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March 29, 2024, 02:55:51 am

Author Topic: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..  (Read 6574 times)  Share 

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Dejan

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Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« on: March 29, 2015, 09:25:11 pm »
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Hey guys, for the past week I have been really considering dropping out of university because I have been doing bad on my assessments and quizzes, struggling to understand content and therefore I feel as though I am not good enough for university and get really good grades. At this point, I can't really see myself doing well in terms of grades for the aforementioned reasons so  I kinda think there's no point of continuing on with uni if I am just going to get average results as no one would want to hire me once I graduate since there will far more better applicants with better grades than compared to me. I really don't want to drop out because I have always wanted to study at a university level and my career choices requires a bachelor's degree so I have no idea what to do. Pls help :(

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #1 on: March 29, 2015, 09:32:54 pm »
+1
Trust me everyone feels the same with the quizzes and assignments, they're pissing me off lol. They account for like ~1-15% most of the time so don't let the results put you down. I suggest you should insist on continuing and have a crack at the exams and see how you go there. You say you always wanted to study at a university, then do it.

You also should be aiming for postgrad studies after you graduate, jobs aren't really that promising (subjective to individuals of course) with just an undergraduate degree.
Don't give up. :)
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keltingmeith

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #2 on: March 29, 2015, 09:37:00 pm »
+2
It is normal to feel this way. There are things I'm sure you've heard to death by now, like "university is very different to high school", "not everything's going to go smoothly" or any of the other million things preached by schools/parents/friends.

But you want to know something you may not have ever heard before? Many people's scores at uni will be lower than what they got in high school. This means that for a lot of people, they achieve scores that they think are very mediocre, whilst they are actually good scores. I thought that my scores were too low to continue on with chemistry (because they were much lower than what I thought someone should be getting), but after talking to the unit coordinator, he highlighted to me that my scores were actually really good.

My advice is to keep at it - census is in 2 days, and that's not enough time to make an informed decision. Instead, keep working hard, doing your best, and see what happens at the end of the semester. You might surprise yourself at how well you do. If you're still feeling this way AFTER you get results, maybe you should defer for a semester or even a year. If university isn't going to work for you, you'll have to consider a new career path, which is just the way the cookie crumbles. If after deferring you couldn't find anything else you wanted to do, at the very least you'll come back to university with a fresh outlook, and might be able to pick yourself up so that you can finish the degree for your career.

Dejan

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2015, 09:43:14 pm »
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Trust me everyone feels the same with the quizzes and assignments, they're pissing me off lol. They account for like ~1-15% most of the time so don't let the results put you down. I suggest you should insist on continuing and have a crack at the exams and see how you go there. You say you always wanted to study at a university, then do it.

You also should be aiming for postgrad studies after you graduate, jobs aren't really that promising (subjective to individuals of course) with just an undergraduate degree.
Don't give up. :)
The fact that they count for 1-20% means that each percentage counts, it could be the difference between D and a HD. Poor results just reinforces the idea that maybe university wasn't ment for me. I am even more worried about exams, if I can't do well now how am I going to do well in the exams. I really can't see the point with going on with university if I am going to get P's and C's throughout my degree. Even with postgrad, how much difference would it even make? The job market is so competitive nowadays.

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2015, 09:46:25 pm »
+3
My high school teacher always told us that adjusting to Uni was going to be difficult(like you won't be getting the same marks you were getting in high school and the method of learning/studying was totally different etc) but to give it around a year to see how we really go once everything started to settle in. We're still barely halfway through the semester so you might still need some time to adjust to the way Uni works.

Someone on this forum also said something along the lines of "If you can get the marks to get into your course then you can get the marks to graduate" and I really believe that is true for all of us. So give at least this semester your best shot and see how that turns out before you seriously consider dropping out, because you never know, you might surprise yourself and do extremely well in your exams  :)

Also, I don't believe that absolutely all jobs out there look for people with stellar grades. Some might look for a well-rounded person who has work experience, lots of extracurricular activities, has done a lot of volunteering, internships etc so it's not the end even if you don't get the grades you want
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Dejan

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2015, 09:50:44 pm »
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My advice is to keep at it - census is in 2 days, and that's not enough time to make an informed decision. Instead, keep working hard, doing your best, and see what happens at the end of the semester. You might surprise yourself at how well you do. If you're still feeling this way AFTER you get results, maybe you should defer for a semester or even a year. If university isn't going to work for you, you'll have to consider a new career path, which is just the way the cookie crumbles. If after deferring you couldn't find anything else you wanted to do, at the very least you'll come back to university with a fresh outlook, and might be able to pick yourself up so that you can finish the degree for your career.
I am losing so much motivation to keep going or even study because I feel so miserable and upset about how poorly I have been doing, it bother me so much.

