University of Leicester Early Withdrawal Survey
Student Retention and Success Project Team (Craig Bartle – Research Assistant;
Kine Dorum – Research Assistant; Martin Pennington – Project Manager; Professor
Annette Cashmore – Director Genie CETL; Paul Jackson – Director, SSDS; Dr. Jon
Scott – School of Biological Sciences)
The University of Leicester Early Withdrawal Survey (adapted from a survey
designed by the University of East Anglia’s Survey Office) was issued to 1221
students who were recorded as having withdrawn from the University in 2007-8 and
2008-9 before completing their courses. The survey was completed by 113 students (a
response rate of 9.3%). The questionnaire has two main sections focussing on
students’ reasons for leaving and the advice and guidance they received about leaving
while at the University. Some open response questions were included in the
questionnaire to give the students the opportunity to highlight issues they considered
to be particularly important.
The University of Leicester was the first choice of almost all the students but in many
cases their expectations were not met in terms of their relationships with the academic
staff and the actual course content. Students often withdrew primarily for personal or
medical reasons. Social factors such as friendship groups and housemates appeared
more of a concern for undergraduate and first year students than postgraduate and
second or third year students.
Personal Details Summary

96% (n=92) of the respondents left their course between the 2006-7 academic
year and the 2008-9 academic year. Just under half the respondents (47%,
n=92) left in the 2007-8 academic year and a further 37% left during the 20089 academic year. Figure 1 shows the time of year the respondents withdrew
from the University. A greater proportion of students left in June towards the
end of the academic year (19%, n=95) than in any other month of the year
although exactly half of the respondents (50%, n=95) left within the first term
or before the start of the second.
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Figure 1: The month respondents withdrew from the University
of Leicester (n=95)
20%
19%
Percentage of Respondents
18%
16%
14%
14%
14%
12%
11%
10%
11%
8%
7%
7%
6%
6%
4%
2%
2%
4%
3%
2%
0%
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb March April May
June
July August Sept
Month
Figure 1a compares undergraduate and postgraduate students. In both cases
the greatest proportion of students left in June (an equal number of
undergraduate students also left in October) but between October and January
there is a steady monthly decline in the percentage of undergraduate students
withdrawing (from 15% to 10%, n=59) whereas the opposite is true of the
postgraduate students for whom withdrawals increased on a month by month
basis (from 3% to 23%, n=30).
Figure 1a: The month respondents withdrew from the University
of Leicester
Undergraduate students (n=59)
Postgraduate students (n=30)
30%
Percentage of Respondents
27%
25%
23%
20%
15%
15%
15%
14%
12%
10%
10%
13%
10%
10%
7%
7%
7%
7%
5%
3%
3%
0%
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
3%
3%
0%
0%
Feb March April May June
3%
0%
0%
July August Sept
Month
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
The majority of the respondents to the questionnaire were aged over 25 (50%,
n=101) and only 17% were aged under 21 when they left the University.

Only 31% (n=111) of the respondents to the questionnaire were male.

Over a third of the respondents who indicated which subjects they were
studying prior to leaving the University (37%, n=92) were enrolled on a
course within the College of Social Sciences; exactly a third (33%) were from
the College of Arts, Humanities and Law; 15% were from the College of
Science and Engineering and another 15% were from the College of Medicine,
Biological Sciences and Psychology.

Three quarters of the respondents were on full time courses (75%, n=110)
prior to leaving the University with the remaining 25% studying on a part time
basis.

82% of the respondents indicated which year of the course they were on when
they left and the majority of these (68%, n=93) were in their first year with
another quarter of the respondents (24%) in their second year and 8% in their
third.

Most of the students who replied had been undergraduate students (57%,
n=113) but there were a considerable number of postgraduate students on both
taught and research courses (21% and 16% respectively)

The majority of early leavers were ‘White’ (87%, n=110) but there were a
small number of former students who were Indian (5%), Black African (4%)
and Black Caribbean (1%). 3% of the respondents ticked ‘Other’.

92% (n=104) of the respondents who indicated their nationality said they
considered themselves to be ‘British’.

