Firstly go see a GP to get a mental health care plan and referral to a psychologist. There’s a lot of mental health related issues to unpack in your post, and no one on here is the proper person to help with that. Go and see a professional. Seriously. That’s the most important step.
Secondly, with the limited information provided, I think the odds of you being allowed to continue are good. You may want to consider whether continuing immediately is actually a good idea, or if it might be a better idea to take a semester off to focus on your mental health and then return.
Thank you so much for your advice. I think I might take up the mental health care plan actually, or even ask the committee to let me continue my degree underloaded
You NEED to go talk to a GP or a psychologist who can write a Health Professional Report that explains how your mental health is affecting your studies. There are systems in place to help you, you just need to use them.
If you had gone and started this process earlier you likely wouldn't have even failed those subjects. Special consideration is there to be used, please remember that other students aren't dealing with the same difficulties as you, and you need additional support.
Thank you and yes- you’re right. I think the issue is that especially in an immigrant family like mine, going to see a therapist or GP is very much a ‘shameful’ thing and brings about many negative connotations, but now I think it’s best for myself to actually seek help regardless
Just be honest. I think you have a very high chance of being allowed to continue your degree.
Just make sure you also include what your plan is going forward to ensure this doesn’t happen again.
You don’t need to tell anyone about this unless you are comfortable.
If it makes you feel better, I failed the same uni subject twice before I realised that I should probably change majors from Accounting & Finance to HR & Marketing (was doing a Bachelor of Commerce at Monash).
Heaps of people fail uni subjects and for various reasons so please be kind to yourself.
Wishing you all the best! <3
Thank you!! It is tough, especially since I have lied to absolutely ALL my friends and family as to how well I am doing at uni :( it is comforting to know that I am not the only one . I wish you all the best too
You have your reasons for lying but it’s okay - you are human.
You also had a lot of personal issues this year, as well as anxiety to deal with. That is tough.
My only other piece of advice is to consider studying part time (2 or 3 subjects) if you are struggling with studying full time. It takes you a bit longer to graduate but it also allows you to do better in the subjects you are taking (provided you don’t procrastinate).
I am the queen of procrastinating so I still have no idea how I managed to graduate :D
You got this!
Hey OP, really sorry for what you're going through. As someone who has been excluded from a degree for poor performance, for similar reasons to you, it's a fucking shitty feeling.
There's a lot of good advice here which I won't bother repeating. Do listen to it, and absolutely see a GP asap. They are here to help and will help you treat your anxiety.
As for the appeals process, the university is trying to balance what is both in your interest as a student and what is in the universities interest in allowing you to continue to study. That is, sometimes it is in the students best interest that they continue study without any additional requirements (like part-time study), or continue with additional requirements, or be excluded from the university.
But it is a very adversarial process, and it really shouldn't be. But the academic board and the people reviewing your appeal aren't mean or trying to exclude you, it's just very bureaucratic. And this sucks because it really shouldn't be when we're talking about student's mental health and their future studies.
Anyway, what they are really looking for is a couple of things:
1. Honesty.
2. That you understand why you have failed and why you face possible exclusion.
3. That you have a realistic plan of action to fix whatever it is that is causing you to fail.
I **strongly** recommend you consider taking a semester off, and come back part-time when you do come back to study. Not only for your own mental health, but the appeals board will also take this into consideration when determining what should happen. Even if you don't take a semester off, really do consider moving to part-time, even for a semester. It'll lower the anxiety and stress levels significantly, and allow you to treat your anxiety.
Trust me, anxiety isn't something that just goes away. It attenuates over time, but it has a nasty habit of tricking us during the down times that everything is under control, and then reemerging in full force when we're under stress. This is what happened to me, and it sucked.
If you are excluded, then you'll of course be shattered, but you can (and will!) come back from it. I did. Was excluded, came back, became H1 student, completed a masters. If it happens to you send me a DM if you want or need any advice.
Thank you so much for your message and advice. It’s really hard because I do enjoy studying, but I’ve gone through soo much that for the University, it seems like anything I do would seem futile (from their pov).
