The Problem....?

It is a common problem amongst first time students to feel unhappy and uncertain at the beginning of their course and feel that they have chosen the wrong course.

• There can be other reasons for this feeling that have nothing to do with the course such as;
• Insecurity resulting from a new environment
• Home-sickness
• Loneliness
• Missing your mates from home
• The new workload - too easy? Too difficult? Is it repetitive?
• Don't know what is wrong!
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Extra support is available!

Study Skills

If you need help writing an assignment, organising your workload, or find that you can't do the maths individual support is available from
Your personal tutor (if you don't know who this is please ask your Programme Leader)
Your Module Leader (their name will be in the Module Guide given at the beginning of the semester)
Your Programme Leader (their name will be in your Programme Guide)

*Individual Study Support & Maths help

• is provided by Learning Development Services (LDS. Sessions are free, and cover basic maths, statistics and study skills.
  Contact LDS via their website or by ringing on 0191 5152280.

The libraries on site all keep stocks of information sheets and booklets to help with study skills and how to use the facilities offered. Individual subject advice on the facilities is also available and you will find that the Librarians are always willing to help if you have a specific problem.

• Student Counselling Service

• Counselling provides a confidential setting where you can talk freely about any personal issues that concern you. Counselling is a place where you can explore your thoughts and feelings and gain greater understanding of your concerns. A counsellor can help you to think through your options for making change and work towards finding solutions to your problems. This is a free service.

Appointments can be made by visiting the Gateway on the City Campus or by ringing 0191 5152933.

The University has a Chaplaincy Team that works alongside other parts of Student and Academic Services and it offers friendship, pastoral care, and advice on religious matters and support. The team offers an independent and confidential listening ear for all members of the University regardless of any particular religious affiliation or none. The Chaplaincy Team has a wide range of inter-denominational and inter-faith contacts within the Sunderland area. The telephone number for the Chaplaincy Team is 0191 5152939. If you contact the Chaplaincy team they can also put you in touch with Roman Catholic, URC, Methodist, Baptist and Salvation Army Chaplains as well as the Advisers for Faith Communities (Buddhist, Jewish, Sikh and Muslim).

The Students Union offers Welfare and Academic Advice. Our confidential free Advice Centre is located on the Ground Floor of Edinburgh Building on the City Campus.   If you can't drop in to see us look at our other web pages and contact us by email.

Mitigating circumstances occur when you are experiencing personal problems that affect your study (bereavement, financial hardship, illness, relationship breakdown, divorce, family problems). You should inform your Programme Leader as soon as possible, especially if your problems are causing absence from your programme of study. Depending on the cause of your problem your Programme Leader may be able to offer a range of solutions that should minimise the effect of your mitigating circumstances on your study. It is important to remember to submit details of your circumstances on a mitigating circumstances form to your School. These forms are available from the School Offices and are simple to complete, some documentary evidence is needed.A copy of the form is available on our leaflets page .

Remember that your Programme Leader and Study Board probably do not possess psychic abilities so if you don't tell them what is going wrong they may just presume that you don't care about your study. Eventually this will lead to bigger problems and may lead to you being asked to withdraw from University.

Illness

If you are absent from your course because of illness or similar circumstances that will last for more than a couple of weeks you must inform your Programme Leader as arrangements can be made that will help you to continue with your course and not fall behind. Your Programme Leader will probably ask you for some documentary evidence (a letter from your GP or a sick note) and you should complete a mitigating circumstance form (available from your School Office).

Extensions

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  If there was a good reason for doing so extensions used to be given, but the way in which extensions were offered varied between Schools,Programmes,and members of staff and the decision was taken not to offer them anymore.
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The University has now introduced a fairer way of considering problems that affect your ability to study and this process is set in motion by the submission of a mitigating circumstances form. You should only submit work late in exceptional circumstances as late submission without good reason may lead to a reduction in grading or a fail grade being applied to the piece of work. If your mitigation is accepted your late submission will generally be marked.

If you know that you will not be able to submit your assessment work on time (for good reasons) then fill in a mitigation form before the deadline/exam date and we strongly advise that you also inform your Programme Leader or Module Leader why this situation has occurred as soon as possible.This will alert them to your situation and allow them to offer you help and support. If staff find that you have not submitted a piece of work or attended an exam without any form of explanation they will assume that you have not engaged with the assessment process and this could lead to a 'fail' mark being awarded.

Many students say that they cannot find their Module/Programme Leaders or reach them on the phone. This may be because they are teaching either on or off campus or may be busy with other non-teaching duties (research & administration) - however every member of staff in the University has an email address and we would advise that you email your Module Leader in these circumstances and keep the email as proof of contact as well as completing and submitting the mitigation form.

Your Module Leader will usually advise you on submission of your work (and may discuss an acceptable time-frame for this). Your mitigation will be considered by the School Mitigation Panel.

If you know that you are going to miss an exam (for good reason) then you should follow the same procedure except that this situation needs urgent action as your Study Board will sit just after the exam period and you will only have a short time in which to complete your mitigation form, attach evidence and inform your Module Leader.

Still not happy?

If you believe nonetheless that you could be on the wrong course then read on , bearing in mind that it could be misguided to abandon or change the course if the course itself is not the real problem.