The Student Room Group

Leave school with unconditional offer?

Long story short, I have severe anxiety disorder and it has gotten worse over the past few years. I’m in S6 and there’s only about 4 months left of school but I’ve been really struggling the past few months to leave the house to go to school and when I do, I end up having panic attacks.

I have received 2/5 uni offers one of which is unconditional from Stirling and the other is a conditional from Glasgow but I don’t have to get any grades for it as all I have to do is attend the summer school and pass.

I’ve read from other people on here that universities will withdraw your offer if you leave school and i was wondering if that’s true because I’ve always wanted to go to university but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay at school.
Reply 1
Avatar for lzyby23
lzyby23
9
Original post by rach-atl
Long story short, I have severe anxiety disorder and it has gotten worse over the past few years. I’m in S6 and there’s only about 4 months left of school but I’ve been really struggling the past few months to leave the house to go to school and when I do, I end up having panic attacks.

I have received 2/5 uni offers one of which is unconditional from Stirling and the other is a conditional from Glasgow but I don’t have to get any grades for it as all I have to do is attend the summer school and pass.

I’ve read from other people on here that universities will withdraw your offer if you leave school and i was wondering if that’s true because I’ve always wanted to go to university but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay at school.

How will you go to university if you cannot go to school?
Original post by rach-atl
Long story short, I have severe anxiety disorder and it has gotten worse over the past few years. I’m in S6 and there’s only about 4 months left of school but I’ve been really struggling the past few months to leave the house to go to school and when I do, I end up having panic attacks.

I have received 2/5 uni offers one of which is unconditional from Stirling and the other is a conditional from Glasgow but I don’t have to get any grades for it as all I have to do is attend the summer school and pass.

I’ve read from other people on here that universities will withdraw your offer if you leave school and i was wondering if that’s true because I’ve always wanted to go to university but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay at school.

Your application said that you would complete the year. That’s the basis of any offer you received.

If you change your situation/qualifications then your universities have the option to amend or withdraw their offer.

You need to get reassurance from them in writing that they will still honour your offer if you drop out BEFORE you leave your current studies.

If you do drop out then what do you plan to do instead? If you’re struggling with panic attacks for school then are you confident that the same won’t happen at university? It might be worth considering deferring university for a year to give you time to bring your mental health into a better position.
Original post by lzyby23
How will you go to university if you cannot go to school?

That is something that everyone says and I don’t know how to explain. I’ve been to many sample lectures and I have felt better in them than I have in school. It’s the school environment I can’t handle, the fact they make everything inclusive and they’ve forced me many times to do things in front of the class like answer out or write on the board or do demonstrations which they know i’m not comfortable with and force me to do it anyway because they think they’re helping me when they’re not. I have no friends so i’m sitting by myself in every class and i stay in class at lunchtime because i’ve tried many times to integrate myself into different friendship groups and it never works out. I look at university as a fresh start, that’s how.
Original post by rach-atl
Long story short, I have severe anxiety disorder and it has gotten worse over the past few years. I’m in S6 and there’s only about 4 months left of school but I’ve been really struggling the past few months to leave the house to go to school and when I do, I end up having panic attacks.

I have received 2/5 uni offers one of which is unconditional from Stirling and the other is a conditional from Glasgow but I don’t have to get any grades for it as all I have to do is attend the summer school and pass.

I’ve read from other people on here that universities will withdraw your offer if you leave school and i was wondering if that’s true because I’ve always wanted to go to university but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay at school.


Hi @rach-atl


Most Universities unconditional offers still have some criteria, for example they would require you to still pass your A-Levels to get into University.

I would email the universities admissions centres directly and them what their criteria is. However, I believe that the answer will be that you will have to stay in school/college for the full time, and complete your assessments.

Hope this helps

Alex - UoP Rep :smile:
Reply 5
Avatar for DEdEdD
DEdEdD
8
Original post by rach-atl
That is something that everyone says and I don’t know how to explain. I’ve been to many sample lectures and I have felt better in them than I have in school. It’s the school environment I can’t handle, the fact they make everything inclusive and they’ve forced me many times to do things in front of the class like answer out or write on the board or do demonstrations which they know i’m not comfortable with and force me to do it anyway because they think they’re helping me when they’re not. I have no friends so i’m sitting by myself in every class and i stay in class at lunchtime because i’ve tried many times to integrate myself into different friendship groups and it never works out. I look at university as a fresh start, that’s how.