9% (n=108) of the respondents said they had a disability. Four students
indicated this was ‘Dyslexia’ and two were having treatment for cancer. Other
conditions were associated with mental health and arthritis.
Reasons for Withdrawing
The students were asked to indicate their main reason for leaving the University (their
responses are shown in figure 2). 46% (n=111) of the respondents gave personal or
medical as their main reasons for leaving. There was little variation in the proportions
of undergraduate and postgraduate students who left for medical reasons. This was
also the case when comparing first, second and third year students. There was,
however, a greater proportion of postgraduate students citing personal reasons as their
main reason for leaving (40%, n=42) compared to undergraduate students (27%,
n=62). Similarly a greater proportion of students in the second and third years of their
studies cited personal reasons (45%, n=22 and 57%, n=7 respectively).
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Almost a quarter of the respondents (23%, n=111) said they left to ‘transfer to another
University / education provider’ and the proportion of students transferring was
greater for undergraduate students (34%, n=62) and first year students (31%, n=62)
than for postgraduate students (12%, n=42), second year students (23%, n=22) and
third year students (14%, n=7).
Percentage of respondents
Figure 2: The respondents' main reason for leaving the University
of Leicester (n=111)
40%
35%
30%
25%
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
35%
23%
11%
8%
5%
5%
3%
The students were also asked the extent to which various factors influenced their
decision to withdraw from the University in three broad areas: their preparation for
study at the University and their expectations; their academic study at the University;
and their personal reasons for leaving. Figures 3, 4 and 5 below show the factors from
each of these sections and the percentage of students who said each factor had a
‘major influence’, a ‘quite important influence’ or ‘some influence’ over their
decision to leave. The most common factors considered to be a major influence were:







