Wrong course?

Being stuck on a course you hate may make you wish you were a holiday rep in Ibiza, but before you decide to jack it all in it's worth taking some time out to consider your options.

The root of the problem

Student life can be stressful at times, so there could be a number of things making you miserable. If something traumatic is going on in your personal life, this could be affecting the way you feel about the course. Confiding in a friend or tutor will help. The university may also offer a counselling service.

If lack of cash is an issue, it's worth finding out what funding options, support or benefits are available. Being broke makes it harder to maintain perspective and skipping lessons to earn much-needed cash can leave you falling behind. A little extra financial help may be all that's needed to take the pressure off.

But, if it's the actual content of the course that's sending you to sleep, it's time to talk to your tutor, careers, welfare or Connexions advisor can help you figure out what your next move should be.

Moving on

It takes a lot of courage to admit you've made a mistake, but being honest about it could be the best thing you ever do – something Daniel Spencer, 18, realised after ditching his BTEC course.

"After a couple of months I got bored of being stuck in a classroom. I wanted to study something more practical. The whole thing made me feel really unenthusiastic – like I was wasting the year," he says.

After talking to his tutors, Daniel made the difficult decision to drop out. "I was worried I wouldn't find anything else I wanted to study, but then I saw an Advanced ICT Apprenticeship advertised in the paper. I checked it out online and it looked perfect for me. I asked a friend who works in the industry to look over it and got good advice from Connexions, so I was confident I'd be learning the hands-on stuff I wanted," he says. "I'm so relieved I found something I really wanted to do."

Before you quit your course, check what requirements the new course tutors require – remember you will also have transferable skills from your current studies. But do your research. "Open days are essential – speaking to tutors and students who are already studying the course can help you find out if it's right for you," says Connexions Area Manager Yinka Okikiolu.

Failing your course year

If your decision to leave your course is based on bad first-year exam results, talk to your tutor – the more open you are about your poor performance, the better your chance of getting the help and support you need. You may be able to retake exams or get more support with your learning if you are finding the course challenging.

Whether it was bad time management, feeling overwhelmed, a failed exam day or just too much time with your nose in a pint instead of a book, figuring out what went wrong can help you avoid making the same mistakes in future – be it on this course or another one.

Sticking it out

So you may not be skipping to uni every day but there are circumstances when hanging in there is the best option. Despite not enjoying her course, Nicola, 21, feels finishing her joint degree in Mathematics with Accounting and Financial Management was the right decision for her.

"I studied Accounting because people told me it was a good choice, but I found it a real struggle, with a lot of reading for essays instead of just working with numbers," she says. "I felt too shy to talk to my tutors about how I was feeling and it seemed too difficult to change course, especially as I'd already passed the year and didn't want to waste it. So I decided to stick with it.

"Looking back, I should have done more research before choosing it and it was hard to motivate myself, but I'm happy I've got my degree."

Written by Marcella Carnevale

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