Dropping Out

[SuperMikey]

I'm in two minds as to whether to continue my degree course or jack it in at the moment. My reasoning for the doubt is that i'm not really sure how useful a degree in Anthropology will be in the 'real world' - something that I perhaps should have considered when I applied to uni in the first place. Any drop-outs on here that can give me their opinions and experiences?

 

I'd love to get into radio if I did leave uni, not presenting (unless there was an opportunity) but just working in a studio on the production side of things. Anyone hook me up?

[saintscottofthenortham]

Cool story bro.

[JRM]

I'm in two minds as to whether to continue my degree course or jack it in at the moment. My reasoning for the doubt is that i'm not really sure how useful a degree in Anthropology will be in the 'real world' - something that I perhaps should have considered when I applied to uni in the first place. Any drop-outs on here that can give me their opinions and experiences?

 

I'd love to get into radio if I did leave uni, not presenting (unless there was an opportunity) but just working in a studio on the production side of things. Anyone hook me up?

 

i know a lad who went through 3 years of uni before dropping out before taking his exams, says it was still worth it for the experience but i somehow think deep down he regrets it.

lots of people change course after a year when it dawns in them they are not learning anything useful and there is no enjoyment in it.

[Griffo]

In the same position. I'm enjoying university but can't be f*cked to do any work.

[shurlock]

No-brainer - finish your degree. The safety of university's the best place to be at the moment - with little or no work experience, you'll be torn to shreds in the real world. And you can't underestimate the regret you might feel later on. I know a couple of girls -one in her mid-20s and one in her early-30s- who packed in university and you can tell it grates.

 

Doesn't entirely matter what you study either (whether you enjoy it is another matter). Get a 2:1 or better from a decent university and that's half the battle.

 

Man up and count your blessings - and, even better, you get to do it all at the taxpayer's expense....

Edited 14 November, 2011 by shurlock

[dune]

In the same position. I'm enjoying university but can't be f*cked to do any work.

 

Don't be such a prat. These next 2 or 3 years will shape your next 40 years and then your prospects for living a good retirement. I thought you were more intelligent.

[Turkish]

In the same position. I'm enjoying university but can't be f*cked to do any work.

 

That doesn't change when you get to work mate, just get paid for it and overtime learn to hide it well.

[dune]

I'm in two minds as to whether to continue my degree course or jack it in at the moment. My reasoning for the doubt is that i'm not really sure how useful a degree in Anthropology will be in the 'real world' - something that I perhaps should have considered when I applied to uni in the first place. Any drop-outs on here that can give me their opinions and experiences?

 

I'd love to get into radio if I did leave uni, not presenting (unless there was an opportunity) but just working in a studio on the production side of things. Anyone hook me up?

 

Don't talk such sh/t. You must know what career prospects are open to those who pass your course. Working for a radio station is a stupid idea. Stick with your course and stop being a div.

[hamster]

I dropped out of my Health and Social Care NVQ if that's of any relevance. Once 'the penny dropped' re what my job was all about, i struggled to maintain interest and couldn't get down to doing the work. it was so focussed on cross referencing and one's ability to tick lots of boxes plus a few personal problems that I decided that I was wasting mine and the other scholars time and effort.

 

Very comfortable with the decision and compiling my CV recently made me realise that I can put into words what I want prospective employers to know about me and my motivation a much more appropriate 'statement' than a mere qualification.

 

Maybe you should ask yourself what the difference might be between two jobs; one requiring degree and one not, if it's the higher salary that attracts you then good luck but it certainly does not follow that you'll be happier with a higher income. Especially if, as I understand it, you are a true anthropologist.

 

My tupenceworth.

[hamster]

Do an NVQ whilst you still can. Don't waste your time with a II, go straight for a III, that's where the kudos is Mikey.

[Verbal]

I'm in two minds as to whether to continue my degree course or jack it in at the moment. My reasoning for the doubt is that i'm not really sure how useful a degree in Anthropology will be in the 'real world' - something that I perhaps should have considered when I applied to uni in the first place. Any drop-outs on here that can give me their opinions and experiences?

