I Need Your Advice. Should I Leave School?

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Dempsey1919

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(Note to mod, if this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move move it to the appropriate forum)

This is a personal question and I need some objective, unbiased opinions. I realise that none of you know me but I would really appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Over a year ago, I left a good job with the civil service in order to go to college and then to University. I spent a year doing A Levels so that I could start a Degree course this year.

I started a Degree in Sport Management this September, and while it is good, it is not what I imagined it would be like. I am tired of studying and I want to get on with my life. It feels like I’ve been preparing for life for years, and I’m not actually living it. My friends all have partners and some even have kids and I’m still living at home studying. I really feel like I need more “real world” experience.

I want to open a Boxing Gym and I thought that a Degree in Sport Management would be a real asset. Now I’m not so sure. I’m 21 and I’ve already been asked to take over two Amateur Boxing Clubs, but due to the fact that I’m at University, I had to refuse the offers. One of the gyms even offered to pay me £50 for every session that I ran. I’ve also worked the corner at some Amateur bouts and one unliscensed fight.

I know that practical experience is what counts if I am to succeed in the boxing world. Many of the best trainers and gym owners never had a degree or even a college education; it was their experience that counted. I am seriously considering quitting University to get a job in order to get some money to open the gym. I have lots of contacts and I know that I could get to meet some promoters and managers for advice on how to get started.

I am worried that I would be wasting my time by continuing with the degree; it takes three years and would cost me £10,000 ($20,613). While a degree is a great thing to possess, it would mean relatively nothing compared to experience within the boxing world.

If I leave the University, I would get a job and resume coaching others in boxing. I would even apply to start judging Amateur fights. I know a lot of people in the Amateur Boxing Association of England and so it would be easy to set up.

I was thinking of moving to New York City for a few months so that I could see how the big gyms like Gleason’s operate. I could afford to do this because I have a student loan installment due after Christmas. I figure that this would enable me to see how a successful gym is organised and it would be a great experience.

I just want something new. My cousin has been all over the world working on the Oil Rigs and he has even been crab fishing in the deep seas. I want to experience things like this; I’m just so sick of academia. I’m fed up with reading books about great things, I want to experience them for myself.

I honestly don’t know what to do. Part of me really wants to complete the degree because I don’t believe in quitting anything. I feel like I would be letting myself down. I don’t want to regret not getting the degree 20 years down the line. However, I am sick of the stress that it brings. I know that starting a business will be stressful but at least I would be following my dream; this is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 16 years of age. I want to work in boxing and this is what I will do, in whatever capacity the Lord wants. I also don’t really want to get into £10000 worth of debt for a degree that may not even help me in my career path.

What do you think?

Can everyone who reads this please reply because I really need the advice. I’ve asked my friends and family but their opinions are biased because of what they want me to do. I need an objective opinion that is not coloured with notions of what people want me to do.

Thanks
 
I’m a business owner. I went to school to be a Radiology Technologist, now, my husband and I sell Agriculture Equipment…go figure…🤷

Opportunities to run a business will be few and far between, and you can not underestimate the value of experience. You can poke your head in a book all day long, but experience, real life experience is what get you where you need to be.

I would take the job running the clubs. I would maybe stay in school somehow…maybe via video (excuse me, internet) if possible, or just take a few classes and definitely get my foot in the door, get a reputation in your career…, then open your own club in about five years…get some age and experience under your belt, you never know, you might be able to purchase one of the clubs that you will be running.

now, that’s my opinion.
 
Ultimately, deep down, you probably already know the answer to your own question. Since you sound very qualified, other job offers will most likely come your way. I would find a way to stay in school, and finish your degree, even if that means going to school part time and working full time. You will never regret more education in the long-term, and if you make a career change down the road, you will still be very glad you finished your degree.

At the same time, if you will not earn enough to pay off the debt acquired from going to school, you need to rethink your options. Is there a way you can accelerate your course load to finish early?

These days a degree is very important, as is practical experience. But independent of each other, one on its own is rarely enough, especially as you work your way up the ladder.

But most important, you need to do what you make yourself the happiest in the long run. And that is a decision only you can make.

Good luck!

Sincerely,

Maria1212
 
Right now (in middle-age) I’m “kicking” myself in the ---- for not getting my degree while I didn’t have any other responsibilities (and someone else could foot the bill). I didn’t go to college then because it wasn’t “real” (whatever that is - having a boring job and picking up a paycheck on Friday so you can pay rent and get groceries?) I got “real” life and a family and when I decided I was ready to get that degree finances slowed it down and family commitments (time) stopped it.
Since you say you essentially like what you’re learning, I would really say to stay in there if you can. Now, if you truly didn’t like what you were learning I would suggest changing your major, while still getting a degree. In order to get a career going (not just a job, or series of a few poorly paid ones) a degree is what I’m seeing asked for - in a relevant area. I have tons more experience than many, many out there but I can’t even get a foot in the door! - **because I don’t have more than a two-year degree! ** Don’t waste this opportunity or the money/time that you’ve already put into it! You have plenty of years to get experience but getting your degree is not easy or as likely later.
I thought, too, that I would just take a semester off and then go back to get the degree. Didn’t happen and very often doesn’t.
 
