What's wrong?You're not alone in being unsure about your course. Other students have given some of the following reasons for wanting to change or leave their course: - Subject - it's not what you thought it would be like; the work is too easy/difficult; you find it boring; you are just not interested in it any more.
- Course - the assessment style doesn’t suit you; you don't like the lecturers or lecture styles; the way you are taught isn’t to your liking; the course seems poorly organised.
- Personal - you're homesick or lonely; you feel out of your depth; you find it difficult to balance commitments, e.g. travelling to university or part-time work.
- Financial - you can’t afford to pay the fees for your tuition or accommodation; you find it difficult to pay for textbooks or meet your general daily expenses; you have childcare expenses; you're worried about getting into debt.
- Career - you're having second thoughts about your chosen career path; you feel another subject may be more beneficial to your career prospects.
- Institution - the university or department is too big/too small; you prefer to study in the city/country; your accommodation isn’t what you expected.
- Disability or health issues - you may find you need adaptations to your study/living space; you feel unable to cope emotionally.
- Maturity vs youth - you feel unsuited to the course as all your classmates are older/younger; you find it difficult to balance studies with family/home commitments; you feel out of place on the course; you find the change between school and university hard to deal with.
There are many other reasons, but you may see here some similarities to the way you’re feeling. Be honest and try to think what it is about your current situation that makes you want to change. This will help you to make the right decision and identify the best person to speak to for more advice. One important thing to remember is not to feel alone or unsupported. Staff are available in your institution to help with all these issues. So get some guidance. Leaving the course without any sense of where you’re going next often makes the situation worse. Finally, act as soon as possible. If you’re going to change course or leave, it’s often easier to do so early in the first semester, when in-filling to other courses is more of a possibility. You’ll learn more about this in the other sections of this information guide. back to top Case study: GaryGary started university at 17, feeling sure about the law course he was studying because he wanted to join the police. He quickly felt that he’d made a mistake. He found the lectures weren’t what he was interested in and he couldn’t adjust to the change in culture between school and university. He spoke to his careers adviser in his fourth week at university, who informed him that no specific degree subject was required for his chosen career. Having looked at other possibilities, Gary found a course in criminal justice. He spoke to the lecturer concerned and had transferred courses within a week! He was also able to discuss things like the timetable of his new course, and find out exactly what would be expected of him. Gary knew his reasons for choosing a law course, but had not researched other possibilities. He admits he was lucky, because he had considered just stopping attending lectures and hunting for a job. Taking early advice meant that he found a course he enjoyed and one that suited his future career ambitions.
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