4
THINGS YOU NEED
TO KNOW ABOUT EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES
W
e all have times at uni where we wish we’d managed our time better, or taken the time to eat well so we didn’t spend a week fighting off a seasonal sniffle.
However, sometimes bad stuff happens that is totally out of our control. While this isn’t a fun topic to discuss, it’s better to know the lay of the land before you find yourself in these stressful situations. Severe illness, bereavement, eviction, being a victim of crime and flare-ups of longterm illnesses are all examples of serious things that could prevent us from getting to our exams or meeting coursework deadlines and are referred to as ‘extenuating circumstances’ by universities. Unfortunately, missing your bus or misreading your deadline because you were distracted by your cousin’s best friend’s dog’s wedding doesn’t count!
16 w w w.careersuk .org
1
Who can claim?
These policies for extenuating circumstances are for students who miss exams, fail to submit coursework or send it in late, or perform poorly in their exams and assignments because of unpreventable, extreme circumstances outside of their control. The rules and processes for these claims are very strict to keep it fair for every student - would you want your course-mate to be forgiven for missing a deadline because of a hangover when you missed yours because your appendix burst? Every university is different and you will often find that the information on their website or in the student handbook doesn’t cover your specific circumstances, so you’ll need to contact your university’s advice centre before you proceed.
