Making Changes to your Course

changing course

There are many reasons why you may feel it is the right decision to change your course, and the Students' Union are here to help you make the right decision for you. You might have an academic concern, such as not feeling as if the subject is for you, or there is something else you would prefer to pursue. If this is the case, it is a good idea to speak with a member of academic staff who you feel comfortable with about how you are feeling. They will be able to discuss your options with you, and the Students' Union are more than happy to set this meeting up, facilitate it and support you throughout the process.

If you feel like the workload is getting quite a lot for you, and you are struggling to understand how to be the most successful in assessments, you can book an appointment with the Learning and Development Tutor. You can access these services through Gateway on your campus, either pop in and see them in person or email at gatewayepsom@uca.ac.uk gatewayfarnham@uca.ac.uk gatewaycanterbury@uca.ac.uk gatewayrochester@uca.ac.uk

You may be working through some personal issues that are getting in the way of your course. You can contact the wellbeing team for a wellbeing check-in. Here you can discuss your circumstances and decide the best route forward, whether that be counselling or something else. Please contact the wellbeing team at wellbeing@uca.ac.uk If you feel that you might struggle to meet a deadline on account of your personal circumstances, you can apply for mitigating circumstances. See the information on mitigating circumstances and how the Students' Union can support you here.

 

I'm thinking of Leaving UCA- What do I do?

There are several options you can take and loads of people you can speak to about this, it is a big decision and one to be taken seriously, so please do come and talk to the Students' Union, your Course Leader and anyone else you feel comfortable having that conversation with. If you do decide to leave university, we will be sorry to see you go. We can recommend a service, Sikono, which is a university premature leavers network that seeks to find full-time employment for individuals who have withdrawn from their studies prematurely, without obtaining a degree. The invaluable service they offer is free to students and it is their sole focus to be there and support withdrawing students, so it may be a good place to start when deciding what steps to take next. See their website here.

 

Non-academic Interruption

You might decide that you would like to take a break, and under certain criteria, you can do this. Non-academic interruption is when you have permission to take a break from continuous study, for personal reasons rather than academic performance. If you choose to interrupt your studies for non-academic reasons, you need to discuss this with the Course Leader and have approval from UCA. The interruption will be at the discretion of your Head of School. If you don’t seek approval and have not provided medical or other evidence about non-attendance (of two weeks), UCA will assume that you have withdrawn. If you need to interrupt your studies for medical reasons, you will be required to provide evidence that you are fit to resume your studies before you rejoin the course. Interruption will initially be approved for a period of no longer than one year and will normally be approved for a period no longer than one term. You are entitled to apply for further successive periods of interruption if appropriate.