Leave or Defer

Gemmzie

I get DSA, the equipment has been helpful but none of the allowances have been paying out so I'm not keen to rely on that.

bestpud

I've switched from full time to part time half way through my third year. so it can be done.

I'm not sure if you want to consider that as an option though?

It seems to me deferring will be your best option for now - it seems to close less doors.

melancholly

oh Gemmzie, i'm so sorry you're having a rubbish time....any chance you can switch to the OU or something? then you would have more control over what you studied when?

Gemmzie

I think that's what I might do melancholly. There's a course I'm interested in with the OU starting in February, which gives me more time to get better, then I can start learning again if I want to as the enrolment is open until December and it ends in Oct 09 so I could go back to uni then if I decided to.

The problem at the moment is the full-time placement in semester two, I know deep down I just can't do it this year.

Ytaya

Could you ask to do a part-time placement instead? The university is legally obliged to make 'reasonable adjustment' to accommodate a disability, and I think you could argue that doing a part-time placement is reasonable. It's presumably to teach you stuff on the job - part-time would still give you that job experience. Try talking to the uni's disability person?

Gemmzie

I did a part-time placement this year which I had to have special measures for and it caused lots of problems. This year has to be full-time. Also, I've already had extenuating circumstances twice which is pretty rare so I can't see them doing anything more for me.

dmg24

What is your gut feeling?

I had the same problem with placements last year, I was allowed to study (towards the PGCE) part time, but the placements had to be full time. Ironically, for my preferred school, my mentor was part time!

I did the last few years of my degree by distance learning (albeit at a conventional uni), and this gave me the flexibility to study when and where I wanted. That way I could work at home in the middle of the night when I couldn't sleep, or I could take an extended holiday in term time and take my books with me.

It sounds like OU could be a good option for you, especially as it gives you a few months of time out first.

In the short term, I would go for deferring rather than leaving. If you leave, there is no guarantee that you will get a place again (although it is very unlikely they would refuse you). Also, as you are claiming benefits for reason of disability, your student status will not affect your entitlement.

I'll stop rambling now ... x

Gemmzie

Thanks dmg, you're totally right about gut feeling, I should have done that much earlier!

Okay, so how do I defer then? Contact the uni and SLC? Will this make it even harder for me to get the £250 from the LA that I'm owed for equipment? Do I have to return my DSA equipment?

Sorry for all the questions

petshopgirlemma

OK, as someone who now works as a university lecturer (ironically part-time as full-time wouldn't fit in with me either!) and has also worked on the support side (mainly in careers) I say you need to speak to your uni asap. I would however also say, go on your gut instinct.

I've also obviously studied at uni and I had issues with one university I was at and left midway through an MA and started elsewhere. If you want to defer or even change institutions, because of the retention issue (and believe me this is a big issue, especially in relation to students with specific support needs) your tutors will proabably do everything they can to keep you. SO DON'T WORRY THAT THEY WON'T HELP YOU.

Despite constantly being told by universities that "retention" is what we should all be focussing on, I would fully support (and have done) any student who wanted to leave or defer. If you think one lecturer isn't really helping you, try another. You're paying for the department, not just the staff who teach you.

Firstly, speak to your student services department. I expect you have already made contact with the disability officer so they should be your first point of contact in this instance. They will be able to help you with anything finance or disability support related. And they will certainly fight your corner for you with the LA if they are difficult.

Don't worry about the full-time part-time issue - you study at either level 1, level 2 or level 3, so you would spend 2 years at level 2. From the sound of things however, I don't think going part-time would suit your course. Some courses just aren't set up to run at their best on a part-time basis, and if you feel this is the case with your uni, then you need to find somewhere where the course you want does run part-time. The OU is an option, but you really need to think seriously about why you want to defer, leave or change uni/course.

Defer asap and make sure the deferral is properly in place. If you simply don't turn up then there is a date several weeks into the course after which you WILL be counted as having received student support for a full year, even if you haven't. This is a really grey area but could mean you a robbed of a year's student support at a later date.

BUT MOST OF ALL you need to speak to your careers service - there is absolutely NO ISSUE in terms of you being able to have an appointment (as many appointments as you need) with a careers adviser at any point during the coming year. Ask to speak to someone who has experience of the field in which you want to study /work eventually and has an understanding of the impact of your disability. If you can't face going into your university then there will be an "e-guidance" service you can use - emailing a careers adviser from home.

Hope this helps.

Gemmzie

Thanks petshopgirlemma, that's really helpfully.

Ironically, I've already worked in the job I was training for (strange I chose the verb "was" there...) for about three years! Soon you will have to have the professional qualification and the degree to do the job, hence I went to uni.

I did wonder about the support and there's a fairly high chance I'll end up going to a different course in the future but in a related field, so I definitely don't want to mess that one up.

I've emailed the academic councillor but not had a reply yet, hoping to get an appointment in before registration.