What should I do?

[ScienceGeek]

I'm really stressed about the next couple of weeks, so much is changing and I really don't deal that well with change. I have an exam at 9am tomorrow that I know that I'm going to fail as well as the other 2 this week (this isn't pessimism just being realistic). Do you think I should ask to retake this year? or see what happens when I do fail? A lot of the accommodations for my exams just didn't happen, plus all the stuff that has happened this year has meant that I'm sitting exams that I have no hope of passing. Going to uni was a big change that I didn't know how it would impact on me. Hopefully with the right support, and the fact that I won't be commuting will mean that I have a better chance of passing it next year. I'm just really not sure what I should do right now, I'm not giving up on uni. I really want to get on to my degree course.

[warrenpenalver]

speak to your tutors.

 

if you didnt get the accomodations you were entitled to then complain to the uni disabiity people. might get you exemption or another resit.

 

Unless youve failed most the years exams, i wouldnt redo the year.

[ScienceGeek]

speak to your tutors.

 

if you didnt get the accomodations you were entitled to then complain to the uni disabiity people. might get you exemption or another resit.

 

Unless youve failed most the years exams, i wouldnt redo the year.

 

I already had extenuating circumstances the first time around. The thing is I need to sit through the lectures again, no matter how much I read this stuff I'm not going to understand it. I really have tried. I passed the coursework for most subjects, but the exams have been a complete flop in all subjects.

Edited August 25, 2008 by ScienceGeek

[warrenpenalver]

in that case you need to negotiate with your tutors.

[ScienceGeek]

Meh. I went to see a student advisor and we're going to see what results I get and then anything I fail I'm going to re-take next year. If I pass the coursework but fail the exam for a module I have to do the whole thing again. So am pretty certain that I'm just going to be taking the whole year again. While this feels like a failure on my part and sometimes I feel like I'm making excuses, it is probably the best outcome right now. I'm looking forward to going back into the course with renewed energy, that and I have been pulled from the last two exams as the stress of taking an exam I know for certain I was going to fail the advisor said just wasn't worth it.

 

Anyway that has taken the pressure off right now and I can concentrate on moving house.

[NobbyNobbs]

i was in a similar situation to you. pre-diagnosis i failed or passed modules depending on completely daft things. i passed one, failed the rest of the first half of the 07/08 year. i was diagnosed 3 weeks before final exams at the end of my final year. my disability office have been fantastic. they've negotiated with my department to allow me to redo my coursework with the extra support i'm now entitled to through the DSA, plus lots of other adaptations like rewriting course materials to remove metaphor. i dont have to go to classes at all, so can work from home - very handy since i live in west sussex and uni is in swansea! - i get to redo my exams as first-sits with no penalties with extra support and reworded questions etc.

 

speak to your disability office, explain the situation, and what you want. i would never have dreamed i'd be allowed to do what they set up, but for genuine problems, turns out they can be very accomodating.

 

i repeated my second year as i went home halfway through. i know you're in a similar situation to me with a new diagnosis and all, so that might not be a bad idea. have you had a DSA assessment to see what you need/are entitiled to? it can make a massive difference.

[ScienceGeek]

i repeated my second year as i went home halfway through. i know you're in a similar situation to me with a new diagnosis and all, so that might not be a bad idea. have you had a DSA assessment to see what you need/are entitiled to? it can make a massive difference.

 

The thing for me is that my dx is only provisional for AS and should be assessed sometime in October. Everyone is pretty much agreed though, I need to sit down with my disability adviser and see what we can work out. We only had a meeting between us and the course leader towards the end of the year when I broke down, I never know that I need help until it is too late.

[pookie170]

Have you been assessed to discover what your learning style is? There may be a different format of notes etc that'd work better for you?

Can't give any advice other than what you've been given (they're good this lot, eh?)

 

If your lecturers are anything like the fine people i've worked with, then they will know that you are trying your hardest and be willing to help as much as they can. It's the folk that mess about that they've got little time for.

 

Don't consider anything a failure, it's a learning curve. How many NT's go off to uni and nearly bomb right out of it? Hopefully this coming year, you'll get some support in place and it'll be easier for you.

 

Esther x

[NobbyNobbs]

The thing for me is that my dx is only provisional for AS and should be assessed sometime in October. Everyone is pretty much agreed though, I need to sit down with my disability adviser and see what we can work out. We only had a meeting between us and the course leader towards the end of the year when I broke down, I never know that I need help until it is too late.

my diagnosis is the same. i suppose my advantage is that the university paid for my assessments in the first place. they just assumed it was a full diagnosis as soon as they had enough of a case for the department.

 

personally i'd ask if i could have my meetings without the department being present. if its anything like my department their first instict is to say no to everything. the disability officer should be able to communicate with them for you and argue your corner.

 

to get the DSA you only need to have an educational psychologist report stating you have specific learning difficulties - you dont need a diagnosis for this, as they dont need proof - the only proof of dyslexia is the tests they do after all. the uni should pay for this - ask for it under dyslexia funding if they question it. they'll then do some really horrible tests that make you feel like the dumbest person in the world even if you get them all right, but then at the end of it you get lots of stuff that balances out the problems AS gives you with studying - i'm getting a laptop, essay planning software, voice recognition software, 1-1 tutoring, rewritten course materials, note taker, notes for previous classes...

[ScienceGeek]

my diagnosis is the same. i suppose my advantage is that the university paid for my assessments in the first place. they just assumed it was a full diagnosis as soon as they had enough of a case for the department.

 

personally i'd ask if i could have my meetings without the department being present. if its anything like my department their first instict is to say no to everything. the disability officer should be able to communicate with them for you and argue your corner.

 

to get the DSA you only need to have an educational psychologist report stating you have specific learning difficulties - you dont need a diagnosis for this, as they dont need proof - the only proof of dyslexia is the tests they do after all. the uni should pay for this - ask for it under dyslexia funding if they question it. they'll then do some really horrible tests that make you feel like the dumbest person in the world even if you get them all right, but then at the end of it you get lots of stuff that balances out the problems AS gives you with studying - i'm getting a laptop, essay planning software, voice recognition software, 1-1 tutoring, rewritten course materials, note taker, notes for previous classes...

 

Actually the department and especially the course leader are all about widening participation. They said they could have helped earlier in the year if I had asked for it, but I didn't even notice that I was struggling until December then took me until April to ask for help. Anyway I get DSA, I got a laptop, PDA, notetaker, dyslexia tuition, mentor, permission to do some work at home (stuff that was supposed to be supervised). My problem was that I missed a lot of lectures due to the commute and not being able to deal with that, and the notetaker didn't go into lectures unless you are there.

 

I'm not really sure how else they can help, but don't know unless I ask. I'm going to ask before there becomes a problem this time.

[warrenpenalver]

maybe seeing if you can have regular discussions with the DSA teamas part of your routine?? maybe that way things wont get out of control so easily as your talking to them regularly and also by it being part of your routine to speak with the DSA people, hopefully that will alleviate some of the fear and difficulty associated with asking for specific help.

 

If its any consolation, i couldnt cope with university when the navy sent me in 1999 as the total lack of routine and my inability to make a routine meant i completely ceased to function after a few months!! At least the halls were fully catered otherwise id have starved Im hoping to go back to uni in the next two years but i will be better prepared to establish a set routine where i can.