Anyone done it or experienced it? Regrets?

Sadly, we've got to collect young Miss D tomorrow and try to sort things out. She didn't even see Freshers Week out. In fact she had blown out first day but we've tried to encourage her to think about it and give it a chance. Seems her mind is made up. Bit annoyed that she may have taken a place someone else could have had but maybe they could still give it to someone via clearing? Also, seems a waste for someone with all her good GCSE's and A levels.

I wish I'd never had gone to Uni when I did. My parents were both teachers and it was the done thing. Should have carried on my rugby. I would back her fully into getting an apprentaship somewhere so she can find out what really interests her and what she wants to do with the rest of her life. I only know a handful of people who are working as what they studied to do. She has plenty of time on her side. My wife went to Uni in her late 20s and got a 1st in physio and is loving her job. I'd say doing Uni when maturer will get better results anyway as there is so much pressure on getting ed etc. don't worry it will be ok.

Be supportive of her. Ask her why she felt the need to drop out, and let her answer when she is ready.

Rid your mind of thinking that she's taken someone else's place or inconvenienced people. She's your daughter, she's about 400 billion times more important than the imaginary person who you'll never know.

Also bear in mind that this could all be over something that's not even related to uni.

She didn't take anyone else's place, that concept went out with my generation when universities were free but places strictly limited, today you'll get in as long as you sign the debt form and they'll take every single one who will particularly on courses (ie the majority of them) which involve very little classroom/lecture room time and lots of "home" study and downloading work, my eldest's law degree was probably only 25% spent in a university premise and some of her student colleagues barely attended half of those sessions.

As for her decision, in the long run and depending on what she was going to study it could be virtually meaningless but you probably need to have a sensible, supportive discussion over what her reasons were, she obviously realised very quickly that this was a huge mistake, was it the wrong course or living away from home - if you still want her to have a further education there will be options for other courses in your locality where she can study based at home, there will be non-degree qualifications in your locality that have practical career implications, the only thing you need to do is find out what it is she wants (which might not be easy), getting angry isn't going to help at all.

My own experience with two daughters now out of further education is that one has a law degree and is working in a large law practice with in-work training towards further qualifications while the other did not go to Uni but took some vocational qualifications for two years at a further education college (all for free incidently, no student fees to pay) and is now working at the same law firm as her sister.

Anything is possible, University is not a passport to future wealth, a willingness to work hard and impress employers is.

I don't know her reasons or her personality but it's not necessarily a waste of GCSEs/A levels, it depends on what sort of career she actually wants to do, she might be a lot better off seeking professional qualifications and getting a few years head-start on that rather than getting a degree in something that she'll never look at again.
Not knowing the whole situation, the only advice I'd offer would be that, although you quite naturally want to be proud of her, you should avoid imposing your own aspirations onto her.
Best of luck.

I dropped out of higher education when my dad died, I couldn't focus on anything and needed to get a job, regretted it every day of my life but in hindsight would never have passed with my mental state at the time. Just bad timing all around, I wouldn't pressure her but I would try to get to the route cause. Maybe a year off or moving closer to home could be a solution?

I think if your daughter knows that university is not the right path for her, she has already shown her maturity. I decided not to go to university the conventional way part way through my A-levels. Got a job which trained me through a degree (albeit unnecessary for my job) and I am in a far better position than all of my friends that did go to university. The only people that have bought houses and got good jobs out of my friends seem to be the ones that didn't go to university.

My partner went to university conventionally and thoroughly enjoyed it. Came home with a very good degree and got a city job that she liked for about 6 months. After 3 years and making her nearly go insane, she quit. She volunteered for 3 years while undertaking a foundation degree as a gardener and now has her dream job. She might not earn quite as much as she did, but the smile on her face after every day is worth a million pounds!

Contrary to what the school's career advice person says, a degree is not a passport to a successful job and as other have said, it is all about hard work and a willingness to learn and do a good job.

Any idea why ?

Was it a course related thing or a living away from home/friends issue?

Is a different course or more local route to higher education a viable option?

I didn't go back after my first year, and things worked out OK for me.

Interestingly, the big IT company I work for has a real focus on helping Unis retain their students. With a student equating to around £9K a year, there can be a business case for expense that helps with student retention. Some good data and clever analytics software can really help this. Not sure it would really have picked out someone leaving after day one though!

I dropped out half way through a 4 year course.
I just hit a brick wall... Woke up one morning and thought "I've had enough of studying", and my mind was made up. It upset my parents no end, especially my Mum (God bless her), so I made myself a promise to succeed along a career path (although I'd no idea at the time as to what I really wanted to do!)

I was always science minded, so I got myself a job in a lab, in a position well below my capabilities. However, I simply worked hard, worked my way up, took a diversion into sales and then onto product management. All the way through my career I was supported by my employers in the form of additional training courses as and when required.

(Eventually, I completed my degree via the OU, in my own time, and at my own expense, just to prove to myself that I could do it! , and although it's had no affect whatsoever on my career path, having a BSc after my name is good kudos! )

I put all the support down to me showing committment and enthusiasm, coupled with hard work, and I'm sure similar principles prevail today.

Maybe she's just not ready for it all yet. Another year at home with some work experience, paid or voluntary, might make a big difference. You get her company for a while longer too.

I wouldn't think that the dropping out is necessarily a major problem – as mentioned by several posters, there are plenty of alternative ways forward that are at least as good – but the main question would be what direction she wants to go in.

If she's confused at present and doesn't know, would it be perhaps be better to persuade her to go back while she rethinks things?

Or is there an opportunity for her to spend some time away to try and work things out and find some clarity?

I don't know whether this is the case, but it can be very intimidating and difficult your young people if they have little or no experience of being away from close family. It's a huge jolt.

Would the university, in such situations, be prepared to let her start next autumn?

Congratulations to your daughter for having a mind of her own and not following the rest of the sheep into debt. After all she will only get a piece of paper telling her how clever she is.

Unfortunately, this generation have all been brainwashed or emotionally forced into higher education. Just a way of keeping unemployment figures down. There is no guarantee of work at the end of the course. It's not what you know, but who you know.

I have a daughter in her final year. Her debt is relatively small compared to her friends who live in university grounds, approx £15k each. They have pretty much been told that there are not enough jobs for them all ( teachers) when they finish their course, of which, it works out at roughly 15 hours per week of lectures, that's if some don't get cancelled, which is quite often.

Once your daughter sees that 1st pay packet, she'll forget about university. There is no greater incentive than money.

Well, unless she was about to train to be a doctor or a vet or a nuclear physicist or a lecturer in ancient history or ...

Well, unless she was about to train to be a doctor or a vet or a nuclear physicist or a lecturer in ancient history or ...

There's an issue with young people being shunted into forms of tertiary education that may not be needed, may be inappropriate for them etc, but there are still plenty of careers where a university education would be the best option if not downright essential.