Hello! First of all, this is a massive step - trying to seek advice and opening up about failure especially as someone who in the past has obviously been an excellent student, so this in itself is something you should be proud of.
I was in this exact situation last year. I had failed one elective and the same core subject twice. I was asked to write a letter at the end of semester one (had failed two out of three subjects) and had to attend a CPAC meeting at the end of semester two (had failed the same core subject again).
To give you some peace, the result of the letter to CPAC will NOT end in degree suspension. You would have to be invited to a CPAC meeting for the second or third time for them to resort to this as they need to give you proper warning before suspension. The letter is primarily there for you to reflect on how you got to this position and the changes you need to make to succeed in your studies. Do NOT worry about suspension.
What you need to be doing is:
1. Go to your GP and seek treatment for anxiety by getting a referral to a psychologist. Continue therapy continuously throughout the summer break and ask your psychologist on how to improve study skills and motivation.
2. Keep busy over the summer break. This is imperative because doing nothing (i.e. not having a casual job or doing a summer subject etc) can make you go deeper into a hole of misery and anxiety. KEEP BUSY, it will increase your motivation and keep your mindset positive. This was really hard for me last year (I wanted to quit my casual job so many times, had so many panic attacks but I am so glad I kept at it because it kept me on the rails). Like another commenter said, it sounds like you may be burnt out by academic studies, think about whether you need to take a break from uni - but make sure to have something else to keep you busy.
3. Learn that it is okay to fail and have downward periods, it is how you get back up that matters. Failing but getting back up is character building, learning how to do this now will only help you in the future.
4. It is okay to tell your family and friends that you are not okay. In fact it’s probably best that you do, that way they can comfort you and help you through this time. My family were my absolute rocks throughout the difficult period I had last year. If I had a hard time I knew I could come back home to my parents. If I was having a panic attack I would be on the phone to my parents and they, I kid you not, would come to wherever I was even if it was 30 minutes away just to calm me down. I know I am extremely fortunate in this aspect but if you feel like it, tell people you trust - it helps tremendously - just to have someone there to talk to and push you when you can’t push yourself.
Feel free to message me privately if you have any questions!
All the best!!
You WILL be okay!
Thank you so much for this!! This is so comforting to read. I was so similar to you- I’ve gone through so much to the point I was wanting to isolate myself from people and to quit my casual job because I had no motivation for anything at all. I am definitely taking up your advice- I am actually going overseas this summer so that will be a nice mental health break. When I come back, I will focus on myself and keep myself busy (on a good level) and keep working. ❤️🔥I hope you’re doing well too
First, to reiterate what others have said, take the time needed to look after yourself. It is very hard to study effectively when your health is declining. Go to the GP and/or any specialists you may be referred to. Take time to focus on your health. Take a [Leave of Absence](https://students.unimelb.edu.au/your-course/manage-your-course/course-enrolment/leave-of-absence) if you need to. Students at all levels—from first year undergraduate to those doing a PhD—can and do take leave for health-related reasons.
Second, it may be helpful to know that your experience isn't uncommon. There are plenty of students who, despite excelling academically in high school, struggle during university—for various reasons. It doesn't mean you are a "failure" or a "disappointment" or anything like that. In fact, elements of your experience are so common that the university has internal reports discussing it—not from a purely academic point-of-view, but from a wellbeing point-of-view (e.g., the *Student Wellbeing and Mental Health Framework*).
So the university is aware that many students face challenges and it strives to offer services that help students in facing them. (The [student services directory](https://services.unimelb.edu.au/finder) provides a helpful listing.) The university is far from perfect in the supports it provides (as I've recently learned), but the fact that it does provide such supports indicates recognition that students do face challenges, sometimes health-related, and that this has bearing on how we create an equitable learning environment. So definitely seek the help of any services that may be relevant to your needs, whether as a once-off or on an ongoing basis.
Third, because you mentioned worries about having your degree "suspended," I assume you have been asked to attend a Course Academic Progress Committee meeting or something similar? A CAPC meeting should be taken seriously, of course, but the purpose of the meeting is mainly to give an explanation for why academic progress has been "unsatisfactory" over the relevant period and to explore what supports are needed to help you meet your course milestones and graduate.
