Quit uni?

Re: Quit uni?

jan — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 16:33:30 GMT

If you can bare it stay on. Even if you never do any nursing the degree is usefull in this day & age. Do you want to quit uni or just VNing? If its the VN bit is there any way you can tranfer your credits or some such thing?

Re: Quit uni?

Fruitloop — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 21:32:42 GMT

My tips are just be yourself and discuss any problems with your assessor. I have always been fortunate in that I have had really good placements and was able to approach my assessor with any problems (include personal problems) and discuss them.

If you are worried about the work load ask them to assist in the portfolio by completing observed assessments, this helps to decrease your workload and if a valid form of evidence gathering and doesn't require you spending long nights typing up those case reports.

If you have any assignments then make a time management diary, prioritise your work and alternate between work, depending on the individual univeristy time requirement to pass the module it might be worth asking for a day off. I did and I was still well above the required hours and it gave me an extra day to do work but to have a lie in and recharge the batteries!

Whatever you do don't suffer in silence!

Hope that helps you

Re: Quit uni?

hayleyw — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 12:31:46 GMT

Just a quick update.. decided I would hang in there for a few more months to see if I could find a placement, if I didn't then I was going to give up.

But.. I found a placement! A really nice one! So hopefully this year is going to be a lot better than the last..

I'm really excited but also worried that past problems will affect this placement... I don't want to loose this one! If I can't do well at this practice then I obviously won't be able to any where - this one is the perfect practice! So I'm just hoping I won't screw it up!

Any tips? What to do? What not to do? Etc.

Thanks for all your answers.. x

Re: Quit uni?

Fruitloop — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 10:16:50 GMT

Hayley,

First of all don't worry and get yourself worked up it will only add to the stress and make the situation worse. I have been in a similar situation where due to not getting on with the people in my degree I wanted to drop out (at least 4 times in 3 years). I am now in my final year and yes I still find it hard and I find that sometimes I wish I could leave but a degree is a degree! Even if being a VN is not for you you can still get some fantastic jobs with having a VN degree and if you decided to go back to being a VN just think no portfolio to do!

My advise is simple:

Make a list of the reasons you wanted to be a VN and the reasons you wanted to do the degree.

Make a list of the pro and cons of being in uni compared to leaving the course.

I know it is a difficult time being at uni and the degree requires alot of dedication to do and you often don't get paid to do your placements, but it will be worth it at the end of the day not only will you be a VN (which is a profession with lots of job oppurtunities) but you will also have a degree, so if you apply for a job without animals you can still proove you are dedicated by having a degree.

I am not sure what uni you go to, but I go to Middlesex with the RVC and I am here to talk to if you just need someone to speak to. I hope that you make the right decision, and that must be one that comes from your heart and your head.

Jess x

Re: Quit uni?

anji jonas — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 21:36:47 GMT

[quote user="bongo"]Don't quit! I'm not doing anything with my degree. got my degree in equine science and now doing nvq nursing. at the end of the day you have a degree.[/quote]

hey me too!

did my degree at hartpury in gloucestershire and yes there were some very dark times when i felt like quitting but i came out with a first!

i got into nursing through the nvq route after uni and qualified in 2005. i flippin love it and with my degree had been in nursing now!!

dont give up uni hun, it will be such a step up no matter what you do after.

A.x

Re: Quit uni?

Angel — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:27:02 GMT

Hey, chin up hon,

I felt like quitting in my third year too. Except rather than shut the door completely, I took a year out! It gave me chance to get my head together before preparing myself for returning. Don't feel bad about it. Some of the best doctors and nurses have failed exams. I agree that it would be wise to talk with your tutor and get his/her feelings on it.

Think carefully.....don't quit just yet....sounds like you need some breathing space.

Angel

Re: Quit uni?

bongo — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 21:38:29 GMT

Don't quit! I'm not doing anything with my degree. got my degree in equine science and now doing nvq nursing. at the end of the day you have a degree.

you have got to third year so chance is you have a student loan etc, don't waste that

dont do anything hasty, your prob having a crap time at present but have a long hard think. i find it helps to write a list of pro's against cons of you staying at uni.

my advice is stick it out and if you dont want to be a vn when you leave, fine! don't do it but at least you have a degree under your belt so the proof that you have that skill in you and the ability to learn, organise and everything else you do when at uni.

uni times can be hard, dont be disheartned, I had some of my worst times at uni but underneath it all I got through it and never looked back and certainly never regretted at thing

Re: Quit uni?

