Retaking university year 1?

[helpimcrap]

Shock as GD are judgemental.

I failed my first year because I didn't study and 'A'-levels didn't prepare me for the freedom and flexibility of Uni life. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise as my parents had a serious car accident during my retake year and I ended up spending the majority of time back at home. Passed the 3 courses I had to retake and moved on with my life. Everyone has different reasons for not passing. Best of luck @helpimcrap !

Cheers. Not great as this has been a real learning year for me because i'm not waiting on a letter from the optician because they've had to get in touch with the hospital because they think there's now something wrong with my eyes. Everything I've failed is by less than 10% but trying to get the university to give me support is so much harder than it should be - unless I get DSA to pay for it they don't want to know. I've had to be abrupt in my emails. I think now they are understanding. I'll probably have to retake the year but I at least want a fair shot at the retakes. I'm not stupid - I just can't write.

 

[dowie]

Cheers. Not great as this has been a real learning year for me because i'm not waiting on a letter from the optician because they've had to get in touch with the hospital because they think there's now something wrong with my eyes. Everything I've failed is by less than 10% but trying to get the university to give me support is so much harder than it should be - unless I get DSA to pay for it they don't want to know. I've had to be abrupt in my emails. I think now they are understanding. I'll probably have to retake the year but I at least want a fair shot at the retakes. I'm not stupid - I just can't write.

Why not try your best to pass the retakes in the summer... put a shed load of effort into it and get over that pass mark (first year doesn't affect your degree classification after all, just get it locked in)

then take a year out anyway, go work on reception in a Physio clinic or something (see if you can assist the Physio too)... and in the evenings/on weekends go over your work from year one, see where your weak areas are and try to get up to speed on them.

You "read" for a degree... maybe you have jumped in the deep end but aside from office hours or the odd tutorial a university can only do so much, lots of your learning is going to be down to you... so in your year off seek out other sources - other books you've not encountered yet that cover the same stuff, seeing the same material but presented by different authors, from different perspectives can really help with your understanding... just review everything from the whole year and get some solid foundations in the subject... check out online videos/materials too... presumably there is some anatomy stuff - there must be loads of videos and books out there aimed at medical students for example that might be helpful...

then in the summer before you rejoin, get a head start on the second year stuff - get people to send you some assignments they were set etc.. or the syllabus etc., in advance, get them done or part done before terms starts and put yourself at a head start

when you join the second year... start making friends - form a study group etc.. if you've already had a crack at the coursework and have completed bits then you'll make new friends rather easily... but regardless studying with the help of others makes university so much better

DON'T take that defeatists attitude, you're not 'crap', you're just in a new environment and you're not used to it, perhaps have had a bit of a culture shift/sudden change to adapt to... taking a year out and consolidating stuff could be good and if you can get some part time work in a Physio office you still have some motivation/goal in mind every day so you can study... + you'll have a potential connection too for when you graduate.

 

[helpimcrap]

Cheers Dowie. It's been a year where I've been quite insular to concentrate on my own work without interruptions and whilst that's avoided a lot of rubbish it has meant lack of a supporting social circle from peers. Then on top of that a problem with my eyesight apparently and discovering so much more about the impact of my head injury 10yrs ago. It's like I've been blind for 10yrs.

Hopefully things can get put in place for my resits in July. I hopefully do not moan or complain about things like some youngsters do just to hear their own voice.

I'm just tired of trying on my own all the time and after speaking, quite abruptly, with some people hopefully things can get sorted. I do not have time for the 5+ people I've spoken to, to not talk to each other.

All of this has come about because my girlfriend pushed me to seek help.

 

[helpimcrap]

Failed the resits. Passed one assignment but I'm not counting that as it was a reflection.

I'm now taking a minimum of a year out and I have an appointment with my neurosurgeon to discuss how the stroke has affected me (which I have been told should have happened before anything else but was refused by the university).

I've since been diagnosed with acquired dyslexia and hopefully I'll get a job as a Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy Assistant. Failing that I can volunteer in my local hospital.

I have open days booked at other universities because I am either looking at a marginally different course or different university because I need somewhere with a recognised programme who has supported students previously. All bar 1 who needed support quit or failed I think.

