Thanks for all the help, everyone. I’m almost done drafting my appeal and plan to submit it in the next few hours. I was wondering if someone might be willing to review my application. I understand if it’s not appropriate, but I think a second opinion would be really valuable. If not, no worries—thanks again!
This going to be a long read. The appeal form has 2 questions, the first being:
If you have ticked a) Material circumstances not presented in advance of the Board making its decision, you must explain why you did not present these circumstances at the appropriate time.*
I was unable to present these circumstances at the appropriate time due to my severe mental health condition. On the 31st of July, I experienced a severe and sudden schizophrenic attack that caused significant cognitive dysfunction and extreme psychosis. The timing could not have been worse, as the referred Quantitative Research Methods assignment was due the very next day, on the 1st of August. During this critical period, I was experiencing heightened cognitive problems which deeply impaired my ability to think clearly, organise and articulate my thoughts, and processing information. Simple tasks, such as reading or writing, felt overwhelming and beyond my capacity. As confirmed by my doctor, I was experiencing severe impairments in memory, attention, and executive functioning, which made it extremely challenging for me to understand or engage with university procedures and fulfil my academic obligations.
I was not just struggling cognitively, but psychologically and emotionally as well. I was battling psychotic symptoms that completely distorted my perception of reality. I heard voices — terrifying voices — and felt things that weren’t there, like snakes crawling under my feet or spiders crawling on my face and ribs. I believed someone was terrorizing me, constantly feeling like something was touching my arms, legs, and back. Sometimes, it felt as though my internal organs were moving. These sensations, along with the hallucinations, left me frightened, confused, and completely disconnected from reality. The fear and paranoia that consumed me were unbearable, causing me to break down in tears multiple times. I was living in a nightmare, and these episodes lasted for days, leaving me utterly drained and incapable of functioning normally.
Despite these immense difficulties, I still made every effort to submit the Quantitative Research Methods assignment on the 1st of August. However, due to the severe cognitive impairments and psychotic symptoms I was experiencing, I submitted the assignment one minute late. I had fully intended to apply for mitigation to explain my situation, but my mental state left me completely incapacitated. The severity of my schizophrenic episodes meant that I simply could not engage with the university's procedures. My ability to focus, process information, and manage my academic responsibilities was completely impaired, making it impossible for me to complete the mitigation application on time.
My struggles did not end after the submission. Throughout the month of August, I experienced multiple schizophrenic attacks. These were not isolated episodes but continuous, lasting for weeks, and significantly impacted my mental state, exacerbating the cognitive and emotional difficulties I was already enduring. I felt as though I was trapped in a continuous cycle of psychosis, unable to escape. These successive attacks made it even harder for me to understand or engage with university procedures. I was paralyzed, unable to manage my responsibilities.
Adding to my already overwhelming challenges, I was also experiencing severe depression, a common co-occurrence with schizophrenia. This depression left me emotionally paralyzed. There were days when I couldn’t bring myself to leave my room or even get out of bed. I would sit alone for hours, locked in my room, crying — feeling hopeless and unable to see a way out of the darkness I was trapped in.
Adding to my already overwhelming challenges, the medications I was taking during this period had severe side effects that further worsened my situation. The medication caused cognitive dulling, agitation, restlessness, and fatigue, making it even more difficult for me to think clearly and focus. The restlessness it induced heightened my paranoia and made it nearly impossible to concentrate on tasks. These side effects greatly contributed to my inability to focus, organize my thoughts, or engage with the mitigation procedure at the appropriate time.
It’s important to stress that my inability to submit a mitigation application was not due to ignorance of the procedures but rather my complete incapacity to understand or engage with them due to the profound cognitive and psychotic effects of my condition. The unpredictability of my schizophrenia, combined with the continuous nature of my symptoms, made it impossible for me to manage my academic obligations or apply for mitigation on time.
The 2nd question is:
Describe here why you believe you have grounds for appeal, providing specific evidence with reference to a) b) or c) as ticked
I am appealing the result published by the Assessment, Progression, and Awarding Committee (APAC), which resulted in my failure in the referred Quantitative Research Methods module due to submitting the assignment a minute late. I appeal under section (a) – Material Circumstances – as confirmed severe mental health difficulties at the time prevented me from submitting a mitigation application on time. These health issues significantly impacted my ability to engage with university procedures. I request reconsideration and removal of the cap on late submission due to the exceptional material circumstances that were beyond my control.
On July 31st, 2024, I experienced a severe acute schizophrenic attack that triggered extreme cognitive dysfunction, psychosis, and emotional instability (refer to Evidence 1 – Letter from Doctor; Evidence 2 – Prescription dated 31/07/2024). This occurred while I was working on my referred Quantitative Research Methods assignment, which was due on August 1st. The episode caused significant impairments in executive function, attention, and memory, making it nearly impossible to process information or articulate coherent thoughts. Tasks that I would normally manage became overwhelming, and my disorganized thinking made it incredibly difficult to focus. My cognitive abilities, including reading, writing, and memory recall, were severely compromised, and my thoughts became increasingly disjointed, making it impossible to function effectively.
