Changing Your Mind at University

Published:
December 12, 2022
Last updated:
March 8, 2024
A person in a graduation cap and gown.

So, you’ve changed your mind about your University Course? Here are the steps to take next.

By Rachel Morris

When you choose your food at a restaurant it takes a while, well for me it does. I make my decision, and then I get excited for it to come and for the most part, I’m a happy camper. 

However, sometimes when you order something off the menu at a restaurant full of hope and excitement, all of that disappears when the dish is finally placed in front of you. The excitement, anticipation and hope is replaced with a wave of sadness and regret as you realise that you have made the wrong decision. 

Us Brits never say anything because there is nothing wrong with the meal, we don’t send it back, no. Instead, we sit there, and we eat it, wishing we’d made another choice, watching everyone (with envy) around us happily tucking into their food. We complement others of their decisions; we state how good their food looks and we begrudgingly pay the bill at the end. University can sometimes feel the same. 

But it isn’t.

I’m here to tell you that it’s 100% okay to change your mind, just don’t leave it until it’s too late to do anything about it. In a restaurant, you know you have a few minutes after you’ve ordered your meal to change your mind and inform the waiter/waitress of the changes before that order gets to the kitchen. What you might not know is that you’ve also got time to change your mind before you spend 3 years on a university course you never wanted to do. 

You may get to the 2nd day of lectures and have the pit of regret in your stomach, you might only get it after the first year and some of you may get it straight after you send off your application to UCAS. That's is okay. 

A tablet computer and other objects.

I applied for a Creative Advertising Degree at UCLAN. I went, I lived in and I didn’t enjoy it. After 6 months, I got the pit of regret in my stomach.

I wasn’t aware of what could be done, and I just felt completely trapped, filled with anxiety, sadness and stupidity about the mistake I had made. I panicked for a while, cried for days and finally took to google to try to find out my options.

I knew that I wanted to continue to learn about Creative Advertising, I just didn’t want that learning to continue are UCLAN. I ended up staying at UCLAN until the end of the academic year and then I transferred over to Edge Hill University where I carried out my studies in Creative Advertising. I know that awful sinking feeling when you think you’ve made a mistake without being able to do anything to rectify it, the feeling that you’ve just put yourself into years of debt for something you don’t even want, and I'm determined to try and prevent others of feeling it too in any way I can. I’ve put together 3 simple steps for you to take if you do change your mind about anything to do with University. 

A heart shaped arrangement of flowers.

          

1.        BREATHE - So you know that your course or uni doesn’t feel right for you? Instead of going into a complete panic, take a deep breath.

Write down the reasons you don’t feel it’s the right choice as well as the reasons you like the uni/course. It will make the next step easier.

2.        RESEARCH - Start by writing down the reasons you don’t feel it’s the right choice for you and start looking at other courses/universities. Find out what other people think of those places. Find people on linked in who are attending those other unis/courses and reach out to ask them what it is like!

I promise you will be surprised at how many people reply wanting to help you.  

3.        REACH OUT - speak to your tutors, speak to your student union or students’ services. They are all there to help you, I promise. They won’t judge or make you feel silly. They want the best for you, what you choose for your life doesn’t affect them, so they are impartial. If you do feel you have changed your mind about the university you’re already attending or the course you’re on, you’re going to be okay. This website helped me when I was having an ‘OMG IVE CHANGED MY MIND CRISIS’ https://www.prospects.ac.uk/applying-for-university/changing-or-leaving-your-course - check it out and hopefully, you’ll be on your way to relief.

Introducing Rachel Morris

A person lying on a bed of flowers.

Hi guys, my name is Rachel. I’m a 25-year-old Creative Advertising graduate hoping to one day own my own Agency. Since Uni and attending SCA 2.0 in London, I’ve become a Copywriter with a passion for design working in Advertising (and nails).

I’ve lived in a few different places including Texas, London & my hometown Manchester which I recently moved back to so I really know what it’s like moving without any help or being able to find support, that’s why I’m proud to be writing for HYBR.

Instagram - @rachel_m94 & @properpolished_

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