Opportunities to run a business will be few and far between, and you can not underestimate the value of experience. You can poke your head in a book all day long, but experience, real life experience is what get you where you need to be.
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This is just what I was thinking. Gaining a degree is really important but I think that in boxing, experience counts far more. It wouldn’t matter if I had four degrees. Experience would get me further.

I still haven’t made my decision because I don’t want to rush into anything. Thanks for the advice, I really appreciate it.
 
Dempsey1919 said:
(Note
I want to open a Boxing Gym and I thought that a Degree in Sport Management would be a real asset. Now I’m not so sure. I’m 21 and I’ve already been asked to take over two Amateur Boxing Clubs, but due to the fact that I’m at University, I had to refuse the offers. One of the gyms even offered to pay me £50 for every session that I ran. I’ve also worked the corner at some Amateur bouts and one unliscensed fight.
s
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is there some reason you can’t go to school and work a job which is directly related to the profession for which you are preparing at the same time? that is the normal course a student would pursue here in the states, look for a job–and it has been offered to you on a silver platter–as internship or training for that profession while completing academic requirements as necessary credentials for that profession.

also I am not seeing the spirituality question here, but since you post on this forum I venture to offer this advice, that you always discern your life decisions with guidance of the Holy Spirit, and put your prayer and sacramental life first. If you do this you will not have problems with time management and decision making in other areas of life.
 
Get your degree while your young, or you’ll kick yourself later in life, for not doing so.

Boxing gyms will exist after you get your degree. They’ll exist with you or without you.

After you get your degree, if the desire to run a gym still exist, you’ll be older and wiser and educated. If the gym doesn’t work out you’ll have better opportunities with the degree, than if you don’t have one and by then, your situation may be such, that you can’t work toward getting a degree.

My adivice, education first. Career second.

Jim
 
In response to the OP, my thoughts: If you think the degree will be important in the work you want to do then finish it. One thing about a degree is that it is independent of the circumstances you find yourself in. You may quit your degree for a high paying exciting job but the market could fizzle and you may not find another such job at that time. Unless you have a serious opportunity in front of you, I suggest finishing the degree. You could even get a degree in something else if you are losing interest. Also, if you want to start working you can finish your degree at night if you can find a college that offers such a program.
 
JimR-OCDS said:
Get your degree while your young, or you’ll kick yourself later in life, for not doing so.

Boxing gyms will exist after you get your degree. They’ll exist with you or without you.

After you get your degree, if the desire to run a gym still exist, you’ll be older and wiser and educated. If the gym doesn’t work out you’ll have better opportunities with the degree, than if you don’t have one and by then, your situation may be such, that you can’t work toward getting a degree.

My adivice, education first. Career second.

Jim
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Great advice. I have my degree. I don’t use it b/c I stay at home with my kids, but I know that I have it if I ever need it. On second thought I do use my degree. It’s in Social Work I just don’t use it in the capacity in which I intended.
 
Walk away from College and you will likely never return. If the Boxing thing falls through you have NOTHING to fall back on.

Finishing college when you are young is exponentially easier to do than when you get Older.

Oh if I could wind back the clock 20 years.
 
Dempsey1919 said:
(Note to mod, if this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move move it to the appropriate forum)

This is a personal question and I need some objective, unbiased opinions. I realise that none of you know me but I would really appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Over a year ago, I left a good job with the civil service in order to go to college and then to University. I spent a year doing A Levels so that I could start a Degree course this year.

I started a Degree in Sport Management this September, and while it is good, it is not what I imagined it would be like. I am tired of studying and I want to get on with my life. It feels like I’ve been preparing for life for years, and I’m not actually living it. My friends all have partners and some even have kids and I’m still living at home studying. I really feel like I need more “real world” experience.

I want to open a Boxing Gym and I thought that a Degree in Sport Management would be a real asset. Now I’m not so sure. I’m 21 and I’ve already been asked to take over two Amateur Boxing Clubs, but due to the fact that I’m at University, I had to refuse the offers. One of the gyms even offered to pay me £50 for every session that I ran. I’ve also worked the corner at some Amateur bouts and one unliscensed fight.

I know that practical experience is what counts if I am to succeed in the boxing world. Many of the best trainers and gym owners never had a degree or even a college education; it was their experience that counted. I am seriously considering quitting University to get a job in order to get some money to open the gym. I have lots of contacts and I know that I could get to meet some promoters and managers for advice on how to get started.

I am worried that I would be wasting my time by continuing with the degree; it takes three years and would cost me £10,000 ($20,613). While a degree is a great thing to possess, it would mean relatively nothing compared to experience within the boxing world.

If I leave the University, I would get a job and resume coaching others in boxing. I would even apply to start judging Amateur fights. I know a lot of people in the Amateur Boxing Association of England and so it would be easy to set up.

I was thinking of moving to New York City for a few months so that I could see how the big gyms like Gleason’s operate. I could afford to do this because I have a student loan installment due after Christmas. I figure that this would enable me to see how a successful gym is organised and it would be a great experience.

I just want something new. My cousin has been all over the world working on the Oil Rigs and he has even been crab fishing in the deep seas. I want to experience things like this; I’m just so sick of academia. I’m fed up with reading books about great things, I want to experience them for myself.

I honestly don’t know what to do. Part of me really wants to complete the degree because I don’t believe in quitting anything. I feel like I would be letting myself down. I don’t want to regret not getting the degree 20 years down the line. However, I am sick of the stress that it brings. I know that starting a business will be stressful but at least I would be following my dream; this is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 16 years of age. I want to work in boxing and this is what I will do, in whatever capacity the Lord wants. I also don’t really want to get into £10000 worth of debt for a degree that may not even help me in my career path.

What do you think?

Can everyone who reads this please reply because I really need the advice. I’ve asked my friends and family but their opinions are biased because of what they want me to do. I need an objective opinion that is not coloured with notions of what people want me to do.

Thanks
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Your education will NEVER be wasted. In fact, having a degree in Sports Management will impress any employer who hires you. Your degree will say to people, “Hey, this guy KNOWS something and what he’s doing!” And they will respect you more for it. It is also true that people who earn degrees earn more money later on in their lives. Stick with it and do your best. I’m all for supporting you in this endeavor!
 
Dempsey,

as someone who once requested advice concerning my education on-line… and thankfully didn’t follow the advice I was given…

there is no way for anyone on these forums to know your situation perfectly, or even close to well enough to advise you well.

add to that the simple fact that each of us brings to our posting our own biases, our own life experiences - from within our own countries and fields, where things may be exceedingly different than in your country or field…

we are not qualified to tell you if you should finish your degree or not. read what we say, and then ignore it. please. do what YOU want to do, or you’ll always be wondering… “what if I had”…

pray about it - and I mean really pray about it. every day, ask your patron saint. every day, ask Saint Joseph in this prayer to guide you if your vocation is currently to be a student or not. go to MASS, and listen to the readings and the homily as if they were written for you, to address your question… ask Jesus in the Eucharist whenever you get to be near Him.

He will tell you if there is one option or another that is better. You will have to listen very carefully, or you may miss what He says! but once He tells you, you will know. then all you will need is the courage to carry out His will… again, prayer is where this can be requested and received.

Ultimately, we can’t answer for you. Christ can.

Pax Christi,
Esther Rose
 
I have a bachelor’s and am about to get an MA in the liberal arts field. I feel rather ambivalent about the need for college degrees. I “do school” because I enjoy it - and obviously not for the financial rewards (yeah, theology pays BIG TIME!). I don’t regret not being able to make a lot of money. But I would regret not being able to do what I enjoy.

Do people in trades really need degrees? My peers who did not go to college earn more than I do. But they are in fields like carpentry, automotive, firefighting, and law enforcement. They bought their own homes years before me.

My grandfather did not go to college, and my grandmother dropped out of high school. They are millionaire business owners now. That doesn’t happen to everyone, but it happens sometimes.

On the other hand, my parents do not have college degrees, and it’s held them back from making career changes that might have made their work more fulfilling.

If I could offer generic advice, I’d say pursue the business option and get schooling on the side…maybe a general degree that you can use to get into other specialized schooling later. Everything really depends on the field you’re in, how much degrees matter, or don’t.

In this country we have made the mistake of pushing everyone to go to college. So a college degree is more like high school equivalence, in my opinion.

Bona fortuna!
 
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THurifer2:
Walk away from College and you will likely never return. If the Boxing thing falls through you have NOTHING to fall back on.
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This is the only thing that is preventing me from just leaving. Having a degree would create more opportunities if boxing didn’t work out so good.
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peary:
Your education will NEVER be wasted. In fact, having a degree in Sports Management will impress any employer who hires you. Your degree will say to people, “Hey, this guy KNOWS something and what he’s doing!” And they will respect you more for it. It is also true that people who earn degrees earn more money later on in their lives. Stick with it and do your best. I’m all for supporting you in this endeavor!
Click to expand...
You have listed the main reasons why I started the degree. I thought that having a degree would gain me greater respect from other business people. However, I plan on being self-employed in whatever endeavour that I undertake so having the degree would be more beneficial in terms of impressing bank managers and others who offer funding.
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mizznicole:
Do people in trades really need degrees? My peers who did not go to college earn more than I do. But they are in fields like carpentry, automotive, firefighting, and law enforcement. They bought their own homes years before me.

