I just don't know what to do with myself....

[Bigtallfatbloke]

[What - kick the teenager out, get a touring bike and spend a few years biking around the world

...absolutley....

 

[Dayvo]

Apart from derosa () I agree with the others!
Stick it out, decide then if you want to do a PGCE, or enter into teaching at all, but at least you have a worthy qualification to your name, which will also impress any future employer.
At some stage in the future, with more time and less responsibilities on you hands, teachers, esp. of physics, will be a very much sought after, and you'll be able to pick and choose.
Good luck!

 

[Emu]

At 19-20 I did a year of a B.Ed (primary) with music being my specialism and I dropped out at the end of the year to do a music degree instead. 20 years later I want to go back to teaching, sport rather than music. Just waiting for the Beeb to make me redundant!!

Most of my close friends are teachers and they all work in independent schools. They seem far happier than they were when they were at state schools.

 

[derosa]

That's a little harsh - he'd already made a huge leap going to Uni, after a career in the forces, and he must be working hard to be doing so well. We all have doubts sometimes...

True, but life is harsh. I jacked a career in and started a degree at the age of 38. One the decision is made, believe in yourself and go for it!
You can afford doubts when you're young, but with a mortgage to pay and family to support the time for doubts should be over.

 

[Tim Bennet.]

Mature, life experienced physics teachers don't teach Kevin's. If a Keven every sullies the door to your class room, resign and get another job somewhere else. You don't have to take any shoot as a physics teacher. Like gold dust.

 

[MichaelM]

True, but life is harsh. I jacked a career in and started a degree at the age of 38. One the decision is made, believe in yourself and go for it!
You can afford doubts when you're young, but with a mortgage to pay and family to support the time for doubts should be over.

Interesting that you jacked in your career at 38 but think I'm unable to stick at anything and that I take the easy option and give up. I didn't jack in my career, I did my time and was pensioned off.

I see you started a degree at 38 - in which case you'll know how much effort goes into being awarded any prize for the subject.

As for the mortgage and family to support - it's taken care of.

 

[marinyork]

Being a deeply pessimistic person I would advice you to trust your instinct and disagree with most of the posts. If that involves jacking it in then do it. The end of the first year is the only feasible time to jack it in, if you carry on any further you might as well stick it to the end. Decisions thesedays are made even harder because of top-up fees. You probably won't struggle to find a job because you've already got plenty of experience but I'm afraid Physics degrees unfortunately have the reputation of being useless, and I know that sucks a great deal. If you want a degree and to learn more then I suppose stick it out. Don't delude yourself that science graduates are in demand though.

On the other side my uncle teachers A-level science and he bangs on endlessly how they'll take anyone to teach science or maths.

 

[marinyork]

P.S. Don't worry about the student loan. Unless you make a lot of money later on and/or make additional payments, there's a good chance it'll increase initially and never be paid off.

 

[Arch]

True, but life is harsh. I jacked a career in and started a degree at the age of 38. One the decision is made, believe in yourself and go for it!
You can afford doubts when you're young, but with a mortgage to pay and family to support the time for doubts should be over.

Ah, the old "life's harsh, so you may as well get used to people being rude and beating you up, and I'll kick it off" routine.

There's a place for that sort of tone, and this isn't it. I've dished out harsh advice in my time, but it's when I know the situation and the person and I've already offered something a little more constructive and it's maybe been ignored... Sounds like the OP has seen a bit of life, and knows what it's like.

Michael, I'd still say stick with it. If you leave, it may be much harder/more expensive in the future if you want to go back to it. If you are coping moneywise, stick out the degree. It doesn't really matter what it's in, the fact that you do it proves committment to a task, and will be giving you even more transferable skills - making presentations, data management, research, that sort of thing. You can make the teaching decision later...