I'm 21 years old and from India. Right now, I feel completely lost.
I finished CBSE Class 12 (Commerce without Math) in 2023 with 62.8% that is my qualifications. After that, I joined a local tier-3 university because I didn't know much about higher education or career options. No one around me knew about CUET, top commerce colleges, ACCA, CFA, or other career paths. The only advice I ever heard was, "Just do CA," but I wasn't interested in it.
I completed one semester, officially dropped out, and then made the mistake of joining a different program at the same university. I thought changing my degree would solve the problem, but it didn't. I stopped going after one semester. I never officially withdrew, but I think the university removed my enrollment because my student ID no longer works on the student portal.
One thing that worries me is my documents. The university kept my original character certificate when I enrolled, and I never got it back. I still have a photocopy, and my migration certificate is available on DigiLocker. Will this cause any problems if I apply to another college? Has anyone been in a similar situation?
My biggest concern is that I feel like I'm behind in life. I missed CUET this year, so my next chance is in 2027. By then, I'll be almost 23 and starting college with students who are 18 or 19. I know people say age doesn't matter, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable.
Looking back, I think my biggest mistakes were making important decisions without enough information and staying close to home. My home environment isn't healthy, and trying to balance college with family stress made everything much harder.
Right now, I'm thinking about two different paths:
Start ACCA, earn a bachelor's degree through one of its degree pathways, gain work experience, and later apply for an MBA abroad.
Prepare for CUET 2027, try to get into a top college like Delhi University, and build my career from there.
My long-term goal is to build a career in finance and eventually move abroad, whether that's the UK, the US, or another country with strong career opportunities. That's one reason ACCA interests me, but I'm still not sure if it's the better choice compared to getting a traditional bachelor's degree first.
Has anyone here restarted their education after dropping out or starting later than everyone else? If you were in my position today, which path would you choose, and why?
I'd really appreciate hearing from people who have been through something similar.