Extenuating Circumstances Claim

Hi all, I am writing this post to ask about my chances of being accepted for an extenuating circumstances claim that I am planning to make to my University. A bit of a brief background: I suffer from anxiety and depression, and have recently been prescribed sertraline to help mitigate these symptoms. In the past, I have been prescribed medication but did not take it as a way of trying to sabotage myself due to how I was feeling. However, this time around, I have started to take my medication responsibly and sensibly.

My anxiety and depression have flared up massively over the past few weeks and I am not too sure why. I have been taking medication but I presume that the dosage is not high enough for me. I have also been suffering from bad physical side effects from the medication. Throughout this process, I have been in correspondence with my University Health GP and have been prescribed a higher dosage

I am asking what my chances would be of deferring some of my winter assessments to the summer period. My university offers a policy whereby students can defer their assessments and sit them uncapped (even if they have already been submitted) if there are sufficient personal circumstances. My doctors would be able to provide medical evidence.

Another stressful fact is that my department will not be having panel meetings to discuss extenuating circumstances applicants until the middle of January. This has caused me so much stress as I do not want to apply and then get rejected as I think this would gravely impact me. But I simply cannot produce the work required due to my condition. Thank you to all those advising

You have a good case on the face of things, especially given that you've been trying to get things sorted and have had a recent change in dosage.

In our place, you'd have to apply the week before the exams, but this is not a policy at every institution - it's worth getting the claim in and might even be worth a talk with your personal tutor/academic advisor to loop them in, too.

I always caveat this stuff by saying it's not 100% that claims will be accepted, but I've had a number of students in yoyr position and never known any to be rejected

Thank you so much for your response 🙂 I am currently a first year (to provide more context). My only worry is that one of the assessments (an online assessment worth 30% of the module grade) has already been completed. However, I was suffering with very bad medicine side effects when completing this assessment, which meant that I did not perform to the best of my ability at all. However, my University states that NA is most of the time only awarded if you haven’t submitted the work or have failed it.

It is therefore a consideration of whether or not this assessment would likely warrant a NA. I do understand that it was out of my control and luckily I have a 70% exam for it in the summer, which I will have to try and get 75% in to push the grade up to a 1.1. I complete a quantitative course so hopefully that would not be too far out of reach if I completed the necessary preparation.

With the second assessment (an essay), I have not submitted this and do not think that I would be able to due to my extenuating circumstances.

Luckily I have medical evidence to support both claims but it is the not knowing that also really increases my state of anxiety. I haven’t discussed it with my parents either as they are both very academically geared. They would understand my situation with mental health, but say it’s better to just get the work over and done with. Which is all well and good to say, but if I physically and mentally cannot complete it right now then there is not much that can be done.

You know your regulations better than I do, but it's worth having a word anyway. Retrospective MCs are hard to get approved but it isn't impossible.

With that said, making sure that you get them in for the 'big' assessment, is probably the most important thing.

I understand your parents' position, but you are right that sometimes real life doesn't work that way. There is no shame in going down the MC route - the process is there to help you achieve what you could achieve if the playing field were totally level for you. I do think having a quick talk with student support or your ac advisor might help assuage your worries.

Hi all, I am writing this post to ask about my chances of being accepted for an extenuating circumstances claim that I am planning to make to my University. A bit of a brief background: I suffer from anxiety and depression, and have recently been prescribed sertraline to help mitigate these symptoms. In the past, I have been prescribed medication but did not take it as a way of trying to sabotage myself due to how I was feeling. However, this time around, I have started to take my medication responsibly and sensibly.

My anxiety and depression have flared up massively over the past few weeks and I am not too sure why. I have been taking medication but I presume that the dosage is not high enough for me. I have also been suffering from bad physical side effects from the medication. Throughout this process, I have been in correspondence with my University Health GP and have been prescribed a higher dosage

I am asking what my chances would be of deferring some of my winter assessments to the summer period. My university offers a policy whereby students can defer their assessments and sit them uncapped (even if they have already been submitted) if there are sufficient personal circumstances. My doctors would be able to provide medical evidence.

Another stressful fact is that my department will not be having panel meetings to discuss extenuating circumstances applicants until the middle of January. This has caused me so much stress as I do not want to apply and then get rejected as I think this would gravely impact me. But I simply cannot produce the work required due to my condition. Thank you to all those advising

Hi all, I am writing this post to ask about my chances of being accepted for an extenuating circumstances claim that I am planning to make to my University. A bit of a brief background: I suffer from anxiety and depression, and have recently been prescribed sertraline to help mitigate these symptoms. In the past, I have been prescribed medication but did not take it as a way of trying to sabotage myself due to how I was feeling. However, this time around, I have started to take my medication responsibly and sensibly.

My anxiety and depression have flared up massively over the past few weeks and I am not too sure why. I have been taking medication but I presume that the dosage is not high enough for me. I have also been suffering from bad physical side effects from the medication. Throughout this process, I have been in correspondence with my University Health GP and have been prescribed a higher dosage

I am asking what my chances would be of deferring some of my winter assessments to the summer period. My university offers a policy whereby students can defer their assessments and sit them uncapped (even if they have already been submitted) if there are sufficient personal circumstances. My doctors would be able to provide medical evidence.

Another stressful fact is that my department will not be having panel meetings to discuss extenuating circumstances applicants until the middle of January. This has caused me so much stress as I do not want to apply and then get rejected as I think this would gravely impact me. But I simply cannot produce the work required due to my condition. Thank you to all those advising

Hi all, I am writing this post to ask about my chances of being accepted for an extenuating circumstances claim that I am planning to make to my University. A bit of a brief background: I suffer from anxiety and depression, and have recently been prescribed sertraline to help mitigate these symptoms. In the past, I have been prescribed medication but did not take it as a way of trying to sabotage myself due to how I was feeling. However, this time around, I have started to take my medication responsibly and sensibly.

My anxiety and depression have flared up massively over the past few weeks and I am not too sure why. I have been taking medication but I presume that the dosage is not high enough for me. I have also been suffering from bad physical side effects from the medication. Throughout this process, I have been in correspondence with my University Health GP and have been prescribed a higher dosage

I am asking what my chances would be of deferring some of my winter assessments to the summer period. My university offers a policy whereby students can defer their assessments and sit them uncapped (even if they have already been submitted) if there are sufficient personal circumstances. My doctors would be able to provide medical evidence.

Another stressful fact is that my department will not be having panel meetings to discuss extenuating circumstances applicants until the middle of January. This has caused me so much stress as I do not want to apply and then get rejected as I think this would gravely impact me. But I simply cannot produce the work required due to my condition. Thank you to all those advising