Looking for advice on how to not get kicked out of uni

[Studoku]

Hi. I haven't posted on these forums much but I've semi-lurked for the past few years. (Since back when OotS was in the 400s). People here are good at giving advice and, frankly, I'm looking anywhere for it now.

Some background information may be necessary- I study Computer Science at Lancaster University, England. I'm in my second year. I don't particularly enjoy the course, but it's useful for my potential career (game design- it's at least what I wanted to do when I started).

Over the past (calendar) year, things have been going badly. In between not liking the course, I've dealt with financial problems (nothing serious enough to get support). I fell further behind when my department gave me a lot of erroneous information about repeating the year. Admittedly, most of it is my fault though. I'm extremely far behind on the coursework- not only do I not know a lot of the stuff I need to, it's a fairly significant chunk of my final grade.

If I continue as is, I'm going to fail my exams and get kicked out of uni. The department keeps feeding me advice about how it's possible to resit because apparently I want the chance at a third in a subject I've long since stopped caring about. Catching up at this stage is not going to happen- I've tried to comprehend the work on multiple occasions.

I really enjoy university and want to still be studying there next year. I don't want to move either- all my friends are here and I don't think I could deal with moving somewhere else.

Does anyone with any experience in this situation have any advice?

[Serpentine]

You should be able to drop some subjects to concentrate on others. Consider doing so. It'll make your degree take longer and it may effect any government payments you get, but passing some is better than failing all.
Mostly, you need to talk to your student services. There should be someone there whose job it is to work out solutions to problems like this with you. At my university, I know where I would go to find these services ("Student Assist"), but I don't know the title of the particular person/people.
Basically: Cut back on workload, seek help.

[purple gelatinous cube o' Doom]

If you're currently not happy with studying computer science, then I suggest you find a field that you would be interested in studying. Many people, including myself, change their major when they get to college and find out what they thought they wanted to do wasn't for them. If you don't, the trend is to likely end back in school studying something else in the end, because if you don't like what you are studying, odds are, you won't like the work you do in the field either.

[Starscream]

I studied computer science myself. Never stopped enjoying it, but there were classes I had trouble with. I got an engineering degree, which means that there was a lot of advanced mathematics, physics, electronics, and statistics I needed to study as well.

If you are sure that CS is not the topic for you, then then answer is simple; drop it. Find something else. I'm a software engineer now, and I really enjoy it, but when I first began university I was planning on being a history teacher.

Took me over a year to realize that I simply did not want to do that for a living, but I had already taken a ton of courses with that path in mind, and I sort of felt locked in, like I would be wasting my hard work so far if I switched. Resist that feeling; do something else. You are going to be working until you are old, so it had better be in a field you enjoy.

As for your academic woes, the best advice I can give is to hope that if you study something new you will enjoy it enough to work hard at it. That's what happened to me; the more I got fed up with History, the further behind I fell. Just couldn't work up any enthusiasm. When I switched to something I actually liked studying, my grades shot right up

[MethosH]

Do you draw? I highly recommend you to change your course to Graphical Design. Fast.

If you are losing interest in computer science and still want to be in the game business you better change to Graphical Design (or what ever is called in England).

I also recommend you to save my e-mail so in the event of you end up being a successful game developer thanks to my advice you eventually hire me to go work on England. I really want to develop games in Europe :smallbiggrin:

[Lycan 01]

I'd suggets you drop whatever classes you can down to the minimum allowed course load, and then just try to catch up in those subjects. Over the summer, try to get a better idea of what you want to do...

Sounds like you need more work ethic or something, though. :smallconfused: I know it sucks, but sometimes you just gotta push yourself. I had to start doing that recently, since I lost all interest and drive for my academics due to personal issues and a death in the family. :smallfrown: But, once my grades started dropping and I realized how far behind I was, I had to reeeeeally buckle down and FORCE myself to study. Admittedly, I could have done a better job of it... In fact, I just realized I have a German test to study for. But right now I'm still happy that I passed my WWI mid-term, which was half my course grade and basically determined if I stayed a History Major. Studying for almost a week straight paid off. :smalleek:



So yeah. Drop what you can, and force yourself to bring your grades up. Then figure out your next course of action...



I studied computer science myself. Never stopped enjoying it, but there were classes I had trouble with. I got an engineering degree, which means that there was a lot of advanced mathematics, physics, electronics, and statistics I needed to study as well.

If you are sure that CS is not the topic for you, then then answer is simple; drop it. Find something else. I'm a software engineer now, and I really enjoy it, but when I first began university I was planning on being a history teacher.

Took me over a year to realize that I simply did not want to do that for a living, but I had already taken a ton of courses with that path in mind, and I sort of felt locked in, like I would be wasting my hard work so far if I switched. Resist that feeling; do something else. You are going to be working until you are old, so it had better be in a field you enjoy.

As for your academic woes, the best advice I can give is to hope that if you study something new you will enjoy it enough to work hard at it. That's what happened to me; the more I got fed up with History, the further behind I fell. Just couldn't work up any enthusiasm. When I switched to something I actually liked studying, my grades shot right up


I kinda feel that way now, actually. :smallfrown:

I originally wanted to be a History Professor, but a PhD in History takes about 12 years. And the more I learned about what being a Professor was actually like, the less I wanted to do it. But History is what I'm good at, so I figured, hey, how 'bout a History Teacher?

My state just slashed the education budget again, cut back on the number of teaching positions, AND I found out that there were more History and English teachers than possible job openings BEFORE the budget cuts. :smallannoyed:

I'm minoring/double majoring in Creative Writing, since I love to write and dream of one day becoming a writer. I'm kinda tempted to just switch entirely to English, and try to get a job at a book store or library while trying to get stuff published.

