What do I do when life gets in the way of my degree?
One of the biggest fears of university students everywhere is the prospect of having to extend your degree because of some uncontrollable disaster. Of course, it's a fact of life that certain things are out of our control, and despite best laid plans, we may find that a lot has changed for the worst in a very small amount of time. If this applies to you, it's paramount to be aware of the counselling and academic services available at your university designed to offer support.
Selected Higher Education Statistics released data last year indicating that 14.8 per cent of Australian students did not recommence studies after their first year. This data went on to show that the highest rates of incompletion, or attrition, occurred at the end of semester one, with a minority of students sticking it out until the end of first-year and deciding not to re-enrol. University dropout rates also frequently receive media attention.
There is no agency responsible for determining how many students fail due to which circumstances, but we can assume a number of students do not continue enrolment each year simply because life gets in the way of their studies. Research on university student mental health published by the Australian Medical Students' Association last year found that psychological distress was likely to impair a student's capacity for study or work for over 10 days, and found that the impact of mental health problems on university aged youths was "significant".
In the depth of difficult experiences, communication with university staff can seem unimportant, and in the case of serious trauma or hardship, might even be forgotten completely. If this applies to your current situation, know first of all that this move comes at a cost only to yourself.
"Reach out sooner rather than later."
Murdoch University clinical psychologist Matt Sumner has one piece of go-to advice for all students struggling with personal issues or finding it hard to balance multiple commitments. He says it’s best to let the university know you need assistance before it's too late to receive it, ultimately in the name of preventing a pile-up of debt.
"To use the example of someone deceased last week, or last month, it's probably a good idea to come to the counselling service in the middle of that semester and start looking at negotiating extensions, deferrals, or even deferring your exam," says Matt.
He also says it's important to acknowledge what the nature of your difficulty is, and who can reasonably address it at your university. "If it's academic difficulties, [students] should go to the Dean's office to inquire about any tutoring they could get. If it's personal life things, it might be good to talk to the counselling service."
It's also worth noting that Equity offices handle issues relating to disability and discrimination, and student advisors are generally who you should approach for further information on balancing work and university loads. "The help is there," Matt says.
Getting help: keep all documentation
On top of getting a clear and frank dialogue going with university staff about any difficulties you're encountering as soon as possible, the second most important thing to remember is that you have to keep all relevant documentation. Essentially, you need to be able to prove that your hardships are based in reality.
"That's going to be something that helps you so much," says Murdoch University student services consultant, Lisa Wallace. Universities are ultimately a big business, and as Matt also highlights, there needs to be a process in place to ensure that applications for extension, supplementary exams or retrospective withdrawal are legitimate.
Alice Payne, who also works at the Murdoch University student centre, says that it's important to take stock of all third-party documentation, such as “something showing you've seen a counsellor, doctor's certificates – things like that". Both Lisa and Alice point out that it can be surprisingly hard to prove somebody has died, and intimate documents like death certificates are sometimes requested.
This process can be an added level of unpleasantness at an already disorienting time, but ultimately it's better to be grieving with a deferred exam than it is grieving, having to repeat a unit, and amassing the debt for both times you enrolled.
"Universities would rather you find help than fail," Matt says. Nip it in the bud.
Jonathon Davidson
Jonathon is studying journalism at Murdoch University in Perth.