 

I'd love to get into radio if I did leave uni, not presenting (unless there was an opportunity) but just working in a studio on the production side of things. Anyone hook me up?

 

How far are you into your course? Change it if it's not too late, although Anthropology is more useful than you might think.

 

Don't be too surprised if you discover that radio is dying as an employer of technicians and production staff. Multi-skilling and new technology, as well as the proliferation and downsizing of radio stations, is cutting into jobs prospects. Actually one of the few opportunities you have of developing a radio career is by going to (or in your case staying at) university and getting heavily involved in the uni radio station. Doesn't Southampton University have its own station?

[hamster]

Don't talk such sh/t. You must know what career prospects are open to those who pass your course. Working for a radio station is a stupid idea. Stick with your course and stop being a div.

 

You can be such a Hundt sometimes dune.

 

as in Magnus...

[scotty]

You must have had a reason for taking that particular degree course, like an interest in the subject or an expectation of a career in that field? Whats changed?

[dune]

You can be such a Hundt sometimes dune.

 

What?

 

I;m talking more sense than anyone. FACT.

[hamster]

Educacion is so over-rated imho.

 

Mikey, do you really want to turn in to one of these superior beings who knows everything?

[Griffo]

Educacion is so over-rated imho.

 

Mikey, do you really want to turn into one of these superior beings who knows everything?

 

Turn in to?

[Griffo]

That doesn't change when you get to work mate, just get paid for it and overtime learn to hide it well.

 

I guess I'm just your average modern teenager - lazy and want everything handed to me on a plate.

[shurlock]

What?

 

I;m talking more sense than anyone. FACT.

 

Would agree on this one.

[Saintandy666]

There's no point dropping out, because at the moment you won't get a job good enough to justify it. You might as well complete your course, because 40% of the population are going to have a degree(so better to be in that 40%, especially as you are almost done) and it's better to have one in application for some jobs than not. Apparently some jobs just look to see if you have a degree at 2:1 these days before interviews etc...

[hamster]

there's all ways someone cleverer than you so imho it's knowing when to stop not conforming to what your peers expect of you. Anyway, you'll never meet dune's high standards, you ****ed that one up with the wristband revealation.

[dune]

there's all ways someone cleverer than you so imho it's knowing when to stop not conforming to what your peers expect of you. Anyway, you'll never meet dune's high standards, you ****ed that one up with the wristband revealation.

 

Sometimes I take the p/ss, and at other times I don't. On this issue you've got to listen to the views of myself, shurlock and Turkish. We know what we are talking about.

 

You, on the other hand, are full of sh/t.

[hamster]

nipper, have you considered switching to Chemistry?

 

Never did that grocer's daughter from Grantham any harm, many place her on the highest pedestal achievable. Me? I'd have put her on the pill.

[hamster]

Sometimes I take the p/ss, and at other times I don't. On this issue you've got to listen to the views of myself, shurlock and Turkish. We know what we are talking about.

 

You, on the other hand, are full of sh/t.

 

Now that I know that you're joking I feel alot better.

[dune]

nipper, have you considered switching to Chemistry?

 

Never did that grocer's daughter from Grantham any harm, many place her on the highest pedestal achievable. Me? I'd have put her on the pill.

 

Thatcher got where she did through sheer drive and determination. Against all the odds. And she did a f/cking good job in turning round a Britain that was then known as the sick man of Europe. You really aren't very bright are you.

[hamster]

Thatcher was a heartless *****. FACT.

 

Yep, she achieved most of her goals, just a pity that she knew what was best for certain sections of communities better than they did. No point wasting time listening to their plight as members of decent hardworking communities, just bend em over, pull their pants down a shoved her iron fist where the sun don't shine.

 

btw, I know I thick, it is one thing that we have in common mate, you just don't appear capable of accepting that 'FACT'.

[hamster]

I am fond of you though, just so there's no hard feelings.

[dune]

Thatcher was a heartless *****. FACT.

 

Yep, she achieved most of her goals, just a pity that she knew what was best for certain sections of communities better than they did. No point wasting time listening to their plight as members of decent hardworking communities, just bend em over, pull their pants down a shoved her iron fist where the sun don't shine.

