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.

I’m going back a few years but the PGCE course I applied for wanted a 2.2 or higher and I know someone who got that 2.2 and is now a teacher.

A few years ago a 2:2 might have worked for a PGCE but now it's a 2:1 and experience in schools. Our local university had over 500 applicants for 120 places.

The company I work for would not take you on the grad scheme with less than a 2:1. They would also ask you for your transcripts. You would not get on a PGCE with less than a 2:1 as a lone degree. I do know people who managed it but for shortage subjects a few years ago. My PGCE uni asked me for transcripts. People who graduated in 1994 or 1980 - it's not comparable. I don't think that's to do with grade inflation per se, but with the sheer number of grads competing for jobs now. You can thank Blair for that.

Yes i was on a PGCE with 35 places that had hundreds of applicants.
Many had Master's degrees (including me)

I got a place on a PGCE with a 2:1 but they were accepting candidates with 2:2s as well.

Speaking on behalf of ex, who is now a senior project manager. He graduated a year before the recession and worked his way up from entry level positions in national companies. He managed to secure as much training and extra qualifications as possible, and took on more responsibilities beyond his job role.

DH graduated with a 3rd in maths twenty years ago (admittedly from a very good uni at least). He was unemployed for a few months, then got an entry admin level job, turned out to be quite good at administration & worked his way up to a pretty well-paid office management role.

I got a 2:2 and am an accountant in a global company, with the opportunity to progress further in the company

@Mrskeats that's not true at all, lots of PGCE courses accept a 2:2

To be eligible for postgraduate teacher training, you'll need a minimum of a 2:2 degree, plus other requirements such as a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, so allow plenty of time to prepare your application.

www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/teacher-training-and-education/routes-into-teaching

It would be interesting to see the % of what grades are awarded now ... when I was at Uni (yes, last century ) a First was incredibly rare but now they seem much more usual. As a PP said, a bit like A levels ... no one got 3 A or whatever in my day (not sure they even awarded A).

My DP got a 2:2 in a business degree. He was not a good student but hes a good talker and is doing really well in his degree, earning six figure and bonuses.

However, if you want to become a clinical psychologist I haven't heard of anywhere that would let you on the doctorate/trainee psychology degrees with at least a low 2.1.

Seriously there is no chance of getting onto a PGCE at any decent place
Minimum very unlikely to cut it
If there are 40 places and you are up against all 2:1s and firsts you won't get in. For science roles PHDs aren't underheard of.
You can't even apply to where I went without loads of school experience too.

I have a 2:2 law degree. Now a solicitor working at a top 50 law firm. I certainly did it the hard way. But I did it in the end.

Graduated with a 2.2 in law in 2005.

I'm a solicitor. It would have held me back but I had a significant amount of paralegal experience in a very niche area of law, so as long as I remain in that area I seem to do ok.

I've gotten jobs at firms who would never have considered me for a training contract, even just after I graduated.

It's not transferable though. I've lived in places where my area does not exist and I've been repeatedly told by recruiters that getting any job would be very difficult due to my degree.

I agree you can do a lot in the next year to raise your grade. The third year may be weighted, so it counts for more than your second.

Go speak to your tutors and take their advice. They will help you if you are honest and keen.

Op your uni years are weighted in favour of the best performing year, so if you get a 2.1 in all your 3rd year assignments or higher That will tilt the scales to a 2.2/2.1.

Unfortunately it's unlikely but not impossible you Would get on a grad scheme etc with 2.2 or below. Hell in 2013 I couldn't get on a grad scheme with a 2.1. They're incredibly competitive. You'll likely have to get an admin/basic position and work your way up. I applied 3 times for nhs grad scheme, even whilst working for nhs. I started as band 2 and now 7 years later (and a gap yah) I'm an 8b manager.

Put your head down and work, think about the types of jobs you want to do, get experience where you can and don't be afraid to start at the bottom and work your way up. No shame in that (often it's looked upon better)!

Best of luck

Civil service

Civil service grad scheme (Fast Stream) is incredibly competitive, it's almost impossible to get onto it straight from uni even with a 2:1 or a First.

I got a 2.2 in my B Ed. I have been teaching for 23 years and I did my masters by distance learning at the University of Middlesex. I honestly don't feel it has held me back at all. I actually got a merit in my masters because I was able to use examples from my teaching with confidence.

My supervisor is a highly renowned consultant clinical psychologist, one of the most respected in the country. She got a 2:2 in her undergrad and lied on her doctorate application. She told them either during or after the interview what she had done and why, because they would have refused to see her.

She got away with it but I highly doubt it would fly these days, with those courses being even more competitive now than they were then.

Psychology is a good degree to have but if you're hoping to do further post grad study in it I don't think this will be possible with a 2:2 so maybe think further afield? Counselling/Psychotherapy can be a more accessible option, depending on the course.

I got a 2:2 from a good uni after missing 2 finals due to a serious illness. I decided not to wait another year to resit in case the same or worse happened.

I am moving up in the civil service (currently upper middle management grade and in an interesting job) and doing a master's so I can apply to retrain in grad entry medicine next year (most places want a 2:1).

I have to pass a pig of an entry exam but will have a good range of med schools to apply to who will accept my qualifications.

A vocational professional job in a private healthcare setting, earning 60k 8 years later. No one has ever asked to see my degree classification. Professional registration is enough so it hasn't held me back at all.

I went back to uni 8 years later and did an MA which gave me a professional qualification. I got a place on the MA despite my 2:2 because of the years of work I had done in the meantime. My MA was with Merit and from a much more 'prestigious' uni than the one I did my BA at. The difference was, I did my BA because that was what everyone expected me to do and I really shouldn't have been at uni at all- my mental health was awful, I tried to kill myself three times as an undergrad, I did my MA because I wanted to and thrived because I was mentally and emotionally ready for it.

How much does your final year count for? Mine was 75% for example. With second year being 25%.

What exactly is your average so far, nearly a 2:2 or not?

Oh TimRigginsHasMyHeart what a shame your husband takes that approach. You'd think as someone who has succeeded without the 'necessary' qualification he'd have a bit of insight and consider that there may be many brilliant people who could prove themselves just as he has, rather than just dismissing them like that.