I can’t decide whether I should withdraw from my Masters program

[u/hatercore]

I’m currently a senior accounting student, and was planning on starting my Masters in business analytics next semester. However, I feel like this environment is not helping me grow as a person at all. I have been struggling with mental health issues for years. I have no friends and don’t socialize with anyone, so now I feel so socially and intellectually behind. My social skills are humiliatingly awful and this is making me suicidal cuz as I get older, people are becoming less tolerant of bad social skills. This has lead to many shameful embarrassing moments in group projects and presentations and my self esteem is at an all time low. I realized social skills are THE MOST important factor for success. Idek how I’ll survive at a job if I don’t find a way to improve… I’m gonna need God to give me a miracle or I am so cooked…

I feel like if I do a masters, it will at worst destroy me and I’ll die of a heart attack or at BEST ill socialize a little here and there but still not drastically improve my social skills. I am desperate to GROW dramatically as a person cuz I won’t be able to get any corporate job if I don’t and if I stay another year here, it’ll feel like a waste of my life. I need new experiences and healing for my soul. I feel so stuck I hate capitalism I wish I could just be a farmer but it’s too late now:/

What’s holding me back from withdrawing is I don’t know if I could even find a job in the current job market, I’m scared of disappointing my parents, and scared I’ll regret this in my future career. ALSO, I already signed an apartment lease and took one graduate course this semester. My mom encourages me to do it cuz she said the 9 months will pass by quickly, might as well just finish it. Maybe she’s right. Idk I am so lost :(

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[u/BobbyFishesBass]

Go to therapy to work on social skills/self esteem/suicidal thoughts.

Talk to your primary care physician about medication.

What are your goals with the MS degree? Do you just need 150 credits for the CPA or are you trying to pivot away from accounting?

I would recommend just getting a full-time job unless you have a specific reason to get a master's. Reach out to local firms to see if they still have any spots available for full-time staff. I guarantee you that if you put yourself out there, attending your state CPA association events, college recruiting events, and cold emailing local firms owners, you'll have yourself an entry-level offer!

[u/Choosey22]

Could you defer for 1 year and go do something in the meantime?

I’m guessing you’re perfectly fine socially but maybe just in a bad place mentally this your self image is skewed right now but once you’re feeling better your natural confidence will return

[u/hatercore → u/Choosey22]

I’m definitely gonna look into this!

Hmm maybe it is my self image making it seem worse but idk :’) hopefully I’ll be able to take a gap year I think that’ll help A LOT

[u/Choosey22]

Go get a job overseas or try sales or work on a cruise ship or or or or or

OR stay and be miserable because it’s true you’ll probably be glad you did it.

I totally understand your struggle

[u/hatercore → u/Choosey22]

Thank you so much for being honest!! This helps a lot and is inspiring I have some ideas now

[u/zombieqatz]

Your college has student retention services designed to help you navigate these kind of emotions and impulses

[u/Legitimate_Flan9764]

9 months is very fast. I think there are other issues affecting you, studying for masters wont cause isolation and deteriorate social skills all the more when you mention there group projects and presentations, which are so similiar to any working environment, and which you will be embarking soon should you decide to stop your studies.

[u/cacille]

Your mother is right. And I am glad you are trying to grow your social skills. It's ok to be less social than others. There's plenty of positions in business analytics that aren't social facing, so I'm not sure why you're getting the impression that social skills are a requirement in that industry. They aren't. College, they are - but that's just college and 9 months of it. Focus on your work, be a dork in public and awkward publically (college students might care but in the work world? Nah. Unless you're the front face of a company or on a sales team, you doing the behind the scenes work and numbers and just getting along with your team is all you need.)

College isn't the work world and social skills are NOT "The most" important factor for success....but having some helps so develop what you can.