3rd degree, what do I do now? [Considering Appeal]

Savvy_Sue

Many jobs require report writing, so what you've learned in writing essays may just come in useful ...

BigBouncyBall

Phil - don't you dare turn this around onto you again, it's so rude to the OP. Start a new thread, in the arms preferably, then we won't have to listen.

pboae

dellfanatic, you need to find out about the appeal procedure urgently if you are going down that route. I appealled the day after I got my results, and made an appointment to see the necessary people the following week. They conveniently 'forgot' about the meeting (so I had a 100 mile round trip for nothing) and it was rescheduled the following week. When I finally got to meet them they listened to my appeal and then said it was too late because the results had been ratified the day before, and they could only consider an appeal before ratification, which was exactly 2 weeks after the day the results were released. The system is bound to be different in every Uni, but you need to be aware that there may be a tight deadline for this.

3plus1

Worst case scenario: you're stuck with that third. It's not ideal, it's not great, but hey, time to make a plan and to move forward. What is it that you would like to do, career-wise?

A lot of doors are shut to you - let's be realistic here. Most graduate employers only accept a 2:1 or above. But it's not all bad news - I received a job offer from Sainsbury's starting on £22k and there was no degree class specified in my offer. So I could have got a job starting on £22k with a third. Not bad - depends what you want to do, really. Anyway, the milkround is pretty much dead at the moment - you'd need to think about applying for jobs in September/October.

What I would suggest is aiming to apply for a job in the next milkround, and then use the time between now and then to do relevant voluntary work to build up key skills and boost your application. It's all about damage limitation now. Bear in mind that even if your uni doesn't accept your appeal for mitigating circumstances, you'll be able to detail these to future prospective employers.

Alternatively, it's not a bad idea to consider ditching all hopes for a graduate scheme and getting a regular job and working your way up.

Either way, time to make a plan and take action. You'll feel better for it, and you'll get somewhere.

BigBouncyBall

thats cracking advice - one of the best posts of the thread

dellfanatic

Hey pboae :hello: There's a 10 day deadline from the results letter, that gives me till this coming Friday, so I still have a couple of days to get things drafted really. It appears that the interview with the external examiner wasn't actually a 'viva' as he couldn't modify any of the marks etc. so what was the point?!! Apparently it was to see group performance in context of the degree scheme. Some people didn't even bother to turn up, I wouldn't have if I'd known it wasn't going to help me! :wall:

3plus1 - great advice, thanks - what was the job at Sainsbury's and how did you apply, what sort of experience did you need to get that offer?? I agree with a lot of the posts here that perhaps holding back the "3rd" from my CV is the way to go.

The more I think of it the less I want to do a Masters, after all, I'm in the same situation now as during the degree so I can't see myself suddenly picking up and doing better in a higher level of study. The world of finance and business becomes more appealing each day though as you say I'll need to get (voluntary) work experience in this sector to make sure it's definitely what I want to do - should I just email/write to companies to ask for say, a week's work experience, or are there agencies for this?

This week, I'll be concentrating on my appeal and whether it is worth it. Just another question (sorry!), is an "academic reference" always a compulsory part of one's CV? I know it's already been said that it is relied upon heavily, but if it turns out I have a strong case for an appeal, would it be better to stuff the reference and walk with a 2:2 :think: I have a good personal reference if that matters... Huge thanks again everyone!

pboae

Depending on the job, an academic reference is sometimes compulsory (I went for a job recently which insisted on it, even though I haven't studied for a few years now, but there was a training element to the job). However, failing to give a reference for the last 3 years of your life, is going to look pretty odd to most employers.

3plus1

dellfanatic wrote: »

3plus1 - great advice, thanks - what was the job at Sainsbury's and how did you apply, what sort of experience did you need to get that offer?? I agree with a lot of the posts here that perhaps holding back the "3rd" from my CV is the way to go.