Snowb — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:20:32 GMT

It really depends on the reason you failed your 3rd year, lack of motivation or difficulty? Of course it feels like a terrible situation at the moment but whatever you decide it will be the right decision for you. There is no point in putting yourself through 2 more years if you feel you will not pass in the long run.

I would defiantly talk to you personal tutor or a lecturer you feel comfortable talking to and see what they have to say. As bouncyfi mentioned you could try reducing it to a NVQ? I know most employers are very happy to take VN’s trained at a practice! Or potentially transferring into another science degree?

Personally I would try and hang on in there if you can. Unfortunately in this day and age a qualification means everything, especially a degree, even if it’s not the area you eventually work in. Employers will always look at gaps in you education and work history and will question whether you can handle a course/job in another area, and a VN qualification does put you in good standing.

As I haven’t personally done a degree in vet nursing I’m unsure if you can defer for a year, but if it is a possibility you could look into it and see if you can do something in the area you wish to work in? Volunteering abroad etc there are some fantastic places to visit and help out in but some of them like you to bring some experience with you.

Defiantly don’t quit unless you have something to go into, as this will cause more stress and depression in the long run.

Good luck

Re: Quit uni?

Catriona Morrison — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:22:11 GMT

Hi Hayley,

I was in the same position a few years ago at Uni and i did quit, this was before i decided to become a VN.

I just wanted to say, if you do leave it's not the end of the world, there are ways to get back into education again and cope financially (just! :) ). I managed to leave uni, work for few years and decide to go back to studying something else and it wasn't too difficult. I'm sure you could do i too. However, consider whether this is really what you want, could you cope with 1 more year to get a degree? If i had a degree from first time round i would have had a lot more opportunities for graduate schemes etc and it would have been easier when looking for jobs and for when i was applying for the VN course.

What i'm trying to say is, if you leave your course you'll cope, it doesn't mean you can never go back to education and it's not something to be ashamed of. However, if you stay and complete the course, whether you want to be a VN or not, you might find it an easier route in the long run.

Hope his helps?! xx

Re: Quit uni?

Sarah S — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:25:40 GMT

I know how you feel. I completed the degree course 2 years ago and there was many times I felt like giving up. I just told myself why I was doing it and that it would all be worthwhile in the end. I'm def happy I stuck with the course as I am doing a job which I love and I have the security of a degree which I will be able to use in case I decide to change careers. Plus it does look good on your CV.

If your unsure have a meeting with your tutors and see if they can give you any advice. My tutors were great in my times of need and helped me through. Don't worry about being stressed, everyone on the course will be stressed but you'll get through it. Do you have the option of leaving in 3rd year? We could leave in 3rd year with a BSc in VN or if you stayed on, you could study for the BSc (Hons) in VN which is what I did.

Hope this helps, Sarah

Re: Quit uni?

Louise B — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:46:33 GMT

I also wanted to say it is common to feel like quiting something when you have just failed an exam/module/year/whatever - apart from anything it is embarrassing - but just because you failed once doesn't mean you'll fail again! When I was doing my vet nurse training I trained with a vet nurse on the old style green book SVN course. She failed her 1st year several times and, I believe, her 2nd year a couple of times (not sure about the 2nd yr as I had left by then) - she is now a diploma nurse So if failing has precipitated these feelings of wanting to quit then perhaps you want to think again!

When I was an undergrad I had a fear of speaking in public - the first time I tried I stood up, went to speak and passed out. I felt like a total t*t and just wanted to run away and never ever ever give a presentation again. I cannot say the next attempt was any better. I couldn't get inside the room and actually *cough* wet myself I was so terrified. Now THAT is embarrassing - a 26yr old wetting herself with fear that she would look a t*t in front of her peer group. I had hynotherapy, drugs, went on courses but what I kept doing was going back and having another go. I kept perservering and now I can manage them (although I am not a big fan of them) - something which has helped to achieve where I have got today. What I am very clumsily trying to say is 'it is normal to want to run away from something that is going badly as failing is a big blow to the confidence, but the harder you have to work for something the more you will value it and get a buzz out of it when you do succeed' so, if you can, hang on in there and show yourself what you are capable of.

