Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

What would you do?

I need some help and advice.
I’m currently nearing the end of my second year of university doing an Events Management degree. It’s becoming fairly clear that I am unlikely to be completing this year. I have spoken with the correct support, and we have tried to come up with ways to allow me to finish the year with at least a pass, however I am struggling massively with the work load, and to be quite honest I hate my degree right now. This last year has been hugely difficult and I do NOT want to resit it. I have been struggling with depression in the last few months/year due to many contributing circumstances, and I’m currently waiting to see a counsellor. But ultimately I want to teach. I was initially planning on doing a PGCE in Early Years Ed when I graduated, however graduating my current degree isn’t really on the cards right now. I’m looking at transferring onto a BA in Education, but it’s unlikely I will get onto it this September as I don’t have recent enough experience to get onto the course currently. So I guess my only option really is to take a leave of absence, work to make sure I can afford to live, and also gain my experience needed to do a BA in the area of Education I want to go into, and then apply for next September. Would that be a terrible idea? It would mean being 26 before I graduate, and I don’t know how I’d feel about that. I’m also concerned about student finance supporting me for that long? Would Access to Teaching be a better option for me?
I really appreciate any help and advice that anyone may have to offer. Thank you for reading if you’ve got this far :smile:

Reply 1

999tigger

Original post by ktjade

Accept the following

Sometimes when you are in a hole, you need to stop digging.

You have a mental illness, accept this and your priority should be to get better.

A pass degree or a pass in a year is pretty useless imo.

Creating an escape plan
If I was in your situation then I would talk to my tutor , student advisor and counselor then tell them it isnt working and in any event a resit of a capped year will be pretty useless as a qualification.

I would then quit the course and tell her your plan.

Your objective is to get on a BA education course.

You may have the qualifications and experience to be accepted on that or you may not. If you do not then you need to take a gap to get either the access course/ other qualifications or experience sufficient to win yourself a place. You may not need a full access course. Contact the departments of the unis you are interested in and sound them out. read the admission policies. They always give guidance on what they expect and look for.

It is imperative you get your mental health condition under control before accepting a place on a new course or it will be the same mess again. Be honest and realistic about dealing with the situation.

Once you have an offer for a course and assuming you make the grade then you have to consider finance.

Financing your new degree
University funds you for degree length +1 gift year.
In your situation you have used 2 years funding, so you are now entitled to degree length -1 year i,e they will only pay for you new course from year 2 onwards.

the way round this is to make a compelling personal reasons claim based on your depression and supported with evidence from medical professionals.

If successful that will get them to disregard year twos finance and restore you to degree length i.e they will fund the new degree, which is where you want to be.

Make the most of the opportunity
Its important you take this seriously as you will only get one chance to have full funding again unless you want more CPR claims. Much better to get on top of the depression and do yourself justice plus have the best uni experience you can with a healthy mind.

Age
Finally dont worry about the age, its not a race and it takes as long as it takes. If you follow the above and get past each stage then you have every chance at having a full opportunity to redo your degree (make sure its the one you want) and still follow your chosen career. People enter the teaching profession at all ages.The worst thing you could do imo is continue down your current path resit or not. Poor marks will ruin the grade.

Ps transfers happen, but they are much rarer if you expect to get into year 2 from a different degree. They normally require similar degrees and topics covered plus good performance. I don't think you will find it a viable option, plus would you really want to miss year 1?

PPS it wouldnt be the end of the world if you took 2 years to get the experience, sort your head out, earn money and do any needed qualifications. Note your existing qualifications might be sufficient, but you dont mention them, Enquire with the relevant departments.

Think that covers all the points. Dont worry and GL. Make the best decisions for you. Its not wrong to realise when you are heading down the wrong path and recognising it doesnt get you where you want to go.