If you have a 3rd/2:2 in your degree. What do you do now?

[eggandeggy]

Has it ever held you back?

I've taken a break from studying (psychology) but going back and my second year results are terrible. A 3rd. Realistically I'm unlikely to boost it up to a 2:1 but don't want to throw away the chance to get a degree.

Any advice to start career planning now? Btw, I have no idea what field to go in to or where to start looking. I've been a stay at home mum, so have just got caught up I'm care and domestic stuff.

DH got - 2:2 and is now in a senior manager position within a large multinational on a 6 figure salary. However - he would admit that he would never get a place on a grad scheme now with a 2:2 and as a recruiter he would instantly dismiss any graduates who applied with a 2:2 without even seeing them.

He’s lucky that he got an “in” when he did and he’s proved himself time and again. He’s actually very intelligent and incredibly good at his job, but he was a lazy waster at uni!

A teacher. I was a shit student. I'm a great teacher though

Dp and I both have 2.2s and are both teachers. When we graduated though, it was much more common to have a 2.2.

To be fair though - he’s in industry and his degree is very different to psychology. I suspect there would be a difference between arts subjects and STEM subjects. Would you consider going into teaching? You could complete your degree and then do a PGCE. I’m not suggesting that teaching is a fallback option for people who don’t do well in their initial degrees by the way, before I get shot down in flames, but you could lift your grade to a 2:2 in your final year, and then get onto a PGCE course and do very well in that - it would give you one more year of study before joining the job market. (If you’re in Scotland/or would consider moving to Scotland - they are crying out for teachers so a job would be all by guaranteed at the end of it)

Haha! Interesting cross posts!

Carol Vorderman got a third in engineering. It hasn't held her back.

My pgce provider (primary) only accepted candidates with a 2.1 or 1st.

I got a 2:2 after doing my finals off my face on prescribed drugs, lost the funding for a PhD, but did one after self-funding a Master's, then jacked in science and became a civil servant. About 2/3 my colleagues have MSc or PhDs, too.

My partner graduated in '97 with a pass (worse than a 3rd). He runs engineering at a large tech company. Has always done well at work.
The main thing will be getting your foot in the door and then building a good reputation & presence in your field.
My advice would be to start building up experience or a portfolio of work now.

I know a lawyer with an oxbridge 2:2. He has an ok career but he’s not a high flyer by any means. It’s been twenty years since he got that degree, it’s ridiculous that anyone is still asking for it and using it as part of the recruitment process.

A postdoc — I was a bit lucky that an academic realised I'd had a rotten time during the final year of my undergraduate and had enough money to fund me for a year (Masters, then we applied for funding for a PhD).

I'm hoping I can get away without mentioning my degree classification too much in the future! I've made sure to do a lot of other good CV boosting stuff that's relevant, and tried to get prizes etc in the hope that people won't care too much about what happened 6+ years ago. Although I am a bit worried with the coronavirus — I'll probably have to move out of academia when this contract finishes, and I don't know whether they'll be as impressed with my post-degree stuff.

This depends on your age. When I went to university 5% of the population went and the vast majority go 2:2s, with about a third (if that) getting 2:1. A first was rare. In my cohort of 40, there was 1 first,1-2 thirds, about ten 2:1s with the rest 2:2s

A 2:2 was a very respectable degree. A 2:1 was excellent, a first was truly exceptional

Nowadays 60-80% of students (depending on the institution) get 2:1s

One of my friends got a 2.2 in economics. She did a sandwich year with a placement in a printing company. After uni she went onto an entry level apprenticeship with the civil service but didn't enjoy this although there was potential for her to move up the career ladder through it. She stayed on the role for a year and applied for a pgce in maths which she is now currently completing and has a job lined up as a maths teacher for September.

Another friend got a 3rd in a subject similar to computer animation. He moved to another county for an entry level job in software development and is still there but has been promoted since.

A friend of a friend went to uni for computer science but couldn't pass the first year (he resat the year and still couldn't move onto second year) so got a job selling computer software instead and has since moved up and sideways career wise by moving jobs.

Another friend did psychology at uni with a sandwich year in a hospital, later did related work experience in a prison during her final year and after a master's went on to working in hospital.

All of the above were not parents so I'm not sure how helpful it will be for you but I hope it gives you some kind of inspiration.

Is it possible for you to talk to a careers adviser or course leader at uni to go through any potential options re your degree and getting relevant work experience in so that you can supplement your degree? I'm certain the way forward will be positive for you, it just may take a bit of time and career planning to get where you want but you have time now to put this in place for when you have finished your degree.

Carol Vorderman got a third in engineering. It hasn't held her back.

Carol Vorderman went to university when even a 3rd was worth more because there were many fewer graduates

@bumbbovine
Interesting. When did you graduate?

I got a third and am doing well now but have done lots of extra study and have permanently felt I've been trying to prove myself iyswim

Sorry,that was to @bumblingbovine49
Your post about the lower percentage of firsts is interesting

When we graduated though, it was much more common to have a 2.2.

This ^^ is very relevant. Due to grade inflation a 2.2 in 2021 is probably the equivalent of a 3rd when most mumsnet posters graduated. A 2.1 now is probably the same as a 2.2 back in the day.

My sister achieved a third and has a very well paid job, but she graduated in 1981.

Same experience of fewer Firsts and 2:1s ( late 1980s). My course had one first, half a dozen 2:1s. The First was the first one in 8 years at the college.

Can you work with any of your tutors to improve your grade? I have had students getting thirds/failing and helped them move up to a 2:1 before now, as often it's about not understanding what's required, and not knowing what's bring their marks down- once these skills are learned, it's rarely that someone's at a 'third' level. I have honestly never worked with a student who got into uni but then was unable to do better, with the right input and advice.

Everyone is right, getting a third now would place you in the bottom 10% and a 2:2 in the bottom third. So, if you are looking for posts which require external qualifications or have a lot of candidates, you are not going to do well in those. You may do very well though if you can get a foot in the door and prove your worth in other ways.

Get a couple of decent jobs under your belt and no one will even care what your degree was, much less so what you got.

I don't include my education at all on my CV and no one has ever asked. Seriously.

@TimHiggins

This makes me so angry. I received a 2:2 as had huge health problems throughout my degree and schooling and was on considerable medication. I applied to Oxford for my pgce and was accepted and I work phenomenally hard. I am currently completing a masters in AI and to think that someone who also has a 2:2 would dismiss me (grad 1993) is a joke.

Please tell him I said this. He is trying to raise his profile at the expense of others.

My brother got a third and is now in a good steady job after several years of lower level jobs but is essentially having to do another degree worth of professional qualifications to get promotion. Would it be worth trying to get a job and then doing relevant professional training to improve your prospects in that field instead as I'm not sure a third is worth the expense etc when you could put that towards some specific training. Although I'm aware lots of jobs need a degree to get a foot in the door. It's frustrating as your efforts might be better spent on something related to a career. Good luck, I'm sure something will turn up.

If you still have one year to go, are you able to take an additional course (or two) to bolster your grade average? You could start writing your dissertation now to clear time for extra courses next year....I assume you are returning in Sept.

Otherwise, you would have to think carefully about whether its worth paying for the last year.