Choosing the wrong course (28%)
Experiencing a period of illness or personal difficulty (19%)
Course failing to meet expectations (17%)
Poor academic support from their department (16%)
Poor feedback about their academic work (15%)
Difficulty balancing their academic work with family/personal pressures
(14%)
Poor personal support from their department (14%)
Some of the reasons given for withdrawing from the University could be attributed to
circumstances outside the University’s control such as unexpected illness, pregnancy
or paid employment issues but over 1 in 4 (28%) of the students felt that they had
chosen the wrong course with a further 17% indicating the course had failed to meet
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their expectations. Three of these factors (poor academic support from their
department, poor feedback about their academic work and poor personal support from
their department) were related to the quality of academic support and feedback which
would help explain why many students commented on these factors when given the
opportunity to do so at the end of the questionnaire (see figure 6).
For all but three of the 28 reasons presented, a greater proportion of undergraduate
than postgraduate students indicated that the reasons given had been an influence in
their decision to withdraw. The three reasons cited by a greater proportion of
postgraduate students as influential were all from the ‘personal’ category, namely
balancing part-time work or family and other pressures with study, and their financial
situation.
The largest difference between undergraduate and postgraduate students was
concerned with the importance of forming relationships with their fellow students.
Over half of the undergraduate students (56%, n=63) said that feeling lonely and not
being able to make friends influenced their decision to leave; only 7% (n=42) of the
postgraduate students gave this as a reason. It is, perhaps, unsurprising therefore that a
greater proportion of undergraduate students also indicated that they wanted to be
closer to their family or friends (48% of the undergraduate students compared with
only 12% of the postgraduate students).
There were also some large differences between undergraduates and postgraduates in
relation to their preparation and expectations. For example, 60% of the undergraduate
students claimed they had chosen the wrong course compared with 19% of the
postgraduate students, and a greater proportion of undergraduate (44%) than
postgraduate students (10%) felt they were not adequately prepared for university
study.
Figure 3: Being prepared / expectations (n=113)
Major influence
Quite important influence
17%
My expectations of the course were not met
I was disappointed by the teaching standards on the
course
12%
I was disappointed by the amount of teaching and
contact hours with staff provided on my course
12%
The information I was given prior to entry did not give
me a realistic indication of university life and study
My fellow students were difficult to live with
11%
28%
With hindsight, I chose the wrong course to study
I didn't feel adequately prepared for university study
Some influence
23%
3%
12%
14%
13%
6%
16%
10% 4%
20%
4% 7%
19%
7% 4% 9%
My expectations of my university accommodation were
not met
5% 4% 5%
My expectations of university social life were not met
6% 4% 4%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
5|Page
Figure 4: Academic study (n=113)
I did not feel that I was given helpful academic support
by my department
16%
I wasn't given enough timely and detailed feedback to
help me to improve my grades
15%
15%
11%
I found the transition from A-Level or other prior study
to higher education work very difficult
7%
8%
14%
I found the assessment tasks very much harder than I
expected
6%
10%
12%
I did not know where to go to seek academic help or
advice
6% 7%
9%
I was disappointed by the marks I had been getting
I didn't work hard enough to pass my coursework /
exams
The academic advice I was given by the University's
central student services wasn't helpful
3% 5%
12%
5%
12%
8%
7%
12%
6% 5% 6%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
6|Page
Figure 5: Personal reasons (n-=113)
Major influence
Quite important influence
I found it too difficult to balance academic work with
family or other personal pressures
I had a period of illness or personal difficulty and
couldn't catch up with my work
I felt lonely / I was not able to make close friends
14%
I did not feel I was given helpful personal support by my
department
8%
I did not know where to seek personal help or advice
I did not feel I was given helpful personal support by the
University's central student services
I preferred working rather than studying
I found it too difficult to balance part-time work with
study
10%
10%
14%
8%
14%
I wanted to be closer to my family / friends
My financial situation was causing great concern
12%
19%
7%
Some influence
8%
16%
11%
9%
8%
12%
7%
13%
10% 5% 6%
6% 6%
2% 6%
9%
12%
4% 5% 8%
My family / close friends put pressure on me to leave 0%
1%
2%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Nearly half of the respondents chose to add one or more comments (49%, n=113) to
the questionnaire and figure 6 shows the areas most frequently referred to. Comments
referring to the poor support from tutors and academic staff were made by the
greatest proportion of students. Not all students were critical of the academic support
they had received, however, and 15% of the comments were from students who said
that they had found the support offered by the University staff had been helpful to
them.
‘My experience as a student at the University of Leicester was brilliant. My course
was excellent and my tutors (personal and academic) were fantastic. Both the
academic and social aspects of life at Leicester were wonderful. My withdrawal was
due to a sudden and acute onset of illness only. I was very sad to leave but it was the
only option given my serious illness’ (English undergraduate student)
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Figure 6: Comments from early leavers about their experiences
and their reasons for leaving before completing the course (n=55)
Poor support from tutors/academic staff
27%
The course was misrepresented
20%
Withdrew due to personal circumstances
18%
Helpful support from University staff
15%
I was not ready for University
9%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
Percentage of respondents
Many of the respondents also commented on their disappointment at the course
content, highlighting the perceived discrepancy between how the course was
advertised and the reality. More students gave this as an influential factor in their
decision to leave the University than any other reason (see figure 3). This may be
reflected in the fact that just under a quarter of all the respondents (23%, n=113)
indicated that their main reason for leaving the University was to ‘transfer to another
University / education provider’.
‘In retrospect I feel I have made the right decision [to withdraw from the University].
I am now studying at a different University and enjoying a course that better reflects
what I want to do in the future’ (Physics undergraduate student)
Social factors were cited much less frequently. Only 14% (n=113) of the respondents
said that their expectations of their social life at the University were not met and,
