Please help me, i am failing my degree?

Question

Hi, i am in my second year of an english degree and last month 2 of my grandparents died and i found it hard to concentrate and now i have had soo much time off that its hard to catch up. I really don't know what to do. I am not enjoying my degree and i decided a while ago that when i finish this i would persue a career in social work. A completely different career! Please give me some advice. Everyone would be so unhappy if i dropped out but it doesn't look like i will pass this year.

Answer 1

wow, i cant believe what a similar situation i was in last year! Im currently resitting my third year after having to pull out of studies due to personal problems - i too just missed stuff, deadline flew past and i just completely buried my head in the sand (I could win awards for doing that!). I finally plucked up courage to email my welfare tutor for my year and she put me in contact with student counselling. Once i had had a few counselling sessions, i went to see my year welfare tutor and we talked about new deadlines etc and how to catch up or the possibility of resitting the year - i tried to catch up but was not emotionally ready so i decided to resit the year (which im doing now and still completely detest my course).

But back to what i think you should do - the only reason i am doing this course is because its what everyone else wants me to do and i cant stress how miserable that is! It was slightly different because i was in my third year and as EVERYONE banged on at me, its so close to the end bla bla bla (yes its true but they arent the ones who have to do something that makes them unhappy and isnt what they want to do).

I dont want to do my course and also want to go into social work possibly but my advice to you is do what YOU want - dont live your life because of what everyone else tells you to do or wants from you - i wish i could have been tough enough to tell everyone else to "bleeep" off but i wasnt and it really annoys me that i wasnt! If you feel you can, resit your year and give it another shot as then you can then go on to do a masters in social work, if you can though, see if you can switch on to a social work degree course either at your university or find one which does that course. The only reason i have stayed on is because to get into social work, you have to have either a degree in it or a masters so i am aiming towards getting on a masters course (im doing geography - nothing like social work!)

But please, be really true to yourself about this, i know its easier said that done and im still doing stuff to please everyone else but please dont get to a point where you feel like you have wasted 4 years like i have!! I hope this helps! x

Answer 2

If you are unhappy with your course and you are stressed, have you thought about taking a year off? It could boost your confidence. You don't have long to go. Talk to your lecturers about your problem and try get an extension for your work. If taking a year off is an option, then look forward to it after all your hard work this year. Being stressed or unhappy won't help with getting the marks you need. If you try to at least pass this year it's another step forward. If you don't pass this year, it's not the end of the world. There are so many options out there to take like getting a job or going to college to do social studies, you would feel you wasted so much time and effort getting nowhere if you're not doing the right thing for your future.
This is a very important time of your life, but you need to be happy.

Answer 3

I had a friend who encountered a similar problem. She did indeed drop out of her law degree in the 2nd year and persued a career as a social worker. She is now settled, has a good job working as a social worker and is happy. However, you have to do what you feel is right.

If your grandparents would have liked to see you finish the degree, hang in there, you can do it! It would make them proud. It wont be as bad as it may seem! You've got into university which is said to be the hardest step, so I think you'd do just as well to persue the degree first.

Answer 4

Make an appointment immediately with your academic advisor. You may be able to do two things:
1) switch your major to social work, or something related to that field.
2) get a hardship withdrawal from your classes, which will allow you to start again next semester, with minimal impact on your overall grade point average.

If this isn't possible, then you'll have to focus really hard to get as caught up as you can in your classes. You'd need to speak to each professor individually, explain the situation, and ask them if you can begin passing in your missing work now. That won't be easy, but you could at least improve your grades enough not to fail the term.

Answer 5

Sorry for your lost, I know it's hard. If you are failing this semester, you might want to drop the classes that your failing in, if it looks like all of them drop some rather then failing a whole semster and getting kicked out, focus on only a few. It seems like going part time, rather than full time since it seem too much for you right now, take it slow there no rush. But first you should look at your advisor first or talk to a professor for some advise! Don't know that whole story, but remember dropping out is not the end of the world your family will be there and they still love you the same. Make the right discision and only you know what's right. Might want to take a break for awhile from school and figure out what you like to do if your lost. Go to a student abroad program for a semester, that might change your life, might figure out things for yourself! One thing from a family tragedy is that gotta keep going and make the best of it! Hope this helps! :)

Answer 6

I think you need to speak to your personal tutor about how you feel. There's a possibility that you could change course or even university without losing too much credit for the work you've already done rather than throw everything in the bin.

Your tutor will be keen to help you and to understand how you feel - you just have to let him/her know how you feel.

If you're not comfortable talking to your personal tutor, speak to student services or the careers team - they won't bite and they're really helpful at times like this.

Don't be too hard on yourself, nearly everyone has a wobble at some point and that's without losing grandparents on top of everything.

Answer 7

Talk to your tutor as soon as possible, they are used to people having problems at home or doubts about their course.

You might be able to switch to a social work degree. It might mean taking the rest of the year out but as you'd be enrolled for the next year it should keep parents off your back. You might find not much was taught on the course in first year (often first year you study your main subject plus some different things), in which case you might be able to read up on this in preparation or do the course with the current year's first year and then come back next year. You could also work in social work (maybe volunteering) to get some experience befrore next year, or to a job to get some money for your studies.

Answer 8

Most universities will allow you to withdraw from classes without penelty given the losses you have suffered. Talk with your advisor and/or the dean/director of your college. Alternately talk with the professors in the course. They may be willing to work with you and let you take incompletes in the courses allowing you to do the work this summer and make up the work. Most prof's will work with you if you can make it to the remaining classes and show effort on your part.

Also if you are only a sophmore you can easily transfer into a social work major since most programs don't really start till the junior year. Increasingly 1/3-1/2 of the students entering a BSW program are junior transfer's from community college.

The take home message talk to the people at your university...most really want to help you to succeed. DA

Answer 9

You re reaching out, that's a good sign. You obviously cared a lot for your grandparents. You also care a lot about your degree. So, use that energy and hit the books in a practical way. Read the stuff and write a short version of the sections for yourself. Keep in mind what you would have accomplished if you grandparents where alive today. The would like it if you persisted. Keep it up. It's worth it. You'll see.

Answer 10

I understand you completely. I lost my mother during mid-terms. It was very hard to concentrate. My professor gave me time to make up the mid-term. If you speak with your professors they oftentimes will give you extra time to complete assignments.

Concerning your degree you may want to consider changing majors or doing a masters degree once you finish the first degree. You do not say if you are Sophomore or a Senior; in any case one oftentimes changes the direction in which one determines to be life's passion. In any case good luck to you on all accounts.