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2015, 09:59:24 pm »
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My high school teacher always told us that adjusting to Uni was going to be difficult(like you won't be getting the same marks you were getting in high school and the method of learning/studying was totally different etc) but to give it around a year to see how we really go once everything started to settle in. We're still barely halfway through the semester so you might still need some time to adjust to the way Uni works.

Someone on this forum also said something along the lines of "If you can get the marks to get into your course then you can get the marks to graduate" and I really believe that is true for all of us. So give at least this semester your best shot and see how that turns out before you seriously consider dropping out, because you never know, you might surprise yourself and do extremely well in your exams  :)

Also, I don't believe that absolutely all jobs out there look for people with stellar grades. Some might look for a well-rounded person who has work experience, lots of extracurricular activities, has done a lot of volunteering, internships etc so it's not the end even if you don't get the grades you want
I know right, maybe things would get better in time :). Even with lots of lots of extracurricular activities, volunteering and internship experience I feel as though they place more value in grades (imo)

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2015, 10:02:10 pm »
+7
I am losing so much motivation to keep going or even study because I feel so miserable and upset about how poorly I have been doing, it bother me so much.

You know what's not going to fix it? Continuing to be miserable and upset and doing nothing about it. You'll just end up in a spiral of not being motivated to study, getting poor marks, and that causing you to not be motivated - it's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

This is going to sound harsh, but you need to do something about it. Whether it's more study, evaluating your current methods because they're not good enough, or seeking help from the university in terms of help in how to study, or mental health counselling to get you out of this rut.

Even with lots of lots of extracurricular activities, volunteering and internship experience I feel as though they place more value in grades (imo)

You can think that all you want, but it's really not true. At all.

Dejan

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2015, 10:09:45 pm »
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This is going to sound harsh, but you need to do something about it. Whether it's more study, evaluating your current methods because they're not good enough, or seeking help from the university in terms of help in how to study, or mental health counselling to get you out of this rut.

You can think that all you want, but it's really not true. At all.
I don't really a study method at all but I have received a lot of advice so all I need to do is just implement it into practice.   Thanks for that :)

slothpomba

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2015, 02:38:00 am »
+3
You're new, it's hard to adjust and you probably feel like almost everyone else doesn't feel like this. I can confidently say that is 110% wrong. So many people feel like this its just that they don't talk about it.

I failed 3 units in my first year. A few i just scrapped past (dead ~50). Now, my WAM for last year is over 80%. Not extremely impressive for this forum but it's a huge comeback for me. The highest unit on my record (89) is also my lowest unit (33). I failed it and retook it two years later. I'm not saying this to blab about myself, i'm saying it to show you its always possible to make a comeback if you keep on fighting.

In some ways, it's good you realise you struggle and aren't doing well. You know why? Because it means you are doing your work. A lot of people simply just don't even hand shit in. You're already really half way there man. You need to sit down and identify why you are doing badly. Make a list, make it brutally honest. Make a list of solutions to attempt. It sounds corny but you need to fix things like this early.

It's only the start of week 5. You can still totally recover from this. At the very least, i would complete a full semester (or even year) before you decide.


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slothpomba

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2015, 02:39:36 am »
+1
Ooops i forgot to say, definitely identify the problem/weak point going on here.

Is it poor unit choice? I hated chemistry but i chose it anyway, in both semesters. Guess what? I failed in both semesters. There is a lesson there.

Is it procrastinating (be honest)? Are you putting time and effort into work? Are you asking for help when you need to?

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Dejan

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2015, 08:18:49 am »
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You're new, it's hard to adjust and you probably feel like almost everyone else doesn't feel like this. I can confidently say that is 110% wrong. So many people feel like this its just that they don't talk about it.

I failed 3 units in my first year. A few i just scrapped past (dead ~50). Now, my WAM for last year is over 80%. Not extremely impressive for this forum but it's a huge comeback for me. The highest unit on my record (89) is also my lowest unit (33). I failed it and retook it two years later. I'm not saying this to blab about myself, i'm saying it to show you its always possible to make a comeback if you keep on fighting.

In some ways, it's good you realise you struggle and aren't doing well. You know why? Because it means you are doing your work. A lot of people simply just don't even hand shit in. You're already really half way there man. You need to sit down and identify why you are doing badly. Make a list, make it brutally honest. Make a list of solutions to attempt. It sounds corny but you need to fix things like this early.

It's only the start of week 5. You can still totally recover from this. At the very least, i would complete a full semester (or even year) before you decide.
Your story is really motivating and sorta makes me believe that I might to do well in uni later down the track.
Ooops i forgot to say, definitely identify the problem/weak point going on here.

