Doctor, Doctor

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LJT

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Ok I need a little help here folks...At the moment I am nearing the end of my first year course in Psychology at Bristol University.

I like the course, I like the friends I've met here, I like the city itself.......problem is I'm not sure I'm on the course I want to be doing in my heart of hearts.

I knew I picked the wrong A Levels (what we do in our senior years at high school in the UK, basically a combination of 3 or 4 subjects you choose, which meet the requirements for a uni course you want to do)

I didn't know the what the hell I wanted to do at uni at the start of my A level course so I picked 3 subjects that I thought gave me a good range of what courses I would be able to pick at uni......really i grew unhappy with my choices, as I felt I picked an easy route, they didn't match my capabilities, what I knew I could do, but I was lazy and didn't really have a clue what I wanted to do with my life....

I knew I picked the wrong subjects almost immediately...I didn't particularly like two of them and got lazy with the one I did like. I got AAB grades...good grades but I should have done 4 subjects and got straight As in them (sounds pompous I know but I got AAB with very little effort...that annoys me too that i didn't try)...So I ended up picking Psychology as my degree.

Now I think or feel I know what I want to do, and that knowledge has come at a crappy crappy time.

I think I want to be a doctor, it has always been a nagging thought at the back of my mind, just never took notice of it much, especially when I knew I screwed up my A level choices......

I do think I really want to be a doctor but I would need to drop out of uni and go back to a college to get the extra grades I need, then reapply to a uni....It's a big thing...

Plus I made a commitment with friends to share a house next year, if I leave without them finding a replacement they lose the house.

They will probably hate me if I go :sad: I don't want that because I really like the people I was gonna share with, they are my best friends here, but I know I would be pissed as well if somebody just all of a sudden dropped out of the house...I made a financial commitment and now i'm getting ready to pull the plug on them.........

I don't know what I should do...I don't want to mess with them, but then I don't want to regret for years about picking the wrong course...plus I do think I want to be a doctor because I've been getting jealous of the med students I know.

I don't have any fantasies about what it is like to be a doctor, I know it is not like any of the dramas about, I just feel it is something I am capable of doing and that it is something I would enjoy doing.

Ahh I'm very confused at the moment:(
 
You need to find a subleaser for your share of the rental. That's how we did it in uni when a friend dropped out of school. She found someone to take her place. You're friends will understand though I'm sure they'll miss you!

Going back to college for the extra courses isn't ideal but if that's what you really think you want to do then do it!
:hug:
 
Thanks Kat:hug:

I'm going to talk to one of my friends who has been through it all before, she dropped out of her previous uni in first year, and she is back starting everything again.

I would need to redo Biology as I only got a B last time and get Chemistry at A level..so two courses I would have to do.

I also need to talk to my parents...my mum should be ok with it...she has always suggested I should be a doctor...I never listened:huh:

I feel like such a screw up at the moment.
 
Thanks BonosBaby........just its hard not to feel like your letting the people around you down...

At least I guess I now know what I want to do with my life..I wasn't even particularly sure what I wanted to do with Psychology.
 
setting higher goals for yourself hardly makes you a screw up. :wink:

i've seen you mention it a few times, seems like it's something you really want to do. so good luck. :up: :hug:

i'm sure you can work something out with the house...
 
Higher goals, bigger falls...thanks though darlin:hug:

By the time I get the right grades to start Medicine, I will be 21....way over the hill:wink:
 
Yikes! You have to choose your degree while you're still in high school? :huh: That does sound stressful! I didn't settle until I was in my third year of college/uni. I changed degree programs 5 times until I was happy. I actually took two psych classes this semester, my final semester of my four years in college, just because I've always liked psych and didn't have time for those courses before.

It sounds like you'll have to make a choice and stick to it.

As for the rent situation, it's very very bad to simply pack up and leave. If you made the commitment, you're obligated to work around that. I've had people do this to me and it honestly put my entire career and ability to attend college/uni in jeopardy. It's not cool.


Good luck! You may be confused now, but you sound like you've already got a LOT more direction than most people your age.
 
In the UK for the last two years of high school you are basically made to specialise in 3-4 subjects...I chose Biology, Business Studies and Computer Science.

To have been able to study Medicine I would have had to do Chemistry, Biology as well as two other subjects.

I don't plan on simply packing up and letting my friends suffer because of me. I know my decision is going to affect them.

I don't want to be stuck in a degree though because of a rent situation either. I just need to find a way that works for everyone.
 
