Thinking of leaving?

The Student A to Z Guide  provides a range of information, advice and resources available to you as a Heriot-Watt students. It can help you to find answers to your concerns or queries.

Nobody knows about the obstacles Heriot-Watt students can face better than recent Heriot-Watt students, so our team of Student Success Advisors, who are all recent Heriot-Watt graduates can offer advice based on their experiences. The advisors are based in Student Wellbeing Services. 

It may be possible to change option courses within your programme, either ones you are currently studying (up until the end of the second week of the semester) or future options. This may enable you to study more of the courses you feel more comfortable with. You can talk to your personal tutor or student advisor about this for advice. You can change your course by using the course swap option on Student Self-Service, further guidance can be found on the Change course, programme or campus webpage.

If you are unsure of what is coming next in your programme and unsure of optional courses to take, or even unsure if its for you, you should discuss this with you personal tutor or student advisor.

You might find it helpful to consider what Careers options are open to you on your current programme or to think about the career options open to you if you are considering an alternative programme.

In certain situations it may be most helpful to you if you suspend your studies temporarily. It sometimes helps to take time out to deal with issues that are stopping you studying effectively – this might be a health or personal issue – and return to University at an agreed date.

A Temporary Suspension of Studies (TSS) can be applied for and approved on the basis of genuine medical, personal, financial or academic reasons or military service.

Is there scope on your programme to study part-time instead of full-time? Would it make a difference to you if you could?

You should talk to your personal tutor or student advisor about this. There will be funding implications if you change your mode of study and you should seek advice from your funding body about the financial support you would be entitled to as a part-time student.  If you are on a student visa, this will have visa implications, so you should seek advice on this.

It might help you to consider transferring to another programme at Heriot-Watt. The following check list could help you with this decision:

• Think carefully about what you want to study instead
• Access all sources of information about any alternative programme. Find out who the Programme Director or Head of Discipline are, what the entry requirements are and what careers it might lead to. Find out if you would you have to repeat a year.
• Talk to programme staff and students who are currently studying the programme.
• Remember, it is not guaranteed that you will be allowed to transfer to a different programme.
• If you are able to transfer, make sure you complete the correct forms and have the appropriate approval. Your new programme leader can advise you on this.
• You may have to repeat a year on your new programme, e.g. start again at Year 1, in which case you should check with your funding body what financial support will be available if you do this. Repeat funding can sometimes be offered but this will depend on your circumstances.

Maybe another university offers a course more aligned to your interests. The following check list could help you to decide if moving to another university would be for you:

• Think about what you want to study
• Make sure you research your options, check university websites or paper prospectuses and discuss your options with Admissions staff.
• You may find it helpful to make an appointment with the Careers Advisor.  You can book an appointment online via the myHWU student portal.
• Undergraduates students will have to apply through UCAS to undertake a new degree.  Find out further information about making a UCAS application. The UCAS deadline for applications for the next academic year is 15th January and if you apply after this date you may have to wait for entry for the following year. Please note, that some programmes have earlier deadlines and you should check the UCAS website for these dates. However, there may be vacancies on the programme you are interested in available through Clearing and you should speak to Admissions at your chosen university about this.
• You should also check whether your new university will offer you any accreditation of prior learning, i.e. any recognition for what you have studied already. You may gain advanced entry if your new programme is similar to your old one, for example, you may be offered Year 2 entry if you have studied Year 1 in a similar subject at Heriot-Watt. However, this is the decision of your new university.
• You may have to repeat a year on your new programme, e.g. start again at Year 1, in which case you should check with your funding body what financial support will be available if you do this. Repeat funding can sometimes be offered but this will depend on your circumstances.
• If you are an international student holding a visa, you should seek advice on the visa implications will be if you decide to take a break/ leave Heriot Watt University,  

It may be that you want to explore options such as seeking employment or a voluntary placement. A good place to start would be discussing your plans with a Careers Advisor. You can find out the full range of help and support available on our Careers Service pages.