Have you had any assessments as you could have a specific leaning need / learning disability which they would have to make adjustments for (eg not putting you on the spot to do a presentation). Sample lectures are not really representative of reality at University though - they are designed in part as a marketing tool so they are more fun, more engaging etc (when I did outreach activity at my previous University we made them more entertaining than our regular lectures (partly because some topics are difficult to make entertaining but also day to day we are facilitating learning not entertainers.)). Most courses will require you to contribute in class including doing all the things you said you aren't comfortable with (but who is?). You won't just be sitting in a lecture while "the sage on the stage" talks for an hour - that style of teaching went out a long time ago. Speak to a learning support coordinator at school as it is better to get any assessments done before you come to University. Dopping out is not a good idea as some jobs require A levels or equivalent (and even GCSEs - I have a friend who home schooled her kids and her son is 20 and completed his degree via OU at 18 but he can't join the army as he doesn't have 5 GCSEs so he is back at local college doing them).
Original post by rach-atl
Long story short, I have severe anxiety disorder and it has gotten worse over the past few years. I’m in S6 and there’s only about 4 months left of school but I’ve been really struggling the past few months to leave the house to go to school and when I do, I end up having panic attacks.

I have received 2/5 uni offers one of which is unconditional from Stirling and the other is a conditional from Glasgow but I don’t have to get any grades for it as all I have to do is attend the summer school and pass.

I’ve read from other people on here that universities will withdraw your offer if you leave school and i was wondering if that’s true because I’ve always wanted to go to university but I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay at school.


I don't think leaving school early is the answer. I'm wondering, if you can't leave the house now, how will you leave the house to go to uni? How will it be different?

Are you getting help for your anxiety and panic attacks?
AFAIK, in England and Wales an unconditional offer still requires you to get an E in your exams
Original post by Ecdysiastt
AFAIK, in England and Wales an unconditional offer still requires you to get an E in your exams


That's not the case - but as explained in post #3 a university can amend or retract an unconditional offer if a student doesn't complete (complete - ie sit exams - not pass) the qualifications they said would in their application
They probably expect you to actually complete the things you put on your application. This doesn't necessarily entail that your actual school attendance has to be any good, so leaving school for the sake of your panic disorder is kind of irrelevant when all you really have to do is attend and sit the exams.

It'd be a more prudent step to get professional help to try and sort out (or at least try and alleviate the symptoms) of your anxiety so you can make absolutely sure that attending uni will work out for you. As others have said, deferred entry to give you time to sort yourself out wouldn't be a bad idea.
some jobs look at your A Levels too. I get it that mental health is really important, but it's better to show up and get average grades than to miss your exams and get Us. Just don't work on your A Levels to the point where your mental health will deteriorate
Original post by anghaard
some jobs look at your A Levels too. I get it that mental health is really important, but it's better to show up and get average grades than to miss your exams and get Us. Just don't work on your A Levels to the point where your mental health will deteriorate


OP is in Scotland and probably already has some Highers and may be taking additional Highers or Advanced Highers this year. The Scottish system is very different to the English/Welsh/NI systems.
Original post by rach-atl
they’ve forced me many times to do things in front of the class like answer out or write on the board or do demonstrations which they know i’m not comfortable with and force me to do it anyway because they think they’re helping me when they’re not..


I'm afraid university will be the same. Unless you're at Oxbridge, tutorials and other non-lecture activity will likely be in large groups (at least for STEM) and some tutors do actively "pick" on students to answer in front of people to participate.

Besides, what if you don't like the university (or university as a whole) and want to drop out/change uni? Without these qualifications, you will find it quite hard to transition should you wish to deviate from your current plan.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by PQ
OP is in Scotland and probably already has some Highers and may be taking additional Highers or Advanced Highers this year. The Scottish system is very different to the English/Welsh/NI systems.


Oh fairs, still important to at least try though
Never leave school - if you can't cope with highers, how will you keep up at uni? Perhaps reassess whether or not you want to go to university. It's not a requirement, you know :smile:

Some graduate jobs/masters applications will require that you have a certain level of attainment at 'level 3' (highers/a levels/btec) so you don't want to cause problems for yourself later down the line.

Best of luck.
Original post by PQ
OP is in Scotland and probably already has some Highers and may be taking additional Highers or Advanced Highers this year. The Scottish system is very different to the English/Welsh/NI systems.

yeah i’ve already done my highers and i’m doing advanced higher this year and extra highers, i had a meeting with my school and they’re doing things to help me with the things that were making me anxious so it’ll be easier to keep attending

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you