After you have been working at your degree for a few weeks you may start to think you have chosen the wrong course or even the wrong university. This happens to a few students every year, and the first reaction usually is panic. After the initial realisation, it is time to do something about it or you could spend the next three years studying the wrong thing.
Don’t Give Up
This is not something that should make you give up on what you really want to do. In the worst situation you will leave the course, take the rest of the year and start a new course or university the following year. That might seem like a long time to you when you are in despair, but it really isn’t. In fact, who knows what else you might do in that year. You could find that pulling away from the wrong course was the best thing you ever did.
Find The Problem
You need to know what the problem was with the course you had started to try and make sure that you do not make the same mistake again. For instance, if you thought your marketing major would be more focused on the digital world and were disappointed to find out it wasn’t, the next time you start a course ensure that it does teach all you need to know about marketing with technology.
It could be that the problem was a personality clash with one of your professors or that the university does not suit you. The problem does not have to be work related but it can make the whole experience just as unpleasant.
Seek Support
Universities do not want students dropping out if for no other reason than it makes them look bad. Also, they care about the students and so they have support networks in place to help you if you are struggling with your current situation.
You have probably already been assigned a personal tutor in case you encounter any problems and they should be your first port of call. Email them if it is easier than telling then face-to-face. If you do not have a personal tutor the university will have other support available, which you should make use of.
Most times, they will be sympathetic and help you to decide what are the best steps for you. Once the decision has been made they will be there to support you to see it through.
Change Course
Possibly the easiest way to solve your dilemma is to change courses. Of course, that only works if it is the course that is the problem and not the university. It is not a favourite thing to happen from a universities point of view, but they would rather let you move than have you drop out. You just have to hope that the course you want to move to has some spaces, or this course of action might not be an option.
Whatever you decide to do, just remember that picking the wrong degree is not the end of the world and there are options to change it.
