Have to Leave University

[fedupnorthernmum]

I started a degree a year ago (always wanted to do one, and I have been brilliant, 90% for 2nd assignment I did!) and have two exams due next week to finish the year. Have just found out that family business has gone bust and will therefore need to leave and get a job ASAP. I can't see any reason to finish these exams, my head is all over the place and I also have to take my child out of her current school. Add to this the fact that I am 47, type 1 diabetic with some complications and I am climbing the walls! Would it be unreasonable for me not to do these exams?

At my uni we would advise you to take a one year interruption of studies on financial grounds. Basically the clock would stop for 1 year while you sort out your financial issues. You could do this now or after the exams.

But regs vary across unis so the key is to speak to you tutor ASAP. If they give the impression that the don't know the regulations in terms of what you are eligible for the ask who else you should speak to. Don't delay doing this under any circumstances.

Pm me if you need.

Do the exams! Unless you can claim mitigating circumstances/ stress? It will ultimately give you more options later and may help you get a job on the strength of having completed the year. Quit now and the year will have been wasted.

Don't leave!
Definitely do these exams if it is in any way even slightly possible, then speak to your tutor or student services about taking a break from the course. Things might look better in a year's time and you can return and all your hard work won't go to waste. Even if you can't go back, you can get credit (and from most unis a certificate) for a completed year which you won't get if you don't do the exams. This credit can go towards (for example) an OU degree at later date if you can't go back to your original course.

No!! Seriously, if you can keep your head straight and hold out until the exams, then you will have the year completed and even if you do have to leave, you will have some official results.

I don't know how it works in your uni, but the one I worked at, you could get credit for papers completed up to 5 years previously.

I had quite a few students that I dealt with who had done their first and second years and dropped out for health or family reasons or because they weren't sure if the course was right. They then came into my area 2 or 3 years later and were able to get credit for the work they had done.

Would there be an option for you to drop back to part time for next year? Would a (e.g.) 4 day week job be possible with 1 day for study?

I would talk to your tutor/advisor as soon as possible. There may be lots you can do, and help you can get. The earlier you speak to them the better (and from experience both as a mature student and on the university admin side of things, Universities will give lots of help to dedicated, bright mature students)

I hope it all works out for you, and it must be a very stressful time, but don't throw away the hard work you have already done!

Go and see the Desn of Faculty or whoever is relevant and see if you complete the year (a week is a very very short time) will it be transferable to another course or can you take a year off from this course and come back after that.
Find out all your options before you make a decision.

Hasty decision are rarely good ones.

In terms of the diabetes concentrate one day at time on your levels, aim for about 4-7 so that you are not at risk of stress induced hypogylcaemia or hyperglycaemic. Keep your diet the same and remember to eat regularly.

Contact your childs school, see if they will accomadate her until the emd of the academic year. Again make no hasty decisions.

Get prompt and good financial advice.

Stay calm you will survive this. You are in panic mode, make a list deal with one thing at a time. It will take time to sort out.

Don't leave! Do your exams (imminent I assume) then see if you can defer for a year. There are all sorts of reasons why students defer and a decent student services dept will help you through this.

By family business, do you mean it's your dp's business?