I want to leave my course

Breezay

I've just started an animal care course & it's not at all what it seemed to be. The tutor I had my interview with made it *very* clear to me that the course was scientific based & very academic, and less practical work. I, stupidly, believed her! And now I'm on a course where I am expected to do over 400 hours of work experience and practicals in class (including handling large animals). I've not really struggled in the practical classes, but the tutor is making life very difficult. Due to an accident last year, I have problems with my ankles. I have asked my tutor for support with this & she (and the course manager) have told me that this isn't the right course for me, it's a lot of debt etc. Basically telling me I should leave.

I decided I wouldn't stand for being bullied off the course & went to the support team and told them what had been said. Of course, my tutor and her boss denied that they'd ever said that! Ugh.

They've offered me some support, in the form of a chair.. But won't help me to find a suitable work placement. And all of the places I've suggested, they've said aren't suitable.

I am honestly getting tired of this whole situation and life would be so much easier if I left. I've been looking for jobs, but to no avail. I've agreed with my OH to at least stick it out until January.

If I leave in January, where do I stand with student finance? I've received my loan & grant payment for the first term so far and that's it. Obviously, if I quit now, they will want that back & I've spent most of it on equipment & travel :mad: What can I do?

dizzyrascal

What "Animal care" course does not have a practical element?
If the course is not suitable then you need to make a decision, not blame people. If you want to leave then go to your student services and follow the correct procedure.
If you want physical help with your placements then you need to go to your disability advisers and see what they can offer. However, you do need to be agile if your working with large animals. By that I mean quick on your feet and able to react quickly.

Breezay

dizzyrascal wrote: »

What "Animal care" course does not have a practical element?
If the course is not suitable then you need to make a decision, not blame people. If you want to leave then go to your student services and follow the correct procedure.
If you want physical help with your placements then you need to go to your disability advisers and see what they can offer. However, you do need to be agile if your working with large animals. By that I mean quick on your feet and able to react quickly.

I'm not really blaming anyone. I don't feel supported by the staff and have spoken to the 'disability team' with regards to getting support. There just isn't any available. That or they are all so unwilling, it would be easier for them if I left. Hence why they keep telling me to leave. I went through the system the correct way, I spoke to my tutor about my concerns (after finding out that the course is not what I was promised, and I did tell them about my disability in my interview, so it's not like I've suddenly sprung it on them or anything!). Instead of referring me to the disability team, she & the course manager simply told me to leave. I had to get in touch with the disability team myself, who were pretty annoyed that I'd not been referred to them through my tutor.

dizzyrascal

What concerns me most about your post is that you claim to have got all the information at the interview stage but you must have known what sort of course you were applying for.
Are you saying that there was no mention of placements or getting hands on experience in the prospectus or in any of their online materials?
I would consider it to be a very basic expectation of an animal care course that the students would be involved with animals on a regular basis.

ScribbleNInk

What was said at the interview aside, the important thing is the problems that need resolving now. the university should be giving you support for your disability, and since you told them about it at the interview stage they should definitely have been much clearer about the problems that might arise - it sounds like maybe the interviewer assumed it would be fine rather than speaking with the disability team or referring you to them at that stage.

You should be able to get advice from someone at the university I would have thought, about the finance side of things? It also sounds like the disability people are being more helpful than the tutors so it's probably worth asking for their advice on this.

dizzyrascal

ScribbleNInk wrote: »

What was said at the interview aside, the important thing is the problems that need resolving now. the university should be giving you support for your disability, and since you told them about it at the interview stage they should definitely have been much clearer about the problems that might arise - it sounds like maybe the interviewer assumed it would be fine rather than speaking with the disability team or referring you to them at that stage.

You should be able to get advice from someone at the university I would have thought, about the finance side of things? It also sounds like the disability people are being more helpful than the tutors so it's probably worth asking for their advice on this.

Yes they should if they are able to.
If this is a very practical course then it may not be at all suitable for the OP. It would be great to think we could all do every course no matter what our ability but there will be some serious health and safety issues here and I don't think that this course will be for everyone.
I think the difficulty with the placements will be that the OP will not be insured.
I speak as someone who works in careers guidance and as a part time farmer.

note_2

have PM'd you

jobbingmusician

Slightly OT, but might help. https://www.direct.gov.uk/dsa

The Uni should be busting a gut to help accommodate your needs, IMHO!!!!! Shocked at your tutor's behaviour!

dizzyrascal

jobbingmusician wrote: »

Slightly OT, but might help. https://www.direct.gov.uk/dsa

The Uni should be busting a gut to help accommodate your needs, IMHO!!!!! Shocked at your tutor's behaviour!

Under normal circumstances I would agree with you but this is a different set of circumstances
I am sure that if it were an animal science course or an animal management course then it might be possible to accommodate the OP's needs. (This would be a more academic course)
Unfortunately the OP has chosen to do an Animal Care Course that involves practical work placements with large animals.
This is a highly dangerous environment where even experienced experts get killed or injured frequently. I have seen my fair share of serious injuries with able bodied and often very fit and agile people who work with animals full time.
How on earth is the college supposed to accommodate a person with a disability that impairs their mobility? They have a duty of care to their students and I can quite understand why they are not prepared to let the OP continue.