Should I drop out of university?

March 3, 2009 3:23 PM

Should I drop out of university?

I'm a physics student in my third (and final) year. I started to think that physics might have been a bad choice in first year, but felt that it wouldn't be too bad and I'd be able to get a good degree - I was still getting decent marks, so I didn't change my degree course then.

As I got further into the course, I began to really struggle with the maths involved, and my interest in physics waned even further. I failed a class in second year, but still had okay grades (53% - a 2:2) and still didn’t know what else to do so stuck with it.

I worked hard last semester, but most of the modules were mostly theoretical/mathematical and I struggled with a lot of the content. Now my interest in physics is almost zero. I feel increasingly stressed out about the course and my performance in it, and have been looking forward to graduation, mostly because it would mean I never have to think about physics ever again!

But, I recently received my exam results from last semester: I failed 5 out of the six modules I took.
This is a lot worse than I had expected.

I can no longer graduate with an Honours degree, but if I pass all of my modules this semester, I can get a pass degree (which is still something). Most of this semester plays more to my strengths, but there are still two that I feel it is unlikely I will manage to pass, as I can’t get my head around the maths involved.

I’m considering dropping out. If I can’t pass all the modules, I won’t get anything anyway. Would it be better just to give up now and start applying for jobs? Perhaps it might help to get a headstart over the other graduates? I have no real career plans at the moment, and was planning to just apply for lots of jobs and see what happened after I graduated anyway.

I feel like I need to hear other people’s opinions. What do you think? Should I try to finish the year (and possibly end up 6 months later with nothing for it)? Did you drop out? How did things work out for you? This is in the UK, if that's important.

posted by pocketfluff to education (16 comments total)

Is it possible to drop back and work on a different degree? It sounds like you are going to be hard pressed to finish this field of study and you don't really have any interest in the working in the field. I understand that the UK system is substantially different than the US system but I've known a ton of people that got through the bulk of a program of study and decided to dump that and begin work on another field of study (often to significant success).
posted by vuron at 3:29 PM on March 3, 2009

It's probably worthwhile to note that a UK 53% is roughly equivalent to a US-Canadian 70%, at least according to my study aboard grade conversion chart.
posted by betafilter at 3:37 PM on March 3, 2009

Yeah, I'm also in the US, but I'd suggest changing your direction, too. Study something else you might enjoy. It'll take you longer to finish a degree, but it's better than not having one at all.
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 3:40 PM on March 3, 2009

If you don't think that you can complete your degree, then you need an alternative, but there are more options than just dropping out. It may be possible to get an ordinary degree in general science or similar. It's definitely worth talking with your course director to try to find out what you can do to extract some value from what you've already done. There should also be a student counselling person or group who should be able to direct you to the correct folks to help you out with this.
posted by Jakey at 3:41 PM on March 3, 2009

My default answer would be that if your mental state is reasonably good and you've stuck it out for 2 1/2 years, then you might as well grit your teeth and suffer through the last four months. If you feel like the course is destroying you, then dropping out would make sense.

FWIW, when I was studying for my (physics) degree, people kept on banging on about how good it was for getting a job. I tended to roll my eyes at this, but since graduating I've come to appreciate that it really does get a weird reflex respect from people. Even an ordinary degree in Physics might carry more weight on a CV you might expect; it says that for whatever reason you messed up at university, but at least you did it on a challenging course. (Plus a lot of people don't know the difference between ordinary and honours.)

On all my physics exams it was possible to get a low but passing grade without doing much maths, but by having good recall of the background "wordy" material from the notes and a qualitative understanding of the subject. Maybe you should concentrate on trying to achieve that and memorise a few standard solutions (if you can get marks for getting the method roughly right.)

And, if you have no idea what career plan interests you, then quitting early to get a head start doesn't seem particularly logical.
posted by Luddite at 3:47 PM on March 3, 2009

Ok, several things, but they all amount to this: stick with it.

If you're in your third year at university, it means you literally have just a few months left to run, and despite no doing so well, you have done a lot of work. Dropping the degree now will mean you have nothing to show for all that work, nothing. I understand that your grades aren't going to be great, but if you really don't like physics, then you're grades aren't going to matter too much. Simply being 'degree-educated' will improve your prospects immensely. I'm a mature student (not so far away, as it happens), and I can assure you that degrees can be incredibly useful for gaining employment, no matter what they're in. Put in that last bit of effort to scrape those modules through that you need, and stuff physics forever.

Also, you don't really mention what you want to do as a career if you dropped your course. I don't really see that you have many options for changing degree at this stage, other than taking a whole new course. There are careers you can go into without a degree, or shorter courses you can take to get into something you like, but if you don't know now what you want to do, you might just be drifting for a while. If you have a skill or talent you would rather use or develop, you can still do that while you're studying, and no doubt you'll get more leeway from parents/friends/whomever if you complete the degree first and then decide that you wish to work on that.

Also, I'm guessing you've paid your tuition fees already (or if you're from Scotland it doesn't matter), and you're contracted for housing costs as well. You won't avoid any debt by stopping you're degree now, so the best cost/benefit is to complete. Oh, and lastly, there's a recession on, don't be in a rush to jump into the job market. You won't get a head start on the other graduates, because you won't be a graduate. You'll be competing with a whole load of secondary school/college leavers for some none-too-great jobs.
posted by Sova at 3:54 PM on March 3, 2009

From what I understand about undergrad at UK unis, you received a place in a specific subject and therefore switching to something else and graduating later is not an option? If I'm correct in this and you don't have great career ambitions yet, you should stick it out and finish the degree. It's a terrible job market right now, you wouldn't be getting a jump on anyone. Especially those who are going to be finishing in a few months with a degree while you won't have one.

