# Repeating the year because of depression



## Kitty Schmitty (Mar 12, 2006)

I am not sure if this thread would be better placed in Health and Sexuality, so I apologise in advance if a mod chooses to move it.

I am coming up to the end of my third (and what is supposed to be my final) year of university. After discussing with my tutor, I have decided to retake the year. I suffer from depression, and for various reasons this academic year has been particularly bad, resulting in me missing virtually all of my classes. There is no way that I could catch up - indeed, I don't feel well enough anyway - and so failing and repeating would seem the logical conclusion.

I do feel particularly sad because of this for many reasons. One is the economic factor for both me and my parents. I'll end up with more student debt, and they'll have to pay for another year for me, which will be difficult for them considering my sister starts medical school in September, and will be living in London.

On top of this, I do feel worried that lecturers or other students will notice that I have failed the year and think badly of me. I have very low self confidence as it is, and although the rational side of me says that most people will be sympathetic (and if they're not they're not very nice people) it still worries me. 

I was just wondering if there are any other people who have been in a similar situation, and how they have managed to tackle the fear.

Thank you.


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## aqua (Mar 12, 2006)

not personal experience no but just to mention something, if your parents have 2 children at uni at the same time, they don't have to pay full whack for your fees, its taken into account by the LEA  so don't let that bea  concern to you


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## LilMissHissyFit (Mar 12, 2006)

I did my final year over two for very similar reasons and have still had a complete 'mare of a year
Two friends of mine had to retake their second years and did ok, You dont need to explain yourself to anyone why you are there. If they ask just say you had some difficulties in your personal/family life which meant you simply couldnt give uni the importance you wanted so you decided to defer and then restart next year
Nobody will judge you for that  Theres no shame in saying I cant do this when Ive been unwell, Ok its fucked up but I CAN right it and do my best
good luck


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## equationgirl (Mar 12, 2006)

You have every right to give uni the best shot you can, and if you need to repeat a year to do that so be it. You don't want to get a degree result and KNOW you could have done better, as you have to live with it.

To be honest, most people won't notice about you repeating a year, because it's such a commonplace thing. You won't be the only person doing it, and unis are usually very supportive in these situations. 

Take this time now to get yourself back to full health. Don't be hard on yourself, you have an illness and you need to get better. You will get your degree in the end, it just might take a little longer than expected, and that's ok.

Ok?


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## Kitty Schmitty (Mar 12, 2006)

aqua - That is good news, but it is still a fair amount of money. I just rung my mum up to talk to her, and although she was overly sympathetic in a maternal way, I could tell from her reaction that she was thinking about funding it all.  I feel ever so guilty.

LilMissHissyFit - I am sorry you have had problems also. ((LMHF)) I have no doubt that people will be overly sympathetic and won't want to pry, but it's one of those silly things that has been playing on my mind and I know I'll end up magnifying it to make it worse. One of my problems is that I'm exceptionally paranoid and convinced that everyone is judging me. To hear that some people have done well is comforting, and I wish you the best of luck in the future.   

equationgirl - This all sounds quite good - thank you.


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## AnnaKarpik (Mar 13, 2006)

Speaking from my own personal experience I can only say you have to decide what _you_ want and ignore everyones else's wants and expectations.

I dumped uni - it was something others wanted and expected of me and I just needed to do what I wanted for myself - what I wanted was just to get an ordinary job and live independently (financially at the very least) of the crowd of family telling me what to do.

I should add that I'd been depressed a long before uni and it only got worse while I was there. I haven't had a serious bout since I left uni, so I think I made the right decision. And I'm studying with the open university now and enjoying it.

In short what I mean is, take care of yoursself first. Qualifications you can get later.
And take care.

should add; i dropped out at 21/22 and I'm 48 now. This is a serious earnings gap we're talking about.


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## Donna Ferentes (Mar 13, 2006)

Happened to me, except that I sort-of-dropped-out midway through a one-year course due to incredibly severe depression and then finished off by coming back a year later.

What will other students think? Dunno. Doesn't matter, really. Only problem is they'll be different people and not the crowd you know now.


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## Belushi (Mar 13, 2006)

Irepeated my second year because of depression; I got a letter from my doc and I had no problems with the Uni or getting another  years grant from the LEA; and I went on to pass my degree with flying colours


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## J77 (Mar 13, 2006)

Make sure you get documentation - eg. letter from doc.

Don't worry what other people think.


