Submitting EC's

top_drawer_2

hi,

I have to submit Extenuating Circumstances for uni and I have written a letter to ask to be allowed to do the year again next year.

This is it -

Dear Sir/Madam.

I am writing to you to apply for Extenuating Circumstances. I suffer with Clinical Depression and this has seriously affected my ability to function over the past 18 months. In the period of 2007/08 my depression was exacerbated by non-attendance at lectures and seminars. I was wrongly informed at enrolment that I was only eligible to attend for assessments.

I continue to receive the support of my G.P and with a recent alteration of my medication my illness is now coming under control. Furthermore, I am in the process of taking steps to alter my life for the better. I am continuing with counselling and through this I have taken positive steps – in order to minimize the impact my families’ issues have on me. I have moved out of the family home and into a place of my own. I am also seeking professional help with my eating problems and to create a supportive network to help me to be positive. I intend to continue this process and hope that this will impact positively upon my illness.

I believe I can benefit from being allowed to repeat my final year with attendance on the Bsc Psychology course. I greatly enjoy the course and find the work both interesting and challenging.

I am so worried they will refuse as I have had this last year to do the work and my life was such a mess and I just couldnt manage it. It just looks so pathatic what I have on paper but how do I say my life was in bits - I just cant explain what its is with depression that makes every tiny life hiccup seem like the world has fallen in.

Jen

top_drawer_2

hi,

I can always ask him for a letter or at least put it in and then ask for one as they normally take a few days to get typed up.

The counsellor only works Thursday and fridays so again I could ask the receptionist and and then get it this week when I actually see her.

Jen

elisebutt65

You usually need a letter from the GP or counsellor as well as proof, or anyone with bad grades orr attendance could write a letter. When I had to miss an exam due to an op, I had to get the hospital to do me a letter.

They wouldn't accept me showing my stitches:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

top_drawer_2

lol of course you could have put them in yourself ...

I will ring the Dr in the morning and see if I can arrange one asap, same with the counsellor.

This is the new draft -

Dear Sir/Madam.

I am writing to you in order to seek permission to repeat level three level of my Bsc Psychology degree in the approaching academic session of 08/09.

I have been unable to successful complete my course this past academic session as I have been and continue to suffer with clinical depression seriously affecting my ability to function. This has been particularly apparent in the past 6 months as things have become intolerable within my family and I was dismissed from my employment and then found holding down another job impossible. In the past year I have had a number of family issues; due to my illness each affects me to a much deeper level than would be expected in a well person. I continue to be treated by a Doctor on a regular basis and I am able to provide a sick note to support my medical condition.

It seems that I was wrongly informed that I was eligible to attend only for exams and this has made completing work difficult as I have had very little guidance or feedback. I felt unsupported and anxious about the quality of my work. My illness made every task feel like fighting a battle as the most basic things such as remembering what I had already done, were difficult; each session felt like I had never looked at the work before and I was starting from scratch. This meant that progress was extremely slow leading to demotivation and even greater depression.

I have recently altered my medication and have taken a number of steps to alter my life for the better which seems to be bringing my illness under control. I am continuing with counselling and through this I have gained the strength to move out of the family home and into a place of my own with the consequence that the impact of my family’s issues are minimized upon me. I am also seeking professional help with my eating problems and am in the process of creating a supportive network to help me to be positive. I intend to continue this process and hope that this will continue to affect my illness positively.

I believe I can benefit from being allowed to repeat my third year with attendance at the relevant lectures and seminars. I greatly enjoy the course as I find it relevant, challenging and interesting.

I hope to be hearing from you shortly.

