Giving up after one year - too soon?

bitsandpieces

Has he had a chance to speak to Student Services yet? Things may be different with a teaching course, but often within the Scottish system you can change degrees fairly easily within the first year or two. Did your son plan to teach a particular subject? If he has an enthusiasm for e.g. English, he may want to study the subject as a degree even if he doesn't want to teach.

If you're son's happy at Aberdeen - but not with teaching - worth looking at the opportunities to move within that university. If he's not happy in Aberdeen, I think there's a decent change that - if he finishes the year - he could build on this to move to another university: perhaps entering in year 2 of a 4 year degree. That's assuming he's still wanting to complete a degree, of course.

Student Services should be able to give your son lots of info about his choices. I'd discourage your son from dropping out before completing the year, until he's had a chance to discuss the implications of this with someone like Student Services: passing year 1 of a degree could open more choices to him (he's not concerned about failing?) I hope that he finds a good option for going forwards.

maggiesoop

Hi again. Thanks for very useful advice. Yes he made an appt with Student Services and he's definitely decided that teaching is not for him BUT the problem is he doesn't now know what he WOULD like to do. He's happy to stay in Aberdeen, happy to do another degree course but .... what? Based on the qualifications he has, it rules out a few options (ie one of his friends is doing Sports Science but he has no qualifications in the sciences and doesn't fancy leaving for a year to get them then going back), but really its just basic career advice he needs.

I'm told that UCAS has now closed for applications so it would have to be a transfer internally and the nice girl at Student Support says his chances are quite high for this to happen so fingers crossed.

I'm worried about the SAAS funding, I would have thought the paperwork will have to be completed fairly soon for courses which start in September? Added to which, he got a bit of a bursary last year and I'm worried that deadline may be looming . Help!

Dunroamin

maggiesoop wrote: »

Hi again. Thanks for very useful advice. Yes he made an appt with Student Services and he's definitely decided that teaching is not for him BUT the problem is he doesn't now know what he WOULD like to do. He's happy to stay in Aberdeen, happy to do another degree course but .... what? Based on the qualifications he has, it rules out a few options (ie one of his friends is doing Sports Science but he has no qualifications in the sciences and doesn't fancy leaving for a year to get them then going back), but really its just basic career advice he needs.

I'm told that UCAS has now closed for applications so it would have to be a transfer internally and the nice girl at Student Support says his chances are quite high for this to happen so fingers crossed.

I'm worried about the SAAS funding, I would have thought the paperwork will have to be completed fairly soon for courses which start in September? Added to which, he got a bit of a bursary last year and I'm worried that deadline may be looming . Help!

Has he actually seen one of the university's careers advisers?

The_One_Who

maggiesoop wrote: »

Hi again. Thanks for very useful advice. Yes he made an appt with Student Services and he's definitely decided that teaching is not for him BUT the problem is he doesn't now know what he WOULD like to do. He's happy to stay in Aberdeen, happy to do another degree course but .... what? Based on the qualifications he has, it rules out a few options (ie one of his friends is doing Sports Science but he has no qualifications in the sciences and doesn't fancy leaving for a year to get them then going back), but really its just basic career advice he needs.

I'm told that UCAS has now closed for applications so it would have to be a transfer internally and the nice girl at Student Support says his chances are quite high for this to happen so fingers crossed.

I'm worried about the SAAS funding, I would have thought the paperwork will have to be completed fairly soon for courses which start in September? Added to which, he got a bit of a bursary last year and I'm worried that deadline may be looming . Help!

I honestly think that before even thinking about funding, he needs to sit down and consider what it is he wants to do. Right now he is running the risk of lumping for something without necessarily giving it the thought it deserves.

maggiesoop

Update....he's decided to stay with Aberdeen Uni and is going to see if he can swap to do Film & Visual Culture / English as a joint degree. Does anyone know about joint degrees? Are they horribly difficult?

I'm really not convinced he will apply himself 100% the English side of it but I know he feels that I wouldn't be happy for him to just study Film & Visual Culture as I think it maybe a soft option.

I know its his life and I'd be delighted if he studies something he really enjoys, but I'm doing the reality check... will he find work out there after he finishes Uni ? (hence the reason I feel he may have a better chance if he has two degrees, specially the English one)

Any comments gratefully received.

Person_one

He did teaching because he thought its what you wanted and look how that worked out, don't let the same thing happen all over again this year!

He needs to love his degree subject, he needs to be able to see himself working in the same field in some form until he's nearly 70. You approving is not a good enough reason to choose a subject! Also, a joint degree is not two degrees, its one degree divided into two subjects.

Film is no softer an option than English, they are both the study of an art form one has just been around a lot longer. Neither are degrees that will allow him to walk straight into a job but if he really does love film and is clever during the course and gets good experience, does a bit of networking, really applies himself there's no reason why he couldn't do well afterwards.

