Graduation - Did you go?

HPoirot

barbarawright wrote: »

If you don't go, do make sure you get sent your certificate. I missed both of mine and didn't get sent a postgrad certificate. Didn't need it for years but when I did, it was quite difficult to chase it up (the institution had changed name for one thing)

I was never given a certificate at the graduation ceremony, just a hand shake from the Chancellor . Our certificates were sent out by post to our addresses at a later date. It was the same with my postgrad degree, for which I didn't bother turning up to the graduation ceremony anyway.

OP if the ceremony won't do anything for you or your parents, then I wouldn't bother. My parents travelled for both my and my sister's first degree ceremonies but didn't pay much attention to our postgrads. I guess they thought we were seasoned adults by then and yet another ceremony would be embarrassing at best! On the other hand, my brother graduated in France and they just don't do ceremonies there. Or at least the Sorbonne doesn't. Which, if I were in his shoes, I would have felt I had missed a rite of passage somehow.

Bottom line is I guess the ceremony is just whatever you make of it.

tayforth

I went to mine. My parents both beamed with pride all day long, and now that my dad is no longer with us, I'm so glad that I did. It was one of the highlights of his life, bless him.

Cottage_Economy

marywooyeah wrote: »

Yes I am bitter about it - I've already explained this twice!

I needed a first to be able to progress in my career and didn't get one. That's why it doesn't feel like an achievement to me at all, it feels like I worked so hard and failed. I don't expect anyone else to understand because no one else went through the experience that I did - degrees are very personal and there's no right or wrong way to feel about it.

A degree is very relative to whoever is doing it - someone above said that they would be devastated to get a 2:2, whereas OP has said they would be pleased to get one.

There's no universal rule as to what is a good degree or not. It doesn't mean that one classification is bad and one is good, there are so many factors which affect how people will view their results.

It depends on what you want to do with your degree - some post grad courses and/or careers require a certain grade to progress and other factors such as what subject you are studying and what uni you went to etc.

OP I hope you are feeling a bit clearer as to what you want to do x

I understand completely. I missed out on a first class degree by a couple of marks.

I was told after I got my results by the head of the school that I had very narrowly failed one exam in my second year, which pulled down my grades by a couple of marks to just under the required level overall for a first.

I had been ill on the day of that second year exam, but soldiered on and failed it completely, not realising I could have delayed it had I spoken to the tutors and sat it a few days later.

It was such a bloody hard course - 25 of us started and only 16 graduated and I had no life at uni due to all the constant work, tests and exams every week. Forty hours of lectures a week, plus lab time, extra reading and study.

So annoyed with myself for not telling someone I felt so unwell, but the mantra on the course was very much "hard work, no excuses".

OP - I went to my degree graduation, for my parents not for me though. They wanted the picture of me in the gown etc despite my father having withdrawn his financial support from me when I left home as I wasn't doing the degree he wanted me to.

I didn't bother with the PhD ceremony though as I was living abroad at the time and didn't want to fly back.

Soleil_lune

Mary and Cottage, I can understand how you feel. If you outright didn't get anywhere near the first, that would be one thing, but to get so close must be frustrating. I think people with a 2:1 are offended though, because they think you're slating a 2:1 as crap, when what you are doing, is saying you were disappointed in yourself for not getting a first.

Crossed wires methinks.

Oh and to the OP, do what you want to do; you're not being selfish. People demanding that you do what someone else wants to do are the selfish ones.

That said, I think if it meant a LOT to my parents, I would go, as it really is only a day out of your life.

Mrs_Ryan

studentuk1 wrote: »

Thanks for all the responses. They've definitely provided food for thought.



I'm looking into teaching too. From what I can tell, you can get on a PGCE with a 2:2, but it depends on what you want to teach.

I'd be looking into teaching secondary Computer Science, which is under subscribed and is offering £15k bursary for 2:2, and £20k for 2:1.

If you were to teach Physics or Math, you'd have a shot at getting onto a PGCE even with a third, and they'd give you a £9k bursary.

Primary - you'd probably need a 2:1, but I've known people who get accepted with a 2:2.

I'm looking to teach English- not sure at what level yet. I did really want to teach literacy to adults but when I mentioned this to the careers people at the OU they said don't restrict yourself so much! I did look into it and I think there's some sort of specific qualification you need to teach adults but I might go down the route of doing the secondary PGCE in English just so I've got something to fall back on. Unfortunately I believe that English is about the only subject without a shortage but English is the only subject I'm any good at!

marywooyeah

Cottage_Economy wrote: »

I understand completely. I missed out on a first class degree by a couple of marks.

I was told after I got my results by the head of the school that I had very narrowly failed one exam in my second year, which pulled down my grades by a couple of marks to just under the required level overall for a first.

I had been ill on the day of that second year exam, but soldiered on and failed it completely, not realising I could have delayed it had I spoken to the tutors and sat it a few days later.

It was such a bloody hard course - 25 of us started and only 16 graduated and I had no life at uni due to all the constant work, tests and exams every week. Forty hours of lectures a week, plus lab time, extra reading and study.

So annoyed with myself for not telling someone I felt so unwell, but the mantra on the course was very much "hard work, no excuses".

OP - I went to my degree graduation, for my parents not for me though. They wanted the picture of me in the gown etc despite my father having withdrawn his financial support from me when I left home as I wasn't doing the degree he wanted me to.

I didn't bother with the PhD ceremony though as I was living abroad at the time and didn't want to fly back.

