What to do if You Experience Course Problems
James Houghton| 21st September 2015
This is it, you’ve finally done it; picked your university and your course, moved away from home and are ready to tackle independent life. Living on your own for the first time and learning to be self-sufficient can be a daunting challenge for some, especially with everything else being at uni entails; meeting new people, getting to know a new place and managing your studies and finances.
Whilst this is all part of the experience (and a fantastic one at that for the most part), unfortunately you may encounter some issues regarding your course. It may be that you decide the course you picked wasn’t what you expected, it may be that something personal is hindering you from reaching your full potential or any number of issues, major and minor, which can have an impact on your studies.
Fear not! If you are having any doubts or problems whilst at uni, there are people and services in place to listen and help you make changes and decisions to improve your experience. As someone who has gone through the process of changing courses, I can say with confidence that the tips below are invaluable if you experience any issues during your studies.
Personal Tutors/Course Leaders
During your induction week, you’ll have a few sessions introducing you to the course and various members of staff, chief amongst them your course leader and/or personal tutor. If you are experiencing any issues or have any questions relating to your course or your time at university, they should be your first port of call. Usually, they will have office hours during which you can either pop along to see them for a chat, or you can usually arrange a more formal meeting via email. Do not be afraid to approach them with any and all questions or issues, it’s part of their job to help you in any way they can in relation to your studies and they are more than happy to do so. Don’t suffer in silence. They are likely to have encountered any and all concerns you may have and will be willing and able to help you make a reasoned decision or provide information about net steps.
Student Finance
If it turns out that you want to change courses, do so as soon as possible, preferable within your first year. It is important to be aware of the financial implications of changing courses, so contact Student Finance. You can also talk to any of the support staff and advisors mentioned above. Your wellbeing is of paramount importance to these people, so do not be afraid to approach them. Financially speaking, when you apply for Student Finance, you are given 4 years total of funding. Generally most courses are 3 years long, with some having the option of a ‘sandwich’, or placement, year. If your course is a standard 3 years, this 4th year acts as a ‘grace’ year allowing you to change courses and still receive the full amount from Student Finance.
However, if you decide to change courses after your first year, you may have to pay the tuition fee for the first year of your new course by yourself. However, you will still receive any maintenance loans and/or grants that you would normally be entitled to. The exception to this is if you decide to change courses due to compelling personal reasons. For instance, I changed courses in the 2nd term of my 2nd year due to my depression. If you encounter a similar medical issue or other compelling personal reason (including bereavement, etc.) you must obtain evidence and send it to Student Finance along with any supporting evidence from your university. If it is decided that your case qualifies for compelling personal reasons, you will re-receive the full amount of funding from Student Finance, including the grace year, as though your previous studies never happened.
Hopefully, no-one will encounter these sorts of issues and you’ll have a fantastic time at uni, as you should. However, if you do encounter any issues, take a breath and remember that there are services in place to help you if you start to struggle for whatever reason. I cannot stress enough that you mustn’t keep it yourself. Being at uni can be tough enough without the added pressure of suffering in silence.