Developing Qualifications after degree.

cupid_s

but if your getting mid to high 2.1 in the final year then how can you expect to average a high 2.1 overall? I know someone who averaged 47 in their second year and got a 2.1. Not a high one mind you but then 47 is a pretty bad average for the second year

Karnam

depends on weighting, its v easy at my uni to get a mid 2.1 in 2nd year and then get a 1st in final year.

studentphil

cupid_stunt wrote:

but if your getting mid to high 2.1 in the final year then how can you expect to average a high 2.1 overall? I know someone who averaged 47 in their second year and got a 2.1. Not a high one mind you but then 47 is a pretty bad average for the second year

They will not have you with a low 2.1. So if you get a third in the second year and get into decent 2.1 then your chance of getting into a masters are low, which seems to completelt overlook you are now a well achieving student.

You only need a couple of 40 marks in year two to be averaging a third in some cases.

cupid_s

studentphil wrote:

They will not have you with a low 2.1. So if you get a third in the second year and get into decent 2.1 then your chance of getting into a masters are low, which seems to completelt overlook you are now a well achieving student.

You only need a couple of 40 marks in year two to be averaging a third in some cases.

Do you not think it's a bit much to get a third in your second year and expect to get a high 2.1 overall though? My friend was amazed she could get a 2.1 with such a low mark in the second year. And she did thoroughly deserve it because her low marks were due to illness. But to get a high 2.1 you need to be a good all rounder really so a couple of 40 marks doesn't really fit in with that idea.

And for masters courses they state what they will accept but there is always a bit of leeway. If you went along with an average mark of 65 in your second year but only a low 2.1 average there's a good chance you'd get onto the course as they are not so blind sighted that they wont consider individual circumstances. Especially if applications for the course aren't high.

Karnam

studentphil wrote:

They will not have you with a low 2.1. So if you get a third in the second year and get into decent 2.1 then your chance of getting into a masters are low, which seems to completelt overlook you are now a well achieving student.

You only need a couple of 40 marks in year two to be averaging a third in some cases.

again not strictly true. at my uni (i dont know if everyone is coming from the same place) low or high 2.1 is irrelevent, a 2.1 is a 2.1. my future MA teacher says they dont even mind if i practically fail all other courses but do ok on renaissance courses as that's whats relevent. (my MA is going to be in shakespeare)

studentphil

I find it stupid because I hate 2 major branches of my subject and do rubbish at them that I should be barred from studying the branch I do like any further.

Karnam

i guess it all depends. i was stupid at 18 and opted for an english degree that forced me to do language courses. cue me learning old english and declenetions when i completely and utterly hated it. i had to learn to live with my mistake and just got on with it, knowing that in my final year i can take any course i fancied. but i lucked out, the random university i ended up at specialises in what i am now interested in.

contrast my friend who came to my uni cause of the shakespeare specialism, but changed his mind half way through and is now applying for a linguistics based MA. i guess they make you take these courses for a reason

cupid_s

Well gear your cv towards the branch you do like and have done well in. and remember that on my masters course at birmingham uni they took people with 2.2s no problem. Try other universities who aren't as snooty as they are here!

Gabriel-Ernest

Another thread of Phil whining - again.

If you're struggling that much with academia, then obviously a Masters is a poor choice for your future. Get a job, aim for vocational training, and study with the OU in your spare time.

studentphil

Gabriel-Ernest wrote:

Another thread of Phil whining - again.

If you're struggling that much with academia, then obviously a Masters is a poor choice for your future. Get a job, aim for vocational training, and study with the OU in your spare time.

I am very very good at somethings, but others especially what I did last year, hold no interest for me.

I do not think it is whining as it is well documented the draw backs of including the second year for grading purposes.

I am going to get a job and do some distance learning or part time study I think, but it is a matter of finding somewhere half decent. I could go to a new university and they would have me, but what is the point of killing yourself at a good one just then to go somewhere that is not highly rated? Doing that would just surely weaken my CV.