So right now I think what I may do is double major in History and Creative Writing, that way I can try to get a job as either a History or English Teacher, a Librarian, or work at a book store. And sadly, a book store or library may pay more than a teaching gig. :smallsigh:


I'd consider switching to Psychology, since its the most fun subject I've studied AND my highest grade, but I'd rather not start over from scratch at the end of my sophmore year. :smallfrown:

[Capt Spanner]

If you are doing a course you don't enjoy purely for the job you'll get, you'll probably find you don't actually enjoy that job.*

If you don't enjoy your course, look into dropping it for something you do enjoy. Chances are that will lead you into a job you enjoy.

If you're still set on game design, I suggest learning Flash and making flash games, or perhaps trying out the SDK, or other modding tools. If you're home made games/mods become popular for the right reasons that's a great way to get noticed by game development companies.


*Exceptions will exist to this.

[Starscream]

I originally wanted to be a History Professor, but a PhD in History takes about 12 years. And the more I learned about what being a Professor was actually like, the less I wanted to do it. But History is what I'm good at, so I figured, hey, how 'bout a History Teacher?

My state just slashed the education budget again, cut back on the number of teaching positions, AND I found out that there were more History and English teachers than possible job openings BEFORE the budget cuts. :smallannoyed:

Yeah, that's one of the reasons I switched. Teachers get no respect.

I had the advantage of having a really great history teacher in high school. Smart, helpful, and very funny. He was actually taking summer courses in order to get his PhD, so he could teach at a college level (the only way to make decent money as a teacher).

I'd been planning to major in education for a while, and because he made history seem so fun, I figured that was what I might teach (English was also an option; I was the top English student in my [admittedly small] graduating class). I ended up being accepted into Ohio State's "Tomorrow's Teachers" scholars group, which meant priority scheduling when it came to classes in that major, and access to a lot of councilors and experts who could advise me.

Alas, I got depressed with the whole business pretty quickly. The classes weren't interesting, not many jobs were available, and the farther I got from adolescence the more I realized that the reason adults act like teenagers are obnoxious twits is because we were. Only thing I still enjoyed was going downtown to tutor, and those kids were too young to be at the point where they require specialized teachers for history.

And in the mean time I was taking a few computer courses for kicks, becoming very interested in programming, and meeting all sorts of interesting and fun people (read:fellow geeks). And then I learned that even the starting salaries in those fields were sometimes twice as much as I could expect to make teaching high school history. Fun classes, better jobs, more respect, and I get to hang out with other people who like science fiction and D&D?! Sign me up!

[Lycan 01]

That... sounds eerie familiar. In fact, its almost exactly my story. Awesome history (and english) teacher(s) made their jobs seem awesome, but once I got further down the path to becoming a teacher I realized how bad of an idea it was.

But alas, I'm not computer literate. :smallsigh:

Although, it seems I'm great at English, and I have a knack for Psychology. :smallconfused: I could easily switch to English, but its a similar situation to History, although Libarian and book store worker/manager become likely options. Pyschology I'll probably take as an extra minor now just for kicks, though making it a major now would just be nigh-impossible. :smalleek:

My girlfriend says I should try graphic design. She took the intro courses, and I helped her with her Final. It looks like something I'd enjoy and be good at, plus I hear its a good field right now. So I'm going to give it a try next Semester, since I've gotten all my core requirements out of the way and I don't have enough classes outside my major left to take. Hurray for another possible Minor? :smallconfused:

[Brother Oni]

For Americans and other people unfamiliar with the way British university courses are taught, we're much more focused on the one subject, thus Computer Science is the only subject Stu42 learns about.

There may be different aspects of it (Java courses, networking courses, etc), but he only learns about Computer Science. He doesn't take English, Psychology, Economics or anything else.


For Stu42: I suggest talking to the university and your tutor about the possibility of changing subjects.
This may affect the terms and conditions of any grants/loans you may have, so talk to those people as well about any issues they may have with you changing subjects.

I personally went from a 3 year course to a 4 year course in the same subject, but aside from an application to my LEA, which they had to make a decision on, there wasn't any major problems.
I've had friends change courses after the second year, so it's not unheard of, but you may have to do some convincing to the university that you're serious this time and that you're not going to fall behind again, especially if your first year marks weren't that good.

[Fifty-Eyed Fred]

For Americans and other people unfamiliar with the way British university courses are taught, we're much more focused on the one subject, thus Computer Science is the only subject Stu42 learns about.

There may be different aspects of it (Java courses, networking courses, etc), but he only learns about Computer Science. He doesn't take English, Psychology, Economics or anything else.

Damn, that's some serious ninja right there. Curses, now I can't get satisfaction out of informing the foreigners how University works in the UK. :smalltongue:

Stu42, I think you need to make a start somewhere in buckling down. Once you start improving, everything can only start getting easier for you, but the "not comprehending work" and "really late with coursework" parts sound most worrying to me.

[Hazkali]

The department keeps feeding me advice about how it's possible to resit because apparently I want the chance at a third in a subject I've long since stopped caring about.


I really enjoy university and want to still be studying there next year. I don't want to move either- all my friends are here and I don't think I could deal with moving somewhere else.

I don't want to sound too surly, but are you in the position that you enjoy being at University (independence, parties, getting up at five and watching Scrubs in your underpants), but don't enjoy the graft? That's the only reason I can think of that you would want to stay in a subject and course that you obviously dislike. It would probably be better on everyone if, should that be the case, you end your studies and try and find a job in Lancaster. You'll still be around your friends, but won't be wasting time or money.