Today I started the process of withdrawing from Leeds Met for this year at least.Its not a decision I’ve taken lightly but remotely working at uni hasn’t worked for me, there have been some problems with the online interface and communication but I don’t blame anyone, Its my own fault, I just haven’t enjoyed it at all and when I don’t enjoy something, I can get very arsey about it.
People say that Bill Gates and other CEO’s dropped out (or never attended uni) but I didn’t do it because of that, I just want to do so much at the moment and I haven’t needed a degree yet.. I know that might chance one day but I do too many things for “one day”…
I’m not sure what the status is, can I go back in a year and finish it, can I go and do a final year in 5 years time, I’m not sure and its all something for me to look into.
There are a lot of people disappointed in me with this decision (some of them have already made me aware of that fact!) but this is one of the decisions I put some real thought into (not like deciding to organise a conference!).
I don’t consider my time at uni a complete loss, In the first year I learned to manage time and schedules by working 3 part time jobs, I decided that I would sacrifice some of the social aspects to not leave with debt, maybe that’s one of the reasons I didn’t enjoy it as much.
I made some fantastic friends and contacts, If it wasn’t for Uni one of my lectures wouldn’t have introduced me to Dean Sadler, who wouldn’t have invited me to Barcamp, then I wouldn’t have met many of the geekupers and I wouldn’t be known as “TheHodge”.
I have no doubt that Education is important but I don’t think our current system works as well as it should, crazy schemes to fix it put plasters on things that don’t need them, I can’t believe how many schemes are set up to sort out people who truant and are violent in class to get them back on track… by taking them quad biking, paint balling and out during the time that regular students are writing, to me that just promotes that activity and has always been something that pissed me right off.
What am I doing instead of university?
- Working fulltime at a new company
- Looking into the affiliate space, taking advice from friends in the industry
- Organising conferences! (I’m quite enjoying this at the moment)
- Blogging
I might be blogging in 3 years time saying it was all a mistake and I’ve messed up royally…. so be it.
I don’t recommend that everyone drop out of Uni by the way, that’s not my point at all, I think that I’ve enough experience, contacts, knowledge and above all confidence to go on my own.
No related posts.
It’s a hard thing to do, but see where it takes you. You’ll always have the option to go back and do something if plan A doesn’t work this year.
p.s. I dropped out twice
Can you not defer for a year to see if you want to go back next year?
You don’t have to go back but at least you’ll still have that option.
I recently made a big decision and realised that everbody wants to have an opinion weather it be good or bad
You just gotta do what you feel is right.
For my twopennyworth I’ll start by asking you not to blame yourself. To realise there is no point in continually feeling down about the course and doing something about it is a good move. No-one learns much when unhappy, and education for life also means you’ve a lifetime in which to pursue formal ‘Education’.
Have fun putting your energies into these new ventures and see what paths open up. It could well be you return to ‘getting the piece of paper’ in some completely different subject.
The eldest student I know embarked on his first degree aged 52 and was older than his tutors. He’d a successful working career but only then felt the need for the stimulus of a Uni environment/challenge. Being financially OK meant he devoted all his time to getting the most out of the course and walking away with a 1st class hons to pursue an even more rewarding career.
Well done on making your decision, this post alone shows you’ve really put thought into it and like you say, it’s good to do thigns for “one day”, but sometimes you just need to do things for “the now”.
I can understand the dilemma you’ve had, I considered not completing my final year since the whole group of friends didn’t like what we were doing, plus I was commuting an hour each way to save costs on living in Leeds – so I can understand the part about perhaps not enjoying it as much as others did.
Ultimately I did force myself through my final year, but in the 4.5 years since, if I’m honest I’ve not used my degree qualification at all and certainly didn’t learn much – I’ve learnt a great deal more in the past 2 years from the Internet in terms of blogging and meeting fellow bloggers.
Good luck with your new job and other projects and ventures! See you at Northern Bloggers Meet and Think Visibility!
Sadly I think the vast majority of employers want to see a degree. You’re in a position where you’re working, so you need to weight up if there’s any advantage in finishing the final year in view of the amount of time you’ll have to put in.
My degree proved pointless, and sometimes 20 years after starting it makes me quite angry at doing something that proved not to be what it said “on the tin”. It also seemed to help if you brown nosed to the lecturers. I was the first to get a job, though, after graduating, but that was all down to what I did at 6th form and having a year out in industry.
Without that piece of paper saying I have a degree things would have been a lot more difficult.
Do they really take uni students quad biking if they are violent in class? Times have changed since I did my degree a couple of years ago!
Uni is overrated, I think.
.-= Joe´s last blog ..Another Site Ranked #1 in Google =-.
Hi.
I guess I’m a little late on the uptake having only just read your post on this, but I agree with the general comment that you’ve got to do whats right. I began university last year straight from college at my local university. I had gone to a million and one open days and was absolutely stoked to do my course.
Then something happened. In the first couple of weeks I just completely panicked and couldn’t handle anything at all. It was really unlike me and I didn’t want to remember my years at university starting off in such a bad way. As a result I intercalated but also considered later dropping out.
I go back this September (that was just my choice) but many people think I’m crazy to be going back to the course I would have done if I’d have stayed. (So in their eyes I’ve wasted a year for nothing, apparently) but I think its been great because I’ve grown up and I’ve affirmed with myself what I want out of uni and my degree. To some extent I just think; its my life, I must go on how I want to go on.
That’s why I think you’ve done a good thing here. Uni is a hell of a lot of money, its a culture shock and its not always as brilliant as everyone thinks – especially massive city institutions. Open days can be really misinforming, as can prospectuses and its still true that even up until the first month everything can be completely different to what theyve described the place as.
Didn’t mean for this post tio go on this long, but to wrap up:
If soemwhere down the line you want to go back, why the hell not? As others have mentioned, my cousin shares a room with a 30sthg Korean bloke who knows little English as it is. If he can do it anyone can!
At the same time, if you don’t want to go back to uni, why the hell should you? If you’ve got the skills you want and the life you’re living is worth waking up for, stick with it because nothing lasts forever and you’ve got to keep the happy times whilst you still can!
Dropout doesnt mean failure (unlike how the annoyingly stupid education authorities like to look at it). You’re very brave to have done what you’ve done.
Some of the most famous of people were actually drop outs.. including John Glenn., Woodrow Wilson and hundreds of others both past and present.
So If you want to …. go for it!
Hmmm so a lecturer introduced you to Dean Sadler. I wonder if that was me?
Finish it this year Dom .. don’t let it fester. Switch to BSc Computing, give yourself a new challenge. Specialise in Software Development .. base your project on the application of PHP frameworks.
Don’t let those stellar individuals like Bill Gates have any impact, they all send their offspring to Uni. There is something about having a degree that you’ll never be able to quantify, never be able to accurately analyse.
Drop me an email.