Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dropping out of Masters so embarrassed and lost

283 replies

KnuckFows · 08/12/2019 23:12

Realised my dissertation is simply not good enough. It absolute won't pass, it would be ok for undergrad but not this. DP is exasperated says I'm being too hard on myself and negative, that's not it though it really is not relevant and only realised what the problem is today and can't fix it in a couple of days.

I'm so depressed about this, and my family will be a bit contemptuous. I've dropped out of a postgrad degree before but really thought I could do it this time - and I have done well in my assignments so there's that. I will have a certificate.

My family all take for granted I can just do this level of academic work, I grew up being told how bright I am and im clearly bloody not!! I feel like that is (unintentionally) a set up for feeling like a failure when I can't deliver? Which I honestly can't.

I have an adhd diagnosis but not even really sure I have it, I have several medical conditions which can possibly interfere with concentration and stamina, and mean I could not try the adhd medication anyway.

The thing is it doesn't even matter what the reason is for failing, the reasons why become meaningless, just that oh look KnuckFows has failed again smirk smirk.

At a loss, not sure what direction to go in now without this degree. More fool me for thinking id get it.

.

OP posts:
SevenStones · 09/12/2019 00:28

Feeling unwell is par for the course. You'll feel better later in the week after you've submitted.

What physically have you got left to do to have it ready to submit?

Reallybadidea · 09/12/2019 00:28

Oh and with the whole no results thing - my conclusion for my dissertation was that my results were meaningless because the research design was shit and the research question was basically still unanswered - that's a valid conclusion!

Todayisontheup · 09/12/2019 00:29

@KnuckFows please don't give up! I was where you are now last year with my dissertation and nearly packed it in. But, I slept on it and thought no, I am not throwing all of these years down the drain. I gave myself two days off and then worked two overnighters.

I submitted two days late, got a penalty, but got a 2:1.

You nothing to lose now, but everything to gain! Just go for it. Take time off work if you have to, but give yourself one/two days off to let your head calm down, and then go for it.

  1. Ask for a further extension - nothing to lose by asking.
  2. Ask your supervisor for some help - they usually want the best for you so again nothing to lose by asking. I did and got the help I needed.

Good luck, and keep focused.

SevenStones · 09/12/2019 00:30

As long as you can explain why there's no conclusion one way or another. You don't need to prove your hypothesis, you can say more research needs to be undertaken because blah blah blah (which is my personal favourite in these situations!).

Ffsseriously · 09/12/2019 00:31

If you are like me the talking to people when I think I am failing is something I really struggle with,. I feel completely embarrassed and I literally just want to retreat and pretend none of it ever happened. But at some point we do need to take a risk, otherwise our lives get so small.

DeathStare · 09/12/2019 00:32

They can't help though?

I was in touch with the course coordinator a few weeks ago when they asked if I was ok to submit, and I said yes because I thought it was going to be ok at that point

I work in this field (as one of my jobs!). There will be things that can be done. You are not the first to be in this position and you will not be the last. Tell them what is going on with you and ask them if a medical note would help. Ask them what happens if you fail (you almost certainly get another go for a capped mark). Ask them what happens if you don't submit. Ask them about an extension. Ask them about intercalation/interruption of studies. Ask them about appeal if you do fail or don't submit.There WILL be a way to help you.

Email them now. Explain EVERYTHING. I'll bet you have a reply within 8 hours.

Original poster
KnuckFows · 09/12/2019 00:35

It's 1500 words short of the word count, I should have been easily able to finish that off over the weekend but couldn't. Then in the shower it hit me about the results and I just got so wound up thinking everything is wrong.

The course coordinator is going to think im an arsehole everyone was so patient organising this extension fo rme. What do I even say?

Should I still just plan as though im going to submit but still email?

OP posts:
GameChange123 · 09/12/2019 00:36

As you can see from the votes OP, the current voting data is around 90% that you are being unreasonably (harsh) with yourself.

Everyone is vying with you to submit something ( rather than nothing).

I didn't think I'd pass my masters and surprisingly my dissertation scored higher than my coursework,so what did others know that I did not know?

You can do this! You are nearly there!

HerRoyalNotness · 09/12/2019 00:36

Of course you’re good enough! You’ve got to within 2 days of completing your masters. Just do it.

Can’t you write up a section on why you have no results and why you dismissed the data that resulted from your own research, what you think went wrong and what could be tried in the future?

Original poster
KnuckFows · 09/12/2019 00:37

I know the committee frequently denies further extensions as my tutor told me they don't want students using them for extra time to just get a better grade.

OP posts:
DodgeRainClouds · 09/12/2019 00:40

You got this! Look how many people are behind you x

ThinkIamflyingundertheradar · 09/12/2019 00:43

I’ve recently completed a clinical MSc . The final written assignment was a (very) long case study backed up by massive chunks of medical theory. It was a mammoth piece of work. Because of the sheer amount of effort connected to submitting it, by the time we were due to start work on it, we had all been advised by our tutors whether or not it was worth putting in the effort of submitting it or not. The only person that I heard had eventually failed, failed because she was found guilty of plagiarism, which I assume won’t apply to you OP.