Go for being a doctor! I was in a similar situation. I was taking accounting and realized that I could do something more difficult if I really wanted to. Now I'm on my way toward a bachelor's in biochemistry with a 4.0.

If you really want to do it, do it. You may regret it later that you didn't put yourself up to the challenge. Put enough work and effort into something an you can do anything. Good luck!
 
LJT said:
In the UK for the last two years of high school you are basically made to specialise in 3-4 subjects...I chose Biology, Business Studies and Computer Science.

To have been able to study Medicine I would have had to do Chemistry, Biology as well as two other subjects.

Wow. I knew it was different than here, but I didn't realize it was THAT different. That's the total opposite of my schooling. To get into the college/uni I wanted, I had to do four full years of a huge range of subjects: math (pre-alg, geometry, alg, and pre-calc), science (physical science, biology, chem, and physics), language (German), and English/lit (speech, advanced composition, senior lit, american lit, etc). On top of that, the high school required four full years of religion, no matter what you were interested in. There was only one or two class hours in the day left to pick other classes. It was annoying. Then the first two years of college/uni we had to take "core" courses which are various required courses in every possibly field of study (religion, poli sci, science, math, art, communications, sociology, etc). Once you're done with those, you can finally declare your major and focus on your degree. It's interesting that they make you pick at such a young age.


I just need to find a way that works for everyone.


Yeah, I think that sums it up right there. It sounds like you want to be a dr. and are smart enough.
 
^I much prefer the American system...it leaves you with much more choice.

Here you more or less have to select what uni course you want to do when your 16....I didn't like that:no:
 
^ i didn't know it was that way in UK. do you really have to drop out and start over? can't you just stay at your uni and start taking the classes you need to take?

also, i'd recommend that you try to find a volunteer position at a hospital, or even an internship at a doctor's office or medical place. that will expose you to the kind of work you will be doing if you do become a doctor, and then you can decide if it's really for you. as an intern or a volunteer, they will let you do some duties that doctors do, and you will also get to witness and experience first hand what it's like to be a doctor without actually being a doctor.
i did that two years ago during one summer. i worked in the pediatrics departmeny of a hospital, and i loved it. that's what i want to do with my future for sure. but my friend, he also worked in the pediactrics cuz he thought he wanted to be a pediatrician too. but he didn't like it, and it didn't turn out to be what he expected it to be. he is going to college and he is going to be a business major now. so, thank goodness he did the internship and figured out what he wanted to do early, otherwise, he would have wasted alllll that time and effort in school to become a pediatrician, and never realized that business was for him.

hope that helped a little!
good luck with finding a person for your rent
chin up, man ;]
 
^ thankies...I shall take on your suggestion, I need a job over the summer anyway.

You can change course at uni, but it isn't a matter of changing classes...uni courses here have a very set course, there is very little choice in what you study. I am doing Psychology at the moment, so everything I do has to be Psychology except in the first year where you get to choose one other non-related subject...everything after first year is pure psychology...you can't chop and change.

If I wanted to change course say back in January, I would have had to drop out of the course and then start first year again the following new school year. It is not so easy a thing to change your mind about what course your doing here.

But thanks again for the advice!

I just informed one of my friends, she was very understanding so that is one load off my back at the moment...i'm seeing my tutor about maybe doing the Pre-Medicine course tomorrow and then informing my parents tomorrow night.

At least I am getting the ball rolling now.
 
Minor update, parents know now as well...my mum was very cool with it...which is a relief. Unplanned informing my parents though, my mum just phoned to check up on me today... she got a lot more than she bargained for:wink:
 
Gotta do what is right for you otherwise you have to live with regret which is toss.

I am sure that between you and your mates you can find someone to take your share of the house for a year. Bristols a popular uni and good accomodation with good people is hard to find so you should have no probs there. At least you dont let your friends down.

Sounds like learning and passing courses is a breeze for you so is there no way you can stay and do your degree anyway and fir two a levels in around it at a local college or learn from home??? Just a thought as you seem to take study in your stride?

Might aswell have to degrees if it can be done?

Good luck with it, your mates will be cool whatever and you have to do what is right for you.

I dossed about at school for many reasons - made the wrong choices because I lost interest - never really received any half decent advise either. They asked me to fill in a tick box form at the end of my GCSE's (we were the first year to do them) and then said I should be an airline pilot or a binman!

I have blagged it since then - i do ok but cant help feeling i am no where near my potential and I certainly dont have a job that I look forward to doing each day!

Ce la vie
 
LJT said:
^I much prefer the American system...it leaves you with much more choice.

