Dropping out? The sooner the better!

Before I embarked on my journey as a student journalist, I spent almost a whole academic year studying accounting and finance at Kingston University.

That was until I decided to quit the course.

This does not seem to be something unfamiliar as according to data analysed by the Press Association, two-thirds of universities have recorded an increase in student dropouts over the last five years.

Some students may find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to deciding whether they should carry on with something they are not coping well with – I say the sooner you drop out, the better.

On my previous course, I did not really have a clue what was going on, in simple terms.

I knew nothing about the subject, and the teaching was not great either. But, despite this, I was also not helping myself as I lost interest and enthusiasm.

Ultimately, I ended up depressed, anxious and lost in regard to what I should do.

Eventually, around seven months in, I decided to drop out of the course after realising that despite my efforts, I was only wasting time (and money) on something which I was not interested in nor good at.

This was one of my toughest decisions, but inevitably, one of the best choices I have had to make.

Now, I am doing something which I enjoy and am really good at.

I want others to learn from my mistakes and know that if you really are not enjoying your course, you need to have the guts and the self-confidence to drop out as soon as you realise.

By doing so, it can give you more time to reflect on what else you might excel at as well as what you could still do in the future, such as my decision to switch to a journalism degree since it suited my best qualities while at school.

While on the subject, schools are another issue when it comes to pressure on students. I do not believe they do enough to help students realise that there are other options to university.

Many friends of mine went on to do apprenticeships in professions such as electrics and accounting, which are a great alternative.

Some decided to do a gap year which gave them time to reflect on what they ultimately wanted to do in the future – another good option in my opinion, and one which I probably should have made in hindsight.

Overall, I want people to realise that everyone is different.

Young people need to realise that they hold different qualities and should not embark on a degree that they may feel pressured into by family or school.

You should not feel the need to follow the trend of pushing young people towards university.

Follow your gut and do not just do something for the sake of doing it.

If it is not for you, it is not for you.