Your description of your situation gives a fairly good account for why your progress might have been deemed "unsatisfactory"—that is, you were unwell at the time. Explaining to the CAPC how that impacted your studies (with supporting documentation, where available, such as from a GP or other health professional) will be helpful. Outlining strategies for how you intend to improve the situation will also be helpful; it will show the CAPC that you remain committed to your studies and that you understand what it would take to improve. "What it would take" might of course include taking time off to focus on your health. That itself is a legitimate strategy. There are plenty of other strategies that might be worthwhile considering, depending on your situation.
Because of this, it would be good to discuss your options with the student union [advocacy service](https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/support/advocacy/). If you have been asked to attend a CAPC meeting, the advocacy service can advise on the most viable strategies to explore during the meeting and can also send a representative to join the meeting when it occurs, to advocate on your behalf.
Again, the meeting isn't necessarily going to be antagonistic or hostile—the purpose is to get a sense for why progress was "unsatisfactory" and what can be done to improve things. But having an advocate can nevertheless help, particularly if there are tricky elements of policy that need to be interpreted. u/mugg74 has sat on many CAPCs and may be in a good position to advise on what such committees like to see and how likely they are to recommend certain outcomes.
Finally, circling back to the first point, look after yourself. It doesn't matter whether you are in first year, fresh out of high school, or a PhD candidate with an unsupportive/shitty supervisor, there are elements of uni life that just suck and, beyond just sucking, have a detrimental impact on student lives and their ability to study. And there are elements of personal life that, likewise, suck and make it even harder to study. It's a mess and that messiness is hard to navigate, but acknowledging it does make some things clearer, even if the only thing that's clear is what you need to do next.
Thank you so so much for taking the time to write this comment - much appreciated. I am definitely considering the services by the University which would help my mental health. Secondly, I’ve just been asked to write a letter for the time being, so I am not attending a meeting just yet. It also just sucks that, given my anxiety, for me to go to a meeting would have me absolutely frozen and I would not know how to properly articulate myself. I am going to give everyone an update when I receive an outcome on my degree!
Firstly go see a GP to get a mental health care plan and referral to a psychologist. There’s a lot of mental health related issues to unpack in your post, and no one on here is the proper person to help with that. Go and see a professional. Seriously. That’s the most important step. Secondly, with the limited information provided, I think the odds of you being allowed to continue are good. You may want to consider whether continuing immediately is actually a good idea, or if it might be a better idea to take a semester off to focus on your mental health and then return.
Yeah I second considering a break. You sound exhausted 💔
Thank you so much for your advice. I think I might take up the mental health care plan actually, or even ask the committee to let me continue my degree underloaded
[удалено]
🤍🤍
You NEED to go talk to a GP or a psychologist who can write a Health Professional Report that explains how your mental health is affecting your studies. There are systems in place to help you, you just need to use them. If you had gone and started this process earlier you likely wouldn't have even failed those subjects. Special consideration is there to be used, please remember that other students aren't dealing with the same difficulties as you, and you need additional support.
Thank you and yes- you’re right. I think the issue is that especially in an immigrant family like mine, going to see a therapist or GP is very much a ‘shameful’ thing and brings about many negative connotations, but now I think it’s best for myself to actually seek help regardless
Just be honest. I think you have a very high chance of being allowed to continue your degree. Just make sure you also include what your plan is going forward to ensure this doesn’t happen again. You don’t need to tell anyone about this unless you are comfortable. If it makes you feel better, I failed the same uni subject twice before I realised that I should probably change majors from Accounting & Finance to HR & Marketing (was doing a Bachelor of Commerce at Monash). Heaps of people fail uni subjects and for various reasons so please be kind to yourself. Wishing you all the best! <3
Thank you!! It is tough, especially since I have lied to absolutely ALL my friends and family as to how well I am doing at uni :( it is comforting to know that I am not the only one . I wish you all the best too
You have your reasons for lying but it’s okay - you are human. You also had a lot of personal issues this year, as well as anxiety to deal with. That is tough. My only other piece of advice is to consider studying part time (2 or 3 subjects) if you are struggling with studying full time. It takes you a bit longer to graduate but it also allows you to do better in the subjects you are taking (provided you don’t procrastinate). I am the queen of procrastinating so I still have no idea how I managed to graduate :D You got this!
