Letting Your Uni or College Know
If you’ve decided that dropping out of university or college is the right choice for you, you will need to let your institution know. It may be tempting to put this off, which could put you at a disadvantage in the future. For example, you could end up with lots of unauthorised absences on your attendance record if you simply stop showing up which may be an issue if you apply for another course. More importantly, your university or college should be able to support you with the process of dropping out and working out your next steps.
Who to speak to
If you have a personal tutor, they are intended to be your first point of call for support with academic and personal issues. This means they are usually a good person to speak to if you’re thinking of dropping out. Your personal tutor may have office hours during the week when you can talk to them in private without an appointment. However, they may have a limited time to talk to you if there are lots of students waiting, so it may be a good idea to email them and ask for an appointment at another time.
What to expect
Your personal tutor should listen to your concerns and signpost you to support available through the university or college and students’ union which you can still access. The exact process for dropping out will be slightly different at each university and college, so your personal tutor or course leader should be able to advise you on exactly what you need to do. They should also be able to answer any questions you have about assignments or exams specific to your course. You could also ask your personal tutor if they would be happy for you to name them as a reference on applications for courses or jobs in the future. It may be helpful to write down a list of the most important questions before meeting with your personal tutor, and take notes as there may be a lot of information to remember.
Who else can help
If you don’t know who your personal tutor is, contact the administrative team for your course as they should be able to tell you. If you can’t talk to your personal tutor for any reason, consider if there are any other members of staff you could speak to. For example, your course leader, Head of Undergraduate/Postgraduate Studies, or student support services.