 

btw, I know I thick, it is one thing that we have in common mate, you just don't appear capable of accepting that 'FACT'.

 

Now you're just boring.

[hamster]

/\

That hurt.

[Saint_Jonny]

Don't drop out. You may look forward and think "what will this degree get me?", I have been thinking the same thing recently.

 

I'm in my final year and am on course to achieve a 1st in Games Tech (har har, what to you do all day, play games? har har har), the job market looks like an ass with hardly anyone giving out opportunities to graduates / the lack of junior positions in the industry, and it scares the hell out of me. But obviously I will be better off with a good degree on my CV than what I guess would be 2 wasted years in your case (all the fun you may have had aside) if you choose to drop out.

 

You must know the modules you are good at by now, focus on those, fine tune your skills and what you want to do with your life will come to you.

[Jonnyboy]

Get out Mikey and do plumbing or electricianicity while its still free to get an apprenticeship..

[Saintandy666]

Don't drop out. You may look forward and think "what will this degree get me?", I have been thinking the same thing recently.

 

I'm in my final year and am on course to achieve a 1st in Games Tech (har har, what to you do all day, play games? har har har), the job market looks like an ass with hardly anyone giving out opportunities to graduates / the lack of junior positions in the industry, and it scares the hell out of me. But obviously I will be better off with a good degree on my CV than what I guess would be 2 wasted years in your case (all the fun you may have had aside) if you choose to drop out.

 

You must know the modules you are good at by now, focus on those, fine tune your skills and what you want to do with your life will come to you.

 

That's a good point actually. You don't want them to be a job interview, so why did you quit after two years? It's an awkward situation.

[trousers]

I'm starting to understand why Labour introduced tuition fees

[dune]

I'm starting to understand why Labour introduced tuition fees

 

Big round of applause for Labour.

[Saint in Paradise]

Mikey, will you have as much access to fit women if you drop out??

 

That is very important at your age

[SuperMikey]

I'm in the second year of my course, I still find the subject interesting but that interest is rapidly waning. Good point about it looking bad on my CV though, it's obviously a drawback. I'm just not really sure what having a degree in my subject will achieve apart from an interviewer looking at it and going "Hmm". If I was studying something more vocational then I would be okay, but Anthropology doesn't give me a leg-up on anyone else for a job that I could really be applying for now anway. The job market at the moment is awful though, I applied for 25 jobs over the summer and only one of them got back to me (never had a problem getting a job before this summer) because of the sheer number of applicants at the moment.

 

Not fussed about finding a highly-paid job, because I think i'll live in squalor and filth regardless of what I get paid in the future anyway, I just want to do something that I love. Discovering Radio (which I have been involved with for a few months Verbal) has been a big thing for me this year, and it's partly led me to this train of thought about dropping out. I've never been a particularly academic person anyway, i've just scraped through where academia is concerned and been happy with that. Uni just seemed like the natural progression because I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life a few years ago. I don't have a much greater idea about that now, but it's starting to dawn on me.

[SuperMikey]

Mikey, will you have as much access to fit women if you drop out??

 

That is very important at your age

 

That's something to chalk up in the 'For University' column there

[JackanorySFC]

I'm in the second year of my course, I still find the subject interesting but that interest is rapidly waning. Good point about it looking bad on my CV though, it's obviously a drawback. I'm just not really sure what having a degree in my subject will achieve apart from an interviewer looking at it and going "Hmm". If I was studying something more vocational then I would be okay, but Anthropology doesn't give me a leg-up on anyone else for a job that I could really be applying for now anway. The job market at the moment is awful though, I applied for 25 jobs over the summer and only one of them got back to me (never had a problem getting a job before this summer) because of the sheer number of applicants at the moment.

 

Not fussed about finding a highly-paid job, because I think i'll live in squalor and filth regardless of what I get paid in the future anyway, I just want to do something that I love. Discovering Radio (which I have been involved with for a few months Verbal) has been a big thing for me this year, and it's partly led me to this train of thought about dropping out. I've never been a particularly academic person anyway, i've just scraped through where academia is concerned and been happy with that. Uni just seemed like the natural progression because I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life a few years ago. I don't have a much greater idea about that now, but it's starting to dawn on me.

