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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to ask your advice regarding my degree?

124 replies

StudentInACrisis · 26/04/2015 02:03

Would be very keen to hear your advice and honest opinions.

To cut a long story short, I am studying for a dual language MFL degree at a RG uni. Currently in my final year, with exams starting imminently.

One of the languages has posed a huge problem to me since the beginning of this year. Actually, problems started to become apparent in my second year but I brushed them off and carried on as normal. It's worth mentioning that I achieved a 2.1 grade in my past three years of study btw, with occasional firsts in module marks.

Although I have tried to tackle the language this year, tbh I have found things quite overwhelming and actually buried my head in the sand about it, if I'm honest. This has impacted my other modules and I am on course to do a lot less well than I had hoped.

I feel that if I achieve a 2.2 this year (which is looking more and more likely), it would throw the past four years' work down the drain... This is going to sound childish but I did well in my A levels and GCSEs too, and I just feel like degrees should if anything represent an improvement on existing grades... Feel like if I achieved a 2.2 (and I honestly do think this would not reflect my potential) it would just undermine everything I've done so far :( BTW this is absolutely NOT a criticism of anyone who has this mark. I'm really not trying to sound snobbish, just trying to convey my current situation and the fact that I have tried so hard in other years...

I have been debating taking a year out (now it would only be a few months obviously) to focus solely on the language, and essentially re-start things, since the beginning of this year but something has always stopped me. My uni have confimed that it would be fine (although unorthodox) but I guess I'm most worried about people's reactions - would they feel as if I was 'giving up'? Would they judge me for the fact that I'm only doing this to improve my grades, as it's not like I have a 'real reason' i.e. a hospital stay? - as well as the fact that maybe later on I'll regret it.

WWYD???? I feel like it is even worse that I'm potentially choosing to do it now, ie just before exams, when I have actually finished all the relevant courses - I really wish I hadn't let it get this far. Obviously it is rooted slightly in exam panic but equally because I just feel deep down that this year as a whole has been terrible, and not representative of my true abilities at all. Am I being a coward?? Please please help, I literally have a matter of hours to decide

OP posts:

AyeAmarok · 27/04/2015 09:17

Trout I did a quick scan of some of universities' Masters courses last night, out of curiosity, and plenty (including non-science ones) say that the minimum entrance requirements is a "second class honours degree". Some do say "2:1 preferred", but there are plenty that will take a 2:2.

LotusLight · 27/04/2015 09:20

Over 30 years ago I needed a 2/1 for my first job so this is nothing new (and that was when only 15% of people went to university and 2/3rds of that tiny 15% got a 2/2 or less). Thankfully I got the 2/1.

Now 50% of children go to university and half of those get at 2/1 - so it is much easier to get a 2/1 now or else our children are much brighter than we were.

So it sounds like 2/1 over 4 years is better than a 2/2 over 3 (or adding a year for the year abroad language degree in each case).

DisappointedOne · 27/04/2015 10:04

Ah, okay OP. It's a complete coincidence that there have been 3 posts by childless students in here in as many days. First was removed due to "the childless housemate having discovered the thread". Second, by "the housemate" being removed under suspicion of being bullshit. And now this one. Another nervous language student with finals shortly using the same syntax and language and stating that they've been found out.

But all a coincidence.

Pull the other one.

UptheChimney · 27/04/2015 10:45

THe thing that's really irritating me about the OP 's attitude and a lot of responses on this thread is the assumption that because the OP "needs" a 2, i, that's what she should get by hook or by crook.

No mention of actually doing the quality of work to earn the mark.

That kind of instrumental thinking is self-defeating. It's probably why the OP has had difficulties and looks like not getting the grade she thinks she needs. There's a sense of entitlement: "I need a 2, i to get this flash lucrative job, so rather than actually work for it, I'll play the system."

And we wonder why this country's productivity doesn't compete with Germany or China?

duplodon · 27/04/2015 10:58

In fairness, I think realising you've not been working hard enough or at the right level and opting to take time out to rectify that in a way which will be costly and involve commitment to your subject is hardly as entitled or unproductive as all that. Expecting the grade without effort is very different to realising you haven't taken the right steps to obtain it and wanting to change course now you've seen the light, even if you've realised that late in the game. I failed first year and had to repeat many moons ago. I have a first in two degrees and a distinction in my masters since then, as well as a successful career to boot. People need chances to get back on track when they've underestimated what is needed.

GreatAuntDinah · 27/04/2015 11:18

Why TF would anyone make up such a banal thread?!

DisappointedOne · 27/04/2015 11:23

I didn't say it was made up.

niceandwarm · 27/04/2015 14:07

I agree with duplodon

FatherReboolaConundrum · 27/04/2015 14:28

For what it's worth, if there's a choice between taking and extra year to get a 2.1 and getting a 2.2 now, then you're definitely better off doing the extra year. Back when few people had degrees and many people got 2.2s or 3rds it mattered less but now that a very large number of people have degrees and 2.1 seems to be by far the most common result, it really does make a difference. Fewer than 10% of the students in my department graduate with a 2.2 or 3rd, or fail, so if an employer is interested in someone with a degree from us, why would they take someone who got a worse degree than 90% of their peers? And many MA programmes, including the one I run, will not take anyone with a 2.2 unless they have something else that cancels it out (a previous MA, for example, or many years working at senior levels in a relevant profession).