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## diond (Mar 13, 2006)

aqua said:
			
		

> not personal experience no but just to mention something, if your parents have 2 children at uni at the same time, they don't have to pay full whack for your fees, its taken into account by the LEA  so don't let that bea  concern to you



This is not strictly true. Just because there are more than two students studying in the same family does not automatically qualify for paying less fees. The parents income still has to fall within a range that will entitle them for help towards tuition fees. It's just the threshold that help is based on rises for families with more than one student at university.


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## london manz (Mar 13, 2006)

firstly - respect to you for deciding to stay on and not give it up

secondly - financial constraints, thats a problem for my parent to so i got a job. i always felt guilty about the fact my parent helped me out etc... but the more independent i come and the more i learn about money the more my mind is at rest. 

also see it this way your parents are making an investment on you, so just  try your hardest to get your qualifications and make some paper afterwards, the fact their spending money on you is only a temporary situation wont you feel good knowing you can help them out when you begin full time work after university

yes money problems will always be about but think in relative terms, things may seem a struggle but your parents wont be destitute. it wont matter to them how much they spend because they will value your education and future more than anything else, you have nothing to feel bad about in that department. just enjoy yourself, play hard, but work harder and get what you deserve and make your parents proud, and im sure they already are.

forget what other people think, FUCK EM, just concentrate on what your doing, be positive and dont worry about money, thats your parents concern and im sure they wont want you worrying about it.

as for student debt, if you move abroad for 5 years after graduation the debt gets cleared and if you dont go AWOL until you earn more than 15,000 a year you dont pay back anything. and when you do pay back your debts it is just under 10 percent of your weekly wage so you will hardly notice it. and if you get a really good job with lotsa money your student debt will get cleared quicker. 


jus really tho try to relax, you have nothing to worry about its not uncommon for students to retake years. try not to worry think positive and look to the future and where you can go with your degree. and if you are retaking your third year and are doing a dissertation you have the great advantage of being able to use the summer for your dissertation. use your time wisely and just concentrate on the tasks at hand, their most important, when there out the way then you can think about other shit but just keep your eye on the prize for now


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## diond (Mar 13, 2006)

london manz said:
			
		

> as for student debt, if you move abroad for 5 years after graduation the debt gets cleared and if you dont go AWOL until you earn more than 15,000 a year you dont pay back anything. and when you do pay back your debts it is just under 10 percent of your weekly wage so you will hardly notice it. and if you get a really good job with lotsa money your student debt will get cleared quicker.



That is untrue. The debt does not get cleared after five years if you move abroad. It stays insitu until you start earning back in the U.K. If you do not come back to the U.K, then it will be difficult for the Government to claw it back. However, it is tracked by your N.I number, which you have to submit when you take student finance out, and is linked to P.A.Y.E.


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## london manz (Mar 13, 2006)

really i never knew that but it seems more logical. why must university lecturers feed me these lies   they must wnat me to leave england lol


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## Kitty Schmitty (Mar 13, 2006)

Thank you again for all the wonderful advice and support. You're all very nice people. 

I do want to go back to university and finish, firstly because I don't like quitting things generally, secondly because I was doing very well despite my problems before it really kicked in, and lastly because I would very much like to do a Masters Degree. Obviously I am aware that I need to get better before I start doing this, and if this means doing it in another years time or even later then so be it. 

I have a great deal of documentation from my doctor and my psychiatrist - virtually every time I see them they offer to send another letter to my tutor, with is extremey helpful and takes the pressure off of me to have to keep informing the university constantly.

Being that it seems that retaking is now a forgone conclusion I am a little more relaxed now - I don't feel like I constantly have an essay or dissertation hanging over my head, and whilst I feel sad it is now feeling like a massive relief.

I would love to be able to support myself through university but I just wouldn't be abe to afford it. I recently got my job back when the charity shop I used to work in reopened. It is massively psychologically rewarding, and the women who volunteer there are very kind and all cluck over me, and I think it is helping my confidence a great deal. Unfortunately though, it doesn't pay very well, and I don't think in my state of mind I could easily work any more hours - I get very tired and have low energy levels.

Thanks again, reading these comments have made me feel much happier.


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## Kuso (Mar 15, 2006)

I repeated a year at uni for much the same reasons and I'm so glad I did.  I don't know if it was the depression or if my year were just all twats but I hadn't made too many friends in my original class.  Now however  I've met loadsa cool people who I probably never would have had the opportunity to if I hadnt repeated...

Motto: May be a blessing in disguise

Oh and your repeat year could be a lot easier now that you know what to expect etc


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## Joe Heller (Sep 16, 2018)

I am in the same situation right now. I am an international student and the visa team is hesitating to give me a visa to repeat my final year. I was struggling with depression for a long time now, my family doesn't understand it at all. And there is the financial side of things too. I feel very disappointed in myself, for not trying to get better for my final year. I ended up having a third and now my family wants me to repeat the year too even though they are ashamed of it. Will ring my welfare officer tomorrow and ask her if she can help me.. Things are not looking too good for me right now and not sure if they will get better. I ended up with a degree that does not reflect my capacity at all, I had a 59 in my 2nd year and failed my third year..


