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

clairet707

I graduated with a 2:2 4 years ago after struggling my way through the system (I even transferred unis during my placement year as I had exam issues and lecturer issues)

I was due to get a 2:1 but exams let me down and I was due to start a PhD at Sussex October 2003 but due to getting a 2:2 the funding was removed.

I applied for a MSc and got in, and started that October 2004 after 9 months in Oz and working for 6 months. I graduated September 2005 with 62% and a diagnosis of dyslexia (explaining the difficulties I had trhoughout uni and school)

I am now midway through a PhD elsewhere, though have now realised I do not want to do this anymore so am writing up as MPhil and looking for jobs

I am also based in the sciences! There will be MSc or MRes courses available to you, a 3rd degree doesnt mean you will struggle (I got 78% on my MSc project but struggled with exams - I got 29 on one) and also jobs available - have you looked at New Scientist jobs or even SRG's website, there are loads on there at the moment (just dont steal my job :rotfl: )

Whatever you do, do it with pride and look upon your life experience for help, you will find something!


(my cousin never went to uni and ended up working in canary wharf banking earning a small fortune - her bonus was more than my mum earns!:eek: )

Mandarin

dellfanatic wrote: »

Hey Mandarin, I know, it sucks doesn't it? Your average is so close, how could they not give it a little prod into a 2:2?! :wall: I don't know whether like me you've got someone willing to give a good reference that would help. I think I'm going to mention an appeal in my email to him so he knows I've considered it, but in reality I'm probably not going to. I guess you should look in detail at exactly what a masters consists of, I've done that and it changed my thinking, the course really isn't a walk in the park. However a research masters, that's different.

Hey Thanks for starting this thread, I think it is interesting and good place for people who has just graduated to discuss such issues.

Anyway, I'm working on my academic appeal draft at the moment and getting all the documents (prove of incident..etc) together and hopefully I can send it out to the head of the department by the end of the week.

I have looked through many postgraduate prospectuses online, I know at this point a masters degree is something I want to do and more importantly something I am capable of doing. Anyway mate, we should keep our hopes up because I know we can do it.

Good luck!

Zazen999

Hi.
From my experience - degrees and above are not about what you know, but how well you play the academic game.
I apparently failed one of my modules - I appealed and lo and behold it was because i had handed an essay in late. It was an agreed late though and I showed them the evidence and I got the result I should have had.
They are !!!!!!s though, and stick together so good luck. For what it is worth, just don't get personal with any of them - even if they agree with you that the tutor is crap etc; they have a 'duty of care'; so keep it to mitigating circumstances and not about the ignorance or unprofessionalism of the person in question; even if they have been total idiots [or whatever words come to mind]

keeperbear

Zazen999 wrote: »

Hi.

They are !!!!!!s though, and stick together so good luck. For what it is worth, just don't get personal with any of them - even if they agree with you that the tutor is crap etc; they have a 'duty of care'; so keep it to mitigating circumstances and not about the ignorance or unprofessionalism of the person in question; even if they have been total idiots [or whatever words come to mind]

And who would blame them? Many students fail to work and undertake independent study, and then blame lecturing staff for their poor grades. All students are adults, and should be mature enough to realise their own failings. Many aren't, and look to blame everyone else for their lack of success.

keeperbear

studentphil wrote: »

All I can say is the city just can not see a good employee when they see one.

When I look at my CV the degree class is the most small part of the CV and I can not see why as soon as an employer reads all the other things I have one there that one number counts because I messed some second year exams up in a subject that is not related to the job.

Many graduate recruiters would disagree with you, and their opinion counts more than yours. To them, a person with a 2:1 succeeded in all their examinations, not just the degree-specific modules.

Dithering_Dad

keeperbear wrote: »

Many graduate recruiters would disagree with you, and their opinion counts more than yours. To them, a person with a 2:1 succeeded in all their examinations, not just the degree-specific modules.

What Keeperbear is really saying here is that HE disagrees with you and that his opinion counts more than yours...

Keeperbear, you're such a troll. Why don't you every have anything supportive to say to people? You have made about three posts today and all of them are negative. You need to get a girlfriend and get out more.

Blacksheep1979

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

What Keeperbear is really saying here is that HE disagrees with you and that his opinion counts more than yours...

Keeperbear, you're such a troll. Why don't you every have anything supportive to say to people? You have made about three posts today and all of them are negative. You need to get a girlfriend and get out more.

DitheringDad - why are you so negative, the two posts of yours I've seen today have been negative and you seem to have been following Keeperbear arround slating them?

Dithering_Dad

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

DitheringDad - why are you so negative, the two posts of yours I've seen today have been negative and you seem to have been following Keeperbear arround slating them?

true, though my other posts have been lighthearted. I came across Keeperbear when I first joined this site back in April. He basically jumps from thread to thread and posts negative comments or advising people to overstretch when house buying or he goes onto the DFW site and slates the people there who are trying to sort out their problems.

Basically I decided I'd take up a hobby of Troll-baiting and now I follow him about trying to convert him to reasonable posts that offer good, supportive advice instead of just making people feel like fools.

Dunno if this hobby will work out, but it keeps me occupied

Chadsman

BigBouncyBall wrote: »

There are also two more: "Pass" and "Fail" - A third is not the bottom of the pile. A Third is a perfectly acceptable degree classification - better than a Pass! It's like getting a C at A-Level with a passing being a D, say and a Fail being an E or something.

It is also possible to get an aegrotat which is awarded when a student cannot sit their final exams due to illness or other exceptionally good reason. It should be an unclassified ordinary degree awarded without the honours that go with 1st, 2.1, 2.2 and 3rd but some places do award it with honours. I have a dim recollection some 19th century PM got a 4th class honours degree but I may be imagining that. Certainly no unis in UK now award a '4th'.

I got a 'Douglas' also known as the drinking mans 1st. I remember going to one interview (to be a teacher) and the interviewer made some sniffy comment about how they wanted someone with a 'better' degree. I asked later why I was invited to interview if they were never going to appoint me. He didnt have an answer!

I have since done a masters degree and am now half way through a PhD. No one has ever asked me what degree classification I received. I have only ever had that one comment about a 3rd and I think that incident says more about him than me.

BSc Hons looks just as good after my name as anyone else's. A degree is only a bit of paper, it does not measure a persons worth nor goodness and does not tell you how happy you will be!
:beer:

melancholly

Chadsman wrote: »

Certainly no unis in UK now award a '4th'.

i did know someone who was awarded a degree without honours for just passing but not getting enough for a third....... so it can happen still!!