Here you more or less have to select what uni course you want to do when your 16....I didn't like that:no:

Yeah, that seems pretty absurd to me, but I'm sure it's a cultural thing (like if I'd gone to school in the UK my entire life I wouldn't think twice about it). When I was 16, I wanted to study meteorology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Oklahoma School of Meteorology, and now I'm doing web design and Internet marketing and thinking of going back for an assoc. degree in veterinary sciences :huh: Over here, it's like "hey I'm the one paying thousands, even tens of thousands of dollars per year for high school and college so I'll damn well take whatever classes/get whatever degrees I want!"

There are a few programs at my college/uni that are very set, like engineering and nursing, because they are highly specialized and technical. If you decide to start one of those programs your second or third year in, you're going to need an additional 1-2 years of schooling. However, if you did make that choice year, they wouldn't make you start over from scratch, like back to senior year of high school, you'd simply register for the classes you needed and try to get in as many as possible.
 
LJT said:

I got AAB grades...good grades but I should have done 4 subjects and got straight As in them (sounds pompous I know but I got AAB with very little effort...that annoys me too that i didn't try)

You jammy git!!! :madwife: Got an A for your AS level too I suppose?!

:wink:

If it makes you feel any better my friend also wants to be a doctor. She'd planned for it since, oh, our Year 9 SATS? (no joke!) She'd figured out what uni she wanted to go to by the start of year 12! Anyway she wasn't accepted onto the medical course she needed. Instead she's gonna have to do four years of the course she's doing now before applying for this other course that's going to allow her to train as a doctor. She's gonna be edging into her thirties before she finally qualifies. The student debt she'll have built up will be unthinkable (just as well her parents are loaded). Her only chance is if she can transfer onto the course she originally wanted to do at the end of this year. She's doing amazingly well (better than she did in her A levels in fact!) so here's hoping. (Yes, I'm confused by her whole situation too)

As for the shortfalls of A levels, I guess I've never really thought about it before. I was one of those people who absolutely hated school. As soon as I get my GCSEs I'm outta there I told myself. But by Year 11 I'd changed my mind and decided to stay on to do my A levels. I had absolutely no intention of going to uni so I just picked the subjects I wanted to do but I suppose if you just regard A levels as a way of getting to uni then they are difficult to choose. I suppose you'd prefer the Scottish Highers system that values breadth over depth? There's something to be said for both systems IMO. :shrug:

Anyway, good luck with your situation you boffin you. :hug:
 
LJT - i was gonna suggest about checking out about doing a foundation year - though it seems you may be looking into that with the pre-medicine thing. I know at Manchester Uni they have a foundation year for those who do not have the correct A levels.

I wish you luck in your decision. If it helps I have a friend who recently graduated as a vet after several years at uni. She didn't get good enough A level results so ended up doing a 3 year animal physiology degree, grafting for a couple of years and eventually got into vet school. She qualified as a vet last year and is now doing what she loves. What I am saying is you're probably in a better position that her in terms of grades, so (here comes the inspirational bit :wink:) - if she can do it so can you !

I hope you get the house/rent thing sorted. Do the uni have some sort of student housing organisation? They may have people looking to rent who could perhaps take your place?
 
Re: Re: Doctor, Doctor

TheQuiet1 said:

If it makes you feel any better my friend also wants to be a doctor. She'd planned for it since, oh, our Year 9 SATS? (no joke!) She'd figured out what uni she wanted to go to by the start of year 12! Anyway she wasn't accepted onto the medical course she needed. Instead she's gonna have to do four years of the course she's doing now before applying for this other course that's going to allow her to train as a doctor. She's gonna be edging into her thirties before she finally qualifies. The student debt she'll have built up will be unthinkable (just as well her parents are loaded). Her only chance is if she can transfer onto the course she originally wanted to do at the end of this year. She's doing amazingly well (better than she did in her A levels in fact!) so here's hoping. (Yes, I'm confused by her whole situation too)

Actually now that I think about it, that's more likely to make you feel worse rather than better isn't it? Aw sorry, all I meant was you're not alone, that's all. :)
 
Q1:hug:

Edging into her 30's and in debt from uni. It all sounds too familiar :sad:

:wink:
 
Re: Re: Doctor, Doctor

TheQuiet1 said:


You jammy git!!! :madwife: Got an A for your AS level too I suppose?!