My grandfather did not go to college, and my grandmother dropped out of high school. They are millionaire business owners now. That doesn’t happen to everyone, but it happens sometimes.

On the other hand, my parents do not have college degrees, and it’s held them back from making career changes that might have made their work more fulfilling.
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This is exactly what I was thinking. I don’t need a degree to successfully own and run a boxing gym. I need experience and practical knowledge. Most of the proprietors of the big gyms are successful because they know the fight game inside and out. Some don’t have degrees and some do.

It’s great to hear of your grandparents’ success. I love hearing stories of people who have become successful despite not having the best opportunities in life. They are a real inspiration to me.
Neophyte Rose:
pray about it - and I mean really pray about it. every day, ask your patron saint. every day, ask Saint Joseph in this prayer to guide you if your vocation is currently to be a student or not. go to MASS, and listen to the readings and the homily as if they were written for you, to address your question… ask Jesus in the Eucharist whenever you get to be near Him.
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Thanks for the advice and the prayer. I definitely need to place myself in Jesus’ hands and conform my will to his.

This is a massive dilemna and I don’t want to make the wrong choice. I’m not going to do anything rash and I really appreciate all of your (name removed by moderator)ut and advice. Hopefully, prayer will provide me with the answer that I need.
 
Dempsey1919 said:
(Note to mod, if this is in the wrong place, please feel free to move move it to the appropriate forum)

This is a personal question and I need some objective, unbiased opinions. I realise that none of you know me but I would really appreciate your (name removed by moderator)ut.

Over a year ago, I left a good job with the civil service in order to go to college and then to University. I spent a year doing A Levels so that I could start a Degree course this year.

I started a Degree in Sport Management this September, and while it is good, it is not what I imagined it would be like. I am tired of studying and I want to get on with my life. It feels like I’ve been preparing for life for years, and I’m not actually living it. My friends all have partners and some even have kids and I’m still living at home studying. I really feel like I need more “real world” experience.

I want to open a Boxing Gym and I thought that a Degree in Sport Management would be a real asset. Now I’m not so sure. I’m 21 and I’ve already been asked to take over two Amateur Boxing Clubs, but due to the fact that I’m at University, I had to refuse the offers. One of the gyms even offered to pay me £50 for every session that I ran. I’ve also worked the corner at some Amateur bouts and one unliscensed fight.

I know that practical experience is what counts if I am to succeed in the boxing world. Many of the best trainers and gym owners never had a degree or even a college education; it was their experience that counted. I am seriously considering quitting University to get a job in order to get some money to open the gym. I have lots of contacts and I know that I could get to meet some promoters and managers for advice on how to get started.

I am worried that I would be wasting my time by continuing with the degree; it takes three years and would cost me £10,000 ($20,613). While a degree is a great thing to possess, it would mean relatively nothing compared to experience within the boxing world.

If I leave the University, I would get a job and resume coaching others in boxing. I would even apply to start judging Amateur fights. I know a lot of people in the Amateur Boxing Association of England and so it would be easy to set up.

I was thinking of moving to New York City for a few months so that I could see how the big gyms like Gleason’s operate. I could afford to do this because I have a student loan installment due after Christmas. I figure that this would enable me to see how a successful gym is organised and it would be a great experience.

I just want something new. My cousin has been all over the world working on the Oil Rigs and he has even been crab fishing in the deep seas. I want to experience things like this; I’m just so sick of academia. I’m fed up with reading books about great things, I want to experience them for myself.

I honestly don’t know what to do. Part of me really wants to complete the degree because I don’t believe in quitting anything. I feel like I would be letting myself down. I don’t want to regret not getting the degree 20 years down the line. However, I am sick of the stress that it brings. I know that starting a business will be stressful but at least I would be following my dream; this is something I’ve wanted to do since I was 16 years of age. I want to work in boxing and this is what I will do, in whatever capacity the Lord wants. I also don’t really want to get into £10000 worth of debt for a degree that may not even help me in my career path.

What do you think?

Can everyone who reads this please reply because I really need the advice. I’ve asked my friends and family but their opinions are biased because of what they want me to do. I need an objective opinion that is not coloured with notions of what people want me to do.

Thanks
Click to expand...
If practical experience and qualification is what you are after, then perhaps an NVQ might be the better alternative for you. It does not cost an arm and a leg to do. Neither does it require you to spend reading time at university because the programme is competence-based and assesses at placements in the occupational area of your choice. City and Guilds offer a lot of courses towards certification in Sports Management. It might help to contact them. Hope that helps.
 
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