I've made a horrible mistake

[Moominfan]

So due to finish my degree employers have agreed to fund a masters all is looking well. Had my final module result and it's a fail. I've submitted my draft not my actual assignment. I can resit but grade will be capped which will drag my entire degree down outside of threshold for a masters. 6years of part time study.

Can you please tell me about your awful mistakes? I can't believe I've done something so stupid. Don't whether to laugh or cry

I think the problem is because the OU masters tend to be three modules only getting a pass only in the final one can bring you down to a postgraduate diploma instead of the masters because of weighting (if I remember correctly and I might not, it was years ago I did mine with them).

You could try your course OUSA rep (assuming they still have them - I was one for science, technology and maths in Wales almost twenty years ago) they're students but know how things work and can possibly help support you in an appeal.

In my experience from then (someone in very dire circumstances came to me for help resisting uncapped and was refused) you would be allowed resit but not allowed to do so uncapped. BUT that was then and things might have changed.

My silly mistake was when I took an A-level 20+ years ago and for my practical (home economics) I needed to make a dish for a special diet and chose vegetarian. I decided to add ham to the macaroni cheese to make it taste nicer . The person testing me even hinted I shouldn't put it in but I'd read how it would make it taste nicer and insisted, immediate fail. I even stood there arguing how much nicer it made the main course

I never owned up in RL that was why I failed. I even pretended to sit the exams!

I once bitched about someone in an interview - I was asked my professional opinion of someone who was a total idiot and didn't hold back. It was a panel of three people and the guy to the left, was, the total idiot. The guy asking the questions even tried to stop me, but once started I couldn't stop. Unbelieveably I got offered the job! I turned it down though as I would have been directly working with said idiot and it would have been horrendous - I didn't need to ask which of the three vetoed my application, it was a small place and I'd met him after the interview and he said I'd never work with him if it was the last thing he ever did. I'd just graduated, I'd never met him but he'd been used as an example of what not to do in the profession, never occurred to me he'd be interviewing me!

Could you not resit, accept the diploma and then try to get the masters elsewhere?

Sorry for my previous essay!

Oh no, I really feel for you

If there is a way to resolve this then you will find it, don't lose hope.

this sort of thing happens frequently due to poorly administered online systems in some instances

But there is no suggestion that this is the case in this instance. Nor are there any mitigating circumstances other than the OP making a mistake.

I would not be amenable to changing the grade on this, however if I were programme leader of the masters I would be sympathetic and probably waive the entry requirements.

No I agree with you polka. I think it’s worth a go asking but actually feel that students must bear responsibility.

Someone mentioned paying to resit so as not to be capped at a pass rate, is that actually a thing?! You can just pay to have another crack?

Not quite. At my uni, if you fail an assignment and fail your capped resit, you may be given the opportunity to pay to retake the whole module providing you stump up the cost. I think it was about £3k when a woman I know had to do it. She then got a fresh submission (which equated her 3rd submission) that wasn't capped and had she failed again, would have got another capped resubmission (equating to her 4th). If she failed it again, she would have been booted off the course.

It may be worth you asking to move this to the higher education thread.

This course is an undergraduate, was planning on moving to a masters with a brick uni. The draft was saved as ema1 on my computer and actual assignment was ema1 in my memory stick.

Apologies. I misread your op (and other posts) and thought you were doing a masters with the OU. Do try the OUSA rep (assuming there is one).

Sorry if I’ve missed this, OP, but is it your final year? That may change things (my Uni does not allow resits in the final year at all).

Yes final year :/

Sorry, ignore my advice. I've only ever worked with years 1-3 or postgrad students, never Honours (Scotland, four year degrees).

iveburntthetoast has just reminded me that we don't offer resits at all in Honours year so a capped resit is less harsh than where I work. I would speak to the OU but also speak to your masters university to explain as they might let you in anyway.

Were you supervised for the assignment? If a tutor marked or discussed drafts etc that would be good evidence that it was a genuine mistake

Got through to a senior student support advisor. Been told if I fail my resit purposely I can then pay to do that module or another and it won't be capped. Coming to terms with I might not be graduating this year. Don't know how I can face telling people.

Also can try the complaints procedure but it's unlikely. Currently trying to read their complaints policy pdf, there's a bit in there about academic appeals. Sadly a recent home move isn't extenuating circumstances but was worth the ask.

What about the stress from the move? It’s ok. Even if you don’t graduate this year it isn’t the end of the world. I know it feels a bit like that atm.

Don't give in. There are lots of ways to get round problems. It's possible to do some master's courses without a first degree, so evidence of prior work is important. Good luck.

That's really harsh - definitely worth contacting your personal tutor or similar, although, to play devil's advocate, it is your responsibility to check that you're submitting the right work.

I had a slightly similar situation with my M.A. Was working full-time as a teacher with 2 DCs and studying in my 'spare time'. Stayed up nearly all night to write a bloody good essay the night before it was due. Wanted to read over it again during free periods at school the next morning to check referencing etc then went to submit it at 11.30 before the 12pm deadline. The system (Turnitin) had been changed so that it only worked with Chrome rather than I. Explorer without informing distance learners. No computers with Chrome anywhere in the school. I submitted it by email at 11.45 explaining the situation and that I could send it properly when I got home. No good. Bastards took 20% off my mark for late submission. I (famously) punched a filing cabinet and broke a finger.

As it turned out, that one low mark brought my whole M.A down from a Distinction to a Merit. I totally feel your pain.

DD did the same, meant she got a 2:1 instead of a First after the result. I couldn't believe Shen had done it, she couldn't either. Tears a plenty.

It's stress, hopefully your employer is Ok with it

I do feel sorry for you and it is horrible when you make a mistake like this and if you have genuine mitigating circumstances fair enough go to the doctors and get a note.

However I would like to point out just claiming to be stressed or even being stressed about work is not really a mitigating circumstance on its own. All students are stressed. Your degree is preparing you for work, are you going yo claim stress each time you cock up or are you going to deal with it.

Using mitigating circumstances when it is not applicable is unethical and unfair on the other students and staff. Staff are put in the positon of having to make a decision over riding the rules of the university. Other students who have been conscientious and maybe taken time to check everything when they could have done more research are penalised.

Please think carefully about how you want to be able to see yourself when you graduate.

Check your University's regulations, they should be online. Some Universities take the best 100 credits of final year for degree classification thus discounting the lowest 20 credits - this might help you if that's the case.

Is it worth talking to the uni where you want to do the masters about their entrance requirements to see if they will accept you anyway?

I'm a course administrator in a university and I can't believe they are so harsh! I've had people submit drafts and we allow them to swap it out for their actual essay.

I submitted a draft by mistake and apparently the tutor didn't realise it was a draft - the poor love didn't understand that DRAFT on the top of every page meant it was a draft - and I wasn't allowed to resubmit. It cost me a 1st and I got a 2:1 instead.

I've done this. Thankfully my tutor noticed and asked me to resubmit my work. We never spoke of it again.

It's very poor that the marker didn't notice.

oh no OP, I hope they help you.