How are third and pass degrees regarded these days?

Snow_Angel

aurora_borealis wrote:

... nope, a first is the golden ticket

I disagree. I think it really depends on your University and your course. This is just an example but .... I'm studying physiotherapy and during one of my recent clinical placements my educator explained that she does the interviews for the physio posts at her hospital. She said she pays only some attention to grades - individual performance on placement, what people do in their spare time and their future desires are just as important. I have also spoken to previous employers and they have the impression that to get a first you will have done very little but study - and they're looking for more "rounded" individuals.

Incidentally, I have a previous degree where I got a 2:1 and I didn't find trouble getting work related to it post-uni. I'm now planning a career change and am entering my final year - currently looking at borderline 2:1/1st grades. Whichever grade it happens to be, I'll be happy.

aurora_borealis_2

Snow_Angel wrote:

I disagree. she does the interviews for the physio posts at her hospital. She said she pays only some attention to grades - individual performance on placement, what people do in their spare time and their future desires are just as important. I have also spoken to previous employers and they have the impression that to get a first you will have done very little but study - and they're looking for more "rounded" individuals.

I think that might depend on the age/life experience of the candidate.

Obviously, academic grades are not the be all and end all. I got a 1st, and a distinction in my masters but I did a lot more than study during the courses since I was also working and raising three children.

Believe me, I'm as well rounded as they come

studentphil

I am up and down myself somedays I think well a 2.1 and then other days I think just a pass and graduating will do me.

It is clearly the course that makes me emotionally up and down.

melancholly

studentphil wrote:

I am up and down myself somedays I think well a 2.1 and then other days I think just a pass and graduating will do me.

It is clearly the course that makes me emotionally up and down.

if it is stressing you out to this extent, i recommend going to your university counselling service and finding someone to just vent to. nothing will ever get back to the course you're on, and letting it all out in a conversation to someone may help (even more than using these boards!). if you continue being this up and down, you will wear yourself out before you've even done any work!!

maybe you could ask a tutor if they would critique a piece of your written work (something that isn't assessed) and give you feedback so that you can try to improve. it can be quite painful, but will be very useful for you.

i guess in your position it's very easy to be overwhelmed and just essentially give up and float through the year. however, if you get really proactive about things and actively try to do something about the situation, it may help you feel slightly more in control and may help you to get a better mark.

studentphil

To be honest I have probably messed my life and all my dreams up by taking this degree anyway as it seems I will be label a lazy drunk or stupid. I can not say I am overwhelmed but I do have off days sometimes which is natural.

melancholly

studentphil wrote:

To be honest I have probably messed my life and all my dreams up by taking this degree anyway as it seems I will be label a lazy drunk or stupid. I can not say I am overwhelmed but I do have off days sometimes which is natural.

but you are very negative! and that won't help!
if you go into this year already decided that the course will defeat you then it will, i'm trying to say that you can either adobt a victim attitude, where you can't change anything and what's the point, or you can try and make things better. there are so many things you can try to do to help the situation - please please please don't just sit back and admit defeat!

Descartes

If you got a third from Cambridge it would be better than a first from one of the average universities.

lush_walrus

Do your best and really do not worry about it. As someone already said a degree is the same as all of your other qualifications, just something that progresses you onto the next level. With degrees for most this is a job.

Something you may find when you leave and start looking for work is that employers sometimes pay more attention to which University you attended than what degree you got. Its a strange thing, but in my experience employers who have degrees, given the choice of two applicants with degrees tend to go for the one that either went to the best University, or attended the same University that they attended.

My sister works for a large project management company and studied at Manchester, in her department out of 15 of them, 10 also have degrees from Manchester....Very weird when considering she works in London, although not so strange once you realise that the director of her department also attended there.

Same with me, although slightly different as we have a degree, masters and a part time course to become qualified, so chances are people have attended multiple Universities. But, still both the Partner, and two employes and me have all studied part or all of our time at UCL.

So, bottom line is do your best, stop thinking about it. Those who have good degrees and have attended good Uni's will always be the most interviewed, as on paper they are ideal. But, ultimately once you get to be interviewed there are so many other variables that it isn't always the ideal student who gets through and once you have been in your first job, the next employer looks at your past experience.

The only time that you really may need to get a good degree is, well for yourself (but trying hard is good enough to be pleased with yourself) and if you are planning to continue studying. Of course if you are going onto masters then a popular course at a popular University will again take only the best students. Or if you are applying to granduate schemes then some of them will only accept 2:1, but you do not have to be on a graduate scheme to end up in the same job.

Hope that helps!

lush_walrus

studentphil wrote:

To be honest I have probably messed my life and all my dreams up by taking this degree anyway as it seems I will be label a lazy drunk or stupid. I can not say I am overwhelmed but I do have off days sometimes which is natural.

No you won't, this is generally a perception from those who haven't studied and do not completely understand what being a student is, not by those who have.

Keep dreaming, opportunities come to everyone you just have to keep your eyes pealed for them. Once you are finished, be confident and happy and you will more than get through.

studentphil

melancholly wrote:

but you are very negative! and that won't help!
if you go into this year already decided that the course will defeat you then it will, i'm trying to say that you can either adobt a victim attitude, where you can't change anything and what's the point, or you can try and make things better. there are so many things you can try to do to help the situation - please please please don't just sit back and admit defeat!

I find it very hard to see how things can change I have tried really hard with all my essays and I never get really good marks and all that is written on them is I do not express myself well and that means I am put into 2,2. I can not relearn a writing style and the way my brain functions within a year.