Help! Drop out dilemma

Jonny Arson

Hi everyone. I am in my first year out in UCD and I have found it difficult to settle into the whole university way of life during my first semester. I am currently having thoughts about dropping out because of this but I am in a dilemma because I am generally quite happy with my course (1st Arts) and I have a good idea as to what I want to get out of this course in terms of career so thus I am completely 50/50 on this matter.

I have found the large-scale size of the college to be quite unsettling and with over 1,000 people doing my course I begun to feel lost. I have come out here already knowing other people in their 1st year and they are all having a good university experience. I know other people in smaller colleges and they are having a good experience aswell. I do realise I would be better suited to a smaller college rather than UCD. However I would be quite nervous about dropping out because if I did go on to do another course and I hated it, I would be screwed but on the other hand if I stay and I still feel unsettled I may lose interest in my studies.

Basically I am asking you guys for advice because maybe some of you have been in a similar situation or are maybe feeling the same way as me. What advice could you give me so I can have a clearer picture as to what to do? I need to make my decision before February so I would have to pay half-fees rather than the full for the next course I may do but please remember I am happy with my course and I am totally 50/50 on this matter.

Any advice would be whole heartedly appreciated.

Sangre

Ok, Im currently in 2nd year, not in Arts. However I know quite a few people who dropped out of Arts last year competely unrelated to course content, basically they were just wandering from class to class, never knowing anyone in the mass of people. Even if you went to the effort of introducing yourself to people odds were you'd never see them again. This feeling of isolation was highlighted by the fact people you knew form school in smaller courses did have friends and were always around the same group of people. My advice is, take the veteran Art stuends advice, join as many sports/clubs as you can, you'll meet new people and maybe they'll even be in your classes. Also try and stick around with the people you meet in tutorials.
1 in 3 people who do Arts don't get a degree from it.

Evilution

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

...because I am generally quite happy with my course (1st Arts) and I have a good idea as to what I want to get out of this course in terms of career so thus I am completely 50/50 on this matter...

Thats your decision there, friend. If you like the course, then stay. If you didn't like the course, I would have advised you to leave. Arts is a very broad course and I'm sure everyone finds something they like in it. And don't worry, next year the numbers will be whittled down and you won't feel quite so lost.
Only other advice I can give you is join some clubs and societies. Most of the friends I have in college aren't actually in my class - they're members of the clubs and socs I'm in.
Also, if you drop out, you'll probably have to pay your fee's the next time you apply to college and they ain't cheap.
So my advice, stay.

eth0_

Why don't you finish out the year and see how you feel then? You could always finish your degree part time or through the Open University.

smiaras

This post has been deleted.

Gurgle

smiaras wrote:

This post has been deleted.

...because lots of people drop out?

Seraphina

im pretty much the same, im enjoying my course but even in second year im still feeling very lost. the work can be frustrating when you have no one to discuss it with, but i stuck at it, and i'm really trying hard to get through it. my advice, finish the year at least and see how you feel. you may encounter the same problems in another college, i wouldn't risk leaving the course you like right now, so many people never find something they enjoy.

smiaras

This post has been deleted.

blondie83

smiaras wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Thats the best advice you could probably get. You'll get to know people a lot better next year in your course. I remember in 1st year I had loads of people in my lectures, and I found it really hard to get to know them. Then in 2nd year the numbers went down to about 50, and I started to get to know my class pretty well. I also took up one of the martial arts in 2nd year, and never looked back! A lot of clubs will be looking for beginners again after Christmas, so its a good time to start if you want to try something new. :cool:

Invader Zim

Hi Evilution,

I'm in first Arts with yourself.

However, I've done the drop out AND the smaller college thing before.

Personally speaking, yes, smaller colleges are closer, more personal units (or rather smaller classes are, eg, DIT has small classes while still being the biggest college in the country).
I knew EVERYBODY in my old course, 70ish people with somewhere between 2! and 30 people per class.
You can still be isolated though. If your not able to make the effort to talk to your class mates, for whatever reason, then you still won't integrate.

