Missing exams for mental illness
Is mental illness a legitimate reason for missing exams?
I have a mix of problems including OCD and depression which is made far worse by the stress of exams (as I'm sure a lot of you will be able to understand). Just the stress of sitting in a revision session is making my OCD symptoms worse to the extent of uncontrollable skin picking. There is no way I am going to be able to concentrate in the exams and the stress of it is outing me at risk. This is just a quick summary of how it's affecting me and on top of that my medication has just been changed so the side effects are going to be really strong at the time of my exams. I'm really not sure i can cope with this!
Does anybody know if this is a legitimate reason for missing an exam/s? Would I be able to get mitigating circumstances allowance or will I just fail? This is my final set of A2 exams and I have no chance to retake. I need to get my predicted grade to get into uni an I really don't know if ill be able to do that if I have to sit the exam feeling like this. I can hardly take care of myself at the moment let alone complete an exam! D:
I have a mix of problems including OCD and depression which is made far worse by the stress of exams (as I'm sure a lot of you will be able to understand). Just the stress of sitting in a revision session is making my OCD symptoms worse to the extent of uncontrollable skin picking. There is no way I am going to be able to concentrate in the exams and the stress of it is outing me at risk. This is just a quick summary of how it's affecting me and on top of that my medication has just been changed so the side effects are going to be really strong at the time of my exams. I'm really not sure i can cope with this!
Does anybody know if this is a legitimate reason for missing an exam/s? Would I be able to get mitigating circumstances allowance or will I just fail? This is my final set of A2 exams and I have no chance to retake. I need to get my predicted grade to get into uni an I really don't know if ill be able to do that if I have to sit the exam feeling like this. I can hardly take care of myself at the moment let alone complete an exam! D:
In my experience, if you tell your school/college about the situation they can submit the information to the exam board and you'll be given special consideration (that's if you sit the exam, though, I'm not sure whether they can do anything if you skip the exam altogether-someone else will be able to advise you more on that). It's also worth asking your school/college to write to your university choices, as they'll definitely take your health issues into consideration when looking at your final grades and wondering whether to accept you should you miss the offer they've previously given you.
Please, please remember that no exam (or university place) in the world is worth more than you are, so take care of yourself and the rest will follow.
Please, please remember that no exam (or university place) in the world is worth more than you are, so take care of yourself and the rest will follow.
I'm in the same boat but I'm sitting AS. My doctor has just upped me from 10mg to 20mg of citalapram. I was only recently put on them so I got a letter from my doctor and took it to my schools exam office and I get lenient marking, get to sit nearest to the exit and my own private invigilator by my side throughout the exam. It's worth telling your college/school about what's going on. Doing so has done wonders for me.
Good luck with any exams you do have soon.
Good luck with any exams you do have soon.
Worst case scenario: They say no. Nothing else. => Try! Do it now, it is better early than late and make sure, that you contact the universities before hand, just because it will sound better, if you contact them before and not only in the case you have missed your grades. That makes you more credible, although as long you have your claim backed by evidence it shouldn't make a difference. Another advantage would be to be prepared, which gives you one worry less during exams.
See that you get a stale surrounding with people caring for you and avoid thinking about some comments of others and you have the right to ask for allowances!!!
And just at the end: A deferral isn't the end of the world and might be better in the long term. A gap year between sixth form and university is more likely to benefit you than harm you and nobody takes care of it. So take all the time you need to recover, get back in a state of mind you need to get the best out of your studies!
See that you get a stale surrounding with people caring for you and avoid thinking about some comments of others and you have the right to ask for allowances!!!
And just at the end: A deferral isn't the end of the world and might be better in the long term. A gap year between sixth form and university is more likely to benefit you than harm you and nobody takes care of it. So take all the time you need to recover, get back in a state of mind you need to get the best out of your studies!