although a third of the respondents (33%, n=113) indicated that not being able to
make friends and feeling lonely had been some influence in their decision to leave,
only 7% indicated this had been a major influence.
It was frequently a combination of factors that influenced students’ decisions to
withdraw:
‘I loved my friends at Leicester. I loved the social life but the feeling I got from the
staff there was that they didn’t care about me or my academic achievements. Most
people were uninspiring and there seemed to be a lack of passion. The value for
money in terms of the education received was poor. I am so glad I didn't hang around
at the University even though it was hard to leave my friends’ (Undergraduate
student)
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From the responses to questions and the comments added by students, the issues that
seemed to be important to the early leavers can be categorised into three main areas:
course content and organisation; sources of help; and personal circumstances.
Course Content and Organisation
Students highlighted several concerns about their courses which led to their
withdrawal from the University.
Almost all of the questionnaire respondents indicated that the University of Leicester
was their first choice (90%, n=110). Expectations were therefore high among the
students when they started their courses but it would seem, in many cases, that these
expectations were not met. When asked about their reasons for leaving just over half
of the respondents indicated that the course had not met with their expectations and
this had been at least partly influential in their decision to leave. Just under half (45%,
n=113) of the respondents also indicated that they felt that they had chosen the wrong
course and this had influenced their decision to leave. Some former students
commented that they felt misled by the information given to them about the course
prior to starting. In their opinion, this was somewhat different from the reality once
they had started the course, particularly the level of knowledge they would need to be
successful on the course:
‘The course was poorly marketed. It stated that there was a minimal amount of maths
and that this would be gone through very slowly but it was rushed and complicated.
Many people had previously done maths A level and understood the maths and could
apply the economics to it so I was left behind with little help’ (Economics
undergraduate student)
‘I was quite clearly unprepared for study on a foundation year in Engineering, this
was evident in a matter of days of commencing the course. I believe I was accepted
onto the course when I shouldn't have been something I could tell that my tutor
agreed with me when I went to discuss withdrawing from study.(Engineering student)
Other students expressed disappointment at the actual course content and the options
that were available to them as they progressed through the course:
‘I left for two reasons: 1. Towards the end of the first term I got an email telling us
that the advertised course for the following term had been cancelled because the
professor would be taking study leave and instead of it we would be getting a course
on the Reformation which did not interest me. 2. I thought that I would be able to
choose projects that were of interest to me rather than have projects set by the
lecturers that were of interest to them’. It was obvious that leaving was the best
option… I feel that the department of English Local History had no conception that
people paying their own money to undertake an advertised course of study would
expect the course provided to be the same as that advertised’ (English Local History
taught postgraduate student)
Timetabling was also an issue for a couple of students:
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Coming in for 1 hour on a Friday meant that I could not work that day to fund my
course. Also the course was not helpful with my child at school. Different half terms.
(undergraduate student)
Several students said they decided to leave because they did not feel they were getting
value for money from their course:
‘The teaching time (often consisting of a lecturer reading out his notes) was two
hours per week for £1,925 for the year!’ (History of Art and Film taught postgraduate
student)
Sources of Help
Figure 7 shows the sources of help used by the students for advice on academic study
and personal difficulties, or guidance in their decision to leave.
Figure 7: Advice sources consulted by students (n=113)
70%
Personal Tutor
49%
Family
44%
Friends
30%
Other Academic Staff
23%
Central Support Services
19%
Department Administrator / Secretary
9%
Faculty Administrator
6%
Freeman's Common Health Centre
4%
Students' Union
Chaplaincy
1%
Wardens and Sub-Wardens
1%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
Percentage of respondents
Over two thirds of the students (70%, n=113) consulted their personal tutors and
about half of the respondents turned to family and friends for advice and guidance.
There were no major differences between the advice sources used by undergraduate or
postgraduate students or first, second or third year students although friends were
used as a source of help by a greater proportion of undergraduate students (54%,
n=63) than postgraduate students (36%, n=42) and a greater proportion of first year
students (57%, n=63) than second year students (27%, n=22). Similarly family was
used as a source of help by a far greater proportion of undergraduate students (63%,
n=63) than postgraduate students (36%, n=42).
One or more of the University’s central support services were consulted by just under
a quarter of the respondents (23%, n=113). The Student Welfare Service was
consulted by the greatest proportion of students (12%) followed by the Counselling
Service (9%), the Careers Service (8%), Mental Wellbeing (7%), the Student
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Learning Centre (5%) and the AccessAbility Centre (4%) with a greater proportion of
second year students (23%, n=63) indicating they had consulted the Student Welfare
Service than first year students (13%, n=22).
Exactly half of the students who used one or more of the central support services said
the advice they had been given had helped them to consider their options. Just under a
third of undergraduate students who responded to the survey (29%, n=63) had used
the central support services and 56% of these students said they had found the advice
received helpful. A smaller proportion of postgraduate students had used the central
support services (17%, n=42) although 86% of these students had found the advice
received helpful. The responses also seem to indicate that a greater proportion of
students consult central support services for advice as they progress from year to year;
24% (n=63) of first year students consulted central support services, rising to 27%
(n=22) of second year students and 43% (n=7) of third year students. These
percentages should be treated with caution, however, as the number of students who
responded falls quite dramatically from one year to the next.
Figure 8 shows the proportion of students who found the most commonly used
sources helpful (fewer than 10 students used the additional sources of help). Although
70% of students asked their personal tutor for help, over a third of these students
(35%, n=79) indicated that the response they received had not been helpful. Students
