THE STORY BEHIND ' I Dropped Out'
I personally dropped out of university.
After finishing college in 2015, I decided to take a gap year. I made this decision due to the fact that I didn’t feel ready for university and I wanted a break from studying.
After my gap year, I went to university in 2016 to study law. However, after just three weeks of studying, I dropped out. Why, may you ask? Well, this wasn’t because I didn’t like the course or the university. I just didn’t feel like I wanted to be there, nor did I believe it was contributing to anything I saw myself doing in the future.
In a traditional African household, it is taught that university is a necessity so I never would have dreamt about dropping out. However, luckily my family and friends could see for themselves that I was becoming emotionally drained, as well as acting out of character.
Funnily enough, my dad actually told me to drop out of university. This came as a huge shock! Yet, my mum wasn’t as supportive as him when I first dropped out of university. She couldn't understand why I didn't want to take the easier option and follow the norm of society, i.e. getting a degree. Despite my mum's opinions, my dad was adamant that he would rather see me doing something that I love, rather than losing my character and self-esteem pursuing a degree that would only make others happy.
Once I decided to drop out, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulder but I didn’t know that not going to university and finding another career pathway would be so hard. I faced a lot of emotional and physical breakdowns. For example, I lost my self-confidence and more importantly the drive to be successful. I found myself spending hours and days on different websites searching for information about dropping out and information regarding other paths that were available that may have been of interest.
When doing my research, I have come to the conclusion that many people have also been in my position, but unfortunately there is no platform that can cater to this difficult situation. Some people drop out of uni because university is clearly not for them. Some people drop out because they may realise their chosen course is not for them, and they need the time to really think and consider other optional courses.
This blog was created to inspire others to keep going, to keep that drive and fundamentally realise and hear the success stories of other people who have been in the same position.
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Belky Wara xx
