Extenuating circumstances

The other week there, we had our twice-yearly review of students' special circumstances, prior to the exam boards.

Everyone always says that students have it easy, that they don't know they're born and it wasn't like this when I was at uni and all the rest of it. And generally, I'd say that they do have a much easier time of it now in some ways - the university's systems are made very clear and transparent to them, much more so than they were to me. Coursework now counts for a substantial chunk of most degree courses, which it didn't on mine - we had to complete and write up a final-year project, then the rest was dealt with in eight three-hour exams taken over 11 days! (I therefore tend towards the unsympathetic when students complain that they have four three-hour exams over three weeks).

But my god, I don't remember as an undergraduate hearing about the sorts of problems that I encounter when reviewing our students' situations. Aside from the usual illnesses and breakages and unfortunate circumstances involving lost luggage or cars that had course notes in them, there are some desperate circumstances. Caring for sick parents. Divorce. Pregnancy and miscarriage. Suicide attempts (witnessed and actual). Murder (witnessed and actual). Family affected by shootings. Breast cancer and mastectomy. Chemotherapy. Domestic violence (as witness and victim). Forced house arrest and arranged marriage abroad.

My students are almost uniformly lovely, and to know that such terrible things are happening to them is absolutely heartbreaking.