Binkybix · 27/04/2015 15:00

You need to get the info from the place where your job offer is held.

If you can defer for no real reason then I guess that might work out best for you, but the really top recruiters will notice and need a very good reason. A degree of the same level with one more year to achieve it is not as good, but probably better than a 2.2. It is cheating a bit tjough, isn't it?!

For the type of jobs you seem to want a 2.1 is important.

AyeAmarok · 27/04/2015 18:51

Agree that you do seem to think that you got A grades in school, ergo, you should get As at uni and be awarded a first/2:1.

Unfortunately 80% (or more) of the people on your course will have got at least as good marks as you. You need to step it up at university, not rest on your laurels/previous achievements.

Also, you're putting way too much focus on how family and friends will perceive this "failure" (to you).

I would doubt that the top graduate employers would overlook entirely taking an extra year to get an average result. So that ship may have sailed, but there is no reason you can't do just as well career wise via a slightly different route.

It might be a time to take stock and realise that things don't always easily just 'fall into place' without either significant hard work. What do you want? How much do you want it - are you willing to do the grunt work to make it happen? If not, eg with your degree, then just change the strategy.

Stickerrocks · 27/04/2015 23:12

A degree isn't a prerequisite for becoming a Chartered Accountant. Once a top firm really wants you, they will take you, often based on A levels & practical experience. Your degree becomes irrelevant once you start your accountancy training as you take your first professional exams within weeks, which immediately override your degree in terms of their usefulness to your career. When you have qualified 3 years later, you certainly don't need a Masters to progress.

Some of the best colleagues I know entered the profession with just A levels and have great careers with the Big 4 firms. Some Big 4 firms are developing their recruitment of A level students rather than just more RG graduates now. Hopefully OP will take advice from her future employer and those who know the profession, rather than fretting about the degree required to get a Masters, which I don't seem to remember featured on her wish list. Good luck with whatever you decide to do OP.

niceandwarm · 28/04/2015 12:10

Binkybix, if the op is allowed to defer a year how is it cheating?

AyeAmarok · 28/04/2015 12:59

Nice it's not cheating cheating, but she's done the year and all the lectures already, but wants to have twice as long as everyone else to study for her final year because she hasn't studied enough, all so she can say she also got a 2:1, but without having to do it on the same terms as the rest of her cohort. Which is a bit of an unfair advantage.

It's not the same as deferring a year because you've had a baby or something like that.

UptheChimney · 28/04/2015 13:03

I see what you mean, Aye (and I pretty much agree). That's why the OP may not be given permission to retake a year, simply because her marks haven't been what she wants them to be. There usually need to be mitigating circumstances.

Binkybix · 28/04/2015 14:56

Exactly what Aye said!

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 28/04/2015 15:20

I agree with Aye - but then there are some unis that require students to retake modules if they fail them but use the second, higher mark to determine the final degree classification, which is a variation on the same approach

Anyway, OP, have you spoken to your future employer about your options yet?

duplodon · 28/04/2015 17:04

I honestly see no difference: it's just being human. People underestimate what life requires and take the wrong path ALL the time. Having a baby or experiencing illness or depression are just different types of being human. You could just as easily argue that people shouldn't have a baby in the middle of a degree. If she hasn't done the work this year and she does the next, so what? I just see no element of "cheating" in it at all. She will pay the price financially - both in terms of repeating the year and losing a year of income. That's consequence enough for anyone, if you ask me.

TheListingAttic · 28/04/2015 17:13

Just a thought, but will deferring a year possibly be a blot on your CV itself? I know a couple of people who took an extra year to complete their degrees and some (not all) have found themselves having to explain and justify that. It's not necessarily bad in itself, but you might want a more creative reason than "I realised I hadn't worked hard enough/ignored a problem for too long" because that's not going to look great in itself. A reliable 2.2 might be seen as better than a flakey 2.1 - IYSWIM!

niceandwarm · 28/04/2015 20:37

Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that OU students can retake modules to get higher marks. Can't GcCSE and A level candidates do the same?

The Op may indeed need to be creative in how she explains her extra year of study but lots of people are creative without lying when it comes to job applications and interviews. It's called selling yourself.

DisappointedOne · 28/04/2015 21:51

No, OU students can't.

AyeAmarok · 28/04/2015 22:05

You couldn't do any exam resits or resubmissions of coursework/assignments/dissertation at my university either.

Although I have heard of it being allowed at other universities, but not at any of the 'top' ones.

CloserToFiftyThanTwenty · 28/04/2015 22:23

My (RG ) had to resit if we failed a module in order to get an honours degree but the lower (failure) mark was used to calculate the overall degree

UptheChimney · 29/04/2015 09:48

But that's if you fail ... you get a second go with the mark capped at 40% (the border between a Pass and an Honours grade) -- that's a resit.

If you have proven, documented mitigating circumstances the resit won't be capped at 40% -- it's a "resit as if first sit."

But if it's just the difference between an Honours grade eg between a 2, i and a 2.ii then there are NO grounds for a resit, other than proven, documented mitigating circumstances.

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