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## Manter (Sep 16, 2018)

In ten years time no one will care. I retook a year, 20 years ago, and no one even notices let alone cares. If you have a degree that is not as good as it could be you may not be able to get a leg up at the start of your career via one of the grad schemes, but hard work, application and determination will get you further in the long term.


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## wiskey (Sep 16, 2018)

Move on, start a new chapter in your life.


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## Baronage-Phase (Sep 16, 2018)

.


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## Wilf (Sep 16, 2018)

Joe Heller said:


> I am in the same situation right now. I am an international student and the visa team is hesitating to give me a visa to repeat my final year. I was struggling with depression for a long time now, my family doesn't understand it at all. And there is the financial side of things too. I feel very disappointed in myself, for not trying to get better for my final year. I ended up having a third and now my family wants me to repeat the year too even though they are ashamed of it. Will ring my welfare officer tomorrow and ask her if she can help me.. Things are not looking too good for me right now and not sure if they will get better. I ended up with a degree that does not reflect my capacity at all, I had a 59 in my 2nd year and failed my third year..


Hello Joe, I'm sure there are complications with you being an international student (visa, finance etc.). However the key thing will still be to establish your options, which means talking to your programme tutor. You say you have a 3rd, but also that you failed your final year. Have you actually been _awarded_ a 3rd or _offered_ it? I work at a university, so know the situation you are in. However different institutions have different rules about your rights to repeat and what you need to do activate those rights. Speak to your programme tutor/personal tutor - or whoever is the key person for international students asap.  If you don't get what you want, talk to the students union.

Edit: and aside from my dull procedural advice , most of all listen to PippinTook 



> The best advice I'd give is go do what makes you happy and find something to like to work at. And enjoy every minute of your time...spend it with people who care about you and people who make you smile. Chuck the stress because it will make the depression a lot worse.
> 
> And another thing...if you do decide to repeat the year then make the most of the social aspects. Join clubs and enjoy yourself ... you've already passed the year so don't sweat it. Anything extra you get is a bonus.
> 
> ...


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## doodlelogic (Sep 16, 2018)

london manz said:


> if you dont go AWOL until you earn more than 15,000 a year you dont pay back anything. and when you do pay back your debts it is just under 10 percent of your weekly wage so you will hardly notice it. and if you get a really good job with lotsa money your student debt will get cleared quicker



not picking, just upsets me the way students are encouraged to believe student loan repayments won’t affect them. 

loan repayment is 9% of your gross, so more like 15% of your net pay over the threshold 

and that threshold has barely moved up over the years, its not far off minimum wage now

and the scammy way the interest rate increases if you start earning enough to chip away at it properly 

people like me who got loans in the early days of fees think its largely the same and it just isn’t


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## The Pale King (Sep 24, 2018)

I think you are doing the right thing. Get yourself well, come back and enjoy/make the most of third year properly. No-one will think badly of you, and if they do fuck em. You will also get to meet interesting new people next year. Much, much better to do it over and do it well than to struggle through and not really enjoy it. I think you have made a good decision and I think you will be fine.


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## Argonia (Sep 24, 2018)

Did it work out in the end kitty?


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## Celyn (Sep 24, 2018)

Joe Heller said:


> ... I ended up having a third and now my family wants me to repeat the year too even though they are ashamed of it...



Sorry to hear of your troubles.     I'm not at all sure, though, that you can resit finals to get a better result. Then again, all sorts of things have changed since I ever darkened the door of a university.  Fingers crossed.


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## Pickman's model (Sep 24, 2018)

Argonia said:


> Did it work out in the end kitty?


She's not been seen for 10 years


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## Argonia (Sep 24, 2018)

Pickman's model said:


> She's not been seen for 10 years


Maybe didn't work out so well then...


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## two sheds (Sep 24, 2018)

Manter said:


> In ten years time no one will care. I retook a year, 20 years ago, and no one even notices let alone cares. If you have a degree that is not as good as it could be you may not be able to get a leg up at the start of your career via one of the grad schemes, but hard work, application and determination will get you further in the long term.



This. I retook my second year (45 years ago) and then got a third. None of my employers have ever noticed. I've just put "Hons" on my CV and nobody has ever questioned. 

So what Manter said. Just try to find work you enjoy and then throw yourself into it, that's what is important.


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