Larger colleges (like UCD) are more impersonal.
I head in to psycology in theatre L and there are 400 other people around me.
It's hardly worth the effort to talk the the person next to you when you may never sit beside them again.
But (and it's a biggie) bigger colleges have better and more clubs and soc's.
Couple that with better facilities and you have an environment conducive to meeting people, just not in class, at least not 1st Arts.

I think it depends on you personally.
I much prefer UCD even though somedays I speak to nobody all day.
I prefer the regimented efficiency with which the place runs, not the ad hoc mismash of some other institutions.

Whatever you end up doing, JOIN SOME CLUBS AND SOC'S that contain the kind of people you want to meet.

Invader


/PS - you don't happen to be a really hot chick, do you?

smiaras

This post has been deleted.

Invader Zim

smiaras wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Cool

I needed that

Evilution

Invader Zim wrote:

Hi Evilution,

I'm in first Arts with yourself.

/PS - you don't happen to be a really hot chick, do you?

I think you have the wrong person. You should be addressing Zane I think.
A really hot chick? No, but I ended up in the sack with one on new years eve if thats any good to you??

panda100

Definatly don't drop out.You prob dont realise it but 90%of people in ucd feel the exact same as you and this is fact as i did a survey round ucd last year.Most people do feel lonely in ucd.When i was in 1st year up until xmas i was convinced i was gonna change course because i hated feeling left out from everyone.I went up to ucd knowing no one and was quite shy so i felt really down when i used to see everyone laughing and joking and me always on the outside.Then after xmas i just thought how many people in the world would die to go to a big college like ucd to meet people from all different backrounds and cultures while getting a degree in a course you really like at the same time.So i really put myself out there and even though it was embarassing i made a real effort to make friends.If i saw another person by themselves id just go up and just ask them something to break the ice-you'll find that most people will be only dying to talk back and make new friends.But there will also be people who will look at you as if you were a freak for just coming up chatting to a stranger but these peolpe arent worth getting to know anyway.I also joined loads of societys and met loads of people through them-get involved with a nice friendly society like the world aid soc not the c+e or b+l.Now im in third year and have lots of really good friends in ucd.It takes a lot of effort but itl be worth it in the end cos in such a bigplace like belfield your bound to meet someone on the same wavelengh as you.

Invader Zim

Evilution wrote:

I think you have the wrong person. You should be addressing Zane I think.
A really hot chick? No, but I ended up in the sack with one on new years eve if thats any good to you??

Yes, was aimed at Zane.

Cheers.

IZ

Jonny Arson

I am generally a person who takes a while to settle into new things so I think that could be my problem more than anything. University life is completely different compared to secondary school. With up to 500 people in one of my lectures, I do find things like that scary. Since I have come from a secondary school that I enjoyed so much in my last year I was always worried that I would it difficult to settle.

On the social side of things I have joined a couple of clubs and one in particular has been great craic but still alot of really cool people who I came across in those early weeks have disappeared or I rarely bump into them. I do wish things could be better on the social side aswell because most of the people who I talk with out in UCD, I have already known from before I came out here but at the end of the day its the whole university way of life that I find unsettling. However I do plan to make more of an effort with regards to clubs/socs in the second semester.

smiaras wrote:

This post has been deleted.

I'm studying Sociology, Geography and Information Studies. I will be dropping Information Studies if I do stay here next year.


Oh and to whoever was asking about my gender or someone elses gender, I am (drumroll please) .................. male.

Alana

I'm currently in first year now, and i now how scary it can be. I was in first arts last year and i dropped out, all confused and lost, and not really knowing what i wanted to do, or where I wanted to go to college, whethr i wantd to stay in ucd or take up my art college offer, or work, etc. Plus the whole being in a humungus lecture theatr with a zillion other ppl and not knowing who the hell anyone was, was quite a daunting thing, scary and got me a bit down. So i can kinda undrstand where ur coming from.... however its the same for a hell of a lot of ppl.

