Stuart McCabe

My name is Stuart McCabe.  I am a student with a disability. I am studying Social Sciences Part Time at UWS Paisley Campus.  I am very lucky to have been a student at (UWS) since 2007. The University is like a second family to me.

I am St Mirren football Clubs Disability Liaison Officer (DSLO) I have been the (DSLO for since November 2024.

A goal for myself is to raise awareness about my disability and to encourage people to ask more questions about it rather than be scared or frightened by it especially of my powered wheelchair.
My Wobble Moment was when my Papa passed away a couple of years ago just as I was about to submit to essay assessments. The situation made me feel upset and angry that my papa had passed away. Naturally I was annoyed at myself for not getting my coursework in.

I spoke with the Head of the course at the time, and she was extremely helpful in giving me advice on what steps to take such as putting in Extenuating Circumstances (ECS) and speaking to the UWS Counselling Services.
Once I took action, I felt relived happy and safe.
I would advise other students going through wobble moments to speak up and don’t be scared to speak to your lecturer or anyone you trust at university.

Jode Cairney

Hi, my name is Jode. I’m a postgraduate student doing my PGDip in Career Guidance and Development. I am passionate about supporting others and ensuring they have the tools they need to succeed and I’m excited to see where this passion leads me!

While my time at UWS has been fantastic overall, there have been times when being  a student, hasn’t been so great. I completed my undergraduate degree at UWS a couple of years ago, with a set plan for my life. Part of this plan required me to finish my course with a 2:1. This meant I would need to get at least a B1 in every module. Shortly after the year began I experienced some difficult situations within my personal life, and was struggling to keep up with my coursework. Then the first week of December came around, and with it, the results for my first assessment. Given how much I had been struggling, my hopes weren’t high, and when I opened Turnitin... I saw 46%, a C. 

The moment I saw that result, I felt devastated and panicked, like everything I had spent the last few years working towards was slipping away. I felt like a failure, and part of me wanted to just give up. However I was lucky to have a wonderful support network, who offered me reassurance and encouragement. I began looking into alternative pathways, and spoke to my personal tutor for advice.  When my emotional state was really bad, I saw one of the universities counsellors, and this helped a lot. The issues in my personal life didn’t go away, but with support, I was able to better handle them. At the end of the year, when got my final grade, I added it all together and calculated my average; 61% I had gotten the 2:1 I needed. 

Looking back at that time, I regret putting so much pressure on myself, but I’m glad I had the opportunity to see how much support I actually had. As the first lots of results for this year start coming out, I want you to know, one grade does not make or break your degree. If you are struggling, please reach out, the support is there. And with the right tools, and a lot of hard work, there is no reason you can’t achieve anything you set your mind to. 

Amina Manal Zidi

My name is Amina Manal and I am a PhD candidate at the University of the West of Scotland. As an international student researching mobility, transition and reintegration experiences, I have always been passionate about supporting others through the challenges of studying and living abroad. But even with this knowledge, I have had my own wobble moments, moments that taught me more about myself than any classroom ever could.

My wobble came during the early stages of my studies when I began doubting myself. I worried that asking for help would make me look less capable and I feared people might think I was not smart enough. Carrying that fear alone felt heavy and it stopped me from reaching out. Over time, I realised that strength does not come from pretending everything is perfect, it comes from accepting challenges and finding the courage to face them.

Eventually, I took action. I started speaking to people, seeking guidance and allowing myself to be honest about how I felt. Talking to other students made me realise I was not alone. Many of us were struggling quietly. I also reached out to students who were ahead of me and spoke to my parents when I needed emotional reassurance. As international students, we often hesitate to share worries because we do not want to add pressure to our families, but opening up helped me feel grounded and supported.

Looking back, I see that those down moments were not failures, they were stepping stones. They helped me discover my strengths and showed me how capable we truly are when we pause, reflect and try again. Through my academic journey, I have discovered my inner self and grown into the best version of me, more resilient, more confident and more aware of my own power. I also learned that it is completely okay to fail. Failure teaches us how to rise again with greater strength and it opens our eyes to perspectives we may never have noticed before.

And most importantly, I realised that having supportive people around you, people who reassure you, remind you of your worth and stand by you, is one of the best things you can have. Support turns fear into clarity and loneliness into strength.

My advice to anyone experiencing a wobble moment is simple: please do not keep everything inside. Reach out. Talk to someone you trust. You are not a burden. You are not alone. And asking for help is not weakness, it is one of the greatest strengths you can ever show.

Last updated: 02/12/2025