Or to put it this way: What would you rather have at the end of three years? A university degree or nothing?
posted by meerkatty at 3:55 PM on March 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

I started off studying astronomy and after 2 years I was being crushed by all the math and finally decided that there was no way I was going to make it. I didnt drop out exactly, but I transferred to a different university and major (after a semester off to get my brain back in working order). Took a little longer to graduate but it was the right choice. You have a lot invested already, true, but if its not working for you, you have plenty of time to change. Allow yourself the right to change your mind.
posted by elendil71 at 4:01 PM on March 3, 2009

From what I understand about undergrad at UK unis, you received a place in a specific subject and therefore switching to something else and graduating later is not an option?

That's more or less correct. Changing course is perfectly possible at the end of the first year, and you can probably make minor changes later on too. But by the second semester of your third year you're almost done, and I believe that switching courses would be akin to reentry at first or second year level - I don't know.

Also, I think student finance would refuse to pay tuition fees again for another course, or for a course which extended beyond a certain time limit. Hence it is still best to complete and salvage whatever you can from the course.

I would probably beg you not to drop out if it didn't look unseemly, but please take it from somebody who learnt the value of qualifications the hard way: a few years down the line you'll kick yourself.
posted by Sova at 4:17 PM on March 3, 2009

You won't be getting a jump on the other graduates for jobs because they will be graduates and you will not be. Stick with it. You're so close to being done.
posted by fructose at 4:28 PM on March 3, 2009

Get some tutoring, even if you have to pay for it, and finish up.

The truth that no one tells you is that it is not that important what you study. Life is full of surprises and relatively few college graduates end up working in their major twenty years down the road. But they do end up with good jobs, because a degree is a minimum requirement for so many things, starting with being taken seriously. People with college degrees earn 2X the money in their lives as people with only high school degrees.

If you absolutely cannot finish in physics, talk to a counselor about changing majors. But you are so close!
posted by LarryC at 4:59 PM on March 3, 2009

I too would advise sticking with it, unless you truly believe that you won't pass enough in second semester.

However, it would be worth investigating whether you can count some non-physics courses towards your degree. Have a chat to a uni advisor, or read the handbook with a fine tooth comb. I managed to do one course in the same faculty but different course, and two from a totally different degree and year in my final year, both which counted towards my degree. (Australian uni though, UK possibly/probably different)
posted by kjs4 at 5:13 PM on March 3, 2009

Stick with it. Get a degree. The field of study doesn't matter that much. Grades don't matter that much. Some kind of degree is required for getting a good job.

It would be really smart to talk to an academic adviser now. Also, you should talk to all your current professors. Tell them your concerns. Make a plan. They're there to help you. Use them.

Ten years down the road, you'll be happy you stuck it out.
posted by paulg at 6:00 PM on March 3, 2009

Speaking as someone who is going through the same phase (last year, classes are hard, struggling, low interest), I'd still advise you to stick with it. This is a good time to learn an important lesson: Hard work doesn't count.

That's right, it doesn't matter how hard you work -- all that matters is achieving the goal. And to achieve the goal, you must find a strategy that works. There is a way to learn the maths involved -- you have to believe this. If other people have learned it, then you can too. You just need to figure out how. You need to come clean with your professors right now and stop trying to act brave and independent (I don't know if it is the same in the UK -- hopefully -- but here in the US I have found that most professors will help you in a heartbeat if you only ask them.)

Do not fall for the old trap of impulsiveness; of thinking that because you screwed up a little by not being able to graduate with an Honors degree that you'd be better off dropping the whole thing.

Search for a winning strategy, achieve the goal.
posted by Theloupgarou at 9:40 PM on March 3, 2009

Assuming - and this is a big assumption considering what kids these days get into! - that there isn't something else holding you back academically (mental illness, addiction, complete and total laziness), then I think you should simply switch your focus and speed through another degree which you enjoy more. It will be easier to remain in school and switch your focus than it will be to disengage and then re-engage later on.

It is also important to note that the correlation between major and "what do I want to be?" is just about zero, and nearly a total red herring.

Consider some softer "math" courses which might give you the theoretical enjoyment of analytical thinking without the insanity of the higher level maths. I'm thinking along the lines of economics, where a strong mathematical background is helpful but by no means necessary.

I switched from Mechanical Engineering to Political Science and considered leaving school at several points before making the official switch and just getting the hell out. I'm glad I didn't leave. I'm glad I just finished.
posted by greekphilosophy at 9:22 AM on March 4, 2009

Thanks, everyone. I’ve decided to try to stick it out and finish this thing.

I don’t really have the option of switching focus - I’d have to start totally from scratch on another degree course, and I don’t really have the qualifications for any others (since I thought I did want to do physics when I was in school!). It would also be a bit pointless since I don’t really know what I do want to do, so I think I will leave further study for once I’ve figured things out a bit more.

I did talk to my head of year (and made him supremely uncomfortable by crying in his office), but I’ll make an appointment with the careers advice people. I can't really take different classes - they pretty much make you stay within the physics department, and I’m already taking the least-physicsy physics modules I could find. For the two more mathematical ones I’m making myself a study plan and will arrange some tutoring or talk to the lecturer for help.

I feel like a bit of an idiot for not sorting this out when there was still time to change courses, but I’m going to try to make this work. I have really got a lot out of the rest of the uni experience (and not just hangovers :) ), including some stuff to add to my CV which will help hopefully.

Thanks for putting this in perspective for me! Now to break the news to my parents…
posted by pocketfluff at 5:16 PM on March 6, 2009