Thanks for replying, Perna. I have a feeling it may be too late to ask to re-do the semester, because teaching ends at the end of March so we're nearly there. Also, because the design course lasts for two semesters I'd probably have to repeat the whole year, which I'd really like to avoid doing. What would be most useful is getting two extra weeks to make up for the time I missed last month, but I can't see how that can happen without moving everyone's presentations by two weeks as well... Also, my tutor doesn't seem to see missing class as an excuse for being behind in my work. :|

Industrial design (which I believe is the equivalent of product design here) is a possibility with my course - I could in theory go into design or engineering when I graduate - but given that it's a product design course I'm struggling most with at the moment I have a feeling that a career in product design would probably send my stress levels through the roof. I don't know the right software packages for graphic design either, unfortunately.

I'm coming to the conclusion that, given the lack of graduate work out there at the moment, I probably shouldn't be too fussy with where I want to work...but I can't bear the thought of spending the rest of my career in a job that I don't enjoy, it's worse than spending the next few months on a course that I'm getting utterly fed up with and can't see much of a point of any more. At least it's nearly over, but then what?