To think they should do something

[Singyourheartout]

I am a student doing a masters.
It’s the first year for this master and it is not going well. Lectures going AWOL. Not given proper information or adequate notes or help. Lecture expecting us to be psychic in there expectation. Ect.
Now while a masters is hard and is significantly more work and we need to go above and beyond.
We have recently got some our work yet an no one got more that 58 which is a pass. This is quite low especially when most people where in the region of 70s/80s in undergrad. Oblivious i don’t expect to get those sort of marks at masters level but it is ridiculous.
We had a massive meeting with lectures and got a telling off for not doing well and not meeting expectation of master students.
We have tried to complain and are met with defensive comments and very intimated lectures.
Obviously there is something wrong with the course of no one is getting above a pass. But they seem to be laying the fault squarely ar our door. Most people want to drop out and put there money left towards another degree. But for me and a few other people I can’t. Without the loan I get from student finance I couldn’t pay the contract accommodation payment even if I got a job.
I was hoping to do a doctorate but it looks without a masters I cannot do that and the whole experience is making me not want to do it at all.
I am so stuck and wondering why the uni won’t do anything.
Is there anything the wise mum of mumsnet can suggest ?

Is this is a taught masters?

Yes it is

Im not experienced in anything related if im honest, but how many people have complained? Because if the whole class has complained and especially to someone higher up then yeah surely something must be done

Complain to QAA

Ok so then the course needs to be fully contained. Complain directly to the school’s head of admissions, citing specific examples, and tell them the course was mis-sold to you; and threaten to go to the media about this. They may offer alternative courses to save face.

About 5 people have complain individually but we have class candidates who have complained on our behalf. I am on of those and when we do try and complain we are met with very defensive answer that and hard to argue with at our position

Have you tried through the student union?

We tried our student union who have been pretty useless. We complained that our student candidates opinions wheee being imidated. They chatted to them and that was it. We actually felt they where more hostile to us after.

Are you literate enough to be doing a masters? Seriously.

Obviously there is something wrong with the course of no one is getting above a pass. But they seem to be laying the fault squarely ar our door

Wrong assumption. Just because you are failing does not mean the course is faulty. Is your SPAG better in coursework than it is here?

Is English your first language?

I realise that people don't always articulate themselves well on forum like this but if your posts are indicative of your approach to the university I can understand why they might be dismissing your concerns.

most people where in the region of 70s/80s in undergrad - it's been a while since I was at university, but that sounds very high to me - are you sure you and your course mates' expectations are realistic?

off topic but i got 90s in my undergrad and 70-80s in my masters, 58 is quite low imo and shows lack of work outside of teaching hours

Is this feedback from your first assignment?

Based on your spelling and grammar, I presume English is not your first language. I find that some of our international students have unrealistic expectations with respect to marks. This is for a few different reasons. Firstly, they are coming from different cultures where the expectations regarding standards are different and secondly, because they are expressing themselves in a second language, they are not articulating themselves adequately.

It is not clear to me what the issues are. When you state lecturers are "going awol", do you mean they are not attending lectures or they are not available whenever you wish to speak to them? When you say expectations are not clear, there may be a level of self-directed learning expected of you that you are not used to.

I would suggest putting together a list of concerns in writing and sending them to your course co-ordinator. Ask for a response on writing. Take it from there.

I am writing in English because it was the best way of getting feedback.
But some of the comment on here are rude and mean.
This is not useful.
Going awol- I mean not going to lectures. For example missing 4/12 lessons
Expectation- On some modules we do have lots of self direction which personally I’m okay with. But they wanted something specific that they didn’t state.

Who's not going to lectures? The tutor who's supposed to be teaching it?

And you must get some feedback about your marks, don't you have a personal tutor

The tutors are not coming in so the lectures get cancelled or a group discussion is put into place. Which is useful to a degree.

If you are completing your Masters using the English language, then I would not be surprised at poor grades. That is not meant to be rude or unhelpful, but it was difficult to read your post, and several words were incorrect and changed the meaning of your sentences completely.

If you are completing your Masters in another language and country, then unless someone has experience within the education system of the country you are in, it is difficult to offer specific advice without knowing your country!

I'm a Senior Lecturer at a leading UK University and deal with my fair share of student complaints - both serious ones and whines.

There is not enough concrete information in your post to spot the problem and I confess, your writing may be contributing to a lower grade with that level of errors in it for masters assignments.

What country is this? Lecturers not showing up to lecture 4/12 is bizarre and truly unheard of in the uk...

Another vote here for your poor writing style and SPAG being the main reason for your poor grades.

Unfortunately, now that universities are private profit making businesses, they’ll take anyone on masters courses.