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Uni drop outs


lightningxlock

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Do we have any dirty university drop outs on the UKFF? I went to Leeds Met in 2005 and dropped out a year later. I can safely say that it was THE worst experience of my life. It wasn't necessarily the course I was doing, though that wasn't amazing, it was just a combination of things not coming together enough for my liking or personal enjoyment. Sometimes I think I should've stuck it out but knowing how unhappy I was, that wasn't likely. Plus I see plenty of post graduates stuck in a rut and upto their eyes in all kinds of debt so maybe it wasn't such a bad idea.

 

So what are your views? Regret it or not? Been successful without uni? Got on ok after dropping out?

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I did 2 1/2 years of a four year degree in Engineering Design

 

Hated it, I had to join my third choice Uni and it was basically full of Townie/Chavvy bastards who I despised, that's right I despised everyone at my Uni. The Union was fucking woeful to the point I'd have rather shit in my hands and clapped than go in there.

 

My actual class had THREE people in it, me, a fella called Mark that was SO overbearingly gay (10 x Louie Spence) it creeped me out a bit, and Dave, a fella from China whose actual name was Dave, alas, he couldn't speak English.

 

Only friends I made there were three of my lecturers who I still keep in touch with.

 

On top of the above, a bad experience with a lass was enough for me to jack it all in and join the Police, I'm now actually working, earning a good (yet dated) wage, and topping up one of the most solid pensions in the country (MoD > Home Office for that) where I know the industry I would've gone into would have seen me struggling.

 

Hated it, regret ever going, wonder where 14 grand of loan actually went, would have been better off going straight into work.

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I'm seriously considering it right now. I'm starting my third year in October and nothing is filling me with more dread than having to start back on a course that has turned into utter shit in the past year.

 

First of all, I do an Acting degree which is already a major risk. But secondly, it isn't even at a uni that's known for acting, so the chances of getting work as a result of the degree is very slim.

 

I haven't been happy with the course for the past year, mainly because of the way it seems to have changed from a course teaching acting, to a course where the people who take the biggest risks get the better marks even if their work isn't as good. It also seems like the acting students are just being used to show off the make-up and costume courses.

 

One of the main lecturers is an absolute joke. She is the worst teacher I have ever had the misfortune of working with. If she doesn't like an opinion you have then you're wrong, no questions asked. God forbid when somebody tells her they don't like Shakespeare (which is exactly what I did).

 

I've just found out the plan for my third year. Usually the third years do 4-6 plays over the year, with the last 2 being in theatres around Bournemouth. Turns out for our last play of the year we'll be doing a "promenade performance" in partnership with a theatre company at an outdoor venue. So basically, we'll be showing off the costume and make-up courses while also acting with professional actors who will be getting our stage time for our degree.

 

The worst part about the whole thing is that everyone on the course is happy to sit there and bitch and moan about it, but nobody will stand up and fight about it. Makes me sick to my fucking stomach.

 

I probably won't end up dropping out purely because I've already done the first 2 years, but the idea of doing another year of shit and having to pay to do it is making me consider my options.

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Hello! Drop-out here. Like a lot of people, I went to Uni for completely the wrong reasons i.e. to get drunk, using money that wasn't mine. As appealing as it sounded before I went, looking back it was one of the biggest mistakes I ever made. It also didn't help being a Scouser in Sheffield. Apologies to anyone from there, but at the time I found that city one of the most depressing places I've ever been to. I imagine it may be because I associate it with not being particularly happy when I was there, so it's probably not as bad as I remember. Anyway, I got booted out so had to come home, take the first job that paid anything and spent the next couple of years repaying my Mum who bailed me out so large men with sticks didn't come knocking.

 

Although it affected me financially at the start of my working life, not completing my course didn't hinder my professional progress in the years which followed. I had to climb the proverbial ladder for a few years, but that's true of many graduates. Since I got my first managerial position in 2006, I've been promoted a couple of times and moved on to a great job. I'm now in a well-paid role with a great bonus structure, a company car and have some superb progression opportunities ahead of me. I've had to work my bollocks off to get to where I am, but that's nothing to do with not having a degree.

