Dealing with Academic Difficulties Due to PTSD and Other Challenges



Following a previous blog post, a reader asked about changing schools after a particularly bad couple of semesters dealing with PTSD.  The problem is common enough, and the answer is long enough, that it deserved its own post.

No matter how smart or talented or resilient you are, you are bound to experience a culture shock when you transition from military service to a college campus.  That transition often makes the first few terms on campus much harder than you expect them to be, which can lead to some serious academic issues.

To make things worse, the symptoms of anxiety, depression, grief, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and other serious issues usually start to show up during the second or third semester of school, compounding an already difficult transition.

If you're facing serious academic difficulty, and are thinking about dropping out or changing schools, this article will help you weigh your options.  Read on....

Taking a Break from Classes

No matter how carefully you plan ahead, there may come a point in your educational career when you decide that you need to take a break, for any number of valid reasons.  You may have been called back into active-duty service.  You may need time to take care of a family member, recover

from an illness or injury, buy a house, get married, or have a baby.  Sometimes people have to face an unexpected crisis or disaster, and need time to deal with it.  Perhaps you are in the process of changing your academic goal or career focus and need a little time to sort through your options.  Sometimes people get stressed out or overwhelmed, and just need a change of scenery for a while.  Whatever the reason, sometimes you may just need to take a break.

Before you do, make sure you understand all the rules and implications of your decision, to avoid any unpleasant surprises.  Here are a few things to check when you’re thinking of taking a semester or two off:

What Happens if I Drop or Fail a Class?

You’re a student veteran, you’re collecting GI Bill educational benefits from the VA, and everything is finally working smoothly.  Then you find yourself in a particularly difficult class and start worrying about your grade.  If you’re like most other veterans, you’ll probably also start worrying about a new problem: what will happen to your VA benefits if you fail a class?  What if you drop it instead?

First of all, don’t worry, and don’t give up.  Be proactive, take a deep breath, and focus on your class, first.  Talk to your instructor and your academic advisor, and try to identify your stumbling block.  If you need tutoring, counseling, a stress break (exercise is a great way to clear your brain!), or academic accommodations to get you through, visit the appropriate offices on your campus for some additional support.  You’ve pushed through difficult stuff before, and you can get through this, with the right tools.

Next, you’ll need to discuss your options with your academic advisor and your school certifying official, and perhaps your financial aid counselor.  You may have several options available to you, depending on your situation, and each option may - or may not - have significant academic or financial penalties attached, which you will have to consider carefully before deciding what to do.