Mary Lucey: What Happens When A Student Can’t Settle In Their New College Course

Posted by

.

Mary Lucey, founder of Career Ahead, says some students who have just started college are facing the ‘Should I Stay or Should I Go Now?’ dilemma…

THIS is week three (approx.) of the first semester in the college academic year and I have been inundated with frantic calls.

Many parents and college students have been getting in touch, looking for advice and direction in relation to difficulties being experienced on college courses.

While most students are delighted with their course and their newfound freedom, it is a fact that a percentage of first year college students are utterly miserable.

It has now dawned on them that they have made the wrong choice about their course, the location of their college and possibly even the type of accommodation they are living in.

These students are mixed-up, anxious, miserable and feel alone and do not know what to do next.

This is not a nice position for anybody to be in, especially an 18-year-old, who has possibly moved away from home for the first time. It can be an extremely anxious time for parents too.

Students need to realise that selecting the wrong course can happen.  At times, students have not adequately researched courses and it turns out that the course “did not do what it said on the tin”.

I believe students should not continue studying on a course that is unsuitable or does not match their strengths, interests, personalities, and career goals.

If they decide NOT to progress with their course, they need to take immediate action and investigate initially what are the third level options open to them.

It may be possible, with adequate CAO points and places, that a student could transfer to another more suitable course in the same college.

The college admission’s team will need to be contacted and they can outline transfer options available adhering to the college’s admissions policies.

Colleges do their best to retain their student numbers, so will be anxious to assist if possible.  If a transfer can be arranged, it is worthwhile to note that the student will be personally responsible to catch up on previous material covered since the start of the academic year.

If a transfer to another course in the same college is not possible, students should investigate if there is any possibility of transferring to a more suitable, perhaps related course, in a different college after the first semester.

Again, the admission’s policy in the college will dictate the possibility of such transfers.   If a suitable third level option cannot be found, the student may have no alternative but to leave third level college for the current academic year.

When leaving college, it is imperative that the student officially de-registers from their course before the set date as outlined by their college – usually 31st October 2022 – but double check this, to avoid financial penalties.  The admissions team in the college will provide the documentation for official deregistration.

When a student finds that they cannot fit in to the college scene, no matter how hard they try; there is a tendency to feel ashamed, embarrassed, and dread the thought of breaking the news to their parents.

Some students, who leave their courseand stop attending lectures, even go to the extent of continuing to live in their student accommodation to keep up the pretence, rather than confronting the issue.

What can make matters worse, when the student plucks up the courage to tell their parents, they too feel ashamed and embarrassed over their child’s “failure”.

They do not tell family or friends and need time to think of a “good excuse” why they are not in college.  This attitude and destructive pattern of behaviour needs to stop.

Not only has it an extremely negative impact on students – eroding their confidence and self-esteem – it can have enormous financial implications as college fees cannot be refunded if a student does not de-register officially from a course before the close-off date in an academic year.

This also means that if a student decides to return to college the following year; they will incur double the college fees and can impact grants for the first year.  That is why it is so important to take corrective action in a timely manner.

The thought of moving away from home and the associated freedom that goes with it, at times, is the influencing factor when students choose their college location.

While the idea of such independence is exciting, it is surprising the number of students who leave their college course because they cannot adjust to being away from home.

They may like their chosen course but no matter how hard they try – getting involved in clubs/societies, socialising, engaging with student supports, speaking to the college counsellor etc – some students just cannot cope with the change.

Once all options are exhausted and a student continues to suffer from unrelenting homesickness, the fact may need to be accepted – by both students and parents – that they are not just prepared to leave home yet.

A student should not suffer personally and/or emotionally just for the sake of going to college. Once this fact is accepted, a plan of action should be put in place for the year ahead which allows them to continue to develop personally and career-wise, but just from their home base.

This should not be seen as a failure rather developing resilience and taking positive steps when confronted with a problem. A good option in this case is to research the Further Education and Training course offerings in the locality.

The option of apprenticeships should also be explored as they have intakes throughout the year. These courses are an excellent means of preparing for progression to third level college in the future and are very cost-effective.

They should also consider securing work, either full or part-time, for the year. Students can also explore the option of deferring their course and then consider returning to college on the same course a year later when they are a year older and more mature.

Again, the deadline of 31st October (or specific date for each college) needs to be kept in mind for finalising all decisions to avoid financial repercussions.

• Mary Lucey is an Educational Consultant and Founder of Career Ahead. Call 0879338941 or visit www.careerahead.ie

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Comments are closed.

image