Transferring in second year of uni, extenuating circumstances

2

Hey guys, I’m in a super difficult situation and its all blown up pretty quickly over the last week, so I could do with some advice.

I started uni just over a month ago. Personal issues at home (a parent being diagnosed with a terminal illness) mean that I really want and need to try to live closer to home as soon as I can and I’ve just started uni about 3hrs away. I don’t want to drop out but I looked into transferring to the closest uni to my area and they have higher entry req at a level than what I have so if I tried to transfer without resitting there’s no way I’d get in, so potentially my only option is to resit whilst doing first year so I would have the grades to get into the local uni. I don’t really know what to do. It’s so expensive to drop out so a transfer would be ideal but I know it’s so unlikely they’ll accept me.
For context I do biology at a russel group uni, entry requirements for my uni were AAB and the uni i ideally want to transfer to (another Russel group) have requirements of AAA-ABB depending on if you get a contextual offer or not. Technically I don’t think I’m elegible for contextual as I don’t meet the specific criteria. When sitting my a levels I was predicted AAAB, I got ABCC with an A in EPQ & extenuating circumstances (regarding the issues at home//my parents illness as there was a particularly bad situation around exam times) . I believe my uni took my epq & circumstances (as they were officially submitted in my reference) into consideration when accepting me onto the course. When I got into the uni I’m at I was not aware of what was to come in terms of the situation at home either, had I known I would’ve taken a gap year.

The uni close to home does accept transfers into second year, but it does state that you should meet the requirements for entry in first year. I think I can hold on here until the summer but obviously if I can’t get in after that then I will have to consider dropping out… then I’d have to resit, then do first year again… I feel like it just takes so much time and money from me when I wish I was less worried about it because the problems at home are so much greater.

So my question is, would a uni be unlikely to accept me resitting an a level(or two?) this year, then allow a transfer into second year with those grades alongside my first year grades? I know I’m very much capable of doing well in the a levels with the right amount of dedication but it’s wether it’s worth the time and money this year. Heck, if the uni accepted me to start in first year next year it would be fine. But then would that mean it’s better for me to just drop out and go home now? I just don’t want my parents to be worried about my education whilst so many more important things are happening right now.

In an ideal world I would be able to transfer into second year in the close uni. Could any of you just give me some advice (or opinions) on my situation, what to do and the likelihood of success?

Reply 1

McGinger

20

Original post by hurthelium

1) Personal issues at home (a parent being diagnosed with a terminal illness) mean that I really want and need to try to live closer to home
2) I don’t want to drop out
3) but I looked into transferring to the closest uni to my area and they have higher entry req at a level than what I have
4) The uni close to home does accept transfers into second year,

1) Understandable.
2) How terminal is this illness - I'm starting to not believe this story - either you need to be close to home or you dont.
3) Have you actually contacted them or this all just wishfull thinking.
4) If you have real extenuating circumstances, this may not apply.

Either
Leave Uni, go home and care for this parent, and contact the closer-to-home Uni to ask about year 1 entry next year with extenuating circumstances.
or
Stay where you are and get on with your degree.

Reply 2

skylark2

18

What universities are there in between the two options, distance-wise? Do you have the grades for any of those? I'm assuming that given that you're fine with not being at home this year, the issue is how long you can handle travelling backwards and forwards rather than a need to actually live at home. I mean, "local" may be ideal, but if you don't meet the requirements, would 90 minutes away be an option and what choices would that open up?

Reply 3

hurthelium

OP

2

Original post by skylark2

What universities are there in between the two options, distance-wise? Do you have the grades for any of those? I'm assuming that given that you're fine with not being at home this year, the issue is how long you can handle travelling backwards and forwards rather than a need to actually live at home. I mean, "local" may be ideal, but if you don't meet the requirements, would 90 minutes away be an option and what choices would that open up?

There is one about an hour or so away too! I’ve also looked into that uni, the only thing is it doesn’t offer my exact course (I take zoology which falls under biology but they only offer biology so I have since emailed them to see how much difference that would make to them). Their entry requirements are lower than the closer one actually, they are the same as that of the uni I am at already so is definitely a strong option if they were able to offer me a place.