Yes, film and TV are hard to break into, but not impossible! Thousands of people are employed in the field and we all happily watch the fruits of their labour every day.

The_One_Who

As above really. Your opinion on the course shouldn't really come in to it. I'd rather my child did a course that they loved and enjoyed rather than felt pressured into trudging through something for appearance's sake.

Neither of those degrees are vocational, and one of the most important aspects to getting a job after graduation is experience. Whether that be in a relevant field, or something transferable like a position in a club/society.

As for joint degrees, they are slightly more difficult than a single degree, because you will end up doing slightly more work. It's not like doing two single degrees, but it might not be as simple as doing half and half. Each department is different in their expectations of joint honours students.

maggiesoop

Person_one wrote: »

He did teaching because he thought its what you wanted and look how that worked out, don't let the same thing happen all over again this year!

Well, that's me told then! Don't get me wrong, I would be more than happy for my son to choose any career path he likes if he was mature and a hard worker, but I know him better than anyone and he really will take the easiest option!

Whilst I would love him to be happy and a success in his choice, I have to be realistic and think about the finances. Im a single mum with fairly low income. I send him £200 a month to live on (his loan covers his student accomm) and when I add it all up over 4 years, I would like to know that there may be a half decent chance that he will find work at the end of it. Of course I will put pressure on his to find part time work going into year two year but he'll make some excuse not to have to work (somehow I can hear the words "studying for a joint degree is harder so I have no time to work"!)

With teaching I thought his chances of being a male Primary School teacher were fairly high. In the film & theatre world, I'm fairly sure you can cut these odds down drastically. So in 5 years time, when he may be home again and living off the bank of mum, please tell me again that I should just let him follow his heart. I really have no option as it looks like he won't consider anything else.

Also, a joint degree is not two degrees, its one degree divided into two subjects.

[/QUOTE]

Please don't sound so patronising that I didn't know what a joint degree is. I left school at 16 with ONE 'O' level and have managed to work each and every day of my life. Half the time at jobs I hated, but my parents weren't so lenient as I obviously am.

To everyone else, sorry to sound negative but I just want him to make the right choices in life and not join the long queue of unemployed in his early 20s.

devildog

maggiesoop-Just a thought, if yours is a low income household is he claiming everything that he is entitled to? Those students from such a household are usually given more than enough to cover their studying without needing 'extra' from bank of parents. Infact I think it is fair to say that they get a fair bit more than those from higher income households (after the family has subbed them). Unless there are facts that we are not aware of I think he could be pulling the wool over your eyes.

I have just been in the same boat with one of mine leaving a degree course(last year)They really did not know what to do. This year they have researched, narrowed down choices, got some practical work experience in subjects they thought they would like to do(which knocked a few more choices off the list )and so on. They have now made their decision and have an unconditional offer for September.
Personally i think your son would of been better off taking a year out and doing some serious thinking, although I totally appreciate that the increase in fees doesn't make it an easy alternative.

Dunroamin

maggiesoop wrote: »

Well, that's me told then! Don't get me wrong, I would be more than happy for my son to choose any career path he likes if he was mature and a hard worker, but I know him better than anyone and he really will take the easiest option!

Whilst I would love him to be happy and a success in his choice, I have to be realistic and think about the finances. Im a single mum with fairly low income. I send him £200 a month to live on (his loan covers his student accomm) and when I add it all up over 4 years, I would like to know that there may be a half decent chance that he will find work at the end of it. Of course I will put pressure on his to find part time work going into year two year but he'll make some excuse not to have to work (somehow I can hear the words "studying for a joint degree is harder so I have no time to work"!)

With teaching I thought his chances of being a male Primary School teacher were fairly high. In the film & theatre world, I'm fairly sure you can cut these odds down drastically. So in 5 years time, when he may be home again and living off the bank of mum, please tell me again that I should just let him follow his heart. I really have no option as it looks like he won't consider anything else.

Also, a joint degree is not two degrees, its one degree divided into two subjects.

Please don't sound so patronising that I didn't know what a joint degree is. I left school at 16 with ONE 'O' level and have managed to work each and every day of my life. Half the time at jobs I hated, but my parents weren't so lenient as I obviously am.

To everyone else, sorry to sound negative but I just want him to make the right choices in life and not join the long queue of unemployed in his early 20s.[/QUOTE]

Don't know what when wrong with the quoting.


Without wanting to sound harsh, you're making a rod for your own back and really not helping your son if you send him a generous allowance which means he doesn't have to focus and get a part time job. In addition, you're already accepting that you'll allow him to return home after university and be financially supported by you at the age of 22!

Why not step away, allow him to make his own mistakes and support him emotionally but not financially?