In addition to the cognitive impairments, I was also experiencing severe psychotic symptoms that completely distorted my perception of reality. I constantly heard terrifying voices saying awful things about me and these voices would often terrorize me, and I felt tactile hallucinations like snakes crawling beneath me and spiders on my face and ribs. I believed someone was touching my body, and at times, I felt as though my internal organs were moving, which left me deeply unsettled. These hallucinations and delusions left me frightened, confused, and disconnected from reality. The overwhelming fear and paranoia caused frequent emotional breakdowns. These episodes, lasting for weeks, drained me mentally and physically, leaving me unable to perform even basic tasks, let alone engage with university procedures like applying for mitigation.
Despite the overwhelming difficulties I was facing, I made every effort to submit the Quantitative Research Methods assignment on 1st August. Unfortunately, due to my condition, I submitted it a minute late. I had intended to apply for mitigation, but my schizophrenic episode left me completely incapacitated. The severity of my condition made it impossible to understand or engage with the university’s mitigation procedure. As confirmed by Evidence 1 – Letter from Doctor, the cognitive dysfunction and psychotic symptoms became so extreme that I was unable to perform even basic tasks, let alone navigate academic processes.
Furthermore, my condition exacerbated after the initial episode. Throughout August 2024, I experienced multiple schizophrenic attacks. These were not isolated episodes but continuous, lasting for weeks, and significantly impacted my mental state, exacerbating the cognitive and psychotic symptoms I was already enduring. I felt trapped in an unending cycle of psychosis, unable to break free. These successive attacks made it increasingly difficult to comprehend or engage with university procedures. I was mentally paralyzed, completely incapable of managing my responsibilities or navigating the steps necessary for academic processes.
I was also experiencing severe depression, which commonly co-occurs with schizophrenia. This depression left me utterly immobilized. Some days, I couldn’t even muster the strength to leave my room or get out of bed. I would sit for hours, isolated and crying, feeling completely overwhelmed by hopelessness. The darkness felt inescapable, trapping me in a cycle of despair where any attempt to see a way out felt impossible and felt emotionally drained.
Equally debilitating were the side effects of the antipsychotics I was taking, which further worsened my situation. The medication caused cognitive dulling, agitation, restlessness, and fatigue, making it even more difficult for me to think clearly and focus. The restlessness it induced heightened my paranoia and made it nearly impossible to concentrate on tasks. These side effects greatly contributed to my inability to focus, organize my thoughts, or engage with the mitigation procedure at the appropriate time. These circumstances were beyond my control and prevented me from submitting a mitigation application in a timely manner.
As evidenced by Evidence 1 – Doctor’s Letter, my condition began to improve in early September, around the time the results were released. I was devastated to learn that I had received a 0 for submitting my assignment a minute late, compounded by my inability to apply for mitigation due to my condition. As soon as I was capable, I disclosed my condition to the University of Exeter’s Wellbeing Service. I have since applied for an ILP and am regularly in contact with them. The Wellbeing Service acknowledged the severity of my condition, agreeing that it had prevented me from engaging with the university’s mitigation process (Evidence 3 – Wellbeing Service Statement). Therefore, my inability to apply for mitigation was not due to ignorance, but because my condition was so severe that it prevented me from understanding and engaging with the university procedures in a timely manner.
Additionally, I had not previously disclosed my schizophrenia because my symptoms had been mild and manageable, never interfering with my academic or daily life. This is corroborated by Evidence 1 – Doctor’s Letter. The episode on July 31st, 2024, and the subsequent attacks were unlike anything I had experienced before, leaving me mentally incapacitated for the first time. Only after these episodes did I realize the need to disclose my condition to the Wellbeing Service, as the nature of my symptoms became severe and disabling.
Although I have previously applied for mitigation, it was never due to schizophrenia. On that occasion, I applied for mitigation for a lower back muscle spasm, which didn’t interfere with my ability to engage with university procedures. However, the schizophrenic episodes I experienced in July and August were entirely different. These episodes severely affected my ability to understand and engage with the mitigation process, as I was suffering from extreme cognitive dysfunction and psychosis. As my condition began to improve in early September, I faced another challenge with my research project submission. Due to my incapacitation throughout August, I couldn’t work on it, and I applied for mitigation in September. By then, the severity of the episodes had lessened, and I was gradually learning to live with the symptoms of schizophrenia. This was vastly different from my condition in July and August, where I was cognitively dulled and constantly hallucinating.
The events that unfolded were sudden, unforeseen, and completely beyond my control. If I am not awarded relief, the consequences will be devastating. I will not be able to graduate this year, and as a result, I will lose the job offer I have from a multinational company. This would impose an undue financial burden on me, especially since I am already financially strained and came to the UK on an education loan. This situation is not due to any fault of mine, but a result of the confirmed severe mental health difficulties I was facing at the time.
Therefore, I sincerely request the removal of the late submission cap. The removal of the late submission cap would be justified and fair as my assignment has already been graded, and the marks are visible on the student portal. The only reason the result published by APAC shows a 0 is due to the late submission penalty. Therefore, if my appeal is successful, removing the cap will not compromise academic integrity, as the quality of the work has already been assessed. It would provide just relief for the extraordinary circumstances I faced without undermining the academic standards of the university.
In conclusion, I respectfully request that the Committee reconsider its decision regarding my Quantitative Research Methods module in light of the material circumstances presented. The severe mental health difficulties I faced at the time significantly impaired my ability to engage with university procedures and submit a timely mitigation application. These circumstances were entirely beyond my control and have been supported by medical evidence. I kindly ask for the removal of the late submission penalty, allowing for a fair evaluation of my academic performance. Thank you for your time and consideration.