Can't hurt to try a different way.

 

[Burnsy2023]

All I'll say is good luck!

 

[sigma]

Aren't you better off doing an access course rather than starting another degree?

 

[MrRockliffe]

Failed the resits. Passed one assignment but I'm not counting that as it was a reflection.

I'm now taking a minimum of a year out and I have an appointment with my neurosurgeon to discuss how the stroke has affected me (which I have been told should have happened before anything else but was refused by the university).

I've since been diagnosed with acquired dyslexia and hopefully I'll get a job as a Physiotherapy or Occupational Therapy Assistant. Failing that I can volunteer in my local hospital.

I have open days booked at other universities because I am either looking at a marginally different course or different university because I need somewhere with a recognised programme who has supported students previously. All bar 1 who needed support quit or failed I think.

Can't hurt to try a different way.

Worth keeping in contact with the university to explain your condition.

A mate of mine went through a similar situation at uni, and to be fair to them, they've been very good at helping him out

 

[helpimcrap]

Worth keeping in contact with the university to explain your condition.

A mate of mine went through a similar situation at uni, and to be fair to them, they've been very good at helping him out

I was expecting better TBH but I've already had it explained that several recommendations suggested by my dyslexia assessor will not be possible due to them changing the curriculum or some crap.

If I could see they were helping me as I'm asking I would be up for it, but they've fought me the entire way to the point where I dreaded going to university. It's the 1st year of a course run by somebody who people have questioned why they are running the course.

I cannot see it changing as has been suggested by others so I'm looking to other universities as recommended by health care professionals I have since met.

Worst that can happen is I fail again.

 

[helpimcrap]

Aren't you better off doing an access course rather than starting another degree?

I did in 2015/16. Mostly a distinction student. I've had an 'intelligence test' of sorts by my dyslexia assessor to see how the stroke affects me etc and apparently I scored quite high.

The biggest problem is my memory, which is a result of my head injury.

 

[.Lethal]

As I said, I have resits and support is now getting put in place.

I've had to learn everything from scratch without help from SAT tests, GCSE's. Access Courses, licenses for various things due to the severity of the head injury meaning everything I had earned before in school etc was stripped away.

This is simply a worst case question, that is all as I couldn't find anything on the uni website or the student finance website. It was a curiosity thing as I have no intention of failing but either way I like to be prepared. I've spent my recovery expecting the worst and trying for the best.

Support should have been put in place before you even started the course. When you register you're asked whether you fall into x y or z and to inform them of anything like this. You can't reasonably expect to tell your uni in the middle or after you failed that measures weren't in place and complain when they aren't immediately done.

I completed an Access course before going to Uni in a completely different field to my degree and I don't think it particularly helped prepare for uni at all, their two different beasts.

I was expecting better TBH but I've already had it explained that several recommendations suggested by my dyslexia assessor will not be possible due to them changing the curriculum or some crap.

If I could see they were helping me as I'm asking I would be up for it, but they've fought me the entire way to the point where I dreaded going to university. It's the 1st year of a course run by somebody who people have questioned why they are running the course.

I cannot see it changing as has been suggested by others so I'm looking to other universities as recommended by health care professionals I have since met.

Worst that can happen is I fail again.

Few things I'd like to maybe try and help with here.

First things first in your position (and whether you have done it or not idk).

1. Speak to your personal tutor, tell them how the current state of the course is going for you, what you failed, what you passed, how you feel, ask what they suggest.

2. Talk to student services. With the information from your personal tutor talk to student services, you mentioned funding. This is the place to ask. Under extenuating circumstances you still need to be pay course fees when retaking the year. Your personal tutor can only help with the content of the course, student services help with the funding, support, student well being etc.

3. Speak to the Student Finance England/Wales etc. You need to take the information gained from Student services and tell SF, it's also a good idea to make sure anything you've been told so far regarding Finance is correct and ask questions to make sure you understand your current position and how things are going to affect you.

From a personal point of view, you mentioned failing most things but under 10% from passing. You only need 40% to pass, and honestly, quite frankly I feel given less than a week I could pass most modules from most courses, you need to apply yourself and be honest about how you commit to the course, if you've failed everything but 1, I really think this isn't the course for you especially with the concerns or issues you've said about the uni your at.

