Changing or Leaving Your Course

TheAssociationofGraduateCareersAdvisoryServices

Changingorleavingyourcourse



Contents

1IntroductionWhatsthisguideabout? 3

2Unsureaboutyourcourse?Whatswrong? 3CASESTUDY:GARY 4

3BeforemakingadecisionConsideryouractions 4Developacareerplan 4Helpisathand 5Checklist:beforemakingadecision 5Checklist:beforeleavingyourcourse 5Checklist:beforechangingyourcourse 5CASESTUDY:JESSICA 6

4Makingthemostofyourpresentcourse

Canyouadaptthecourse? 6Howcanyouchangethecourse? 6!"#$%&'$(")*$+,*$-#".$/'0,1$ $ 23#4&%$0+'5*#+$.67*$ $ $ $ 28655*#$9*#*-+0$&7$0+'5%$ $ $ 2:#;



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1Introduction

Whatsthisguideabout?Ifyourereadingthis,youreprobablyfeelingunsureaboutyourcurrentcourse5B+$/"#6;C$D"#%$0+'5*#+0$-#5$+,"+$,6E,*



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3Beforemakingadecision

ConsideryouractionsMakingahastydecisionmaybesomethingyoulivetoregret,sothinkcarefullybeforeyouchangeorleaveyourcourse.Trytoidentifythebestpersontospeaktoabout%&'



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9*#*-+$%&'$(&



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requirements.F$ Researchwhichmoduleoptionsyoull

take.F$ Askyourself,CanIstickoutthecourse

Imdoing?maybeitsjustonesmallerelementinitthatyoudislike.

F$ Wouldadifferentuniversity,butthesamesubject,bemoresuitable?

F$ Wouldadifferentmodeofattendancesuityouperhapsstudyingparttime,andgettingajob?

Thisguideshouldhelpyouwithmanyoftheseissues.Aboveall,dontacthastily.Youshouldnotrushintomakingadecisioninstead,researchalltheoptionsopentoyouandconsidereachonecarefully.Choosingandapplyingforyourcurrentcoursetooksomethoughtandeffortandyoullneedtoapplythesamethoughtandcarefulplanning

whenmakinganynewdecisions.Supportisavailable,evenifitstohelpyoumovetoanotheruniversityorcollege,ormakecontactwithstafforagencieswhocanprovidehelpwithotherissues.

4Makingthemostofyourpresentcourse

Canyouadaptthecourse?Ifingeneralyouenjoythecourse,butyoufeelthatsomeelementsarentrightforyou,seeifyoucanmakealterationstoitbeforedecidingtoleave.

Howcanyouchangethecourse?F$ :7$%&'B



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C!"#$%'!()#*+)#,"!-#.&/+0Ifyourenearingtheendofyourcourseoryear,rememberthatyourcareeroptionsarewiderthanyourdegreesubject.Evenifyounolongerenjoyyoursubject,yourdegreemayenableyoutogointoawiderangeofothercareers.Manyemployersandpostgraduatecoursesareopentograduatesofanydiscipline.Youllstillneedtodoyourbestonthecourse,asmanyemployersorcourseproviderswillbelookingforagoodclassofdegreeandyoumaystillneedareferencefromyourcoursetutor.

Ifyoureclosetotheendofanacademicyear,itsworthstickingitout,sinceyoumayE*+$"$;*



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F$ gettingonwellwithpeopleindifferentsituations

F$ 5*+*



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CoursedetailF$ Isthecoursemodularwillyouhave

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straighttoanothercourserelativelyeasily,providedthereareplacesleftandthetutorispreparedtoacceptyou.Avoidmakingahastydecisiontoleavewithouttakingadviceandseriouslythinkingitover.

W+!*#14#*+)#5%&6/)#1/#*%%#214,5&-*0Ifyouvefailedtheacademicyear,orafewmodules,orevenifyoufeeltheworkandstudyrequiredisjusttoomuch,thenitsagoodideatopauseandconsideryouroptions:

F$ Arethingsasbadasyoufear?Talktoyourtutorasyoumaybeabletosortout

extensionsforcourseworkorbeabletocarrysubjectsoverintothenextyear.

F$ Findoutwhetherstaffareavailableatyourinstitutiontohelpwithstudyskillsorexampreparation.Often,therearestudyskillsadvisersoreffectivelearningadviserswhospecialiseinthissortofhelp.