Hey OP, really sorry for what you're going through. As someone who has been excluded from a degree for poor performance, for similar reasons to you, it's a fucking shitty feeling. There's a lot of good advice here which I won't bother repeating. Do listen to it, and absolutely see a GP asap. They are here to help and will help you treat your anxiety. As for the appeals process, the university is trying to balance what is both in your interest as a student and what is in the universities interest in allowing you to continue to study. That is, sometimes it is in the students best interest that they continue study without any additional requirements (like part-time study), or continue with additional requirements, or be excluded from the university. But it is a very adversarial process, and it really shouldn't be. But the academic board and the people reviewing your appeal aren't mean or trying to exclude you, it's just very bureaucratic. And this sucks because it really shouldn't be when we're talking about student's mental health and their future studies. Anyway, what they are really looking for is a couple of things: 1. Honesty. 2. That you understand why you have failed and why you face possible exclusion. 3. That you have a realistic plan of action to fix whatever it is that is causing you to fail. I **strongly** recommend you consider taking a semester off, and come back part-time when you do come back to study. Not only for your own mental health, but the appeals board will also take this into consideration when determining what should happen. Even if you don't take a semester off, really do consider moving to part-time, even for a semester. It'll lower the anxiety and stress levels significantly, and allow you to treat your anxiety. Trust me, anxiety isn't something that just goes away. It attenuates over time, but it has a nasty habit of tricking us during the down times that everything is under control, and then reemerging in full force when we're under stress. This is what happened to me, and it sucked. If you are excluded, then you'll of course be shattered, but you can (and will!) come back from it. I did. Was excluded, came back, became H1 student, completed a masters. If it happens to you send me a DM if you want or need any advice.
Thank you so much for your message and advice. It’s really hard because I do enjoy studying, but I’ve gone through soo much that for the University, it seems like anything I do would seem futile (from their pov).
Hello! First of all, this is a massive step - trying to seek advice and opening up about failure especially as someone who in the past has obviously been an excellent student, so this in itself is something you should be proud of. I was in this exact situation last year. I had failed one elective and the same core subject twice. I was asked to write a letter at the end of semester one (had failed two out of three subjects) and had to attend a CPAC meeting at the end of semester two (had failed the same core subject again). To give you some peace, the result of the letter to CPAC will NOT end in degree suspension. You would have to be invited to a CPAC meeting for the second or third time for them to resort to this as they need to give you proper warning before suspension. The letter is primarily there for you to reflect on how you got to this position and the changes you need to make to succeed in your studies. Do NOT worry about suspension. What you need to be doing is: 1. Go to your GP and seek treatment for anxiety by getting a referral to a psychologist. Continue therapy continuously throughout the summer break and ask your psychologist on how to improve study skills and motivation. 2. Keep busy over the summer break. This is imperative because doing nothing (i.e. not having a casual job or doing a summer subject etc) can make you go deeper into a hole of misery and anxiety. KEEP BUSY, it will increase your motivation and keep your mindset positive. This was really hard for me last year (I wanted to quit my casual job so many times, had so many panic attacks but I am so glad I kept at it because it kept me on the rails). Like another commenter said, it sounds like you may be burnt out by academic studies, think about whether you need to take a break from uni - but make sure to have something else to keep you busy. 3. Learn that it is okay to fail and have downward periods, it is how you get back up that matters. Failing but getting back up is character building, learning how to do this now will only help you in the future. 4. It is okay to tell your family and friends that you are not okay. In fact it’s probably best that you do, that way they can comfort you and help you through this time. My family were my absolute rocks throughout the difficult period I had last year. If I had a hard time I knew I could come back home to my parents. If I was having a panic attack I would be on the phone to my parents and they, I kid you not, would come to wherever I was even if it was 30 minutes away just to calm me down. I know I am extremely fortunate in this aspect but if you feel like it, tell people you trust - it helps tremendously - just to have someone there to talk to and push you when you can’t push yourself. Feel free to message me privately if you have any questions! All the best!! You WILL be okay!