 

So, speaking from personal experience, dropping out of Uni didn't stop me from getting myself a good job and although I may have had to work at a level lower than some graduates for a year or so, over the forty-odd years I'll be working it's not a significant period to do that for.

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No. But, i've carried out my education 'career' at such a painstakingly slow pace that I fear i'll be dead before I finish.

 

  • Completed A-Levels
  • Took year out.
  • Went to University, studied Politics and International Relations.
  • Took year out.
  • Went back to university for an MA. Part-time.
  • Erm...fuck knows.

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I dropped out 1 3/4 into it. The course was shit, the Uni was shit, it was a complete waste of time and money.

I don't regret leaving for a second.

 

Same here, except I left after about 6 months. All uni would have done was prepare me for a life of 9-5 boredom, and I've definitely had more fun without it. I ran my own record label for nearly 10 years, managing bands and travelling all over Europe, then moved into bar/live music venue management. When I got bored of all that (turning 30 knocked a bit of sense into me) I took a job as a support worker which is something I'd always liked the idea of but never got round to doing. It's hard work sometimes but there's definitely more good days than bad and I'm really enjoying it. So all in all, no regrets about leaving university whatsoever!

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Not exactly the same I know, but I dropped out after a year of studying Law to move to another university (where most of my college mates had gone) and do Film & Media. With hindsight, dropping out of the first course was entirely due to my lack of maturity at the time and feeling let down after having bought into too many exaggerated TV cliches of what both university life and the legal profession would be like.

 

Although I'm sure if I did the whole thing over again as a 30 year-old I'd probably stick in at Law and do pretty well in the degree, I don't particularly regret it because most of my mates who actually finished the course are scraping a living as paralegals or in professions that have fuck all to do with their degree (presumably due to a lack of relatives in legal firms or an Oxbridge accent, and/or being shit at golf).

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My Uni is shit and most of the people there aren't the type I'd hang around with but it's only a waste of time if I drop out now. If I get the course done then I can move on to a teaching course and that's pretty much my future sorted. It's not been a waste of money due to the fact I got a lot of support from the loans company due to my family situation and the fact I went to a Welsh University. Also I've been pretty good with the money overall as I don't socialise with the majority of people there and instead spend it mainly on weed and the occasional DVD. It makes the University experience FAR better than it could be.

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I hated university but I didn't drop out. The first year was super shit, I didn't get along with the people in my halls and didn't fit in with most of my coursemates. After a while I ended up making friends with non-uni people through going to gigs and my part time job.

 

Looking back, my degree hasn't really helped me with any of my jobs. I should've quit :/

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i dropped out a year into a three year business studies degree (i would have been graduating this coming week). i did take it seriously but ultimately didnt study hard enough as i failed two of my 8 module exams twice (end of first semester, then the resits in the second). i had the chance of extending the degree by using my second year doing the failed modules again but decided against it as it would have increased my debt and ensured that i wouldnt have graduated with my friends

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I done an HND in college. Went to university to go straight into 3rd year which would have got me a BSC in Computer Networks. Just couldn't adjust from college to university way of learning. Just wishing I could have cut it and maybe I would have no problem being hired in places just for having a degree.

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I done an HND in college. Went to university to go straight into 3rd year which would have got me a BSC in Computer Networks. Just couldn't adjust from college to university way of learning. Just wishing I could have cut it and maybe I would have no problem being hired in places just for having a degree.

 

That's a bit naive Tommy, loads of graduates struggle to get jobs in their field with good degrees.

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That's a bit naive Tommy, loads of graduates struggle to get jobs in their field with good degrees.

 

I was just more menaing finding full time work in general not just limited to finding work in the field you qualify in. My feeling is that if i went for any job if an employer sees you have a degree it works more favorable for you say you just have an HND.

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