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PERSONAL STUDY ISSUES

It happens from time to time that there are personal issues that may affect your study or assessments. The good news is, there are several processes to help you if this is happening to you. They include:

  1. Extension to Deadline; for a short-term problem that will cause you to miss a deadline by up to two weeks

  2. Additional Considerations; for more general personal issues that are impacting on your ability to study or complete assessment

  3. Intermission; for medium and longer-term problems that require you to put your course on hold.

  4. Long-Term Health Issues and Disabilities; for disabled students and those in need of support for long term conditions.

These are different processes designed for different contexts. You should get to know them and think carefully about which one is right in your situation. For instance, if you have an unexpected situation that you think will be resolved relatively quickly, but it is stopping you from completing or handing in your work, you can apply for an extension to deadline (an extension).

If you have a slightly longer-term difficulty and a 3 to 14-day extension is not going to be enough for you, you can opt to not submit your assessment and rely on Additional Considerations instead. Additional Considerations have replaced Mitigating Circumstances. We’ll be producing a handy guide to help you understand how this new process works. Be sure to check back in a few weeks.

However, for long term issues such as on-going health problem, caring responsibilities, maternity, or a personal situation, you may need to take a Break in Study (known as intermission). You may also be considering time away from your studies for other reasons, but regardless of your motive it is a good idea to discuss the matter with Brighton SU's Support team or your Student Support and Guidance Tutor (SSGT) so you can be provided with one-to-one advice and support.

If yours is a long-term health problem or disability and you can continue with your studies, it is advisable to get a Learning Support Plan. This will help you get the appropriate on-going support you need to succeed at university. You can contact the University's Disability & Dyslexia team for help with this.

If yours is a long-term health problem or disability and you can continue with your studies, it is advisable to get a Learning Support Plan. This will help you get the appropriate on-going support you need to succeed at university. You can contact the University's Disability & Dyslexia team for help with this.

What Happens Next?:

Your application will be considered by your Course Leader. If granted, an Extension to Deadline can last from anything from three days to two weeks, depending on your personal situation. If you aren’t going to be able to produce your work satisfactorily during this extended time, you should consider using Additional Consideration (AC) instead. 

If you are in any doubt, you should speak to us at Union Support or to your Student Support and Guidance Tutor.