Is Depression a valid extenuating circumstances to be considered for absence in exams?
Having depression doesn’t mean you’re weak – it’s a valid medical condition. Some people don’t understand it and think that you can just “snap out of it”, but that’s not the case. It sounds like you might need some help from a therapist/doctor/counsellor – have you made plans to see someone? I can’t comment on the rules about re-sitting your exams, but no one could argue with medical documentation. Have you spoken to your tutor/supervisor/lecturer? One important thing to remember is not to be too hard on yourself. Just like any other illness, you need to take it easy while you get better.
Don’t worry about re-sits with valid medical documentation you will be absolutly fine, I know a girl who missed one of her law 2nd year exams and just turned up at the wrong time and they said don’t worry just say you were ill and we won’t cap your grade in the re-sit. Additionally you do not need to rely on any of your 2nd year grades, you can still get a first based on 3rd year alone if you are capped in the re-sit (which you are entitled to retake and pass even if you just didn’t bother turning up). Have you seen a doctor becuase althoigh expreience makes me tell you that they will not be able to help very much they will refer you to some one more specialised. I know it seems a bit long term but do try the doctors and related professions they deal with cases of depression all the time and it is a valid genetic disorder, not feeling a bit sad as some people might think.
Hi..I can fully appreciate what you’re going through. I am just in the middle of writing my mitigation statement after failing to complete and submit my dissertation. I am a highly anxious person anyway but my final year just tipped me over the edge. I was having panic attacks, throwing up, migraines and it all boiled down to overdoing it. When i wasn’t doing my work, I was thinking about it, dreaming about it..it never went away. I slept on the sofa for a week because of the awful physiological feelings I got when I went in my bedroom; where I did my work. You need to give your brain time to rest. Take time out and have some fun or do something physical…anything that doesn’t require your brain. Don’t try and do too much at once, do small amounts of quality revision, 2hrs max, then have a break and go for a walk. It sounds like you’ve suffered in silence because you perceive your stress as a weakness. You need to be up front about it and let your tutors know, see your residential cou