Cottage economy that really sucks that sounds so harsh, you clearly must be very brainy though if you went on to get a PhD - you must be thrilled with that

Soleil_lune wrote: »

Mary and Cottage, I can understand how you feel. If you outright didn't get anywhere near the first, that would be one thing, but to get so close must be frustrating. I think people with a 2:1 are offended though, because they think you're slating a 2:1 as crap, when what you are doing, is saying you were disappointed in yourself for not getting a first.

Crossed wires methinks.

Soleil yes I think people must be getting crossed wires as I've repeatedly explained that I am disappointed with my degree grade and not that I think a 2:1 or otherwise is a bad grade, it's just all relative to how anyone personally views their own results.

thanks for recognising that x

Buzzybee90

I know it's different for different courses but it's hard to simply miss out on a first, if your work was worthy of it then a first would have been awarded. It's true with exams that you could be a few marks off a first but with essays/ dissertations etc it's banded first then decided how high or low from that, e.g. A 60 and a 68 are both 2.1s, the 68 is just a better 2.1.

In my experience my degree had three ways of being graded, in order to give students the best opportunity. Dissertations are very heavily weighted so need a good mark. If you got 100% 68%s then that's great but it's still just a very good 2.1, not a little bit from a first.

shop-to-drop

My OH narrowly missed out on a First but wasn't bothered in the least in fact I think he was glad. He seemed to think that those who achieved Firsts were largely thought of as purely academic, picking modules that were easier to achieve higher grades and lacked knowledge of the subject outside academia and practical ability. We are going back a few years and he is an electronics engineer. He is still suspicious of anyone with a First who he interviews. The only one on his course who got a first was an awkward shy boy who hasn't gone on to achieve much. So I guess this strengthened his view.

TBagpuss

studentuk1 wrote: »

Did you go to your graduation ceremony if you went to university?

I'll have mine in a few months (grades permitting), and I really do not want to go. I didn't particularly enjoy university, or the people on the course, and am so happy it's now over and I can move on.

I couldn't think of anything worse than going back for a day, and bringing together my divorced parents, however both my parents really want to get that photo and have their 'proud' moment, and I feel like I shouldn't be selfish and should give that to them.

Did you go to yours?
Am I being selfish towards my parents if I do not go?

What is your relationship like (generally) with each of your parents? If you have, in general, a good relationship with them (or with either of them) then I would think about going, as a gift to them.

You can also think about which parts of the day you are willing to participate in - for instance, you might be able to compromise by telling your parents that you are willing to attend the ceremony, and to pose for photos with them (if they don't get on, you might be able to spend some time with one of them before the ceremony and one after, for instance, so they both get to attend the ceremony, and both get to have a photo of you in our gown with them, bu you don't have to spend a day as piggy in the middle.

It's also worth checking out how your university organizes the day and how regimented it is.

For instance, when my elder sister graduated, the 'reception part was in the same room as the ceremony - and immediately afterwards, and it would have been quite difficult to skip. At mine, the reception was in a different building and it would have been easy to avoid that part, or to leave early.

I went to mine - Mostly, it was very dull, but on balance I think I'm glad I went -and when my younger brother got his OU degree and I went to his ceremony, i expected to be bored (which, in fairness, i was, as like every graduation ceremony, it's a lot of waiting around and then listening to a list of names which are mostly wholly unfamiliar!) but it*was* good to mark the occasion and his achievement, and i would have been disappointed if he had decided not to attend.

I think that in our place, rather than feeling that you 'ought' to mark the occasion, think about whether it is something you can bear to do purely for your parents benefit - rather than your own - if so, do it.

If your parents split was so bad that they can't be civil to each other then tell them ahead of time that you are only willing to go if they *both* promise to behave. Allocate some time to each of them (e.g. meet your dad before the ceremony, he can go with you to get your gown, can take pics with you then etc, then meet your mum after the ceremony, she can go with you to drop off your gown, take pics with you before you do etc. and tell both of them that if either of them interferes when you are with the other you will leave, no second chances. None of the ceremonies I've been to have allocated seated - just limits on numbers of tickets, so they need not sit together. If they don't get on, then the reception part of the day is likely to be the most contentious as that 's the mingling art, so you could chose to attend the ceremony and tell them *both* that you won't be going to the reception (or, of you want to see any of your classmates, that you will be going alone!)

Whatever you decide, congratulations on your degree!

GoldenShadow

I've been thinking about this more today and am coming around to the fact I should probably go 1) because I can't go back in time to re do it and 2) because of my Mum. Its really hard though, I wish we got presented with our certificates at the ceremony!

I think classifications are all much of a muchness. A bit like where you went to uni. I went to a uni with a very poor reputation so I feel like a First pulls up my degree a bit. Probably the same as a 2:1 from a better university type of thing. Its what people do after uni that matters. One woman I worked with got a 2:2 and uses that as the reason for why she has never gotten far, but I think its just because she was working full time anyway and didn't want to uproot/change.

Billie-S wrote: »

Wow, what pig-headed, jealous, childish numpties! :rotfl:

Tell me about it! I had a tough time at uni for a while and they were so lovely to me when I really needed support. As soon as I was on my own two feet and really doing better than I thought was possible after the last year I ended up being ignored unless they wanted something. I don't even know what their final classifications were, neither responded to me when I told them what I got (after they messaged me to ask). Ironically I'm the youngest of the three of us, too..!