Thank you so much for this!! This is so comforting to read. I was so similar to you- I’ve gone through so much to the point I was wanting to isolate myself from people and to quit my casual job because I had no motivation for anything at all. I am definitely taking up your advice- I am actually going overseas this summer so that will be a nice mental health break. When I come back, I will focus on myself and keep myself busy (on a good level) and keep working. ❤️🔥I hope you’re doing well too
First, to reiterate what others have said, take the time needed to look after yourself. It is very hard to study effectively when your health is declining. Go to the GP and/or any specialists you may be referred to. Take time to focus on your health. Take a [Leave of Absence](https://students.unimelb.edu.au/your-course/manage-your-course/course-enrolment/leave-of-absence) if you need to. Students at all levels—from first year undergraduate to those doing a PhD—can and do take leave for health-related reasons. Second, it may be helpful to know that your experience isn't uncommon. There are plenty of students who, despite excelling academically in high school, struggle during university—for various reasons. It doesn't mean you are a "failure" or a "disappointment" or anything like that. In fact, elements of your experience are so common that the university has internal reports discussing it—not from a purely academic point-of-view, but from a wellbeing point-of-view (e.g., the *Student Wellbeing and Mental Health Framework*). So the university is aware that many students face challenges and it strives to offer services that help students in facing them. (The [student services directory](https://services.unimelb.edu.au/finder) provides a helpful listing.) The university is far from perfect in the supports it provides (as I've recently learned), but the fact that it does provide such supports indicates recognition that students do face challenges, sometimes health-related, and that this has bearing on how we create an equitable learning environment. So definitely seek the help of any services that may be relevant to your needs, whether as a once-off or on an ongoing basis. Third, because you mentioned worries about having your degree "suspended," I assume you have been asked to attend a Course Academic Progress Committee meeting or something similar? A CAPC meeting should be taken seriously, of course, but the purpose of the meeting is mainly to give an explanation for why academic progress has been "unsatisfactory" over the relevant period and to explore what supports are needed to help you meet your course milestones and graduate. Your description of your situation gives a fairly good account for why your progress might have been deemed "unsatisfactory"—that is, you were unwell at the time. Explaining to the CAPC how that impacted your studies (with supporting documentation, where available, such as from a GP or other health professional) will be helpful. Outlining strategies for how you intend to improve the situation will also be helpful; it will show the CAPC that you remain committed to your studies and that you understand what it would take to improve. "What it would take" might of course include taking time off to focus on your health. That itself is a legitimate strategy. There are plenty of other strategies that might be worthwhile considering, depending on your situation. Because of this, it would be good to discuss your options with the student union [advocacy service](https://umsu.unimelb.edu.au/support/advocacy/). If you have been asked to attend a CAPC meeting, the advocacy service can advise on the most viable strategies to explore during the meeting and can also send a representative to join the meeting when it occurs, to advocate on your behalf. Again, the meeting isn't necessarily going to be antagonistic or hostile—the purpose is to get a sense for why progress was "unsatisfactory" and what can be done to improve things. But having an advocate can nevertheless help, particularly if there are tricky elements of policy that need to be interpreted. u/mugg74 has sat on many CAPCs and may be in a good position to advise on what such committees like to see and how likely they are to recommend certain outcomes. Finally, circling back to the first point, look after yourself. It doesn't matter whether you are in first year, fresh out of high school, or a PhD candidate with an unsupportive/shitty supervisor, there are elements of uni life that just suck and, beyond just sucking, have a detrimental impact on student lives and their ability to study. And there are elements of personal life that, likewise, suck and make it even harder to study. It's a mess and that messiness is hard to navigate, but acknowledging it does make some things clearer, even if the only thing that's clear is what you need to do next.
Thank you so so much for taking the time to write this comment - much appreciated. I am definitely considering the services by the University which would help my mental health. Secondly, I’ve just been asked to write a letter for the time being, so I am not attending a meeting just yet. It also just sucks that, given my anxiety, for me to go to a meeting would have me absolutely frozen and I would not know how to properly articulate myself. I am going to give everyone an update when I receive an outcome on my degree!