Don’t expect the worst. Ask your tutors for help. You’ve come so far and you're not a cheat. Submit your essay and hope for the best.

Sashkin · 09/12/2019 00:44

2"It really cannot pass. It is a meta analysis of secondary data, which was all agreed with my supervisor so seemed like it was ok. But - I HAVE NO RESULTS! So its not in any way an original piece of writing that is also backed up with academic rigour."

Oh mine was like that, I assumed there'd be loads of papers on my subject but they all turned out to be titchy case series, couldn't do any analysis beyond a pooled mean. Still passed, and it was a fucking epidemiology MSc.

"I mean - I have drawn conclusions but that's just me having an opinion about something? So how is that academic? it isn't."

You are meant to have an opinion based on having read and understood the literature (so you can explain and back it up). But yes, it is your opinion.

honestly, go to bed and look at it tomorrow with a clear head. You are catastrophising.

Zofloramummy · 09/12/2019 00:45

No results following an extensive lit review is a result though! That the area you are looking at doesn’t have sufficient valid data to draw a conclusion. You might be able to discuss some common trends or themes and apply your own knowledge and opinion. Then suggestions for future research.

Just finish it off and submit it. You are in an anxiety spiral. Make a to do list tomorrow, stick the kettle on and get it done. Unless you have completely lost the ability to write to the required academic standard (and passing all your essays doesn’t seem to suggest that) what you produce should be good enough. Don’t forget you can go 10% either side of the word count too.

SevenStones · 09/12/2019 00:47

1500 words in two days is totally doable. How is the dissertation split? I.e: intro, chapters, conclusion. Where do you need to increase your wordcount? Split it into sections and just tackle one bit. Then another bit. And so on.

Yes, totally get it ready for submission, as if you have a minute's notice. The when you're working on the wordcount, you know you don't have much else to do.

SevenStones · 09/12/2019 00:50

Don’t forget you can go 10% either side of the word count too

Not necessarily - mine was between two parameters with no leeway outside of them.

But if you can drop the wordcount by 10% work to that instead.

There really isn't any cause to panic. Honest!

midnightmisssuki · 09/12/2019 00:50

So you purposely want to fail by not submitting it - rather than submit it and hope for the best - after all your hardwork? That’s absolute madness. Sorry.

snowball28 · 09/12/2019 00:52

I wouldn’t panic just yet, my DP did this when he did his masters. In the end he just repeated the year but only did the dissertation none of the other bumf etc. Please don’t throw this away just yet, speak to your tutors see what they say. Ask for help.

MarySidney · 09/12/2019 00:55

I know the committee frequently denies further extensions as my tutor told me they don't want students using them for extra time to just get a better grade.

But you have valid reasons for wanting an extension. You're not just looking for a better grade. Please contact your tutor, tell him/her everything you've said here, and follow his/her advice.

Nagsnovalballs · 09/12/2019 01:02

There are literally published academic articles in internationally substantial journals that are entirely centred on meta-analysis of data. It is valid and necessary research.

Also, stop self sabotaging. Handing in a slightly Ropey thesis that is 1000 ish words short is still very likely to pass. If you don’t submit, you will definitely fail. Why set yourself up for guaranteed failure? If you only got a 40, which you can get for a half-length, improperly cited piece of crap, with your other grades in your other work you would still pass over all.

How do I know? I’m an academic at a decent university.

DeathStare · 09/12/2019 01:08

OP.... please stop panicking and email NOW. Not tomorrow. NOW.

Please also ignore the advice form people about adding up marks, looking at 10% over or under, being able to submit late, etc. People mean well but all these things vary from one university to another, and one course to another. The only people who can advise you are the staff specific to your course at you uni.

They will not think you are thick or an arsehole. This happens all the time. Literally all the time. If you are the first one this month I'll eat my hat. Guiding students through this is a routine part of the job.

If your submission deadline is not 9am tomorrow morning my advice (and it would be my advice if I was your tutor) would be to go to bed now (well, after you've sent the email!). You are not going to achieve anything in this state and the sleep will do you more good than panicking and probably self-sabotaging.

I can't tell you what can be done - that will completely depend on your uni - but I can tell you there will be options and your tutor/course coordinator will know them.

SourAndSnippy · 09/12/2019 01:11

The uni really won’t want to fail you if you’ve got this far.

Good luck.

Original poster
KnuckFows · 09/12/2019 01:14

I've been trying to draft an email to my course coordinator now, and don't know how to put it without sounding very whiny and pathetic and like I'm making excuses?

It definitely needs 50% to pass, not 40%. I am also sure that there is no second try allowed for capped grades. There is no official stance on 10% below word count, from what I can see in the student handbook.

OP posts:
TimeForNewStart · 09/12/2019 01:16

Another voice here saying they are very, very unlikely to let you fail, especially if your failure is anything to do with your ADHD. FOR gods sake we will drag students kicking and screaming through and over the pass line - it is VERY UNLIKELY THAT YOU WILL FAIL IF YOU HAVE DONE SOME WORK AND ENJOYED THE TOPIC. Contact them, mention your ADHD, and they WILL be able to help.

TimeForNewStart · 09/12/2019 01:18

There is bound to be a leeway (usually 10%) for wordcount.