 

Anthropology is a decent degree - my missus did a similar degree, got a 1st then a Masters in recovery and identification of human remains but job market pretty much non existant so is now a Science Teacher (just started after finishing PGCE). She absolutely loves it and its one subject that schools are crying out for. Good pay, amazing benefits that gives genuine job satisfaction.

 

On the other hand you could drop out, work your way up the slippery slope of corporate greed earning big £ but resenting the people you work for like me.

[doddisalegend]

Finish the degree then do what most gradutes do get a job in McDs or take a PGCE and become a teacher............

[dronskisaint]

I'm sure you'll have heard all the arguments but as an employer a degree in anything tells me that you had the intelligence to get there in the first place, the application to study for a further three years when you could have been earning, the independence to change your life pattern and become a part of a different part of society and that in doing this you have come out with a qualification.

 

In my opinion, I am also parent to a recently graduated daughter, it's better to look for any other job - including radio - if you have a degree in your CV.

[trousers]

Anthropology is a decent degree - my missus did a similar degree, got a 1st then a Masters in recovery and identification of human remains but job market pretty much non existant so is now a Science Teacher (just started after finishing PGCE). She absolutely loves it and its one subject that schools are crying out for. Good pay, amazing benefits that gives genuine job satisfaction.

.

 

A civil servant on good pay and amazing benefits? In these times of austerity? I must write to the chancellor at once to address this anomaly.... ;-)

[Colinjb]

Finish the degree. I cannot stress that enough.

 

Even if it's not directly applicable to what you then want to do employers often see it as a display of competence/potential. Collect the certificate (aim for a 2:1 though) and then do volunteering in the sector you want to get into to get your foot in the door, build a contact base.

 

On the negative side, regardless of how sensible your reasons may be for dropping out it can raise some uncomfortable questions in future job interviews.

[badgerx16]

many place her on the highest pedestal achievable. Me? I'd have put her on the pill.

 

Maybe Mikey isn't looking for 'a new England' ?

 

In any case, SM, ( and this is a very rare occurrence ), follow Dune's advice, and that of the others who have said finish the course, if only because it will save you having to explain in interviews why you didn't.

Edited 15 November, 2011 by badgerx16

[moonraker]

I'm sure you'll have heard all the arguments but as an employer a degree in anything tells me that you had the intelligence to get there in the first place, the application to study for a further three years when you could have been earning, the independence to change your life pattern and become a part of a different part of society and that in doing this you have come out with a qualification.

 

In my opinion, I am also parent to a recently graduated daughter, it's better to look for any other job - including radio - if you have a degree in your CV.

 

This is the best advice to date (apologies to all others who rightly said finish the degree). Traditionallymost degrees are not vocational they are about intellect, the ability to understand complex concepts and to demonstrate independent thinking. You only have this chance and if you give it up now you will regret it in the future. My Goddaughter read Anthropology, graduating 6 years ago, she has never worked as an anthropologist but equally she has never been out of work. I am an engineer working in engineering however my 2 closest colleagues read Medieval Languages and History & Politics they are highly valued in the business because they take a different perspective that makes us engineers think about things differently.

[Verbal]

Mikey, if you're interested in radio, the gold standard is still, by miles, the BBC, so the fact you're at a Russell Group university taking a social sciences degree, and already working in radio, all places you in a pretty good position when it comes to applying for news or production trainees' positions at the Beeb, which are graduate-entry only.

Edited 15 November, 2011 by Verbal

[Born In The 80s]

The main advice i'd give to students is to make sure they are doing some voluntary work experience, in breaks in their study (i've done uni and i know how much time you guys have off). Even if you don't know what you want to do yet, then that's even more reason to experiment in working in different environments.

 

Although gaining a degree is fairly important, as someone else pointed out, 40% of guys your age now have one. However, the mistake most of these make is they do nothing in between their hours of study. Get yourself ahead of the game now and start emailing/phoning up companies for work experience in your next study break. I don't know this for a fact, but if you are interested in radio, then go down to all the local stations (solent, breeze, wave etc) and see if you can arrange some voluntary work for a week. With the market being as competitive as ever now, you simply won't be able to do "work experience" after you've graduated. Chances are, employers will look at you and wonder what you've been doing for the 20 odd weeks when you weren't at uni. Now obviously, some markets are far more competitive than others, but the point still stands. Get your experience done now.

 

Also, never complain about student life, you've got it so incredibly easy at the minute. Take full advantage of the partying, drinking, ****ging different girls every night of the week whilst you can, as **** gets real once you graduate.

[dune]

Mikey, if you're interested in radio, the gold standard is still, by miles, the BBC, so the fact you're at a Russell Group university taking a social sciences degree, and already working in radio, all places you in a pretty good position when it comes to applying for news or production trainees' positions at the Beeb, which are graduate-entry only.

 

Just think Super Mikey, you could end up working with Verbal. I think you'd make a great team.

[SuperMikey]

The main advice i'd give to students is to make sure they are doing some voluntary work experience, in breaks in their study (i've done uni and i know how much time you guys have off). Even if you don't know what you want to do yet, then that's even more reason to experiment in working in different environments.

 

Although gaining a degree is fairly important, as someone else pointed out, 40% of guys your age now have one. However, the mistake most of these make is they do nothing in between their hours of study. Get yourself ahead of the game now and start emailing/phoning up companies for work experience in your next study break. I don't know this for a fact, but if you are interested in radio, then go down to all the local stations (solent, breeze, wave etc) and see if you can arrange some voluntary work for a week. With the market being as competitive as ever now, you simply won't be able to do "work experience" after you've graduated. Chances are, employers will look at you and wonder what you've been doing for the 20 odd weeks when you weren't at uni. Now obviously, some markets are far more competitive than others, but the point still stands. Get your experience done now.

 

Also, never complain about student life, you've got it so incredibly easy at the minute. Take full advantage of the partying, drinking, ****ging different girls every night of the week whilst you can, as **** gets real once you graduate.

 

Thanks for the advice mate, and everybody else that's posted in the thread. Work experience isn't too much of a problem for me as i've been working since I was 16 but I will definitely look at doing some voluntary work over the summer. I'm definitely not complaining about student life, my life at the moment is very easy compared to many others, it's just that i've lost interest in studying my degree. I might look to change to a different degree course in September, although all that's going to do is delay my graduation by another 2 years...sigh.

[holepuncture]

I'm starting to understand why Labour introduced tuition fees

 

Absolutely, I think it is disgusting when students drop out. On my first degree we had drop outs in the first two weeks, first two months and a couple more over the first year... the course was very over-subscribed and people couldnt get a place, just so that these idiots could kick about at uni for a little while and then bugger off... those that didnt get a place may have had to sit on their arse for an entire year because of these selfish b*stards. During my postgrad the exact same thing happened, albeit only a couple of dropouts, however it was just as infuriating becasue this lot had already been through an entire degree (should know better), and had once again taken somebody elses place on an oversubscribed course.

 

Bracelet boy:

 

dropping out would be a phenomenal error of judgement and as others have said could really grate you in the future. Finish the degree, at least in your final year you can design your final projects/dissertations around subjects you genuinely enjoy/interested in...

 

if as stated 40% now have a degree, dont be in the 60% at the back of the line... make sure you have a 2:1 as a 2:2 with no relevant experience could potentially have a negative impact (as soooo many have tutus)...

 

You have your entire life to build a career...

 

think how difficult it would be to return to full time education as an adult, potentially with dependants/responsibilities etc...

 

think of the cost implications of the new education-mortgage/tuition-fee scheme...

 

you ungrateful little b*st*rd!.. what I would give to do it all again!

[dune]

Bracelet boy

 

I lol'd.

[GenevaSaint]

I might look to change to a different degree course in September, although all that's going to do is delay my graduation by another 2 years...sigh.

 

Why not take your points gained so far and transfer them to the OU? Get a **** job and study in your spare time.