Many thanks for your time,



Jen

cardiffforthefacup

I sympathise with you, every small problem gets you down even more, but you need to focus and get this extenuating circumstance in in time. You will need a letter off the doctor as well to say you have depression and if it is possible written evidence to say that your new meds are working. (Did you get Effexor(Vanlefexine) and were you previously on seroxat(paroxetine) by any chance.) If you don't play the blame game it will look better, mistakes are made sometimes, by saying you were wrongly informed would probably look better if you say something like 'Although I was repeating third year assessments only, with foresight it would have better to repeat the third year with full attendance. Now my medication has been changed I am feeling a lot better and would like the opportunity to complete my degree satisfactorally. They may offer you to take a year out to recover, if this is so then take it with good grace and try not to feel a failure(your not, your just ill, if it was flu you would take the time out but because it is something you can't see it makes you feel a fraud, your not, you have lost something important to you and need to grieve the loss). Baby steps is the way to go, for every up there a probably four or five downs, try to dwell on the ups, if you only manage to get out of bed somedays, that is an achievement, if you can manage to comb your hair and get dressed and go out that is a massive achievement somedays, just don't feel guilty. Time is what will get you through this. When the meds work properly you will feel well again, if need be don't come off them for length of your degree, a lot of people think they can manage without them as soon as they start to feel better and come off them too soon and their depression quickly returns. Also do some form of physical exercise, just a walk to start,or a yoga stretch here and there, the endorphins that are released during/after exercise are a natural anti-depressant.
Sorry to rabbit on, however the letter looked okay and just needs tweak or two. Hope things work out, you will soon be back on top form.

this was written before your edited version, sorry for confusion

melancholly

i just want to double check whether you need to do a letter, or is there a specific form? i don't mean to ask a really insulting question, but i know that they can be pedants for having the paperwork done exactly the right way (double stamped, signed for, in triplicate etc )

also, can you pin down who gave you the wrong information about only attending for exams? prob not all that important, but they may ask about that anyway.

sounds like you're doing all the right things to improve your situation in a really constructive way. hope it all goes well.

top_drawer_2

hi,

I am worried that they will say come back next year .... I really dont want to do that as I really cant cope with a F/T job at the moment at least uni will be sort of more managable at the moment.

I was on Citalapram now Venlefax? - it caused me many sleepless nights.

It is a letter - they just give you an envelope to fill in and then you submit your evidence in that.

Jen



Thanks

cardiffforthefacup

Venlefax should be much more effective as they are a newer version of anti depressants, you should be feeling much better very shortly. If you are sure you can cope and won't be back in this position next year may I suggest that you don't mention that you still suffer with it but that your condition is now under control and also it would look better if you say you left your last employment rather than you were dismissed. Most universities don't expect you to be employed anyway as it interferes with your studies. Make a point of going to uni support services as they can give you a lot of help, even if it is extra time in exams. They can help you get the right support financially also,maybe a computer if it is difficult to cope with crowds or working in a busy environment or a helper for taking notes and even a mentor, they are there to help you make the most of any difficulties, they usually have a resident psychologist, which can be more helpful as outside support can be out of reach, depending on where you live. Don't take on another job if you are not well it can just make things worse, you may want to see if you can claim incapacity benefit if you are struggling, ask the support services for help

lilysgarden

Have you chatted with your personal tutor about all this? During my 2nd year, I was going through a very rough patch personally and found my uni work really diificult. As a result, the depression I'd coped with by myself for 10 years, got out of control and I needed very high doses of medication to get it back under control.

I actually spoke to my personal tutor before filling any forms etc out. Not only did he give me extremely good advice (as well as a shoulder to cry on!), but he also completed the paperwork for me and put my mitigating circumstances forms through for signing for me. It may have been different for me as I was getting extensions on essays etc, but I'd always recommend talking to them. My tutor also wrote a letter to the University Dean explaining why he thought I needed this help and how he believed that with the extra leeway, I could still be a successful student.

At the end of the day, the uni is a business and they make money by getting students through their degree's. You may find that by talking to your tutor, they may have more idea's of things you can do to carry on and get through your degree. And they can also provide a statement in support of your claim. Whatever happens though, all the best and stick at it. It does become worth it at the end!!!;)

top_drawer_2

just checked my uni email and the course leader has replied to my email and said that I handed my EC's in very late (she only replied on Monday to my email saying that the board met on Tuesday and I handed them in at 10.30 on Tuesday morning!) and that there was no evidence in the envelope (I clearly stated that I had requested this and would get it to them as soon as possible).

They seem to be aiming to make me feel as bad as possible and get at me all the time.

Jen

melancholly

don't worry too much - they do normally want everything in advance so that someone can sort though it all beforehand. it usually has to be sorted out before exam results come out (although not for you if you are asking to resit, just more generally) which is why they have a time issue.

they're not aiming to make you feel bad, but there are always very specific guidelines on these things that aren't always flexible enough. what action does the course leader suggest? have they given you a deadline to get the extra evidence? if not, ask for one and if given, that will then be an email effectively saying that they will consider your ECs at that point in time.

don't you dare give up now!