Returning to education

Planning your return to education

Going back to school, college or university can feel exciting but also really daunting – especially if you’ve been away for a long time. However, preparing for your return in advance will really help. 

Going back to education after your stem cell transplant doesn’t always mean you should go back into full-time study straight away. Your transplant team will help you decide when it’s OK to return. 

You can also consider the following tips as you plan your return: 

• Your recovery is a gradual process – ease yourself back into education over time and try to put your recovery first. 

• You may be able to do some work or classes from home, or attend part-time in-person. 

• Try to slowly build up your workload, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. 

If you’re a young person going back to school, or you’re caring for a young person in this situation, we have some extra information to help: 

• Coming home after my stem cell transplant (for children and young people) – Download PDF 

• Helping your child through their stem cell transplant (for parents, carers and guardians) – Download PDF 

You can also order free copies on our Order and download publictions webpage.

Talking to your teachers

Although it might feel tough, it’s important to tell your teachers about your condition so they can support your needs. If you don't tell them, it will be harder for them to be understanding and offer help when they can. 

Trying the following ideas might make things easier:

Get in touch with them in advance

Before returning to your studies, try to contact your teachers to let them know how things are going. Although they should know why you had to take time off, they may not be aware of your needs during recovery. If you prefer, you could ask a parent, carer, guardian or friend to help you explain. 

Think about what you need to make your return easier

It’s important for your teachers to know when you have to go to appointments or might feel too unwell to study or come to classes. You might also want them to tell your classmates about why you’ve been off, so you don’t feel overwhelmed by everyone asking the same questions. 

Reconnecting with people

You might not have seen much of your classmates and friends during your recovery. For example, you might have: 

• been in hospital far from home or from the place you study 

• spent recovery alone because you were worried about picking up an infection 

• chosen to stay distant because you weren’t sure what to say 

• felt worried about seeing them because your appearance has changed since you last saw them. 

To make yourself feel more comfortable, you could organise to go out with people from school, college or university before returning to education. If you don’t feel up to that, you could invite them to your home for a chat. 

It might help to take this opportunity to tell them about your experience. You can share as much or as little as you feel comfortable with. If they have questions about things they feel unsure about, it might help to show them our page about your friend having a stem cell transplant. 

Coping with bullying

Bullying is a horrible experience for anyone, for any reason. Unfortunately, you might find that some people at school, college or university make fun of what you’ve been going through. If this happens, talk to someone you can trust and get help – you should not have to put up with bullying alone. 

If you're at school or you look after someone who goes to school, you might want a teacher to explain some things to the class before returning. You can arrange for an expert to come into the school to do this through the Teenage Cancer Trust. 

Teachers might also be able to explain or help you understand some of the reasons behind bullying. Although there are no excuses for bullying, you might find that people react by making fun of you because they are nervous and don’t understand your situation. 

Moving away for education

If you’re about to start university or return to your studies after your transplant, you might need to live far from home again. However, this might bring up some extra challenges. 

You might want to consider the following tips and advice if you’re moving away: 

• build up and maintain a good support network 

• make sure the people you live with know who to contact in an emergency 

• try to move your appointments to a local hospital 

• try to register with a GP that has access to your clinical records. 

If moving away feels too difficult during recovery, you might be able to defer your studies for another term or academic year. Another option is to look into transferring to somewhere closer to home, or study fully at home though the Open University. 

Coping with exams and coursework

As you prepare for your return to education, exams and coursework might feel like very daunting tasks. However, you can apply for certain arrangements to make things a little easier. This might include: 

• having someone write the exam paper on your behalf, also known as a ‘scribe’ 

• getting some extra breaks in your exams 

• getting extra time during exams, or coursework extensions. 

You might also decide to apply for ‘special consideration’ for your exams and essays. When marking your work, this means the examiner will consider your situation and the time you’ve had away from your studies. You’ll need to talk to your school, college or university for details of how to do this.