Is it poor unit choice? I hated chemistry but i chose it anyway, in both semesters. Guess what? I failed in both semesters. There is a lesson there.

Is it procrastinating (be honest)? Are you putting time and effort into work? Are you asking for help when you need to?
Not really poor unit choice but I am dropping Spanish to avoid failing that unit because I didn't put any work in so it would be in my best interests to withdraw from Spanish. The only real issues I have atm is not having figured how to study, time management but I have received a lot of advice on it so I just need to put into practice, I feel like my English is really lacking but I am not really sure how to improve on my English and being efficient with studies. I do procrastinate to some extent yes but I can really snap out of it when needed. I barely any time or effort because I struggle with time management as I am not really sure how much time I should put into readings and making notes etc. because I feel like I waste way too much time than I really should.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2015, 08:25:41 am by Dejan »

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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2015, 09:10:10 am »
+6
My response is actually slightly different from the other ones here - buddy, Ps get degrees. I did Arts/Law as my undergraduate, and I was really young at uni and living by myself so there were some subjects I went to one lecture and then turned up to the exam. One subject I didn't leave work in time and I missed the exam. Fail. That looked great on my transcript! Other subjects I loved and topped the subject in.

I've never had an employer ask what my grades were.

Granted, if I'd wanted to work as a lawyer at a large law firm that probably would have been different - and I did choose to do postgrad and am now doing a PhD, so of course they wanted to see my transcript then. But, aside from that, I get jobs because I did good work at my last job, I get referred and recommended, I write a good application letter, I present well at interviews, I come across as competent and at least marginally pleasant, I'm enthusiastic, and (when relevant) I have the basic qualifications: I have the required degree.

This is in no way a call to people to be lazy shits and not give a fuck about doing their best; I think the only true reward and motivation in life is the internal one of knowing you're always trying to do your best and be your best. But I also think, from observation and experience, that all this talk of needing postgrad and the best grades etc to get any kind of job is absolutely wrong. The people I know who get more knock-backs are usually the people I wouldn't want to hire anyway (of all ages), and even the best people I know get knock-backs. It's just life. I've gone through stages of sending out twenty applications a week - even to places not hiring at the time. Post-grad and grades matter for *some* jobs in *some* companies, but the vast majority come down to having the basic qualifications (if there are any), having a good track record of work experience, presenting well in letters and interviews, knowing the right people, and LUCK.

So just try to chill out, do your best, enjoy learning new things (because you generally do better when you're enjoying it anyway), and just get the degree. Worst case: defer for a year and consider whether you're in the right degree, or even whether apprenticeship or practical industry training is a better fit. It's all good.
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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2015, 11:28:28 am »
+4
Are you attending all your classes? That makes you better than the majority of uni students. There are so many students out there who are struggling just like you; not handing in the work and getting really low marks when they do. You don't hear about these people much because they don't attend class. They are always doing other things: staying at home, going out drinking, etc. The people who talk about their grades and their upcoming assignments are usually the ones who do well, or want to do well.

I've always believed that a degree is a degree. Sure, it looks better on your academic transcript if you have an H1 average, but just having a degree will make you hugely more competitive for white collar jobs than someone who never went to uni, and moreso if you have a postgrad degree.

I would suggest you keep fighting on. Keep attending all your classes and give it your best shot. And if your best isn't good enough and you still don't pass... then REPEAT! You don't fail uni just by failing a few subjects; you fail uni by giving up and dropping out.

Remember that your end of semester exams are worth most of the marks for your subject, so you can still get a really good score if you ace your exam. It's not too late to save the semester.
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Re: Contemplating whether to drop out of uni or not..
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2015, 12:57:31 pm »
+4
There was just a Q&A session with about 10 or so companies/organisations spanning from law-engineering-finance-arts-health-military at my uni just last week. I remember someone asking if they prefer a graduate with high marks over a graduate with average marks. Know what all of their answers were? "It depends". They went on to say something along the lines of, "grades still play an important role in whether or not you get a job, but we are much more interested in the person them-self. Work experience, motivation/drive, knowledge of the company/organisation beforehand, confidence, and personality, all of these are are what we mainly assess in the individual regardless of the grades that achieved in university."
I don't know if these were the big-shot companies/organisations or not (though I really should since i'm already in 3rd year) but I believe you should take their advice with a slice of gold.
If you have a lot of work experience, a likeable personality, and can show these qualities in an interview, then getting getting average grades shouldn't put you at a total disadvantage with the others.
Its up to you, if you still want to keep going with your degree, but my advice, just get that basic qualification, you will already have a foot in the door once you do.

Good luck mate, we're in the same boat.
« Last Edit: March 30, 2015, 01:01:16 pm by MagicGecko »
 
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