To be gutted at this grade for my dissertation proposal?

[goodgradeshavewine]

I'm in my third year at uni and worked so hard at my research and inquiry module, I worked really really hard and found it fairly easy because I'd been putting in the work for it.

Anyways I submitted my dissertation proposal 4 weeks ago and got results back this morning. I thought I would at least be mid 60s as I truly thought it was a well put together and thought out dissertation plan. I only got 60 %.

I'm totally gutted, I know that still leaves me in the 2.1 range but only just. I'm frustrated because my other module that I didn't follow nor understand I got higher results for both my assessments in that. Overall for this term I am sitting at 63 percent.

I'm just so upset and like demotivated now. At one point in the feedback he says I spoke in a detached manner and that it must have been difficult for me to write in the third person. I literally have an email from him confirming I was to write in the third person...on top of that my friend that really rushed hers got a first. We have different markers but the marking just seems so random at my uni.

AIBU to be so gutted about my grade? Am I being pathetic?

If you are sure you should have done better, can you appeal the mark?

If you appeal the grade it will be second marked by another academic but that does not necessarily mean it will be increased to what you want. Appeals almost always result in a compromise grade.

No I'd be upset too. Can you speak to your tutor and see what they think? Can you appeal?

Ask for feedback. What you could have done to increase grade etc

This is a bit of a daft aibu. No one here has seen your work and can say whether or not the mark is fair. Perhaps your friend simply did a better job than you, perhaps you missed the mark on this more than you thought. But perhaps you've been marked unfairly. Literally none of us know. If you truly feel you've been marked unfairly ask for a remark

YABU. It’s only a dissertation plan, not the actual dissertation. Your friend’s proposal was probably more focused, structured and interesting. Your plan missed the mark and wasn’t as good as you thought. You’ll be assigned a mentor who can give you some advice.

Hold on... what was the feedback about it being difficult to write in the third person? He told you to do that, but that feedback doesn't sound like he's saying you shouldn't have written in that manner, just that it was clearly challenging for you as it comes across a bit detached?

YANBU to be disappointed but I think rather than try and contest it I would ask for a meeting to chat over the feedback so you can properly understand what they're telling you. And put all thoughts about what your friend got out of your head, that's completely irrelevant here.

@Exhausted4ever

This is a bit of a daft aibu. No one here has seen your work and can say whether or not the mark is fair. Perhaps your friend simply did a better job than you, perhaps you missed the mark on this more than you thought. But perhaps you've been marked unfairly. Literally none of us know. If you truly feel you've been marked unfairly ask for a remark

This.

I also think the part about your friend is irrelevant. It may have been rushed, but it was clearly worth a first.

OP you need to accept that it's just not the grade you want and you need to work harder or differently. Can you read your friends to get an idea of how it's got a first? I'm thinking its more language style, layout, narrative etc that makes it higher quality, based on your tutors comment.

Now is the time to book study skills or writing skills sessions with the library (yes every uni library has these), take out some books on writing a dissertation and rethink the whole thing.

Just be glad you scraped a 60 and it's not the final grade.

I'm running at a 69 at the moment for my course now that is really frustrating

It's still a 2.1 - get feedback so you know what to do for the dissertation.

And literally no point in comparing yourself to your friend. Who cares if she rushed it? She got a higher grade than you, you just need to accept that tbh - focus on yourself.

I think you’ve misunderstood the remark he made, he wasn’t saying not to write in the third person just you clearly found it difficult to do so.

Has it been secondary marked? You can try to appeal the grade.

However, and I mean this politely, your post comes across as quite immature , about what your mate got etc, it’s better to speak to your tutor and try to understand the mark you got, why and what can be improved.

OP, it sounds as if your writing skills may be most at issue here -- and re your friend getting a first for work you know was rushed, I frequently got firsts for essays I'd put less work into the composition of than hard-working friends, largely because I wrote well and fluently in academic prose.

Is the marker for the proposal the same tutor who is your dissertation supervisor/mentor? I would suggest directly contacting him to make sure you understand fully exactly what prevented the proposal getting a higher grade, and then act immediately to work on whatever it is.