Sainsbury's have a graduate milkround round about September time - they recruit for all sorts of divisions including IT, finance and property. I applied for the IT stream. I was the only girl at my assessment centre and didn't have a computing science degree like all of the boys. (I've just graduated in languages.) Still got an offer. I do have loads of work experience and voluntary work behind him though, and I will say that I came across as more confident than the boys. (Probably because at that stage, I'd done loads of interviews and was used to putting on a happy smiley interview face!)

When you apply for a graduate job with any of the big names, you are going to have fill out online forms and do online tests and disclose your results from each year of your degree. So holding back your results is not really going to be possible if you want to go down the graduate job route.

Business is hard to get into, and generally requires a business related degree.

You can go into accountancy from any background - it's what I'm doing, actually. The Big 4 won't touch you, but you might get lucky with a small accountancy firm. Or even Sainsbury's. Getting some work experience before going for an actual job (and training offer really) is probably the way forward. I would suggest calling up firms rather than emailing / writing a letter.

If you got a third in your undergraduate, are you not going to struggle with a masters? Just be realistic here. What is it about your undergraduate that you found difficult, and are you going to need the same skills for the masters you're interested in?

By the by, how did you do in your A-levls / IB / AHs?

Voyager2002

dellfanatic wrote: »

This week, I'll be concentrating on my appeal and whether it is worth it. Just another question (sorry!), is an "academic reference" always a compulsory part of one's CV? I know it's already been said that it is relied upon heavily, but if it turns out I have a strong case for an appeal, would it be better to stuff the reference and walk with a 2:2 :think: I have a good personal reference if that matters... Huge thanks again everyone!

Just to clarify: I suggested that your appeal could damage your reference, but I was NOT saying that the simple act of submitting an appeal would be punished by a bad reference. My concern is that if you word your appeal letter carelessly, it would make quite serious allegations against a member of staff. At that point, when you start throwing mud, you risk getting tagged as a trouble maker.

So my advice was that you make a point of seeing a tutor, or any member of staff who knows you and your work, and discuss very carefully exactly what you do (and do not) say in your appeal. That way, you avoid any risk of doing harm to yourself (or anyone else) while maximising your chances of improving your position.

And an academic reference can, in practice, be from anyone who has taught you. You need to give that person's name on a job application, and so long as their address is at the university their reference will count.

atthedrivein_2

To the OP, I sympathise with you greatly.
I just received a 2:2 from Imperial College London. I am not stupid nor am I lazy, my problem is that I have severe depression, have so for all the years of my university study. I do not know how it happened as it came like a theif in the night and today I am still not completely recovered. When I saw my results I was completely gutted as I know I worked damn hard to keep myself aflot, to keep myself alive while I studied for that degree. For the bulk of my time at university I did not inform anybody, not even the department as I was ashamed! I eventually told but obviosly they could do very little as I have had this illness for years and that has affected my results obviously so they never knew the real me nor my ability.
I just want to reiterate as just because I got a 2:2 does not mean that I am really dumb or really lazy. I had a lot of promise when I started my degree with 4 A's at A-Level and with having depression I did not go boozing every night, in fact I stayed in most nights in tears because of it and only pulled myself out of bed to go to my lectures and try to study.
There have been times over the past few years that I have thought of dropping out so I could devoted 100% of my time to getting well. Maybe I made the wrong decision to stay but if I didnt then I would not have a degree at all today so I am at least thankful for that. I know my degree unfortunatly does not show my capabilities and I never reached my full potential at university due to my illness. They say life is unfair but I have to soldier on and hope that in a few years I will look back and marvel at what I have accomplished as I am show you will. One thing I think noth of us have learnt is that in life there are no guarantees. Growing up I never thought I would lose my mental health but I did and it came at the wrong time in my life. I am thankful that I am alive today as after what I have gone through I never thought I would live to see today and lets both be thankful for our degrees. Life is surely not over!
I have decided that I will try and find work and clear my head for a year or two and maybe do a masters. I know that under the right frame of mind I am more than capable of doing the masters, I am an intellligent person. I would not go after it now as I am still ill and ver burnt out so instead I will continue to pursue treatment. Would some employers hold my degree class agaisnt me? Maybe, definitely. But I do not care. My main priority is to be happy and healthy.