my brother is trying to resit the year.

my_two_cents

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

I suffer from severe depression too, but what award do you get for your sanctimonious "I handle depression better than you" mentality?

As if there is not enough of the pull yourself together comment one has to face constantly by people not in the know.

The_One_Who

xcat_girlx wrote: »

The_One_Who wrote: »

Students are expected to be adults and not be hand-held through everything.

agreed! then why was my uni sending letters addressed to "the parent of" and asking them to ensure i attended lectures?

I have never heard of this. If anything I've heard of parents wanting to know about their child and being told they're not allowed to know anything without permission of the student because of the Data Protection Act.


MTC, I face the "cheer up" attitude all the time but just ignore it. I didn't know where to go to get specific help so I asked. Much like I would ask a tutor if I didn't understand a concept in the lecture, something few people seem to do.

xcat_girlx

The_One_Who wrote: »

xcat_girlx wrote: »

The_One_Who wrote: »

I have never heard of this. If anything I've heard of parents wanting to know about their child and being told they're not allowed to know anything without permission of the student because of the Data Protection Act.
.

no me neither! but they did! and in the end i threatened to sue for breach of the DPA if they didnt put me on another course so i could get funding for my accomodation i was tied into!

bestpud

The_One_Who wrote: »

xcat_girlx wrote: »

The_One_Who wrote: »

Students are expected to be adults and not be hand-held through everything.

I have never heard of this. If anything I've heard of parents wanting to know about their child and being told they're not allowed to know anything without permission of the student because of the Data Protection Act.


MTC, I face the "cheer up" attitude all the time but just ignore it. I didn't know where to go to get specific help so I asked. Much like I would ask a tutor if I didn't understand a concept in the lecture, something few people seem to do.

Exactly, there is help out there but universities are for adults and therefore, it is incumbent on the student to find and access the support available to them.

And if people do not access this help, there is no use moaning about it later on. Tutors are not mind readers and cannot second guess what is going on.

Same with the benefits system. If a depressed person does not access their benefit entitlement, then there is no comeback, except in a few very bad cases perhaps. They could argue until they are blue in the face but would simply be told it was up to them to apply, and/or meet the requirements necessary to obtain the benefit.

Same with employment too. If people do not turn up and fail to give any explanation, then they will eventually be fired. I hardly think they could go back a year later and expect the employer to welcome them with open arms and accept blame for not helping them out!

I'm not sure why people think universities have an obligation to molly coddle students? Yes they have some obligations but lets not get carried away!

The_One_Who

bestpud wrote: »

I'm not sure why people think universities have an obligation to molly coddle students? Yes they have some obligations but lets not get carried away!

There are some who expect the university to find them a job once they graduate too. I mean, really! The Careers Service can only do so much, that is another resource few use.

bestpud

The_One_Who wrote: »

There are some who expect the university to find them a job once they graduate too. I mean, really! The Careers Service can only do so much, that is another resource few use.

Oh yes, don't get me started on that one! :rotfl:

We had a meeting with the external examiner for our course a while ago and some students were complaining because the careers service is there, 'but it is up to the student to go and see them'!!! These people were seriously suggesting they should be forced to have careers lessons - at uni!! I didn't comment too much at the time, because I was struggling to put it politely enough!

Mad isn't it? :rolleyes:

The_One_Who

Oh good Lord! I hated careers things at school because I didn't want to see them, I'd hate it more being forced to see them at uni. I know what I want to do and I will use the service this year to see if they can help me with getting some work experience. I know where to apply etc just need a helping hand with CVs and covering letters.

I would laugh if I came across those people!

my_two_cents

The_One_Who wrote: »

MTC, I face the "cheer up" attitude all the time but just ignore it. I didn't know where to go to get specific help so I asked. Much like I would ask a tutor if I didn't understand a concept in the lecture, something few people seem to do.

Fair enough, but as for me, I found out that depression was classed as a mental health problem :eek: before I officially got diagnosed, so found it hard to deal with for a while. Until then my idea of people with mental health were crazy . . .deranged. . .asylum. . .straitjacket. . .

Despite the fact that I was close to my GP, It took me 5 years to approach him and tell him "I think I have depression", his response was "i have always known, but was waiting for you to seek help . . ."

I also remember telling the student counsellor that "I have a mental problem, so would never be able to fulfil my ambition to work with children as a teacher . . ."

In addition to this, one of my lecturers got upset with me because he did not find out till the end of the first year that I had a note-taker in class, he thought the guy was a student :eek:

I guess what I am trying to say is that people handle it differently.

The_One_Who

Of course people handle it differently, but that is not the university's fault. They can't make allowances for every single person. Especially one who won't seek help, for whatever reason.

my_two_cents

The_One_Who wrote: »

Of course people handle it differently, but that is not the university's fault. They can't make allowances for every single person. Especially one who won't seek help, for whatever reason.

Still, we don't have to blame them, even though it is not the university's fault. We all know what it is like, well some more than others so . . .