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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBUto feel so angry with Dd's Uni

377 replies

Booklover123 · 09/05/2017 22:46

Dd taking her finals, first exam was today. Phoned me straight after distraught, as they had failed to provide the necessary appendices. Entire room were in tears, invigilators contacted dpt but to no avail.Were told to continue exam which they could not without the supplementary information! Tonight dd has received an e mail from said dpt "apologising for the error and mistake will be rectified". But how wii this be done? AIBU to be absolutely fuming with this utter balls up happening?

OP posts:
BeeThirtythree · 09/05/2017 23:22

YANBU, I feel for your daughter and the other students. Yes, that exam can be rectified but as OP stated it affects revision timetables/studying and refreshing revision for this first exam. It's the first exam and nerves are in full force, I would be upset...DH agrees, as a parent he says he would be fuming!
Hope your DD is able to get back on track and storm through the remaining exams...wish her and the other student luck!

nakedscientist · 09/05/2017 23:22

That is quite a big mistake, however, it is their mistake, everyone is in the same boat. They will correct for it, otherwise the lecturer whose paper it was will get into all sorts of trouble.
I am a head of department at a Uni and I can assure you it won't harm your DD's degree. It may well harm the person who made the mistake, glad its not my department!

scoobydoo1971 · 09/05/2017 23:23

I used to work as a University lecturer so I have sat on plenty of exam/ courswork invigilation panels. The external and internal examiners for a course have to convey concerns/ issues that account for grading. In the case described, the exam could be deleted from making any contribution to the final honours award for affected students. At some point during the week, your daughter must write a formal letter of complaint to the registrar by recorded post and the Head of Department should also receive a copy. This must state that an error has been made in the exam and that the University should reply stating how they intend to rectify the issue.

There is an internal complaints procedure through the registry for grading issues, and requests for remarking etc. This can sometimes be supplemented by an external complaint procedure to the OIA who look at student problems.

Original poster
Booklover123 · 09/05/2017 23:23

Lady, that's good, strategic thinking, Thankyou! I'll pass that on to dd tomorrow before her next exam!

OP posts:
user1493022461 · 09/05/2017 23:23

The entire room was distraught and in tears? Millenials!

BeeThirtythree · 09/05/2017 23:23

*effects

BenjaminLinus · 09/05/2017 23:24

Well I guess the ones that didn't sit and cry and just cracked on and did the best they could with what they had will be hoping that there isn't a re-sit. Crying? Really?

And I have first hand experience of similar, but 20 odd years ago - nobody cried, the invigilators were informed, the exam carried on and marks were adjusted accordingly.

Everything is such a bloody drama now.

SweetLuck · 09/05/2017 23:24

I think you're over reacting.

Original poster
Booklover123 · 09/05/2017 23:26

Bee, you have summed up both mine and dd,s feelings perfectly. I just felt so powerless and frustrated beforehand. Thankyou

OP posts:
Sprinklestar · 09/05/2017 23:29

It's really not good enough though, is it? If you think of the amount of money a degree costs, it's pretty shoddy that this happened.

I went back to uni to do a postgrad course this year and I've been appalled at how slack some of the lecturers are - distinct lack of IT skills (a lot of the work is online), presentations riddled with errors, the list goes on. Really poor standards compared with the corporate world and certainly wouldn't be acceptable in other arenas.

Original poster
Booklover123 · 09/05/2017 23:29

Thankyou scooby so much for the information, I will pass that on to dd. Much appreciated.

OP posts:
Original poster
Booklover123 · 09/05/2017 23:32

Sprinkle, dd has said previously that the tutor concerned has not marked previous coursework and frequently cancels lectures. I hope his head will roll!

OP posts:
HeyHoThereYouGo657 · 09/05/2017 23:33

The entire room was distraught and in tears? Millenials!

Quite.

And they go on about "Baby Boomers" in a derogatory way a lot of them , At least the BBs had some kind of backbone . In tears ? Dear oh dear.

Madmotherintheattic · 09/05/2017 23:33

The whole room were in tears? Good grief. Trust the university system - they will work something out, whether it is not including it in the averages of scores, or other means. Mistakes in exams (and life) do tend to happen. I would be really worried about their coping skills. I do understand that stress levels run high and exams are awful but since there was a whole room of them, and a clear dept error, acknowledged, I think everyone crying and parents being furious is a bit infantilizing. It will be worked out. Perspective...

Zimmerzammerbangbang · 09/05/2017 23:34

I still don't get it. It's not an externally moderated exam. It actually wasn't possible to do certain questions without the supplementary information. Everyone in the room was presumably saying this (rather than your DD thinking that she was somehow not getting it and everyone else was). They've promised it will be sorted out. Of course they'll sort it out - they don't want a whole course failing!

She really does just need to just put it behind her and move on to her next exam. I don't see how this would impact revision timetables or anything else - I sincerely doubt they're going to rerun the exam, they won't be able to fit it in!

Things go wrong and people screw up. I know many people who had far worse things happen to them during finals (including me actually) that wouldn't be compensated for by the university and, well, life's just shit sometimes and you have to make the best of what you get.

Original poster
Booklover123 · 09/05/2017 23:37

The tears are " catching" I should think and it is a very emotional and stressful time, i' m not sure that a lot of us hardy mumsnetters wouldn,t react in the exact same way!

OP posts:
SlothMama · 09/05/2017 23:38

I graduated only a few years ago but if that was my course there wouldn't have been tears. Most of us would have been arguing or have walked out at that point. The uni will definitely rectify it, the tutor may or may not be in the firing line. I think most unis have at least one useless lecturer...

Tell her to not let it affect the rest of her exams, push it behind her as her uni will deal with it.

Oh wow look a "Millennial" being rational....

KellysZeros · 09/05/2017 23:39

Crickey! You hope the lecturer's head rolls. Between the lecturer setting an exam and it ending in the exam roll, there will a few intermediary steps, from admin to the reproduction office. Any of these could make an honest mistake.
As to a lecturer cancelling lectures, it may well be that they have to be at a scientific meeting, or grant panel.

I think you are infantilising your daughter

Sprinklestar · 09/05/2017 23:40

Book - that wasn't uncommon when I was an undergrad either (15+ years ago). There still seems to be a certain type of lecturer who believes they're above the system. At the end of the day, universities are now a business and need to be held accountable. Students are paying for a service.

I'm really surprised at the direction this thread has taken. I'm not so sure some of the posters above wouldn't have complained had it been another type of exam that had been canceled. It's almost as though universities should be immune from criticism!

KellysZeros · 09/05/2017 23:40

That should be in the exam hall, not exam roll

KellysZeros · 09/05/2017 23:41

excuse typos - intermediate

grannytomine · 09/05/2017 23:41

On the last day of her finals my DD woke with a bad stomach bug, she took her last two exams sitting in a side room with a bucket to vomit into. I was so glad it was the last day and not the first. She got her highest mark in one of the exams she took that day.

Not just baby boomers with back bone.

SlothMama · 09/05/2017 23:42

Imagine parents anger if it was a SATS exam??

Original poster
Booklover123 · 09/05/2017 23:42

Zimmer, to be fair to dd, she was much more positive this evening and going forward with her next exam tomorrow. It's only her good old mum miles away that was getting rather het up!But not to dd,but I am much reassured by your kind and supportive words, Thankyou!

OP posts:
user1493022461 · 09/05/2017 23:43

i' m not sure that a lot of us hardy mumsnetters wouldn,t react in the exact same way!

Speak for yourself. It's completely obvious that it will all be sorted out properly, no need for the dramatics.