Richard_P

The situation is this -

I am in 4th year of my IT related course (4 years as it is a Scottish university) and I am contemplating leaving.

Reasons are

1. I have a degree with distinction from the 3rd year pass.
2. I don't want to pursue an IT career when I finish.
3. I always said to myself I was going to complete 3rd year then leave but when it came to the time I decided to try 4th year.
4. I have lost all motivation, probably due to reason 3.


The problem is that I am not entirely sure what I want to do career wise and don't want to potentially limit this by making a rash decision.

Does anyone know for example if graduate recruiters only accept honours or are they flexible for the right individual. Some of my career options won't require a degree, this is just one thought I have.

By the way I'm not a quitter or a layabout, I have a part time job where I am motivated and considered a keen worker. I just cannot motivate myself at university.

Thanks for reading!

Dream Weaver

I wouldnt leave if I was you. I did 4 years as well, and often felt like leaving in my final year, but wouldnt never have done it.

You will spend the rest of your years in interviews trying to explain why you jumped ship 80% through a course.

Just stick at it, although you're not heading for a career in IT a degree is worth it whatever the subject. Very few of my friends are now working in a career that is even remotely based on the degree they did, but the very fact you got the Hons degree and lived on your own, and worked on projects, and wrote reports etc will stand you in good stead for jobs further down the line.

If you're not motivated, then just do as we did in the final year - just enough work/attendance to get a 2:1, the rest of the time go and get pissed and pull birds

Dieseldog

Exactly, like a car without a FSH - you might know it's a good 'un, but I think quite a few prospective buyers (employers) will run a mile

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Agree, finish what you've started.

If it was the first or the start of the second year I would have said leave, but your only 7months off to totally finishing.

Many graduates end up in jobs which have nothing to do with their degree (in most cases because the jobs relating to the degree don't exist )

dtriggs

Ummmmm...tough choice....spend the rest of the 4th year as a student with no real pressure or worries (in relative terms) and ability to drink, sleep, exercise whenever you want....go out with yr mates whenever you want....or go get a career job, work yr nuts off and get a mortgage......

Just stick it out - you cannot regret staying, as there is no real downside, but can possibly regret not staying for the rest of your working life.

Richard_P

Thanks guys.

You have highlighted one of my main worries of leaving - Explaining it at the interview and employers not liking it. I must admit I'd wonder myself if I was interviewing someone.

RedFive

Employers like perseverance. You may not learn your job in school, but you may learn finishing a job in school/uni.

Darn, I wish I could go back to uni !

Hanslow

Agree that you should stay on. It would look suspect on a CV as to why you didn't stick out the last year. Besides, use your time in the last year well researching what sort of job you might really be interested in doing.

fast bloke

complete waffle - students excercise?

(Agreed 100% other than that though - come next June you wont be seeing the easy life for about another 40 years, so stick it out)

Richard_P

Thanks for all the replies.

I'm now of the thinking that I have to stick it out as all the reasons I had thought of have been highlighted again.

I've got a motivational plan now! Im going to try and finish something that I won't mind doing tonight. I'm working (paid) during the day tomorrow then I will work on some of the rubbish stuff at night. Then on thursday I will go get drunk

2000TLondon

Stick at it...... I'm looking at going back to Uni now at 28 having left early for various, stupid reasons! Seems like a long time ago and a lot of wated time at that! My wife has more degrees than a thermometer (specialist field) and puts me to shame with her earning potentials (I'm not proud though!!!!)

Petem95

If you have 24UCAS points or more (or whatever with the new system), and are likely to get a 2:1 or higher then I'd stay on.

If you dont have 24UCAS points and arent likely to get a 2:1 then you can pretty much forget about getting on one of the (very few) graduate schemes there are out there.

Ive got a degree (BSc Computer Science), but it hasnt really helped me at in getting a job - experience counts for a lot more. Im not saying it doesnt help at all, but it took me 5years inc 1years placement, and employers have seemed far more interested in what I did in that 1year than what I learnt in the degree.

Oh and good move avoiding IT, theres some terrible rates out there at the moment (yet still EVERYONE is going into IT under the impression its a gold mine ) unless you happen to have the most in demand skills and 3years experience!

I'd recommend construction. Got a few mates who didnt go to uni, but are doing very nicely in the construction industry (site management, surveying etc).

Richard_P

I have no idea how many ucas points I have.

I would say a 2:1 is definitely within my abilities. My grades for 3rd year would have got me a 2:1.

As for careers I haven't fully decided whether I want to go for a graduate program, I'll apply for a few though.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Go travelling and get laid more.

HTH

Richard_P

Would love to at the end of my course.

The scottish accent might make a few US teenagers weak at the knees hehe.

It doesn't seem to do anything for spanish ones though!

RJMS

iTrader: (2)

This sounds like an excellent plan, stick with the 4th year. I left after the first year and it has taken me almost 20 years to work myself up to a similar level to that which I would have had had I finished the course and got a semi decent degree.

Having said all that I would have had a very different life in the meantime, (and now) would not have met my wife, had my kids, running my own "business". For the sake of 7 months (out of 48) I'd say keep it up, it's got to be worth it in the long run.

Graz

Stick it out (as everyone else has suggested). Having an honours degree serves two puposes as far as I'm concerned.

1. You have some good knowledge of your chosen subject.
2. You have the ability to learn and pick up new skills quickly. You are self motivated.

Unfortunately most employers want skilled staff and experience counts for everything. I don't know where they think these skilled people are going to keep appearing from if they don't take on and train graduates. Very short sighted approach. Even the company I work for now has this problem, we used to take students on sandwich courses for industrial placements. Good way to find good graduates with no risk, let them do their industrial year and if they show promise offer them a job once they finish Uni. That's how I got my job. But usual penny pinching exercises mean we don't do that anymore.

There are some companies out there with good graduate training packages but competition is fierce so good luck with that when you leave Uni.

Now if you're not happy with your initial choice of career path (IT) don't worry to much at this stage. Having an honours degree of any sort will look good to employers as it shows that you have the ability to learn and can motivate yourself to complete tasks.

I do a lot of interviewing and see quite a few CVs but in my industry (Electronic Engineering) I wouldn't consider employing anyone without a good degree unless they had exceptional experience. Don't tend to see CVs with other degrees either but then this industry is somewhat specialised. Think we do have one chap with a physics degree. But depending on your chosen career path the subject you studied may not be as relevant.

Good luck.

Dunk

iTrader: (1)

Why can't you do both in parallel ?
Dust off your CV & get applying, if you get a good bite then have a good think, if nothing comes your way you'll see your course through.
Nothing ventured........

D

Cool Chick

A lot of my friends who went to uni felt exactly the same in their last year. My advice would be stick it out, you've done very well to get this far. It'll be worth it in the long run.

midget1500

don't leave. seriously. don't do it. see it out.

Richard_P

Looks like I will see it out, just had a momentary lapse of will to continue. I'm confident I will get through it somehow even if it is boring!

Not decided yet what I will do about applying for jobs for when I finish.

My job at the moment is ok money part time so no major worries there, I would get a bit over 15k full time so got that to work at in may if I'm not working anywhere else. Not sure about the prospects there though so I need to look at some possibilities.

Has anyone done a graduate program? Or anyone applied for a few and failed to get on one. Alternative I guess is to find an industry and work my way up the standard channels.