Are tutors allowed to stop you from dropping a course?

Hi!

Well basically i'm studying Computing at AS Level and have been since September. I didn't really like the subject when it started but I kept at it and now after being on the course for three months, I've decided that I can no longer handle learning this subject, it just doesn't appeal to me and was my 4th AS Level choice. I thought that I would pick a fourth since I had the opportunity too, so thought it's not really an opportunity worth wasting.

So after three months I asked my tutor if I could leave the subject as ultimately I wasn't enjoying it and found it quite a struggle to understand. He told me that I wasn't allowed to leave the subject, and if I don't understand that I need to arrange support lessons and ask question when I don't understand something and that running away is not the solution.

I don't see this as running away to be honest, I don't understand the subject and don't enjoy it. It's even got to the point where I just thought about simply not turning up to the lesson. But what really annoyed me was the fact he told me to ask questions, considering he has made it quite clear he doesn't want to teach me in the way he acts towards me.

I don't ask him questions because when I do, he is extremely brief and expects me to know what he's telling me to do and then walks off. He also walks around the class and will talk to other students, including the student next to me, and will ask if they are alright, if they need any help, but will just glance at me and walk off to the next student. Also when he is showing us old course work from previous years, which he usually does in two's, he will be talking to the other student and not me and if I ask a question about it, he seems to get annoyed with me. He also seems to make an example of me when I have done something wrong in my course work to the whole class, granted he has done it to other students too, but it's my coursework and they're my mistakes, why does everyone else in the class have to know about them?

It's really starting to annoy me and I don't know why he does it or what to do about it. I haven't done anything, that I know of, to make him take a disliking towards me. My other tutors don't act this way towards me either. Perhaps because I'm a quite and shy student and rarely speak up?

So do you think this needs to be taken further and I need to make a complaint about him?

Reply 1

Laomedeia

Its your life, do what you like with it. If you wanted to go to jail for example, you could go on a murder spree and who are the police to say you aint allowed to be incarcerated in any way. (some places they murder you back using a chair).

Reply 2

Greenlaner

Original post by Laomedeia

What an odd response.

Reply 3

Laomedeia

Original post by Greenlaner

What an odd response.

- .... .. ... / --- -. . ... / . ...- . -. / -- --- .-. . / --- -.. -.. .-.-.-

Reply 4

Psyk

Can you talk to one of your tutor's superiors about it? I suppose it's possible the school's rules allow your tutor to make that call, but it seems unusual.

If worse comes to worst, you can always start AS levels at a different college.

Reply 5

Linnerzx

I'm sure you can drop the subject. I'm assuming you only need to take on 3 A levels in your next year, yeah?

At our college if anybody really wanted to drop a subject like that, it wasn't easy, but still possible. I definitely wouldn't have said it to the teacher who was teaching it... as they can take it offensively. Do you not have a form tutor or someone you can talk to about it? Or someone in your careers service?

Usually we would speak to our career's service and you would have to put forward quite an argument, "I don't like the subject, I don't do well in it, it has nothing to do with what I want to do in the future" and just really push it! They will always be reluctant, but it should be possible.

I hated AS Maths at college, but I was too stubborn to drop it so I just carried on with it, which was probably a worse idea! Haha. I remember spending the exam practising essay writing for Psychology instead, my exam later that afternoon. It didn't really matter to me, and we all got to drop one AS Level and just carry on with 3 A Levels, so obviously I dropped that one. Not that I had a choice cause I failed the class, but I sorta failed on purpose :P

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 6

hillzr

Original post by Linnerzx

I did take it up with my form tutor first of all, she was the one who told me tell him that I wanted to drop the subject. Apparently they appreciate the honesty. Plus he has already taken a disliking towards me, making him hate me more is not a big problem for me. Thanks for the advice!

Reply 7

hillzr

Original post by Laomedeia

Ok. Wasn't expecting a response like this but there you go. But I get what you are trying to say, even if you have used a totally unrelated example.
Thanks for the advice!

Reply 8

CoolStoryBroo

Original post by hillzr

Ok. Wasn't expecting a response like this but there you go. But I get what you are trying to say, even if you have used a totally unrelated example.
Thanks for the advice!

Tell him you've dropped it then just don't turn up to class
Don't ask him that can you drop it because that's just giving him power, tell him you've dropped it.
Case closed.
Finito!
Astala Vista!

Then leave this room like this..

Spoiler