Case Study One
I came to the University of Brighton to pursue my interest in design having recently completed a foundation diploma in art and design. I chose architecture as I felt that this would include all elements of design without being restricted to just graphic or 3d design etc.
I very much enjoyed my first year, I had made lots of friends and liked living in Brighton, and since I was passing my course work, I carried on into the second year. This was when my problems started.
I was working very hard but not enjoying it, my grades were suffering and after Christmas I was told that I had failed part of my coursework. I spoke to my friends and it seemed that they were finding it hard too, and my family thought everything would turn out in the end.
I was however unconvinced that the stress and worry were worth it, so I sought a second opinion. Having realised that there was support available within the university, I initially spoke to a careers counsellor who suggested a number of options - leave the university, change course, study different modules. This advice was very empowering, as at that time I hadn’t realised that changing course was even an option, and that it was ok to feel like this.
I also spoke to someone from Student Advice and the Student Loans Company who advised me about some of the financial consequences. Staying on the course and completing the year made more financial sense as leaving could have resulted in my student loan being withdrawn for that year.
I saw a University Counsellor and submitted mitigating circumstances to my course leader – this allowed me to be considered for re-takes on the course and gave me a bit of breathing space while I decided what to do. Meanwhile I attended university open days, spoke to admissions tutors and looked through the prospectus for other courses. I had hoped that I would be able to transfer onto the second year of another design based course but unfortunately this wasn't possible due to the nature of my course, so I had to start again from the first year.
As it turned out this was a positive thing as it meant that I wasn't restricted to design courses and could in fact go for something completely new – that turned out to be environmental sciences. Fortunately I had a good science A level in physics and when I spoke to the course admissions tutor, they were happy for me to apply direct, and so I made an internal switch within the university.
I’m now coming to the end of my first year of my new course and I have really enjoyed it. The modular nature of the course and the assessment methods suit me so much better, I have a great personal tutor who gives the students lots of support.
There are a quite a few ‘mature’ students on this course so I don’t feel I stand out for being a bit older, and we get to mix with other courses in the school so I meet people with different interests.
One of my part time jobs is to work as a student ambassador - so I get to meet lots of people thinking of coming to university and it’s a great opportunity to talk to them, and advise them of the many options you can take to get the degree you want.
Top tips
- Get a second opinion – its good to get an outsiders perspective
- Keep your course leader informed of what is going on, and seek out Student Services, you don’t need to be referred by a course tutors/leader
- Write down your reasons for leaving and reasons for staying – this will help balance up the arguments about what is best for you – it can be really tough going through the process but after a bit of research, things get clearer and for me it was obvious what I should do.
Case Study Two
When I first thought about courses I was unsure whether to choose a course with an academic focus or a more practical one – as I had an interest in both. In the end I chose the design route and applied to do the MDes Textiles, this course has particular links with the textiles industry which appealed to me and had the additional advantage of being an integrated master’s degree.
As early as the first week I was having doubts about my choice, I didn’t think I was up to the expected standard, and had little, or no contact with tutors with which to ally my fears. However, from talking to friends in Halls and course colleagues I put this down to being homesick and part of the process of settling in the life at the University.
I had doubts again when I had to do my first project but having been home for Christmas I was determined to give it a proper chance. This lasted until the end of the first semester (February), I had had enough of being unsure and still not convinced that this was the course for me. I spoke initially to course colleagues and friends, and having looked up details on this website I spoke to a careers counsellor.
I then did some active research into a possible new course, found one in the prospectus, contacted the course leader and having discussed it in some detail I was accepted and was on my new course by the start of semester two.
Once I had made the decision to definitely change courses the process was straightforward – I spoke to my current tutors and informed Registry of my change in details.
I have been fortunate in that my grades from my first course can be carried over into this new one, though I will have exams at the end of the year – some of the questions are likely be on topics I didn’t study – having missed semester one – but I’m confident I can catch up
I am really enjoying my new course which is much more academic, I have more contact with tutors and I enjoy the structure of lectures and seminars.
Top tips
- Follow your instincts but take time to think through your options – talk to people where you can.
- Make a decision for yourself – some of the early choices I made about the course were led by others.
- Timing is important – different courses have different rules about leave dates but the earlier you make a decision the less likely you will have to start over again.
- You are not alone
- If you thinking about changing or leaving your course, you owe it to yourself to investigate it and make a decision – you don’t study, apply, leave home and turn up to university for anyone else!
Case Study Three
My personal problems started on my placement year, and continued in full swing after returning to my final year at university. I suffered in silence for a long time, until my problems started to noticeably affect my university work.
I had never been one to talk about my problems, so I carried on, always feeling isolated and alone. The thought of a university counsellor never even occurred to me until I was forced to explain some of my problems to my course leader, as I needed extra time for my assignments.
I came to meet my counsellor at university at a time when my world was collapsing. I have always been a top student, who had never needed additional help, but this year I was forced to request extensions for every single assignment as I was unable to focus on the work.
Despite initially feeling uneasy, my counsellor was absolutely great. I felt much happier leaving the meetings, both about finally talking about my problems and about realising there is a way out.
The counsellor connected me to the other departments, which led to me receiving mitigating circumstances, additional exam time and a mentor for the final couple of months before the exams.These are things I had never heard of before or ever thought of applying for.
I also had meetings with the disability and dyslexia team, who were really understanding and helped support my mitigating circumstances application. It was surprising for me to be in contact with this department, as I would never in a million years have classed myself as disabled, but actually the team deals with a wide range of little known issues.
Although having a study mentor initially felt strange, it helped me get my revision in order and plan my studying, as well as giving me some of the enthusiasm and motivation necessary to make a start.
The practical support I received helped to take much of the stress away, gave me more time and peace to deal with my problems, and bought a huge peace of mind; once I felt I was no longer alone, I was more calm, and knowing that for instance, I could get extensions for coursework, or even extra exam time, made me look at the world in a more rational light. No one performs at their best when under huge stress, so this helped greatly.
My course leader has been incredibly supporting through the whole year, not only helping with my extensions and extra help, but also proactively suggesting solutions which might ease my academic work. I often felt scared to approach her thinking I was a nuisance, but she has been extremely helpful and reassured me that this was part of her work.
I often thought I should have taken a gap year after my placement, because I felt there was no way I could complete my final year with the results I wanted, and sometimes even wondered if I would physically survive the year. The counselor always reassured me I can do this if I focus, and helped me keep my goals in mind.
I finished my final year with a 1st degree classification in every subject, receiving a prize for the best student on the course, and another for best student from a particular subject. On top of everything, I am feeling much better than I had at the start of my final year.
I don’t know what the future holds, but am absolutely certain that without the understanding and help of both my course leader and counsellor, I never would have got to where I am now. I am still surprised I even finished the year, and very happy about having managed to uphold my academic results.
Top tips
My final words to other students would be that I know how it feels to be alone and believe that telling people about your problems will only worsen the situation. By asking for help you open the door to a range of counselling, mentoring, disability and support services, all completely confidential and operating only with your agreement and permission.
Asking for help, although extremely difficult, was the best thing I could have done for myself, both in terms of academic and personal life. It is impossible to imagine the transformation that a group of trained, helpful advisers with the right information can help you achieve until you have experienced it for yourself. I believe the university’s support network is second to none and would highly recommend it to anyone going through a difficult time.