Why did i come back you ask, well i couldnt think of anything else that i wanted to do... :rolleyes: and its as gud a place as any, and if i went to tcd it'd take me 4 more yrs as opposed to 3, and dit doesn't really have the range of subjects that'd suit me, and art college is a whole other kettl of fish... plus the fact that I did make a few good friends in my brief time there, that and the fact that working sucks ass....those things and the pub.... I think your best bet is to stick out the year and get into second yr and see what its like, i know that from most of my friends that its a good deal better and less scarier as ppl drop classes they become a whole lot smaller. eg history last yr I remembr being in a Th L and it being full, i went into one of my friends lects before the end of term and it was sooooo empty.

However in saying that do what you think is best.

I remember when I dropped out, I was so unhappy and everyone was convincing me to stay, but i knew that if I had of stayed I would only have gotten more unhappy...english speak me good:) I think taking the year off probly helped me a great deal, i grew up, worked in a decent job (no more slave laour woo), bit more responsibilty, learned to fend for myself, saw things differently, and could just relax after all the non stop-ness of the year before what with leaving cert, portfolio, work, & uni madness.

I'm much happier than I was before, I still have big feck off lects with zillions of ppl, but i just try my hardest to make friends, and realise that most ppl are in the same boat. Try getting involvd with some of the soc's thats how i made a good few frineds.

Evilution

Well Zane, have you decided yet? Easy time at college or the heart-rending prospect of having to look for work?

rainbow kirby

It could be worse. I've spent most of 2nd and 3rd year in a 'What's the feckin' point?' stage...

arbeitsscheuer

Seraphina wrote:

im pretty much the same, im enjoying my course but even in second year im still feeling very lost. the work can be frustrating when you have no one to discuss it with, but i stuck at it, and i'm really trying hard to get through it. QUOTE]

Pretty much how I felt here until late last semester, but anyways...
Now my new yrs resolution reads:
"F*ck everyone else in this college - I'm here for myself and I'll be damned if I'm gonna throw away my future just cos ppl here don't wanna talk to me."

Invader Zim

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

Oh and to whoever was asking about my gender or someone elses gender, I am (drumroll please) .................. male.

Curses :mad:

Jonny Arson

Invader Zim wrote:

Curses :mad:

Sorry to disappoint you.

RedRules5

I studied in TCD and had the same problem in first year. Unfortunately I stuck it out for years 2 and 3 and was miserable as f**k. Class sizes were as big in year 2 as year 1 and by the time they reduced in year 3 I was totally out of the loop and could not mix with anyone. So I took a year off and returned to finish fourth year for no other reason than not knowing what else to do at the time. The final year was a significant improvement because of the new classmates, as I had no history with them it was like starting over but with a much smaller group.
On reflection although I regret not having left in first year and gone to a regional college I accept that I most probably would have had a similar problem because of my nature and that my isolation had nothing to do with TCD.
I reckon if you can take the advice to find friends through the clubs and socs then you should be ok, this and your enjoyment of the course will carry you through. On the other hand if this is going to be a problem as it was for me, 1 club for 2 meetings in four years, then maybe getting out of UCD may be a wise decision.

rainbow kirby

At the moment I'm really hating my course. And I'm in 3rd year, it's not even like I'm at a stage (1st year) where it's easy to start again with something new. The thing is, I actually like UCD and the people, and especially TKD, it's just that I hate my course. It's just so tempting to quit...

Mr.Nice Guy

I am in 1st Arts myself and I can really relate to what you're saying,Zane.
I'm the only guy from my old school in UCD and during the first semester I could have great conversations with people one day but trying to see them the next day in the lecture hall was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Most of the people I met in tutorials were nice but were nothing more than acquaintances.
However try and make the effort to talk to as many people as possible and look for people in the lecture halls that are sitting by themselves.
That's how I became friends with a girl last semester.I asked her about something on the course which led to a conversation and she was someone who sat in the same area every day which made it easy to build a friendship.
She's the only friend I've made but having someone to share the experience of UCD with is far easier than wandering around on your own.I know that from experience.
I agree with the people who said you should join clubs and societies and I also think you should try to talk to everybody as you might not see them the next day but you could see them the next week.

