Study delay: You’re not alone

You're not alone

Study delays

Lilian Bastings Senior lecturer and study adviser at the School of Information Technology If you run into some trouble during the final stages of your degree, one thing is for certain: you’re not alone. There are more students who find themselves in this position, and there are people who can help you. Don’t let things overwhelm you – ask for help.

What are some of the ways people fall behind?

There are lots of different causes, says Lilian Bastings, senior lecturer and academic advisor at the School of Information Technology. ‘The final project sometimes trips people up. It might just be too difficult, you might not understand it, or the context might have changed.’ Other students might panic and think: ‘Oh my god! I’m graduating soon – real life is about to begin! What should I do? What do I want, what direction should I take?’ It’s conscious and sub-conscious thoughts like these that can lead to delays in finishing your studies. Lilian adds: ‘I sometimes think: the university should run a course for students in their final year, called: Graduation – now what?’

Whatever the reason, help is always available.

The university has people who can help if you fall behind: academic guidance counsellors, study coaches, student counsellors, student psychologists – they are all people who can be approached directly. Lilian adds: ‘Your graduation supervisor can also help you, of course. The problem is that you’ve often only known them for a short time, which makes it hard to talk about problems, especially problems of a more personal nature. But you may have built up trusted relationships with other people over the course of your studies, such as the academic guidance counsellor, or maybe even a lecturer you have a good relationship with. Don’t let things overwhelm you – ask for help. Don’t let things fester; don’t leave things until you’ve already failed your final assessment. You need to take action as soon as you notice something’s wrong; that part is your own responsibility.’ The return days or interim evaluations present good opportunities to do so. ‘At those times, you can also ask your supervisor how they think things are going. Talking to fellow students about problems you are experiencing – in online groups, for example – can also be very useful.’ In short, there are plenty of opportunities to get help. All you need to do is ask.