bit long but PLEASE help: Should I stay in a college course that I love, but isn't the career I want?

[bitesize]

I graduated in September from University with a BA in Italian, with Psychology. I love Psychology and I've wanted to continue studying in it for nearly 3 years - although I don't know yet what exact field.

In September I started a further education course in Performing Arts. You can do the course for one year, or three years, and I planned to do one year before continuing with Psychology. But I fell in love. With my classmates and with the classes.

I don't want to be an actor. I love acting but I don't want it as my main career plan - it's too unstable, and I lack the confidence and the natural talent that you need to be able to be successful with it, which is all the harder when you live on a tiny island like Ireland. (Damn you Robert Sheehan and Jack Reynor...!!)

Factors swaying me: All my classmates are going on to do the next two years, and I hate the thought of them continuing on without me. We're like a little family and after three years of being achingly lonely&depressed in University I can't stand the thought of starting a new course and possibly having to go through that again. I've already come such a long way and I feel like the other two years could really be good for my acting skills. The course is affordable and close.

However, if I did these two years I'd finish the course at 24 and have a level 7 certificate, but be no closer to beginning my career. I have to do at least another 4-5 years of Psychology before I can actually launch into my career and that means I'd be nearly 30, which is a frustrating thought - it's already annoying talking to friends who graduated with me and are out working in the big wide world, not tied down by college work and feckin Shakespeare essays. But then again shouldn't my twenties be my chance to do something I love for a couple of years?

I'm sorry this is long but it's something I'm completely torn over. Completely - I mean I'm asking people I've never met on the internet to help with this decision. ANY opinions would be such a help. ANY. Any!!

[Kate*]

Well, if you go into a career in psychology (or anything really) you'll need some form of an outlet and it seem like acting might provide that for you. If you don't want to be almost 30 when you finish then I would suggest starting it now and looking for another way to act like community theater or something like that. I can understand wanting to stay with the same people, but if that's the main reason for staying in something you should try to base your decision on what you want to do, not what others are doing. Even if you stayed in the acting program for 2 more years and then went back to psychology, you'd still have to make new friends all over again.

[Philomath]

I agree with Katie, if you want to study Psychology, study it and make acting something you do in your free time. Also, you can still keep in contact with the people you met in the class through social networking and if you'll be close enough, you can probably get together and hang out with them as ways to keep your friendships. Plus things like acting are great stress-relievers and so while studying and working in the field of Psychology, you can act as a way to relieve any stress you might have.