Ifyouvefailed,orknowthecourseistoo567-;'.+U

F$ Considerlookingatcourseswithlowerentryrequirements,perhapsatHND,DipHEorfoundationdegreelevel.ThesemayprovideyouwithaplatformtobuildL$"#5$E"6#$;-5*#;*$9*7&



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6TakingabreakfromstudyYoumaynotwanttochangeorleaveyourcourse,butjustneedsometimeoutforanynumberofreasons.Thisisoftenpossible,"#5$("%$9*#*-+$%&'



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maybeabletotakeabreakfromyourcoursetomaketimeforit.

F$ WorkexperienceManystudentsconsidertakingtimeofffromstudytogainsomeworkexperience6#$+,*6



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F$ RepeatingstudyIfyourerequiredtoretakepartofyourcourse,itscrucialthatyoukeepincontactwithyourpersonalorcoursetutortoreceivenecessaryinformation,adviceandsupportaboutcourseworkandexamdates.

7Leavingyourcourse

MakingtherightchoiceLeavingacoursepartwaythroughmayleaveyoufeelingdisappointed,angryor.";)6#E$6#$;-5*#;*N$K&'$("%$7**.$.6)*$"$failureorbelieveyouveletotherpeopledown,oryoucouldfeelthatyouvewastedtimeandmissedotheropportunities.Thesefeelingsareunderstandable,buttheyrenotnecessarilycorrect.Theresoftennopointcontinuingtostudyifyourereallynotenjoyingit.Itsimportanttomakethisapositivestepanditoftentakesgreatercouragetoadmitthatyouvemadeamistakeandmoveonthantostayonacoursewhereyoureunhappy.Younowhaveanopportunitytotakeastepback,lookatotheroptionsandtaketimetogetthedecisionright.

Whatcanyoutakefromthisexperience?

Althoughyoureleavingthecourse,youllbesurprisedbywhatyouvegainedfromthewholeexperience.

F$ AcademicexperienceWhathaveyoulearnedorachievedfromthecourse?Thinkofanymodulesthatyoupassedorcompletedandanypiecesofworkthatcouldbeusedasevidencewhenapplyingforothercourses.

F$ PersonalskillsWhatpersonalskillshaveyouacquiredfromyourstudies?HaveyoulearnedanynewskillssuchasITskills,essaywritingorresearchskills?Otherpersonalskills(6E,+$6#;.'5*$("#"E6#E$%&'



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andresourcessection.)F$ Researchemployerswhomayoffer

supportforstudyinthefuture,perhapsthroughallocationofstudydaysorsome-#"#;6".$0'//&



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shouldbetotalktoyourplaceofstudyand+&$%&'



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shouldbeagreedwithyourinstitutiontoensureaplacewillbesecuredforyouuponyourreturn.Also,ifthedecisiontotaketimeoutismadeafteranapplicationhasbeenmadetoSAASforfunding,butthenyoudecideyoullbetakingagapyear,theinstitutionmustinformSAAS.Otherwise,SAASwillautomaticallysendthetuitionfeestotheinstitutionandthatyearsfundingwillbeused.

ItisalwaysrecommendedthatyouspeakG6+,$"$0+'5*#+$-#"#;*$"5P60*



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supportservices,fromstudyskillstoadvice$-#"#;*$"#5$";;&((&5"+6N$D"#%$,"P*$"$studentcounsellingserviceandallwilloffer%&'$;-5*#+6".$"5P6;*N

StudentdisabilityunitSpecialistadviceandhelpisavailablethroughthesecentres.Theymayhavelinkswithexternalagenciesthatcanhelpyousetupemploymentorworkexperience.

OthersourcesofhelpFriendsandfamilyNotalwaysanobviouschoice,buttheycansometimesbethebestsourcesofinformation.Theymayhavecontactsintheindustrythatyourekeentoworkin,orbeabletooffersomeworkexperienceordifferentideasaboutcareerpathways.Makethemostoftheirresources,contactsandknowledgeastheymaysurpriseyouandtheyprobablyknowyoubest!

