… And go to professors and ask for extra help
So I have decided to try next block, however new courses in block 2 were too theoretical and too on research which will not help me at all in my future job. I felt like I was present in research debate event – where are thousands of hypothesis and theories, but nobody is teaching us how to do our job professionally… I heard from my fellow students that I do not need to understand stuff just know what will be on exam and memorize it. But this kind of studying is not for me…Specially in my age of 27
So, I decided to stop it. I have lack of motivation to keep going and big fear to fail again and again, even while I am sure I am doing it good. Also, the education is not free and means I will have to pay thousands of euro year after year trying to get diploma… And the most important thing, they don’t make any promises that I will find a job after graduating…And I feel like this education is just extra time being unemployed.
I feel bad about all that wasted time…The taste of failure is also present and some judgments from fellow students makes it not better. But my partner and my family insist me to stop
I’m really sorry to hear about your bad experience! It sounds like you are much more mature than your fellow students, and you actually want to learn things rather than just tick off a qualification.
It is a huge cost, in both time and money, so if you feel you aren’t getting value from it, then it’s definitely best to leave while you still can! Don’t give up though – there are plenty of ways you can teach yourself…just keep hold of your course books and syllabus and learn it for yourself if you still have an interest in gaining the knowledge.
How did you afford to buy a house?