:wink:

If it makes you feel any better my friend also wants to be a doctor. She'd planned for it since, oh, our Year 9 SATS? (no joke!) She'd figured out what uni she wanted to go to by the start of year 12! Anyway she wasn't accepted onto the medical course she needed. Instead she's gonna have to do four years of the course she's doing now before applying for this other course that's going to allow her to train as a doctor. She's gonna be edging into her thirties before she finally qualifies. The student debt she'll have built up will be unthinkable (just as well her parents are loaded). Her only chance is if she can transfer onto the course she originally wanted to do at the end of this year. She's doing amazingly well (better than she did in her A levels in fact!) so here's hoping. (Yes, I'm confused by her whole situation too)

As for the shortfalls of A levels, I guess I've never really thought about it before. I was one of those people who absolutely hated school. As soon as I get my GCSEs I'm outta there I told myself. But by Year 11 I'd changed my mind and decided to stay on to do my A levels. I had absolutely no intention of going to uni so I just picked the subjects I wanted to do but I suppose if you just regard A levels as a way of getting to uni then they are difficult to choose. I suppose you'd prefer the Scottish Highers system that values breadth over depth? There's something to be said for both systems IMO. :shrug:

Anyway, good luck with your situation you boffin you. :hug:

Thanks darlin and you to Tilli!

So many pretty girls, so little time:wink:

I know it is pretty crap of me to complain about my A levels they are good grades, tis easy to blame everything on something you did 3 years ago, when there were plenty of opportunities in the intervening years to correct them.

Better to be thinking of the here and now...as I messed up this term a bit because I was getting a bit depressed and demotivated over my position...that I only have myself to blame for though, I know I've messed up some exams.

I talked to my tutor today and said it would take an awful lot of convincing on my part to be accepted into the pre-med course...meaning I should repeat the exams I likely messed up in September and then see if they'll accept me as I will have shown I am serious about transferring over to it, but it will take some work....but that is the commitment proving part of it;)

I may end up taking a year out anyway even after some retakes, because pre-med only has 10 positions so it is tough to get into anyway you look at it, and I made things tougher for myself, by being crap student in my final term.

I need to just try and prove myself I guess.
 
My sister is off to do medicine at Queen´s this year. They are really strict about getting onto that course, for the last 4 years she has studied really hard to get an offer to go. It requires a lot of work to do but she has had her heart set on it and puts in the effort. My brother also took a year out to redo exams and apply to do pharmacy and I think it´s been really good for him.

I went straight to school after my A-levels and always wanted to teach. Because everyone at home rambles on about Queen´s being wonderful I was sucked in and went there. It was good for financial purposes but my degree means I have to take a year abroad which I am currently on for another few days. I am teaching here and this year has been a great experience but left me very confused. I never liked my course, I didn´t like the teaching style or the people, and the social life is non-existant. I am generally very unhappy at university and all my friends have nothing to do with my course. This year I have stressed myself out about learning Spanish, everyday all I worry about is my degree and making sure I have learnt enough. It has also made me realise I do not want to do teaching and have nothing to fall back on because I really thought that´s what I wanted to do. The past month I have been so stressed out with things that I have made myself ill and have cut my trip a week short because I can´t stand being here anymore. I don´t feel able to finish my degree next year so I am taking a year off to just relax, find a job and figure out what I want to do after university. I don´t regret choosing my degree but I feel a bit lost this year and I think if you feel that you really want to do something you should go for it, so for me it means taking a break and relaxing, I thought this year would give me a break but I have worried more about learning than the past 2 years I´ve been in university, going to classes and sitting exams. My cousins all do medicine and law and although I am a bit jealous that they have careers or will have one when they finish I don´t think they would have been professions I could have done.

Uhm.....I have rambled and there was a point I wanted to make :D
 
^tis fine darlin....think of this as the uni stress thread;)

I dug myself a hole this term, I missed a lot of work just by stressing out over what to do with myself...I know I've messed up some exams, which I now need to prove there were mitigating circumstances to be able to re-take in September...i'm doing that because it would increase my chances of being able to change straight onto pre-med...proving my commitment after my mini-crisis, even though that is a longshot....

...It is also a pride thing as I know leaving right now with nothing to show for a year would hang over my head. I will end up taking a year out in all likelihood to get the necessary grades.

Hope you work out what you want to do darlin...it is crappy when your uncertain of where you want your life to go.

Anyway we should setup 'Belfast University Dropouts Anonymous' or something...fancy a drink?:wink:
 
^^&^Well, deciding what you wanna do in life is never easy, (some of us will probably never know!) so I just wish you both the best of luck. :hug:
 
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