considered the help and advice given to them by their friends and family as being the
most helpful, with 94% and 89% respectively of those who had sought support from
these sources finding this helpful.
Figure 8: Proportion of students who found the advice sources
helpful or unhelpful
Percentage of students who found the advice source helpful
Percentage of students who found the advice source unhelpful
100%
90%
Percentage of Respondents
94%
89%
80%
65%
70%
60%
65%
68%
57%
50%
40%
35%
32%
30%
24%
20%
10%
7%
19%
2%
0%
Personal Tutor Family (n=55) Friends (n=50)
Other
Central
Department
(n=79)
Academic Staff
Support
Administrator
(n=34)
Services (n=26) / Secretary
(n=22)
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Comments about the students’ relationships with the academic staff were very
common in the questionnaire responses; some examples are given below:
‘I feel that university life was very much isolated. I felt that I couldn't gain help or
support with my work with a lecturer without using email. I felt that my course was
unbelievably impersonal and I found it difficult to speak in person with someone
about my work. I feel that email was far too commonly used as a method of
communication. When I went to withdraw I was told to speak to my personal tutor. I
had no idea who he/she was. We had never been introduced and this was 8 weeks into
the course. He had no idea who I was either.’(Psychology undergraduate student)
‘We had no personal tutor meetings and when I tried to discuss issues my personal
tutor told me they were busy. This made me feel very helpless and stuck in a bad
situation. My personal tutor only replied after I contacted the head of department’
(Politics undergraduate student)
‘I did not want to leave but my research tutor was not supportive enough. He failed
me twice even when I appealed. He was very discriminatory. He never agreed to help
me. He said Masters’ students do not need help so I was working without help all by
myself. I felt that I should have been given help on a one to one basis by the personal
tutor who marked my research project for the first time instead of being rejected to
work by myself’(Social Work taught postgraduate student)
‘If / when I wrote to my supervisor he wouldn't always respond, especially at the end.
Not great when you're doing a PhD 100 miles away and have a family.’ (Research
postgraduate student)
‘The person in charge of the course did not understand that as a mature student you
had other factors in your life. Because they had no partner or children, their whole
life was academic. Their attitude made me feel inferior and at time patronised for
having children.’ (Taught postgraduate student)
Some students, however, had a much better relationship with academic staff and, in
these cases felt that they had been provided with useful support and advice:
‘In deciding what course to take my supervisor was patient, available and extremely
helpful. My head of department also offered advice, although to a lesser extent. Once
I had decided to transfer to my second year the post graduate secretary gave me
advice and assistance on the process which was extremely helpful. Overall my
experience of support staff is extremely positive.’(History research postgraduate
student)
‘I enjoyed the work and it was a difficult decision to leave, but a personal one. My
tutor did everything she could to make things easy for me’ (Cardiology research
postgraduate student)
Some of the students had to leave the University due to course or module failure.
These students were asked if anyone in the department had alerted them to the fact
that they were at risk and whether they had been given any guidance. They were also
asked if they had appealed against the decision. The majority of students indicated
this was not the case as figure 9 shows:
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Figure 9: If you had to leave due to course/module
failure:
Did anyone in your department alert you to the fact that you were at risk of course
termination and offer you guidance or refer you to other sources of help? (n=24)
Did you appeal against the decision to terminate your course? (n=21)
Percentage of respondents
100%
90%
90%
79%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
21%
20%
10%
10%
0%
Yes
No
Five of the eight students who commented on this said they actually thought they
were making satisfactory progress and were very surprised to find out otherwise. Five
other students also said they were never made aware that they could appeal against a
decision and had not been told.
Personal Circumstances
Arguably, the University may be able to address some of the issues that have emerged
in the two preceding sections but respondents also highlighted problems of a more
personal nature that the University would have very little control over beyond
providing appropriate support and advice. Several students had fallen ill, become
pregnant or suffered a personal trauma and had therefore not felt able to complete the
course:
‘I was diagnosed with breast cancer and it was over a year having treatment and
surgery. I would like to have completed the course. Coursework at the end wasn't
handed in but no one got in touch and it wasn't a priority at the time’ (Education
student)
‘A bereavement in the family meant I missed exams and had to take a year out while I
caught up. When I returned most of my friends had graduated and left. I felt lonely
and isolated in Leicester. I therefore left to return home to be with friends and family’
(English undergraduate student)
For others their paid employment did not allow them the time they needed to
complete their studies and financial concerns became an issue:
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‘To go immediately into £3000 debt for this was really disappointing. It has taken me
the last 18 months to get over the mental and financial setback as well as costing so
much time’ (Engineering student)
Some students simply did not feel ready for University life. One student explained
how he had felt pressured into going to University:
‘I left because I was not ready for university. I was pressured to go to university by
my parents. I transferred to a University near my home but dropped out later in the
year. I was sharing a bedroom and halls with people who I didn't get along with’
(Undergraduate student)
46% (n=113) of all respondents to the questionnaire said ‘personal’ or ‘medical’
concerns and issues were the main reason for their leaving. Where such concerns were
influential in the students’ decisions to withdraw, they were asked if they had been
given any help in considering alternatives to withdrawal and also whether they were
given any help with the actual withdrawal process. The responses to these two
questions are shown in figure 10 below:
Figure 10: If you chose to leave due to personal
difficulties:
Did anyone help you to consider alternatives to withdrawal? (n=77)
Did anyone guide you through the withdrawal process? (n=78)
Percentage of respondents
70%
50%
59%
56%
60%
44%
41%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Yes
No
Where are they now?
At the time of the survey, the majority of respondents were in employment (48%,
n=111) or studying elsewhere (36%) with a further 10% doing neither (indicating they
were either unemployed, taking time out or undertaking a full time carer’s role).
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