Personal circumstances refer to significant and unforeseen events or challenges in your life, such as illness, bereavement, or other exceptional circumstances, which may impact your academic performance and require appropriate support and consideration from the university.
Where do I start?
Difficult personal circumstances or health issues can affect the way you engage with your studies or how you approach your assignments. Contact your Student Support Adviser or academic support team as soon as possible through Hallam Help.
Familiarise yourself with how to submit extension requests and/or Exceptional Circumstances (formerly known as a RRAA/Request to Repeat an Assessment Attempt), if needed. See below for more details.
Also, be aware of the University's Academic Conduct Regulation - as it will be important to still complete your assessments correctly - and note that the University has a Student Engagement Policy that you will be expected to follow. If you are struggling, it is important that you let the University know.
If your circumstances are affecting your mental health and wellbeing, explore the wellbeing and study support services and information available to you.
Are you concerned about an academic issue and would like free, confidential, and independent advice? Contact us.
What can I do if I'm unwell or if my circumstances mean I can't hand in my work or do my exam?
The three key things to do are:
Note that there are specific assessment support provisions for Students with Learning Contracts and Student Carers.
Short term problems - extension request
If you have an unexpected situation that you think will be resolved quickly (such as a short term illness), but which means you can't hand in a piece of work by the deadline, you can apply for an extension to your submission deadline.
If you have a learning contract there may already be provision for extensions. Contact Hallam Help to enquire whether an extension is right for you.
You can submit an extension request through your My Student Record account.
Extensions are normally permitted on a maximum of four assessment tasks in any one academic year.
Note that it may not be possible to facilitate an extension for presentations, practical work assessments, group work, time-bound assessments, etc.
If an extension isn’t going to be long enough, view other options available to you.
Long term problems - Learning contracts and taking a break in study
If you have a long-term health problem or disability that is impacting on your study, it is advisable to get a Learning Contract to make sure you have appropriate support for your studies. You can contact the University's Disabled Student Support Team for help with this.
If you need time out from your course because of a health problem, maternity, or personal situation, a break in study can be agreed.
We would advise you to contact our service to discuss the possible implications of a break in study, e.g. the effect on your funding and benefits entitlement, housing, and visa if applicable. See the relevant section for more details.
What are the things to consider if you fail some of your work/need to do repeat study?
View our guidance on what happens if you fail part of your course.