Failing first year at uni - advice wanted

johnswife

MrsManda wrote: »

In terms of finance, if she needs to repeat the year rather than a retake during her 2nd year she'll still get the full student finance package as you're allowed one false start.

As she's feeling calmer at the moment try to get her to send an email or call her year tutor to say explain what's happened and that she's struggling. That way the tutor knows there's a problem and will be able to address it. Depending on how her degree is worked out even if she fails a module she may not need to retake.

Is your daughter receiving Disabled Students Allowance? Is the university aware of her health problems?

Would she qualify for Disabled Students Allowance? I will look it up? Thanks for the suggestion.

Oldernotwiser

johnswife wrote: »

She was doing a lot of shifts but I have said we will have to rethink how much she does so she can concentrate o n her studies. Actually getting out and meeting different people is doing her confidence some good otherwise she would just sit in her room getting depressed so she has to get the balance right.

But, if she isn't getting the work done, even for a resit, then the balance is wrong. Does she really need to earn that much money?

johnswife

The reason, from what I gather between sobs, for not completing the work was having panic attacks and not being able to attend the tutors/lessons and probably doing an imitation of an ostrich. It then becomes a much bigger problem in her head.

Not doing any shifts at the bar would not have changed that, in fact would have made her more depressed.

But she will be cutting down on her shifts.

bristol_pilot

She may or may not be able to re-sit the year. But someone who gets themselves in such a state in the first year should ask themselves - when the immediate situation is sorted - how they are going to cope with the second year, when the work really starts and the final year which will be very intense and pressured. So maybe leaving now might be better than bailing out later with a large debt and no degree. The Student Union will have seen all this before and will be a good source of advice.

johnswife

bristol_pilot wrote: »

She may or may not be able to re-sit the year. But someone who gets themselves in such a state in the first year should ask themselves - when the immediate situation is sorted - how they are going to cope with the second year, when the work really starts and the final year which will be very intense and pressured. So maybe leaving now might be better than bailing out later with a large debt and no degree. The Student Union will have seen all this before and will be a good source of advice.

Yes, I have had that same thought. But she is determined that she wants to do this and she is capable of doing the work. We have no say in her choice, it is what she wants to do even though she has to put so much effort into her day that other people just do! The alternative is she just gives up. And then what?

atypical

johnswife wrote: »

She is on anti depressants and a sort of beta blocker to help when she has really bad panic attacks.

Is she also undergoing cognitive behavioural therapy? She should have been offered it at some point but GPs often forget (or view it as new age nonsense).

marywooyeah

bristol-pilot raises a good point: When I started uni aged 22 I worked 16hrs a week, had a 15 month old baby and did all the housework, I struggled to cope but pulled through and got good marks.
Just finished my second year, and within 2 weeks of being back was wondering how I would see the term let alone the year through. the workload skyrocketed, we were expected to spend 4 to 5 hours completing the seminar prep (it sometimes used to take me longer depending on the subject) and attend around 6 or 7 lectures a week as well as now working 4 half days. I got very good marks this year but I nearly had some kind of breakdown in the process - I was sleeping around 3/4 hours a night, working til 1am usually then strugglng to go to sleep as my brain was wide awake then I'd often wake up naturally at 5 or 6am and reach for the textbooks - it was so hard. I would ask your daughter if she is aware that the workload and difficulty of the work increases each year - if she has to retake this year then can't cope in the second year she will have wasted so much time and money.

jazabelle

Just as an aside, Disabled Student's Allowance is just for equipment, so won't help financially. I did get a small amount of money towards photcopying due to dyslexia though. (I have lots of physical/mobility problems though as well)

If you can think of something that may help her i.e. I got a special chair and desk, help with taking notes, etc.

It won't pay for therapies, and you have a massive fight to get help with transport costs.

johnswife

Yes did a quick look at DSA and feel the money is of more use to other students, I don,t think it would help my daughter.

Marywooyeah I completely get your point and she is under no illusion about how hard year 2 and 3 will be.

bestpud

Has she considered putting in a claim for exceptional circumstances?

She would need to be quick and she'd need evidence of the problems she faced, but she should still be able to claim.

DSA can provide help with lecture notes and possibly even a note taker for lectures she is unable to attend. It is about more than equipment.

It is well worth her applying as she doesn't have to accept what they offer.