In terms of not being home this year, I wasn’t sure if unis accepted mid year transfers (another thing I’ve added into my emails, sent today.) My dad has been diagnosed with MND and is receiving care/ physical help so I don’t necessarily need to be home to be a carer but more to have time, hence it not being extremely urgent for me to be home but urgent enough for me to be desperate to transfer whenever I can.
Thank you for the response though, it’s definitely given me something to seriously consider.

Reply 4

PQ

PS Reviewer

21

Ring up the local university on Monday and explain your situation and ask about second year transfers with your current A levels.

Or even better talk to your current university about suspending for a year and ask the local university about entry into year 2 next year and whether they would recommend that you resit (then go home and spend time with your parents while you can).

Reply 5

domonict

17

If it is a (sorry) quick terminal illness then perhaps consider suspending until the person sadly passes.
Then start year two again.
I know people who have had a serious medical issue and resat a year after recovery.
Also a student who became pregnant in their final year, left for a number of years and came back for the final year again. Obviously depends on course.

There are options. Talk to your uni course team. They may be able to advise you or communicate with the other uni to assist your transfer. The current uni won’t want to lose you (emotionally or financially)
Much of the first year is quite basic so a year off now might be the sensible option?

Reply 6

domonict

17

Sorry to hear about the diagnosis by the way

Reply 7

hurthelium

OP

2

Original post by McGinger

1) Understandable.
2) How terminal is this illness - I'm starting to not believe this story - either you need to be close to home or you dont.
3) Have you actually contacted them or this all just wishfull thinking.
4) If you have real extenuating circumstances, this may not apply.

Either
Leave Uni, go home and care for this parent, and contact the closer-to-home Uni to ask about year 1 entry next year with extenuating circumstances.
or
Stay where you are and get on with your degree.

Hi, thanks for the response. Just for some context: My dad has been diagnosed with MND and is receiving care/physical help so I don’t necessarily need to be home to be a carer but more to have time with him, hence it not being extremely urgent for me to be home in terms of care but urgent enough for me to be desperate to transfer whenever I can. I am currently planning to commute back to home ever weekends/whenever I can as of now, but dropping out is definitely looking like a high option. My parents have said they want me to do what feels right for me but have also made it clear they want my education t o be high in my priorities as well as everything going on, hence the suggestion of me transferring somewhere closer. That’s also why I was thinking maybe doing the a levels this year as well so at least I’d have a chance of getting into the one which is only 20 mins away (whereas the other ones are approximately an hour on the train). The main thing I wondered was if unis would accept you sitting an Alevel or two during first year in hopes of transferring. I have emailed them now though so hopefully I don’t receive an ambiguous response. I’ve also asked if there’s any way to transfer during the academic year. Would you know anything about these two situations? If things get too difficult clearly I will drop out and reapply for next year but I’m trying to avoid it, to save money, time and my parents feeling worse about this being a result of things.

Reply 8

user488949439

19

Original post by hurthelium

Hi, thanks for the response. Just for some context: My dad has been diagnosed with MND and is receiving care/physical help so I don’t necessarily need to be home to be a carer but more to have time with him, hence it not being extremely urgent for me to be home in terms of care but urgent enough for me to be desperate to transfer whenever I can. I am currently planning to commute back to home ever weekends/whenever I can as of now, but dropping out is definitely looking like a high option. My parents have said they want me to do what feels right for me but have also made it clear they want my education t o be high in my priorities as well as everything going on, hence the suggestion of me transferring somewhere closer. That’s also why I was thinking maybe doing the a levels this year as well so at least I’d have a chance of getting into the one which is only 20 mins away (whereas the other ones are approximately an hour on the train). The main thing I wondered was if unis would accept you sitting an Alevel or two during first year in hopes of transferring. I have emailed them now though so hopefully I don’t receive an ambiguous response. I’ve also asked if there’s any way to transfer during the academic year. Would you know anything about these two situations? If things get too difficult clearly I will drop out and reapply for next year but I’m trying to avoid it, to save money, time and my parents feeling worse about this being a result of things.

You need to discuss your situation with a tutor or welfare officer to see if they can contact the other university and plead for their help. It might mean you not going ahead with your second year and retaking your A levels, You might have to restart year 1 but get proper advice because anything anyone tells you here isnt going to help

Transferring in second year of uni, extenuating circumstances

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