Help! Conflict with deferring Uni or continuing Uni...

[Belle_Rey19]

Hi, I posted on here a while a back about how I was unsure about if I should go to University. I have been at Uni now for 4 weeks and that unsure feeling hasn't gone away. Every time I'm at the campus, I feel as though I'm making a wrong decision but I am unsure why. The subjects I am studying are creative writing and theater because being an actress and a novelist is something that I 100% want to do with my life even though I understand that it isn't guaranteed to be a full time employment. I just really want to try to achieve both of these whether it is part time or full time I don't mind, but choosing the right way to go about it is so stressful. I am also in a Spanish course so I can learn to speak to my grandma and Spanish family but maybe I can just teach myself? idk...

The census date is coming up and I am now thinking that I should defer Uni for a year just to clear my head and work things out before committing. I feel like studying to be a writer and an actress isn't worth the money I would be in debt with at university as opposed to finding a part time job for the first time, going to tafe and taking private or cheaper acting courses on the side as well as writing my own material or attending writing work shops instead of going to uni. I am extremely shy, introverted and a sensitive 19 year old person with social anxiety and a little depression. I'm just so stuck because I am still unsure with what side I should pick. I don't want to fail or lose my chance of being an actress and novelist just because I didn't go to uni and I don't want to feel inferior or like I'v disappointed anybody. I know my dad is going to be upset and my grandma will be disappointed. Deciding on the future and all this, it's just so overwhelming and stressful and lonely and I feel like I'm being torn a part 😞 Am I making any sense? Sorry if I'm not, I can explain it better.

[Shawry82]

I really think that you as a person come first university will always be there. I am going through the same issue now

[romantic_thi3f]

Hey Belle.Rey19,

Thanks for your post.

Ohhh big decision!

Everyone is a little different in the way that they process things but the way that I like to do it is to try and make a pros and cons list. So, with that in mind -

Reasons you should stay at uni -

- If you don't stay, you might ruin your chances of being a novelist and actress for not going.

- Your Dad might be upset and your Grandma might be disappointed.

Reasons you should take a break from uni -

- It will help you clear your head and work things out before committing.

- A Uni degree will not guarantee employment so it might not be worth studying.

- A Uni degree will cost more than studying through Tafe or doing private acting courses.

Have I got this right? I do wonder how you'll ruin your chances by not going to Uni since you've explained that there other other ways to head towards being an actress and novelist. It doesn't sound like Uni is the absolute only way to get there.

I also wonder about how sad/disappointed your Dad and Grandma might be. Let's say they are disappointed and sad - wouldn't they be more sad if you didn't enjoy uni and felt like you weren't getting anywhere? If they are disappointed and sad it's because they care about you and want you to do well, and if you decided not to go to uni it doesn't sound like you wouldn't do well!

Are there any other reasons that you think you should keep going to uni? How does this pro's and cons' list feel to you now?

Also sidenote - I'm not trying to push you one way or another. I just want to try and challenge you on those two things because I think they are important to think about 🙂

Hope this helps,