@Fluggybesties

It's still a 2.1 - get feedback so you know what to do for the dissertation.

And literally no point in comparing yourself to your friend. Who cares if she rushed it? She got a higher grade than you, you just need to accept that tbh - focus on yourself.

This. YABU.

I wouldn't challenge the mark - 60% is fine, and your dissertation proposal is prsumbably only a small part of your overall degree grade.

BUT if you're aiming for better than that in your actual dissertation, I would advise you ask for a meeting with your supervisor to discuss. If the mark was just because of the way you've written it etc, fine, but if it's more about the content then you need help to improve your plan of action for your dissertation.

At one point in the feedback he says I spoke in a detached manner and that it must have been difficult for me to write in the third person. I literally have an email from him confirming I was to write in the third person.

Yes. He's telling you you need to write in the third person - it's a stylistic requirement for this piece of work. However, you are struggling with this, the required style. It's feedback for you. You need to practise writing in third person so it feels more natural to you.

Regarding your friend's work some people have a natural flair for their subject and don't need to work as hard. Some people say 'oh I did that in 2 hours' when it actually took more like 2 days. And some people rush the writing part but have spent weeks thinking about it.

@GorekyPark

on top of that my friend that really rushed hers got a first. We have different markers but the marking just seems so random at my uni

Rushing it has little to do with it, you're not marked on what effort you made. It's not random at all, if your friend got a first she deserved a first. And you, unfortunately, did not.

No they aren’t random, and if she got a first then hers was worth that. The fact she rushed it is irrelevant, the quality she produced earned a first. She didn’t get a first because the marker was more lenient, if that’s what you’re suggesting.

Instead of having a childish tantrum be a grown up and take the time to take the discussion and understand where you can improve.

In reality you found it easy becayse you were not doing it correctly., to do it correctly would have been harder for you.

Get yout strop out your system then make an appt and go discuss it.

@rbe78

I wouldn't challenge the mark - 60% is fine, and your dissertation proposal is prsumbably only a small part of your overall degree grade.

BUT if you're aiming for better than that in your actual dissertation, I would advise you ask for a meeting with your supervisor to discuss. If the mark was just because of the way you've written it etc, fine, but if it's more about the content then you need help to improve your plan of action for your dissertation.

I definitely think OP needs help if the mark is related to the way she's written it too. Being able to write academic essays fluently is a really important skill.

OP, I assume you're nearing the end of your degree if you're writing a dissertation? Have you had any problems in previous modules related to your writing style? Student services or the library can often point you towards classes that help you hone your academic writing skills. How you express your point can be just as important as the point itself when it comes to university work.

PS: 60 is a good grade. It's not like you flunked it! You didn't expect a first and get a third. You still did well on this piece of work, even though there are improvements to be made.

Hold on... what was the feedback about it being difficult to write in the third person? He told you to do that, but that feedback doesn't sound like he's saying you shouldn't have written in that manner, just that it was clearly challenging for you as it comes across a bit detached?

Yeah that's what I would have got from that comment as well

@Bluntness100 what has whether I sound immature got to do with it?

I'm running at a 69 at the moment for my course now that is really frustrating

Anything that borderline should go to an external examiner. Just be careful. I second marked a masters dissertation that was clearly a distinction. The first marker gave it a mark in the mid 60s. When questioned he said that the student did not deserve a distinction for her masters, which she would get if the dissertation got 70+. I said I was marking what was in front of me, which was a dissertation worthy of over 70% and that I had no other knowledge of the student. We compromised on giving the diss. 69 and it went to the external. Both the dissertation and the entire MA were then given a distinction but I had to push for that against a much more senior academic. Wanker.

Sounds like you struggled to write it in the third person rather than it being a criticism that you tried to. Don't compare to your friend, she might just be better at it than you so that's a pointless road to go down.

Of course you can feel disappointed.

@Bluntness100 here she is again...who's having a childish tantrum? 😂