Re: Quit uni?

Louise B — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 22:01:00 GMT

Hi Haley, If you can bear it hang in there. Every degree student (vetnursing or otherwise - probably even media studies when they drag themselves out of the bar long enough to realise they are doing a degree ) goes through the wanting to quit phase - often several times. Everyone on here who knows me well will say that I am a study-o-holic - I am on degrees 4 & 5 at the moment (I studied for PPE, then did my nursing [NVQ], then animal science, then philosophy, then animal behaviour& welfare and now I am doing a fulltime PhD and a part-time maths degree) and I have lost track of the number of times I have thought about quiting, thought s*d it and not turned in for a bit, or just generally felt "why are I doing this total pile of cr*p - its totally useless, meaningless, blah, blah, blah..." (and I enjoy studying). All my friends have gone through the same thoughts to the point that sometimes I felt like making them quit myself just to get some respite. I don't think any of them postgraduation look back and say "I wish I hadn't done that". If you want to chat you can always PM me and I will give you a pep talk over some alcohol but sometimes you just have to think about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow to keep yourself going, or, find something that you join enjoy about your study - even if it is just cheap drinks in the uni bar which you'll miss if you leave(!) and focus on that. It's very unlikley that there is nothing that you don't enjoy about the topic/area!!!!

The first degree that I did I quit right near the end - just like you are considering - because it didn't feel relevant, I nolonger wanted to go into politics, blah, blah, blah, and then I found getting a job difficult because of an abandoned degree (doesn't suggest staying power so people are loathe to give you a position involving training as you might not stick it) and I watched as all my uni friends went on to climb the career ladder while I started at the bottom again.

I went into vet nursing as I have always been animal mad and thought it would be a good background for behavioural studies - which is was as I then went back to uni to pursue this. BUT, it was much tougher the second time round. Things have changed again since I did it but I couldn't get my tuition fees paid as I had already been for uni, I could get a loan for £4000/pa but I had to pay my £1000 tuition fees up front - leaving me with c£3000/pa to live on and, as a mature student, unable to go home in the holidays, a mortgage to pay and animals to look after. So, in the first year of uni I worked every single weekend at a vet hospital - moving in at 8am saturday and finishing 8am on monday - then going straight to lectures where I invariably fell asleep as I was so tired. This was the price I paid for quiting the first time round. You are a fair way through your studies - hang in there if you can as, if you decide to go back to uni later, its a lot tougher financially!

Plus, being a vet nurse was the best thing I ever did - apart from anything else if has given me a profession and better earning potential then I would have doing any other part time/temp job whilst at uni so, should you want to retrain later, being a VN will help you to retrain, etc as you can earn more to support yourself as a locum in the interim.

Re: Quit uni?

Nick Shackleton — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:56:16 GMT

I would totally agree with Debbie, I wish I had a degree, opens so many other doors for you...... Am currently considering going to uni myself...... Anyways whatever you decide to do goodluck with it

Re: Quit uni?

debbie anslow — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:09:59 GMT

If you can bear it then try really hard not to quit,

even if you decide never ever to practice as a vn (and who could blame you?) then at least you'll have a degree and could go into nutrition, behaviour therapy, insurance, teaching research work etc etc etc,

It will look 10 times better on your CV with a complete degree (and who ever actually puts their grade unless they got a first) than 3 years of uni with nothing to show!!!

just my two pence worth, oh and good luck with whatever you decide to do

Re: Quit uni?

Fiona Leathers — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:55:38 GMT

I think every student on the VN degree course has probably thought about quitting at some stage. I've not been in that situation but I've had many students who I mentored through it.

If you really don't want to carry on then you should stop now. If it's just a momentary phase cos you're having to re-sit, or money worries, or something else - you need to sit down & weigh up the pros & cons.

I'm assuming as you are in 3rd year, this means you have passed Level 2, maybe changing from the degree course onto the NVQ course would be better for you or trying to find a SVN place somewhere, although they can be elusive.

It would be shame to give it up now without really thinking about it, although 3rd & 4th year are the hardest in the degree course, so you have to be committed. Quitting would stop any further degree loans or bursaries for any other profession you wanted to to do.