Dropping out of university

[Bollard]

DD has just told me she doesn’t want to go back to university. She’s just finished year 1 of a humanities degree at a RG university. She’d like to apply elsewhere and start again in September. Does anyone know how this works? I’ve tried to find a step-by-step guide and I’m a bit bewildered.
I know she can apply for student finance and that she’ll have extra debt. I think she’d rather start from scratch than apply to start in the second year.
Should she contact some unviersities directly now and see if they can make her an offer? Or update her UCAS form and go through Clearing?
She was at the place she’d firmly accepted so accommodation was all sorted out and we knew what we were doing!

Re the funding issue, it's Length of course, plus one year, minus years of previous study' (with some possible allowances re the reason for previous study being interrupted).

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/going-back-to-uni-or-repeating-a-year

Also the UG loan and the lian for a stand alone Master’s are independent of each other.

Not that @poetryandwine needs my endorsement in any way, but this was certainly true of DD2's Masters which she finished a couple of years ago. She did a placement year BSc (so 4 year course) then went to a different university for her 1-year MSc, for which she had to apply for a loan. Now she's finished and she actually gets separate reminders from SLF for the 2 different loans.

So has your experience enabled you to do the PG diploma without having a degree?

@dunkdemunder yes. Exeter uni on an apprenticeship. I had to have an interview and they felt my work experience was equivalent and at the right level. Obviously at 42 I have a fair amount of work experience and I’m working in a senior management position (the lowest of senior management positions and would likely need the level 7 qualification to progress further).

It’s really helped my confidence as I’ve been getting mostly distinctions so have proved to myself I can do it.

If your daughter wants to do a similar course elsewhere I would look into whether she can transfer into the second year rather then starting again.

If she wants to go in September she will need to start looking at courses and decide where she wants to study. She can do this online as most universities will have course details online.

Then ring the admissions team to see what is possible for September and how to apply. They may be able to advise on accommodation as well or point you in the right direction.

Hope you can get something sorted out

An excellent point - if and when DD starts again her current Y1 will likely count towards the total length of the loan

Unless there are compelling personal reasons such as serious MH issues, in which case, the first year coukd possibly be taken out of the reckoning, although this would only become an issue we're a second 'false start' happen, or a repeat year.

Sometimes this works well, but it really depends on how well Y1 went in addition to how well the two degree programmes align.

If Y1 did not go well it can be like building a house on a shaky foundation. It may collapse before you get the roof on. Getting Y1 right is important

What is she doing overseas for 2 months? She might come back with a completely different attitude and oozing with confidence. She may have just emotionally dumped on you and be burnt out by her 1st year and then have a realisation abroad? She might want to stay abroad for longer and work etc etc
She might realise she could just change the course at her existing uni.

It sounds like it may be the university rather than the course didn't work out for your DD, OP. If she has passed all her first year units, she could look to transfer into the second year of a different university for a similar subject. She would need to decide where to go and she may be able to get a place in halls of the new university depending on what their criteria are.

Thank you for all the comments - much appreciated.

She is both cranky and neurodiverse! She wouldn’t ask for help with accommodation or adapting to university study, both of which she found very tricky. We have been talking to her about how utterly acceptable it is to need some help, that the universities are full of people whose job it is to help. She flatly refuses to have any “SEN” label. I’m hoping with a fresh start she would be a bit more willing to avail herself of the help that is available.

The “false start” description really resonates. She is still only 18 and is quite young for her age. I’d almost want to treat this past year as a foundation year and let her start again in September. I think to head into year 2, with a tougher academic workload, in a new place, would overwhelm her.

I completely agree about the RG comments. She’s at a lower-tier RG university. She got the grades asked for - she worked very hard and achieved grades that were probably top of her capabilities. A lot of the other students seem to have got in via clearing and were higher flyers at sixth form. I think she’d be better somewhere with students who are on a more similar level academically to her. I’m not phrasing this very well and don’t mean any offence, either to my daughter, of whom I’m very proud, or to anyone else.

I think she’s ok with student finance in that she can get a student loan for a fresh start, but obviously she’ll have more debt.

She is in the US all summer, working at a summer camp.

I agree that there are an awful lot of big decisions to be made, which will be difficult whilst she is away. I think if she had a plan for taking a year out it would be ok. She likes to be busy and active, and likes her time to be quite structured. I suppose she could get a job locally and live at home, but I think she could see that as a sign of failure. I’m very hopeful that the summer will be a wonderful time for her, and help her get her confidence back and grow up a little bit. If she wants to travel she’ll have to get a job and earn the money to pay for it.

I’ve spoken to UCAS who were very helpful. She doesn’t need to formally quit her current university yet - not until she wants to enrol elsewhere.

I’m so grateful for all the input. I just want her to be safe and happy and feel ok about herself.

Thank you. I'd have thought after they lost that court case that they may have improved.