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Extenuating Circumstances

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  • 04-05-2012 8:43pm
    #1
    Dancer656
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭


    Hi,

    I was planning on handing in an extenuating circumstances form to the programme office after the exams as I suffer from anxiety/panic attacks. I was wondering if anyone else has given this reason as an extenuating circumstance. I'm a bit nervous that the programme office will not accept anxiety/panic attacks as a valid reason. Thanks in advance.


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    #2
    Sam the Sham
    Registered Users Posts: 684 ✭✭✭Sam the Sham


    Have these anxiety/panic attacks been documented by a doctor? If not, you might want to see a doctor about them.


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    #3
    Dancer656
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭Dancer656


    I was referred to a psychotherapist by my GP. I have been to the therapist on a number of occasions. I'm planning on getting a letter from the psychotherapist just explaining it so it might help.


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    #4
    Sam the Sham
    Registered Users Posts: 684 ✭✭✭Sam the Sham


    Dancer656 wrote: »
    I was referred to a psychotherapist by my GP. I have been to the therapist on a number of occasions. I'm planning on getting a letter from the psychotherapist just explaining it so it might help.

    This seems a bit tricky. You say you want to submit the form after exams. Why not before or in the middle of exams? I ask because they will make arrangements for you.

    In any case, I would try to submit this with documentation as soon as possible and not wait until after exams. It takes time to work through the bureaucracy and you'd want the form to be taken into consideration when the School decides on final grades.


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    #5
    WeeBushy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,572 ✭✭✭WeeBushy


    If you have medical documentation then it will certainly be taken into account. I would urge you to act on it now, UCD have an excellent alternative exams hall that caters for everything, including anxiety/panic attacks.


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    #6
    Fad
    Registered Users Posts: 7,231 ✭✭✭Fad


    As far as I'm aware you NEED to submit supporting evidence with the form.

    But as long as you have it and the circumstances genuinely seems to affect you, you'll probably get them.


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    #7
    Musefan
    Registered Users Posts: 775 ✭✭✭Musefan


    I actually have a question myself. I have extenuating circumstances in hat we have a bad family crisis at the moment, and my doctor has provided a note to prove same. However, my doctor is actually quite ill at the moment with cancer and his note has some spelling mistakes (it's understandable that his mind may be somewhere else) etc. that make it look a bit shoddy and I am afraid they will think its a forgery! They would ring to confirm with my GP if they had questions, wouldn't they?
    Thanks.


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    #8
    Chet T16
    Registered Users Posts: 2,320 ✭✭✭Chet T16


    Musefan wrote: »
    I actually have a question myself. I have extenuating circumstances in hat we have a bad family crisis at the moment, and my doctor has provided a note to prove same. However, my doctor is actually quite ill at the moment with cancer and his note has some spelling mistakes (it's understandable that his mind may be somewhere else) etc. that make it look a bit shoddy and I am afraid they will think its a forgery! They would ring to confirm with my GP if they had questions, wouldn't they?
    Thanks.
    I wouldn't think you've much to worry about. Is it on headed paper?


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    #9
    Musefan
    Registered Users Posts: 775 ✭✭✭Musefan


    It is on headed paper! Thanks for the reassurance :) Final year exams and everything goes wrong!


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    #10
    narwhaleous
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭narwhaleous


    Hey, I suffer with panic and anxiety attacks, too, and I've applied for extenuating circumstances to repeat this semester because it all went a bit pear shaped, unfortunately.

    You'll find that the programme office is completely understanding of this, though - as has anybody else in UCD I've had to speak to about it. A letter from your GP or a psychotherapist confirming that you have panic/anxiety attacks, and outlining how they've affected your studies has to be submitted with your application. Once you have that, it should be grand. The programme office contacts you if there's a problem with any of it.


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    #11
    Dancer656
    Registered Users Posts: 44 ✭Dancer656


    narwhaleous wrote: »
    Hey, I suffer with panic and anxiety attacks, too, and I've applied for extenuating circumstances to repeat this semester because it all went a bit pear shaped, unfortunately.

    You'll find that the programme office is completely understanding of this, though - as has anybody else in UCD I've had to speak to about it. A letter from your GP or a psychotherapist confirming that you have panic/anxiety attacks, and outlining how they've affected your studies has to be submitted with your application. Once you have that, it should be grand. The programme office contacts you if there's a problem with any of it.

    Hi, thanks for that. I'm getting a letter from my psychotherapist tomorrow and she said she has done this a fair few times so I'm guessing she knows what to put in. Everything went pear shaped for me too with these exams so I'm hoping that they will help in some way or at least let me make up for it as I really don't think that I'll be able to cope with repeating any of the modules again.
    Thanks again for replying, really appreciate it.


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    #12
    convert
    Registered Users Posts: 9,338 ✭✭✭convert


    If you're not in final year, I'd definitely recommend contacting the exams office in UCD and see if you could arrange to sit in the AEADS (Alternative Exam Arrangements - Disability Services) centre, which means you'll be sitting in small groups rather than in a massive exam hall like the RDS. They're really great over there and are a huge support if you're in trouble.


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    #13
    WeeBushy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,572 ✭✭✭WeeBushy


    convert wrote: »
    If you're not in final year, I'd definitely recommend contacting the exams office in UCD and see if you could arrange to sit in the AEADS (Alternative Exam Arrangements - Disability Services) centre, which means you'll be sitting in small groups rather than in a massive exam hall like the RDS. They're really great over there and are a huge support if you're in trouble.

    +1 million on this. And depending on your case there are individual rooms available as well.


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    #14
    kkumk
    Registered Users Posts: 156 ✭✭kkumk


    Not entirely related but I was in your position a few years ago, used to get terrible panic attacks, particularly during exams. I'd literally spend the whole exam concentrating on not running out of the hall, and then I''d leave as soon as I could(after the 1st hour) regardless of whether I was finished or not. I didn't apply for extenuating circumstances though and did terrible in 1st year as a result! However 3 years on (and lots of therapy!) and my final exams went great, with no anxiety at all, so just remember they're not a permanent feature of your life and you can get past them! The staff at UCD will be more than understanding, these situations are what extenuating circumstances are for!


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    #15
    Bougeoir
    Registered Users Posts: 170 ✭✭Bougeoir


    I'm actually going to apply for extenuating circumstances for this semester because I was having coeliac-like symptoms earlier on in the semester like I couldn't go toilet, wasn't eating much, losing weight and everything so I got tested but it came back clear. The doctor said it was IBS but was very vague what the cause was and the solutions are so now I'm still ill, not as bad as before but it impacted on my study especially around the mid-term. So yeah just apply for it. I think once you have a supporting letter from a doctor, you'll be fine!


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