Advice needed, please. Should I drop out?

SnowMonkey_3

Really need some practical advice. Basically, I think I might drop out of my course or might be withdrawn. I'm at college doing an HNC and study in Scotland, I am a mature independant student and I receive a loan of £5123 and my tuition fees are paid.

The reason for dropping out is due to difficult personal cicumstances following a break up with my long term partner, I've missed a lot of classes and had to move in with my sister away from where I was studying. I've not felt up to going in and while I've tried to catch up with work, I'm missing classes and it has a knock on effect.

After burying my head in the sand, I know I need to do something. Head of my course has said they plan to withdraw me from the course - she may already have done this, I've no idea where I stand. I work part time and this is never enough to pay for rent, bills etc.

I would do anything to be able to complete the course and go into next year but I fear I may have missed too much to catch up and risk failing if I do go back. If I could start afresh in September and go back to beginning of the course I'm in just now, I would do that but I have no idea if I would receive a loan/funding or how this works.

I don't have the money to pay for tuition fees or enough money to survive without the loan so if either of these are taken away, it will be impossible for me to return.

I have spoken with the head of my course and they are aware of the situation I'm in and are pushing me to make a decision but I do not know what to do.

I've had a read at the SAAS website but it doesn't really explain clearly what will happen.

I can't sleep at night and things are getting pretty desperate, anyone who has any information or advice, please help.

Fred56

Talk to your tutor. Don't drop out. Colleges are very flexible about trying to find ways to avoid a student failing the course. I did an HNC a few yars back and got in mess with excessive work committments. I dropped out and then started up again the next year. BUT, and it was a big BUT, I should have just hung on in there. On the second attempt I passed with good marks through hard work but other students were given passes just to keep them on the course. I do mean given, because some of the did not submit the assignments. I saw others fail assignments who were told they had to take re-sit but when it came to it they also were allowed to pass without resubmitting. Lecturers complain that they get their arms twisted if the give a fail mark. The exam boards hate to fail.
You'll be doing a few modules with groupwork submissions. Do what half of my group members did. Nothing! Let the motivated students take the strain.

These things annoy the motivated students but it's a way of getting through.

Go and talk to your tutor.

SnowMonkey_3

Thanks for your reply.

I think the main problem in my case is that I feel I will struggle to catch up having missed ALOT of work in a practical subject.

I've spent all weekend on coursework to catch up but when I checked my email this morning, Id missed a message saying she planned to withdraw me for a deadline I have now missed.

I'm terrified to turn up with all my work incase she tells me I'm no longer on the course. My confidence has taken a hell of a knock recently and I really don't know what to do if I'm taken off the course. I've tried not to touch the loan instalment I received on Friday incase they start asking for it back, things just seem a complete mess.

I take on what you said about struggling through and scraping a pass but I think she was relying on me being one of the more able students (I completed a portfolio course before HNC and had no problems at all).

I thinking about going in tomorrow now, followed by a trip to my GP. Besides this, I have a load of other stuff going on and I'm at breaking point.