Possible to take a year out during degree?

UnknownSpecies

Hi, just a question, hopefully someone can answer or offer advice. So I'm in the final year of my course. I don't qualify for a grant so I work ~28 hours per week. As a result, I have fallen behind in my coursework, to the point where I will have repeat exams and will eventually get a poor degree result.

So, I want to take a year out (start 4th year again in September 2013), to save money so I don't have to work during college. Is there any way that I can do this? What are the financial implications? All advice appreciated, thanks.

quietsailor

dorgasm wrote: »

Hi, just a question, hopefully someone can answer or offer advice. So I'm in the final year of my course. I don't qualify for a grant so I work ~28 hours per week. As a result, I have fallen behind in my coursework, to the point where I will have repeat exams and will eventually get a poor degree result.

So, I want to take a year out (start 4th year again in September 2013), to save money so I don't have to work during college. Is there any way that I can do this? What are the financial implications? All advice appreciated, thanks.

MY OWN OPINION ONLY do not take this as fact
I dropped out of my degree earlier this year and at the time i was asked did I want to take a years break instead. So I'm asuming that it is an option

It may vary from Department to Department so the best place to start is your course co-ordinator,,,,, actually the best place to start is the Dept admin/secretary as they will have seen everything before and will know where to send you.

If you've had good results in yrs 1-3 and poor ones now bring along a printout of this.
If you've a letter showin a grant refusal bring this along.

Then you can explain to the Dept that your under too big a financial stress and can't get the time to study properly, explain that you intend to work for 9 months, save enough to get you through 4th year and plan to return to complete your degree.

They'll be much more helpful if;
a) you can show reasons why you need to do this and b) that you have a plan worked out in advance.

They'll probably be sick of people turning up with problems and expecting them (the lecturer/Dept) to magically solve all the students problems without the student doing anything for themselves (thats not a dig at you, just a memory of a conversation I once had with a lecturer)

UnknownSpecies

quietsailor wrote: »

MY OWN OPINION ONLY do not take this as fact
I dropped out of my degree earlier this year and at the time i was asked did I want to take a years break instead. So I'm asuming that it is an option

It may vary from Department to Department so the best place to start is your course co-ordinator,,,,, actually the best place to start is the Dept admin/secretary as they will have seen everything before and will know where to send you.

If you've had good results in yrs 1-3 and poor ones now bring along a printout of this.
If you've a letter showin a grant refusal bring this along.

Then you can explain to the Dept that your under too big a financial stress and can't get the time to study properly, explain that you intend to work for 9 months, save enough to get you through 4th year and plan to return to complete your degree.

They'll be much more helpful if;
a) you can show reasons why you need to do this and b) that you have a plan worked out in advance.

They'll probably be sick of people turning up with problems and expecting them (the lecturer/Dept) to magically solve all the students problems without the student doing anything for themselves (thats not a dig at you, just a memory of a conversation I once had with a lecturer)

Thanks for the advice, that's very helpful. I've never actually applied for a grant as I know that I live too close to the college and my parents earn more than the threshold. I haven't contacted my course co-ordinator yet so I think that's my next move. I'll report back with how I get on.

areyawell

TBH it just sounds like you have left it to late to try and defer for the year with exams coming up. People generally defer in September or during the Summer.

Would a student loan not have been the best idea at the start of the year or try to get you parents to help out more? If your parents are earning 55k plus then surely they could have helping you out

UnknownSpecies

areyawell wrote: »

TBH it just sounds like you have left it to late to try and defer for the year with exams coming up. People generally defer in September or during the Summer.

Would a student loan not have been the best idea at the start of the year or try to get you parents to help out more? If your parents are earning 55k plus then surely they could have helping you out

I have wanted to defer since September but I really wanted to try working along with college first before I made any decisions. As it turns out, I couldn't handle it and I need the time to save.

I don't think a student loan is the best option either. Firstly, I want to be as debt free as I possibly can. Second, I only have flexi-time work secured at the moment so I don't know how reliable I'd be at paying back the loan.

On your last point, yes, I wish my parents would help me out more. It's just that I like earning my own money and not being so dependent. They pay my registration fees which is fair enough and I don't like asking for money constantly. It's far from ideal and I wish it didn't come to this but nothing I can do now.

shane9689

take a loan from your parents? or someone else who is close to you? and then repay them when you graduate or start working or whatever your plan is. thats what my sister did. its alot less pressure than a bank and you are probably good for the money so theres no worries. college is hard without borrowing, you might have to suck up your pride abit, makes life easier.

Dingle_berry

Does UCC have a student hardship/assistance fund for students in your situation? Someone in the SU should be able to tell you.
Though I understand from your OP that you feel you are already behind and beyond catching up. This is something only you and your lecturer(s) can address. If you have good grades from the previous year could these be used to offset bad results from the modules in the first half of this year?
Could you graduate this year with the ordinary degree and return next year to get the honours?
If you did get the year out how sure are you that you would return to complete the degree? My cousin left his course in a similar situation and never returned to complete it…

UnknownSpecies

Thanks for the replies guys, I have sorted it out. I was in contact with the UCC admissions office during the week. They informed me that I could take a leave of absence for the 2012/2013 academic year. I applied for this and I have been accepted. All I need to do now is get it reviewed by the lecturer in my department who is in charge of this kind of thing and I'll be good to go.

With regards to the comments about borrowing money, my main problem was that I had fallen behind so badly that no matter what I do, I'll end up with poor results in several modules. I'm going to use this year to improve on my course-related skills and also work and save up for the following year. If I find myself in trouble next year financially, I will have learned from my mistakes and I will certainly get a loan.

shane9689

great news. wish you the best of luck.

p.s take advantage of the year off and do something abit different. i did, never regretted it.

quietsailor

that's fantastic news, well done. This could actually give you the help to get an even higher mark that you thought you could get - you'll be relaxed going back into 4th year again.

Also you'll have the advantage over your next years classmates in that you've completed a few of the months already and seen what 4th yr is like