What if I do not like my course - things to consider & how to transfer

Transitioning into university is a big step associated with many important decisions. One of them, which you make before you start this journey, is deciding on the course. An extraordinarily wide range of choices might not be that helpful at the end of the day. It often happens that when people settle in, they realise that their course is not quite right for them. The number of possible reasons is as huge as the number of available programmes. Luckily, there is a chance to transfer to a different course. However, you should consider a few things before making that choice. I will walk you through them and subsequently explain the procedure of transferring :biggrin:

As you should have a clear idea to support your change of course application, answering some questions not only will help you make up your mind and be sure that the new programme is really what you want, but also it will make your application stronger. Take some time to exhaustively think it through. It might be helpful to write everything down and calmly analyse it. Let’s have a look at what you should ask yourself :clap2:

Why do you want to change the course? It is a reflection of your reasons. Whether they are logical and strong or weak and unserious, like disliking one module or lecturer. An additional question would be whether your reasons are enough to make such a tremendous decision about your future. Maybe there is something else that is the problem? Remember that you can reach out to your personal tutor and DMU well-being support with any concerns :u:

Do you have a clear idea of what you would like to study instead? This time it should be the right choice, so make sure to do your research, talk with a programme leader, and be able to comprehensively explain why you want to take this course. If you already know what you plan to do in the future, ask yourself whether the completion of the new programme will support you in achieving it :confused:

Would you be eligible to transfer onto the new course of choice? That is a moment when you should arrange a meeting with your personal tutor, who can listen to your clear considerations regarding the change and help you check whether it is possible for you at all. There needs to be space on the new programme, and you need to meet the entry criteria :dontknow:

Are you ready to catch up on what you have missed? Depending on when you make the decision, you might be required to do some additional work, as you are not really allowed to ignore topics that were covered while you were studying something different. Moreover, if you transfer to a completely dissimilar course late in the academic year, you will probably need to start it from the beginning, affecting your entitlement to student loans and tuition fee support. The good thing is that you might be allowed to transfer, along with your credits, but only if the new programme is similar :five:

If transferring is your final decision, I will now explain how to do it. Fortunately, it is a straightforward and smooth process :gigg:

You have already consulted with your personal tutor about the possibility. You might also need to contact your current and new course leaders to discuss it. The main action is to complete the change of programme form and have it signed by both leaders in order to acknowledge your leaving the course and being accepted to a new one :goodluck:

Remember about one thing, the longer you wait, the higher the probability that you will be asked to catch up intensively or start the new course from the very beginning :pirate:

On a final note, do not be afraid to reach for what you really want but make sure it is what you really want! If you are unsure, remember that there is lovely DMU support available for you :proud: