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When I had to apply for mitigating circumstances last week for the essay due last Friday, I got the sweetest email from Student Support services the next day:
I'd tried accessing this counselling a few times before but they only ever did same-day appointments and if you didn't call them first thing you wouldn't get one. And there aren't many days that I had free enough to make it easy to work an appointment around my schedule. I appreciate them offering that short-notice support, but surely there's a case to be made for booking appointments at specific times in the next few days? Anyway, I've done that now. And my schedule is a lot emptier now! My uni lectures are continuing but I don't have to watch them at any particular time.
Indeed I'm struggling to engage with any uni work, the new lectures or the overdue assessments, at all. Partly this is my brain just rebelling (turning on my computer today was enough to make me feel sick) but partly it's software shenanigans. My magnification/screenreading software isn't working, and it's practically impossible for me to do anything uni-related without it. Of course this would have to happen when I can't use the few uni computers that have similar software, and when the only way to access my lectures is via my laptop... I sent some emails about this but the crucial screenshot with the error message took three tries to send (bloody Outlook!) and I haven't heard back yet from that third email.
It seems very unfair to still have "normal" problems like this, or like the shower leaking into the kitchen again (which also has started happening!) at a time like this. I don't know how I'll cope.
Hi HollyI thought hearing from the counselling people was a very good idea. So they called me Friday afternoon, told me to do the (very crude) online intake questionnaire and email them with the results over the weekend. I got another call from them today and I have an appointment (telephone, of course) tomorrow morning.
Thank you for submitting your mitigating circumstances form. I’m really sorry to hear that things are so difficult for you at the moment. I wanted to email to offer support as although our office is physically closed due to current circumstances we are responding to emails via this address.
If you could provide your mobile number I can ask the counselling team to give you a call?
We will be in touch once your application is reviewed however due to the sheer number of applications this is taking longer than usual. However, please don’t worry and continue to work on your assessments the best that you can until you hear back from us.
Best wishes
I'd tried accessing this counselling a few times before but they only ever did same-day appointments and if you didn't call them first thing you wouldn't get one. And there aren't many days that I had free enough to make it easy to work an appointment around my schedule. I appreciate them offering that short-notice support, but surely there's a case to be made for booking appointments at specific times in the next few days? Anyway, I've done that now. And my schedule is a lot emptier now! My uni lectures are continuing but I don't have to watch them at any particular time.
Indeed I'm struggling to engage with any uni work, the new lectures or the overdue assessments, at all. Partly this is my brain just rebelling (turning on my computer today was enough to make me feel sick) but partly it's software shenanigans. My magnification/screenreading software isn't working, and it's practically impossible for me to do anything uni-related without it. Of course this would have to happen when I can't use the few uni computers that have similar software, and when the only way to access my lectures is via my laptop... I sent some emails about this but the crucial screenshot with the error message took three tries to send (bloody Outlook!) and I haven't heard back yet from that third email.
It seems very unfair to still have "normal" problems like this, or like the shower leaking into the kitchen again (which also has started happening!) at a time like this. I don't know how I'll cope.