Aren't you better off doing an access course rather than starting another degree?

I wouldn't have been accepted into Uni without completing an Access course as I hadn't been in education for a number of years.

 

[MrRockliffe]

I was expecting better TBH but I've already had it explained that several recommendations suggested by my dyslexia assessor will not be possible due to them changing the curriculum or some crap.

If I could see they were helping me as I'm asking I would be up for it, but they've fought me the entire way to the point where I dreaded going to university. It's the 1st year of a course run by somebody who people have questioned why they are running the course.

I cannot see it changing as has been suggested by others so I'm looking to other universities as recommended by health care professionals I have since met.

Worst that can happen is I fail again.

Good idea - what are you studying if you don't mind me asking? At Loughborough, where I'm at, the engineering department is a **** show, but the business school is excellent.

 

[helpimcrap]

Support should have been put in place before you even started the course. When you register you're asked whether you fall into x y or z and to inform them of anything like this. You can't reasonably expect to tell your uni in the middle or after you failed that measures weren't in place and complain when they aren't immediately done.

I would agree, however I am a paying customer (university isn't free) who didn't realise he needed help and when he asked he was stonewalled for a couple of months.

Few things I'd like to maybe try and help with here.

First things first in your position (and whether you have done it or not idk).

1. Speak to your personal tutor, tell them how the current state of the course is going for you, what you failed, what you passed, how you feel, ask what they suggest.

2. Talk to student services. With the information from your personal tutor talk to student services, you mentioned funding. This is the place to ask. Under extenuating circumstances you still need to be pay course fees when retaking the year. Your personal tutor can only help with the content of the course, student services help with the funding, support, student well being etc.

3. Speak to the Student Finance England/Wales etc. You need to take the information gained from Student services and tell SF, it's also a good idea to make sure anything you've been told so far regarding Finance is correct and ask questions to make sure you understand your current position and how things are going to affect you.

From a personal point of view, you mentioned failing most things but under 10% from passing. You only need 40% to pass, and honestly, quite frankly I feel given less than a week I could pass most modules from most courses, you need to apply yourself and be honest about how you commit to the course, if you've failed everything but 1, I really think this isn't the course for you especially with the concerns or issues you've said about the uni your at.

I wouldn't have been accepted into Uni without completing an Access course as I hadn't been in education for a number of years.

1, 2, 3 have been done. I've seen my personal tutor several times and been left frustrated when they haven't turned up to arranged meetings which I have recordings of. That's the frustration for me.

I appreciate what you are saying however and am taking everything on board so thank you for the reply. I had been out of education too for a number of years and required an Access course to be eligible for university.

 

[terley]

I would have to agree with lethal

I have dyslexia, suffered the loss of my father being his primary carer to cancer during the second semester of my first year.. shortly after being made homeless i finished that year with 74% Average
Second year still suffering with severe depression and having a very unstable living arrangement with a myriad of technical problems tied to my course (web development) i managed to finish second year with a 72% Average

Now i have started my third year and am going strong.. I do not have a strong grasp of the subject and have a very low opinion of my own ability, memory has very little to do with scoring a high grade on a degree, it is all about collecting secondary data and presenting it..

I had also returned to education after a long break (12 years)

I hope things work out for you, but i really think you should reasses the course you think is right for you, again as lethal said most degree modules can be completed in a week, not the 12 weeks that the course lays out.

 

[helpimcrap]

Sorry to hear that terley.

I understand what you are saying and can aptecappre that however I am (rather annoyingly) still learning howmy head injury has affected me with thought to higher level processing. I have working memory and cognitive processing issues so I understand differently. Kind of a literal and abstract sense I guess.

The thing that annoys me is if I'd known how little they would change I'd have chucked the course in sooner rather than paying more money out for little reason if nothing would change.

I'm just annoyed lol.

 

[helpimcrap]

Good idea - what are you studying if you don't mind me asking? At Loughborough, where I'm at, the engineering department is a **** show, but the business school is excellent.

Physiotherapy mate. All the others reckon it's great, if a little unprofessional. But it's first year and I expect it to need to change. All the stuff the dyslexia assessor reported cannot be done as a result of changes to the course. So I dunno.