How are third and pass degrees regarded these days?

elisebutt65

studentphil wrote:

My problem is that I have a very slow reading speed and limited concentration which means I find reading two or three primary texts a bit much. I have asked again today from my help on reading the texts more productively, but I have asked before and as people really can not understand my disability I get no good useful answers than read it again. I tried to use secondary texts but they want you to show a good knowledge of the primary texts.
I do have rather poor spelling which does limit the way in which I can express myself in exams which does not help.

I am trying to get help from my tutors but their lack of understanding is rather upsetting.

I think you need to go to a GP and get diagnosed as you sound like my son who has ADD. He is a very bright 11 yr old with a full Statement as he just cannot concentrate on anythng for longer than 15-20 minutes at a time. It could be that you need to see an Ed Psych who can give you some ideas on how to help. I suffer a little from this myself - but use different strategies:
1. Only read for 15 minutes at a time and take a 5 minute break to walk around.
2. Make notes of all important bits straight away rather than leave it till later.
3 Make sure you have some really long breaks away from the books - have lunch or go to the shops - Do not think about work while you're doing this.
4. When you're done try and write a mini-essay to put together the points you've read about and see if it then makes sense to you. If it doesn't, read up on the subject but by a different author.

You should see if there is a Special Needs Co-ordinator at your Uni as well as they maybe able to offer some help as well. I know that the kids at my Uni get extra time for assignements and exams if thay have dyslexia.

talksalot81

I was going to suggest ADD actually... but beaten to it!

As for reading speed, this is a skill you can learn. We have courses in speed reading, writing in short hand.... all sorts of useful and similar skills. I am certain your uni has them... as postgrads, we are obliged to do a certain number of these sort of course (actually it is a real pain in the buttocks), friends elsewhere are the same. It is along the lines of a 'personal development plan' so is rather ubiquitous.

elisebutt65

talksalot81 wrote:

It is along the lines of a 'personal development plan' so is rather ubiquitous.

Aaaargh - PDP's!!!! It has been suggested that we do these as well but I told them to go awy and multiply!!! I know exactly how I've developed and am going to in the future!!

Our very first course when we started was Professional Business Skills, where we had to 'learn' to write a letter, email and take minutes. Also covered was how to do a precis. OMG!!!! Dont they teach this basic stuff at school???? The only thing I learned from this was how to do a presentation as we had to make a news report and have it filmed, then shown in front of the class. Loadsafun!!!!:rolleyes:

studentphil

I am fully diagnosed and I do not have ADD and am registered with the disability dept. It is my teaching school that are not too good with understanding

studentphil

I have tried speed reading but it is keep to know all the fine details for philosophy so it does not work really.

elisebutt65

studentphil wrote:

I am fully diagnosed and I do not have ADD and am registered with the disability dept. It is my teaching school that are not too good with understanding

In that case you need to get in touch with them with your complaints and they should sort the tutors out for you;) If you are registered with the Disability dept and tutors are ignoring this then they are guilty of discrimination and I think you should be given the chance to do your 2nd year again FOC!!!

studentphil

elisebutt65 wrote:

In that case you need to get in touch with them with your complaints and they should sort the tutors out for you;) If you are registered with the Disability dept and tutors are ignoring this then they are guilty of discrimination and I think you should be given the chance to do your 2nd year again FOC!!!

I have asked for a few pointers on the reading side but they just say read it or again or there is no real way to help. My tutors are just really unfimilar with disability and I think even slightly frightened of it.

xycom1

pavlovs_dog wrote:

im a great believer that education is for all, and everyone should have access to it. but i vehemnently disagree with blair and his 50% must go to uni plan, because it is killing the academic vibe that unis need to flourish. not everyone is suited to the uni environment.

if a desmond (2:2) is the best classification you can get because that is the best of your ability, then well done to you for going for it. but the people who get 2:2's because they never went to lectures, never did any work, and spent their uni careers doing the stereotypical things that has given us the reputation we have should never have gone to uni in the first place.

if you're going to go to uni nowadays, you have to make it count. with so many people out there with that scroll of paper, you need to stand out from the rest. if you're not going to invest your time and attention to your degree, you'd be better off working and gaining experience, so you can impress that way. from what i gather, the only thing worse than a 'poor' degree is a complete lack of experience. im certain as an employer, when looking at CVs i would generally favour limited experience over a poor degree classification, as to me (unless there are extenuating circumstances, such as those i have already touched upon) a poor degree class screams lack of motivation, which is not a quality i'd look for in an employee. granted, that may change in interview, but first impressions still count for a lot...

I can't agree more with this. It cost me (and my parents between us) nearly £100K to get my degree and a few months ago I graduated with a 2:2. I feel lucky though, as 20% of my year failed their finals. And this was from a top-10 university.

studentphil

I have always looked at a 2.2 as like a grade C- okay, but could do better

BigBouncyBall

I dont know how much longer universities are going to get away with this passive attitude towards feedback and helping struggling students. People are paying £3000 a year now and they will expect top quality education from their institution it'll be intresting to see how the top up fees issue develops as more and more people pay and aren't satisfied.