CareerscompaniesConnexions,www.connexions.gov.uk,isbasedinEnglandandWalesandisagovernmentfundedserviceofferingallagecareersguidanceandinformation.CareersScotland,www.careersscotland.org.uk,operatesasimilarserviceinScotland,andGradireland,www.gradireland.com,isajointagencyforallofIreland.

JobcentresJobcentresholdinformationonvacanciesandgovernmentfundedschemes.Theseprogrammesofferworkbasedplacementsand/ortrainingandcanprovideastepintopermanentemployment.Youwillneedtocheckeligibilitycriteria.Jobcentresalsoprovidejobsearchservicesandarrangeseminars,includinghelpwithapplicationsandCVs.Ifyouhaveapermanentortemporarydisability,adisabilityemploymentadvisercan&77*



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10Contactsandresources

Bibliography

AGCASandGraduateProspectsproductsareavailablefromhighereducationcareersservices.

AGCAS

AGCASSpecialInterestSeries:GoingforInterviewsJobSeekingStrategiesMakingApplicationsSelfemploymentWorkingAbroad

RS!RQ$@;;'/"+6".$T??ddAd2

HotCourses:StudentMoneywww.studentmoney.org

StudentAwardsAgencyScotland(SAAS)www.saas.gov.uk

StudentLoansCompany(SLC)www.slc.co.uk

WelshAssembly(Education)http://new.wales.gov.uk

IdeasforTakingTimeOutBUNACwww.bunac.org

CampAmericawww.campamerica.co.uk

Doitwww.doit.org.uk

FulbrightCommissionwww.fulbright.co.ukandwww.fulbright.ie

GAPActivityProjectswww.gap.org.uk

MonsterJobswww.monster.co.uk

NorthernIrelandCouncilforVoluntaryAction(NICVA)www.nicva.org

Oxfamwww.oxfam.org.uk

RaleighInternationalwww.raleigh.org.uk

UKErasmuswww.erasmus.ac.uk



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VolunteerScotlandwww.volunteerscotland.org.uk

VoluntaryServiceOverseas(VSO)www.vso.org.uk

YearOutGroupwww.yearoutgroup.org

YellowPageswww.yell.com

SourcesofAdviceandSupportCareersScotlandwww.careersscotland.org.uk

CareersWaleswww.careerswales.com

Connexions(England)www.connexions.gov.uk

TheEthicalCareersGuidewww.ngomedia.org.uk/artman/publish

GradIrelandwww.gradireland.com

JobcentrePluswww.jobcentreplus.gov.uk

Planitpluswww.planitplus.net

UniversitiesandCollegesAdmissionsService(UCAS)www.ucas.ac.uk

Addresses

DepartmentforInnovation,UniversitiesandSkills(DIUS),CastleViewHouse,EastLane,O'#;&h$hhhh$www.dius.gov.uk

DepartmentforEmploymentandLearninginNorthernIreland(DELNI),AdelaideHouse,3949AdelaideStreet,BelfastBT28FDTel:?Ac$i?Ah$22Ajwww.delni.gov.uk

DepartmentforWorkandPensions(DWP),111JohnAdamStreet,LondonWC2N6HTwww.dwp.gov.uk

EducationalGrantsAdvisoryService(EGAS),501505KingslandRoad,Dalston,LondonE8kR]$X*.U$?A?$2Ahk$jAh>www.egasonline.org

1 IntroductionWhats this guide about?

2 Unsure about your course? Whats wrong?

3 Before making a decisionConsider your actionsDevelop a career planHelp is at handChecklist: before making a decisionChecklist: before leaving your courseChecklist: before changing your course

4 Making the most of your present courseCan you adapt the course?How can you change the course?Can you make the final push?Enjoy student lifeHidden benefits of studyIncrease your employabilityContinuing by a different routeCredit for what youve studied

5 Choosing an alternative course Should I stay or should I go?Changing institutionChecklist: applying for another courseWhat if the course is too difficult?CASE STUDY: CLARE

6 Taking a break from studyReasons for taking a breakUsing your time out effectivelyFinancial considerations

7 Leaving your courseMaking the right choiceWhat can you take from this experience?Looking for jobs

8 Implications of leaving Frequently asked questionsFinancial implications Scottish fundingChecklist: when leaving your course

9 Sources of advice and help Sources of help at your institutionOther sources of helpBibliography

Documents

Changing or Leaving Your Course