what to do....

[pimpmyride]

hi i know i've posted here before about this...but i've been about 3 weeks in my uni course and I'm hating it.
i'm doing a double degree of arts/law at monash and basically i have ZERO interests in being a lawyer, and am finding my arts courses pretty lack lustre (especially psychology...like what the fuck). not only am i finding the academia very challenging (and boring as hell), but i have essentially ZERO friends or people to talk to at uni so i pretty much do a lecture/consultation and get the fuck outta there- look and i've tried talking to people, believe me i have. i didn't do o-week (because lets be real, what the point of that week unless u know someone?) and i haven't been to any of the events they run because no one does these things alone (i was warned about doing things alone). being on the clayton campus actually is starting to make me sick to my stomach and uncomfortable....to top it all off i was recently diagnosed with severe anemia so it gets to 11am everyday and i lose completely all energy and now have to get iron infusions once a month to keep me alive, as well as the fact my mental health is whack cuz i'm basically crying all the time and have no motivation. The fact that im already struggling and haven't even gotten my full timetable...is probs not a good sign cuz its gonna increase to more time at uni in a month.
So, essentially at the moment i'm thinking its probably a good idea to drop out or try to defer-i know i have to do it by the 31st of march- but i literally have no other career options or directions so i'll probably drop out and never go back. Are there any careers counsellors at monash? Who should I talk to to work out whether I should stay or go? Should I push through a course I hate and am confused by or leave before shit hits the fan? Also if i defer what the hell do i do with my life?  would appreciate some post grads or law people to help me with this. plz help

[Professor Polonsky]

1. There's career connect, in campus centre, right across from monash connect. They have (or at least did last year - verify this) 10 minute drop-in sessions, or 30 mins by appointment.

2. If your health (either physical or mental) won't allow you to do well this semester, your best course of action is probably to unenrol from your subjects and defer / take intermission (I don't know which one it would count as, but it doesn't really matter). Yes, sticking it through might be more tempting (rather than 'giving up'), but it sounds like you need the time to firstly get better, and secondly figure out what you want to do at uni (or outside of it). It's much better that you take this time, rather than commit to something that you don't want to do and/or can't do. Also, if you apply for transfer, whether internally or externally, they likely will look at your marks from this semester. So to me it sounds like unenrolling, at least for now, is the better option.

3. Many people who do law realise that they don't want to become lawyers. But if you have zero interest in the subject matter - what the law is, how to apply it, why is it as it is - then it mightn't be the degree for you. Keep in mind that first-year law probably isn't the best guide to what the rest of your degree will be like - most people don't even really figure out how to approach it till second year at least, and FOL is a bit of a standalone (though if you're finding it boring, it might mean that you won't find the rest of the degree too interesting).

4. Finding people you enjoy spending time with at uni can be tough, but it's doable. Have you tried speaking to people in your tutorials? Also, some events (not the big parties etc) shouldn't be too bad to attend by yourself. Are there any clubs that really speak to your personal interests? You can always shoot them an email asking about what semester 1 events they have.

5. With regards to the Arts side, while I've never done an arts degree, it's extremely diverse. You might not enjoy psych, but there's plenty of other areas, of course. Why did you pick arts in the first place? What are you personally passionate about?

[pimpmyride]

Thank you- i just rang careers and im gonna take an intermission!

[Glasses]

Hi there!

In addition to what Professor Polonsky said, I want to mention that:
1) Monash have a free counselling service for students, which you might find helpful of coping with stress, mental health, etc.
2) You should consider registering with Disability Support Services at Monash, who can make arrangements to assist you in studying at the uni. For example, they can help organise rest rooms, alternative assessment arrangements, and heaps of other stuff - so I'd definitely recommend checking it out! https://www.monash.edu/disability

[K888]

Just wanna +1 the suggestion of DSS - I'm registered with them and the support they give you is really good. You can get anything from flexibility regarding assignment deadlines through to additional writing time or rest breaks during exams.