DSA needs assessment on Monday

There are universities that won't give you counselling unless you get DSA for mental health issues?

I have quite a lot of stuff going on but I don't have a formal diagnosis of my mental health problems (I've been trying to get one, just failing miserably) so I won't be claiming DSA for it - although I do get DSA for Asperger's anyway. Will I still be able to access university counselling?

There are universities that won't give you counselling unless you get DSA for mental health issues?

I have quite a lot of stuff going on but I don't have a formal diagnosis of my mental health problems (I've been trying to get one, just failing miserably) so I won't be claiming DSA for it - although I do get DSA for Asperger's anyway. Will I still be able to access university counselling?

This seems to indicate that you should be OK:

http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/default-page/studentcouns/students

I should bloody well hope so! I know Cambridge is meant to be especially good for pastoral support. Counselling should be provided at every university as a precaution, imo. You shouldn't need a diagnosis or DSA to get it. What happens if you have no diagnosis but have a breakdown when you arrive at university? Seems like Sussex is taking a bit of a gamble with people's health tbh.

Found this for you.
The Service is free and available to all undergraduate students in residence and graduate students on the register, including students of the Theological Colleges.

http://www.counselling.cam.ac.uk/studentcouns

No DSA required.

Oh fantastic, thankyou to both of you! How very reassuring

I'm seriously doubting that I'll meet the Cam offer to be honest, but UCL should have stuff - and in any case, it's London, there should be plenty. I do plan to get a depression/bipolar/whatever-the-hell-is-wrong-with-me diagnosis as soon as I can, but that's not working at the moment, so I may have to wait until uni

Try and stay as positive as possible: negativity and anxiety might make things worse. You can always PM me, if that would help at all

I've just read Oxford's equivalent website. Cambridge's website seems better

Oh how lovely you seem Although given how hard stuff sounds for you at the moment, I really wouldn't want to impose! It's mostly just the joys of STEP that are making me doubt whether I'll manage Cam's offer, which is quite a legitimate fear Mental-health-wise, it's a long story which I may PM you with sometime actually, thankyou

Cambridge is better for most things Kidding, kidding... They do seem to have a really good pastoral support system, actually - the small size of the colleges and that. And the disability people are lovely, I went to see them on the open day

Oh fantastic, thankyou to both of you! How very reassuring

I'm seriously doubting that I'll meet the Cam offer to be honest, but UCL should have stuff - and in any case, it's London, there should be plenty. I do plan to get a depression/bipolar/whatever-the-hell-is-wrong-with-me diagnosis as soon as I can, but that's not working at the moment, so I may have to wait until uni

Try and stay as positive as possible: negativity and anxiety might make things worse. You can always PM me, if that would help at all

I've just read Oxford's equivalent website. Cambridge's website seems better

Tell you what, let's make a deal. You can PM away if it would help and if it becomes too much or if I'm a bit too crazy, I'll tell you

Ah, you're a mathsy person. I'm not entirely sure what STEP is, other than it sounds completely hellish

The collegiate system can make for amazingly personal/close pastoral care. I had two welfare tutors spend a whole academic year basically babysitting me

The diagnosis isn't the most important thing really, just try to keep yourself as well and as safe as you possibly can until you get additional help.
Best of luck with your offer, I'm sure you'll be fine (even though I want to smack people when they say that to me!) and if you don't meet your Cambs offer, UCL is pretty damn phenomenal!

Does anyone know how long DSA take to reply? I think I sent my application off at least a month ago but I didn't have my student finance customer service number or anything... I'm wondering if they've somehow lost my application or are expecting me to reapply now I've done my student finance...

Knew I liked Bridge over Ox for a reason!
I like that Cambridge have a special access scheme too! I've always wondered why Oxford don't...

Does anyone know how long DSA take to reply? I think I sent my application off at least a month ago but I didn't have my student finance customer service number or anything... I'm wondering if they've somehow lost my application or are expecting me to reapply now I've done my student finance...

STEP is a monstrosity. They basically decided that a-level maths and further maths aren't hard enough, so they needed to invent their own new exam which nobody has ever heard of, and make you sit it I fully appreciate where they're coming from, but it's so hard!

I will definitely do that in the morning. Thankyou very much

And wow! That's fantastic - definitely not anonymous at all then. Was your college quite a small/famously 'friendly' one?

It's famously friendly but it's the fourth largest college, IIRC

I like labels too. Far simpler than trying to explain everything that goes on in my head. I've only managed to do that with one person (one of the aforementioned welfare tutors. The things I put them through )

Oh I know, but I like to be able to slap labels on things. If you can say 'I have x' people have to help you; if you just say 'I feel y and z', people tend to go 'oh'. I'm trying to hang on until I get help But I've been trying since I was 13, so it's starting to take the mick a bit really. UCL is awesome though - part of me would be happier in London than in Cambridge, so I won't be too upset either way



****. We were meant to apply before we did student finance? I sent mine off on Friday

I empathise with how you feel but I think it's important for both of us to recognise that we're ill and that as such, we are as entitled to help as everyone else the DSA covers

Isn't DSA for study related difficulties? I don't see how counselling relate to it. With my uni for example, anybody could get some counselling just because they feel stressed or their gran just passed away etc. None of these people would be entitled to DSA, does Sussex refuse to offer any help then? This is really unheard of, go you your SU and get them to have a word with the couselling people.

In terms of what am I expecting to get from my DSA, I honestly don't know, what I do know is I still have my 2 penny worth of sane and would probaby turn down some fancy equipment they disc out to everyone; why would I need a computer, a printer, rams of paper, ink etc etc when my normally health classmates need / dont need as much of any of these as I do? The main reason I applied was because I know this way the study support would get the money back for the extra tutorials they give me, they will give me support anyway, but if they can get the money back then even better.

here is a contact for DSA: [email protected]

If you email them with a contact number and ask them to call you back, an assessor will do so. I got hold of a very nice lady and now I have direct access to her which is always handy.

Right off to bed now as appointment is bright and early. Will feedback after that.

Well, I have gotten easier on myself now compare to a couple of years ago. Still I guess mental health is still something you wanna keep to yourself and something that comes and go and hard to admit.

But maybe I will just put on my thick skin and to get as much freebie as I humanly can since me trying to help save the gov a few penny won't really make any difference in a grand scheme of things... <- that's my greedy face.