Universities and the myths

Blacksheep1979

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Similar exam questionat Essex;

"Is this a question?"
student reply
"If that is a question, this is an answer."
Also a first.

Yeah heard a few of those ie

'What is a question and what is an answer'
'That was a question and this is an answer'

'What is Bravery'
'This'

and the Cambridge/Oxford student that found out he was entitled to a pie and tankard of ale at each exam and so demanded them only for the exam board to read the rules and find out that you had to wear a mortarboard to each exam so failed him.

Keep em coming guys - much better myths than SP's.

loobs40

I don't have time to read all of this thread, but from my experience at work, nobody gives two hoots whether you have a degree, A-Levels, GCSE's or whatever. The issues are:

a) Can you do the job reasonably well, show enthusiasm and initiative and find out the answers when you don't know them ?
b) Can you get on with the people you work with ?

I am sorry to say that the OP looks like he would fail b) and that would be obvious at an interview. Qualifications are an opening, not the be all and end all

melancholly

BigBouncyBall wrote: »

no i appreciate they are 'myths' - i just wondered what an answer like that would get if it really came up. To answer the question "what is bravery" with "this", i think is a cracking, witty and intelligent answer, but it cant be given any marks surely?

having sat cambridge exams, where maths and chemistry marks are related to the 'beauty' of the answer over the accuracy, and on whether or not you mentioned other things that weren't explicitly asked in the question, i can just about believe that something like that would get a mark! they're meant to test how you think, rather than your factual recall, so i can see it working - i wouldn't have had the guts to write it though, too great a risk of backfiring!

Rosie75

ringo_24601 wrote: »

My little bro was at York uni.. the running myth/folklaw was that you would be expelled if you killed/injured one of the resident ducks

Not a myth - it's written in the university regulations,

lady_fuschia

Couldn't be bothered to read any more than a bit of this thread but I just wanted to say that the amount of people who think getting less than a 2:1 at uni is a big deal are relatively few.
OK so you may get a bit of ribbing if it comes up about it being a drinker's degree, and the odd person who gets on their high horse about it - but do you actually really care what they think? If you know you're not stupid and lazy, and can prove that you're not stupid and lazy (by actually doing stuff to prove it, rather than making excuses!) then what does it matter? It's only a problem if you allow it to be a problem.

I got a 2:2 myself - I had a few personal problems, I should possibly have chosen a different course, been more organised, taken a year out - hindsight's a wonderful thing - but at the end of the day that's what I got, and whilst I haven't got a brilliant job, I have a reasonable one, and through producing a good portfolio of work, managed to get accepted on a Masters that normally specifies a 2:1.

A few months ago I was a little down about my job prospects/ self-worth etc, and since then I've spent a lot of time talking to other graduates. The main thing that stands out is that graduates with 2:2's are often struggling to find good jobs. But the reason they're struggling isn't because of their degree classification - it's the exact same reason as the graduates with 2:1s who are struggling - lack of experience.

If you get a 2:2 or a 3rd, yes certain people will think less of you - but your answer to that is to prove them wrong. Find a way to show potential employers that you're not stupid - and b*llocks to what everyone else thinks - they're not the ones paying your wages.

keeperbear

lady_fuschia wrote: »

I just wanted to say that the amount of people who think getting less than a 2:1 at uni is a big deal are relatively few.

If you get a 2:2 or a 3rd, yes certain people will think less of you - but your answer to that is to prove them wrong. Find a way to show potential employers that you're not stupid

You have contradicted your own argument.

With a 2:2, you will NOT get interviewed for certain jobs. Nor will you obtain a place on many postgraduate courses. These are facts. Thus, getting a 2:1 or better degree is a "big deal". The job market is competitive, and employers do not have time to consider the circumstances behind your 2:2 degree award.

Dithering_Dad

keeperbear wrote: »

You have contradicted your own argument.

With a 2:2, you will NOT get interviewed for certain jobs. Nor will you obtain a place on many postgraduate courses. These are facts. Thus, getting a 2:1 or better degree is a "big deal". The job market is competitive, and employers do not have time to consider the circumstances behind your 2:2 degree award.

Sorry, make that 4 negative posts today. KB you're such an expert on anything. Whether it's education, house buying, stock market investments, renting, BUY to Let or Sell to Rent you have an opinion.

It's just a shame your opinion is almost exclusively a negative one. Life must have dealt you a poor hand for you to be like this.

Surely though you're still young enough to turn it around. Get out of that one bed flat of yours and start meeting people. Find a girlfriend and settle down. Buy that house with a garden you have been hankering for. Live a little!!!

Blacksheep1979

Dithering_Dad wrote: »

Sorry, make that 4 negative posts today. KB you're such an expert on anything. Whether it's education, house buying, stock market investments, renting, BUY to Let or Sell to Rent you have an opinion.

It's just a shame your opinion is almost exclusively a negative one. Life must have dealt you a poor hand for you to be like this.

Surely though you're still young enough to turn it around. Get out of that one bed flat of yours and start meeting people. Find a girlfriend and settle down. Buy that house with a garden you have been hankering for. Live a little!!!

There's a difference between negative and realist and what kb said was very accurate. There are alot of firms that will instantly bin your application if you get less than a 2.1. Hiring and training people costs loads, to keep costs down they will filter people this way as they may still only want 10% of the people with 2.1+ but possibly only 1% of people with a 2.2 so to a firm its not worth the additional cost - you aren't unique and you aren't the only person who could do the job.

knightsimon

So what grade did studentphil get in the end?

Dithering_Dad

Blacksheep1979 wrote: »

There's a difference between negative and realist and what kb said was very accurate. There are alot of firms that will instantly bin your application if you get less than a 2.1. Hiring and training people costs loads, to keep costs down they will filter people this way as they may still only want 10% of the people with 2.1+ but possibly only 1% of people with a 2.2 so to a firm its not worth the additional cost - you aren't unique and you aren't the only person who could do the job.

True but doesn't Keeperbear take such delight in telling people bad news.

This is usually only a problem when you are first starting out and have no experience. Once you have a couple of years under your belt no employers care.

Are you Keeperbears spoke person?