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Higher education

Changing course after 1st year

4 replies

debjud · 06/12/2014 15:27

DD is miserable on her course and is thinking about changing. She thinks she would like to stop now, get a job or something and apply at the same uni for a different course to start in Sept 15 - presumably to start at 1st year again ? Unless it's closely related and she could get onto the 2nd year....She's coming home next weekend and is going to do a lot of thinking......

Anyone else had this experience? Would she be able to stay in her halls or would she have to move out? She says there is a 'grace' period until February - what does this mean?

She wants to stay at the same uni - is having good social, sports life etc - just thinks that the course was a mistake. She had fab A level results and seems to be getting ok+ on her grades at uni so far (as far as I know at the moment).

OP posts:
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GooseRoasties · 06/12/2014 15:35

Although I haven't done it myself, I know plenty of people who have changed course through 1st year and it's not uncommon!

A lot of it depends on the uni, I had a friend change from a Child health course to a business course within the first term with no issues but had to get the work done at the same times as everyone else! They also had to do a minimum of lectures to qualify. It would be worth for her to email the head of the course she is wishing to go into or getting advice from the student services.

If she left uni now and returned in Sept, she would have to apply again through UCAS and essentially start again.

I'm not sure about her place in halls, my friends were able to keep thiers as they just changed course during that year. the ones that dropped out had to leave so they could put someone else into the room.

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MillyMollyMama · 06/12/2014 18:23

My DD enquired about changing courses and was told she had to complete year 1. She had a deadline date in May to ask formally for a change but they had already said it would be a formality. After a lot of thinking she stayed on her original course. They would have accepted her first year as equivalent to the first year on the other course, but this could not happen where courses are very different and she would have to start again. I think the advice from Goose is good and talking over any issues with the university and what she can do is the best way forward.

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ocelot7 · 06/12/2014 20:37

It depends on the uni so she needs to investigate - we have had students swap onto our courses as late as week 8 of semester but yes they do have to catch up with work. Others swap after first year but usually have to start again unless they've been on a very similar course.
Usually you are stuck with paying for accommodation for the whole year(!) so she needs to check that out too.
She needs to go talk to course leader or personal tutor asap.

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MillyMollyMama · 08/12/2014 20:52

I should have made it clear my DD considered moving courses in April and the two courses were similar so she had the transferable skills to swap and her work was of a high standard. Swapping from History to Geography would not be so easy!

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