Since it's clear that many of us feel isolated in the cold,sterile place that is UCD why don't we actually do this UCD Boards Beer meet-up?
Some of us could find friendship and let's face it when alcohol's involved everyone's your friend.

Jonny Arson

Mr.Nice Guy wrote:

I am in 1st Arts myself and I can really relate to what you're saying,Zane.
I'm the only guy from my old school in UCD and during the first semester I could have great conversations with people one day but trying to see them the next day in the lecture hall was like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
Most of the people I met in tutorials were nice but were nothing more than acquaintances.
However try and make the effort to talk to as many people as possible and look for people in the lecture halls that are sitting by themselves.
That's how I became friends with a girl last semester.I asked her about something on the course which led to a conversation and she was someone who sat in the same area every day which made it easy to build a friendship.
She's the only friend I've made but having someone to share the experience of UCD with is far easier than wandering around on your own.I know that from experience.
I agree with the people who said you should join clubs and societies and I also think you should try to talk to everybody as you might not see them the next day but you could see them the next week.

Since it's clear that many of us feel isolated in the cold,sterile place that is UCD why don't we actually do this UCD Boards Beer meet-up?
Some of us could find friendship and let's face it when alcohol's involved everyone's your friend.

Mmmmm alcohol

arbeitsscheuer

yeah, booze would help me get thru the day...

Wait a minute, it already does! (Hipflask)
mmmm...

Jonny Arson

Well thanks to everyone who got back to me on this.

I've decided that I am going to stick it out here. Pretty much everyone has encouraged me to stay and in my heart I do want to stay so this has brought me to my conclusion. Alot of people have said to me that things do get alot better in 2nd year so as the eternal optimist I am I hope things will get better. I still feel unsettled out here two weeks into the new semester. I don't think I will ever like the whole size of the college even if settle in more. The size of this place is very daunting for some people and you can so easily feel lost and isolated around this place. There is such a vast difference out here compared to the tight confinds of secondary school, with up to 500 in one of my lectures it is honestly very scary. One thing I do find so disapointing about this place is the people in general. In my course Arts particularly people aren't very open to others. Lots of people don't seem to have any interest in getting to know new people, there are people in three years time who will be still only hanging out with their secondary school friends. Hopefully everyone will open up more to others in semester 2 becuase sadly I've not come across even one new person who I would remotely call a friend, which is very disapointing because I have always got on well with people and I have efforts to get to know people but no one is giving anything in return. I probably will get more involved in the Students Union and maybe join a new society. Do societies take new people at this stage? Any recommendations to any societies that aren't driven by alcohol?

Well I know for a fact I'm not the only person who feels this way about UCD and so here's to semester 2!

arbeitsscheuer

I'll drink to that

Seriously though, nice one for deciding to stick it out. I was, and kinda still am, in the same boat with regards to my opinion of *most* of the ppl on campus (particularly, as u noted, in Arts)... But wit 2 or 3 good mates and a few acquaintences, it's a helluva lot easier. I still mostly hang out wit my secondary school friends and their friends, but a few college mates never go amiss...

Good luck mate.

P.S. If you want to get involved wit the SU, here's a thought. One of my best mates is running for SU President. He's a sound man, real enthusiastic and a heart of gold. Anyway, if ur interested in helpin wit the campaign, or even just wanna hang out, sent me a PM.

snickerpuss

Yeh im in first arts too and im not likin it so much, the course is okay i guess but i dont really know anybody. Its not like im really shy, i talk to lots of people but they all seem to already have their own groups of friends from school or whatnot. So i dunno, i agree that alot of people dont seem very open to talking or making friends.
I didnt think so many people would feel the same.

sapho

I'm in 1st arts too and I know how daunting it can be.
I was thinking about dropping out too for a really long while, i hated it. I was so busy with college work and society stuff that I had no real time to settle down and make friends. things have really gotten better since i've come back. I've stopped a lot of activities and kinda sat back and enjoyed myself. THings have just fallen into place better. are you a member of any societies? dramsoc is a really good one to get involved in for meeting new people!