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?

[MissyB1]

It’s just the proposal remember. My ds is working on his at the moment, he would be happy with 60% for the proposal and would aim for higher with the actual dissertation.

You’re doing fine, stop giving yourself a hard time.

[PurpleyBlue]

@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.

This is great advice.

[CoRhona]

Op truly none of this will matter, you'll get your 2:1 and no-one ever ever ever will ask what grades you got!

[Bluntness100]

[quote goodgradeshavewine]@Bluntness100 what has whether I sound immature got to do with it? [/quote]
Because op it’s not helping you. It’s not about how much effort your friend put in, the markings are not random, you’ve clearly misinterpreted the markers comment, and struggled wirh the writing style.

Id expect a final year student to understand these things. But also how to deal with it.

How old are you? Twenty? Or are you a mature student? Honestly if my daughter had reacted like you I’d have told herto get her disappointment out her system, and then to get a grip and go speak to her tutor ans understand exactly what she needed to do to improve and why she was given the score she was.

[goodgradeshavewine]

Feedback -

Focus
 Alcohol is a drug that hardly ever gets the attention or headlines that other problematic drug use can generate. An interesting focus for research in that is seeks to update our understanding of the condition as well as to examine potential failures and problems in support.
 
Justification
 Clearly defined terms and scope of the research, as well as establishing why this is important. With the  current lockdown approaching an end, it is timely to consider these matters. You have also expanded on the elements to be researched and this is justified in reference to other earlier research that needs updated. 
 
Research Design
 Good grasp and description of some of the issues surrounding this approach. Would have liked more barriers and weaknesses identified that would have added marks for criticality.
 
Sampling and Data Collection
 Excellent resource with the facebook group. However, some thought needed as to how you will encourage participants to take part. 
The questionnaire element was competent in its description but perhaps not the most effective way to achieve your aims. Pople in this group may not have the technical and personal skills necessary to outline their feelings in writing. Perhaps a consideration of face to face or online interviews might have been better. Questionnaires if they are too lengthy tend to get a very poor response or people quit before the end.
 
Data Analysis
Good analysis that is let down by unclear writing on the inferential statistics element and some lack of understanding about what this can actually achieve. Please review carefully the statistics sections.  
 
Ethical Considerations
Covered the basics here. Need to be clearer regarding some jargon used and explain more fully how ethical disputes can be resolved. Lots of other stuff regarding destroying the data, GDPR rules and access were not included.  
 
Self Comment
 Very good balanced self awareness shown here. You identified a number of issues that either you chose nto to address or ran out of time to address them. Most of them would have added to your proposal if they had been added in. I take on board the commitment to furhter reading over the summer to get you off to a flying start...
 
Writing
Minor issues with in text referencing that will be sorted! Your writing style was very third person but in a sort of detached manner - it must have been hard to write She will instead of I will, or perhaps more correctly the research will...This is not a major problem for writing your dissertation as you will have corrected for that as well.

[Bluntness100]

@CoRhona

Op truly none of this will matter, you'll get your 2:1 and no-one ever ever ever will ask what grades you got!

Actually that’s not true, for many roles the individual marks are requested by employers, particularly in graduate jobs and training schemes.

[WaltzingBetty]

I'd be interested to know how many PO actually work in academia. Yes marks absolutely can vary due to subjectivity if only one marker. That's why QA processes and dual marking should occur as well as external examiner ratification

@goodgradeshavewine
does your course have a common marking scheme for all assignments so you can see the grading criteria? Does your feedback align with this scheme?
Is the feedback constructive? The 'detachment' comment is confusing - scientific writing should be objective and detached so it's odd that is a criticism.
I'd ask for the corse organiser to review your submission and the grade and to provide more constructive feedback

[JediGnot]

@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?

When I was doing my A-levels I used to spend 2 to 3 hours per essay, and write 3-4 pages.

The best mark I ever got was when I was in a foul mood, rushed an essay in 45 minutes, and handed in just over two pages, in the scruffiest handwriting I could manage and using a different colour pen for each new page.

Effort and quality of outcome are not directly correlated, sometimes rushing things can be better - less overthinking and more getting to the point.

Also, I'd argue, unless you're going for a first your job is to do as little work as possible and scrape the 2:1 by the smallest possible margin - anything else is total waste!

Just do your best.

[PurpleyBlue]

Yep, you need to work on your writing in the third person. Have you written many essays so far? Has this feedback not come up before? It's very standard.

[AryaStarkWolf]

or perhaps more correctly the research will..

So he's telling you what would have been a better way to write in the 3rd person?

[goodgradeshavewine]

@PurpleyBlue yes I've written loads of essays as I am in my third year at uni, I have never been pulled up about writing in the third person. This also wasn't an essay, it was a dissertation proposal.

[TheMerrickBoy]

You're not pathetic to be disappointed - it would only be pathetic not to try to learn from your feedback, which you sound like you want to do.

Take advice here to appeal the mark with a pinch of salt - I can't speak for your university of course, but everywhere I'm aware of, you can't appeal academic judgement, only things like procedure not having been followed.

[Bluntness100]

Also, I'd argue, unless you're going for a first your job is to do as little work as possible and scrape the 2:1 by the smallest possible margin - anything else is total waste

Wtf ?

[TheMerrickBoy]

What you could do though is ask for a tutorial to talk through your feedback and how, for example, you might work on effective use of the third person....

[TheCrowening]

That seems like clear, balanced feedback with plenty of places where they’ve identified additional work that would bring your mark up. It gives you plenty to work with. I understand you’re upset - acknowledge those feelings but then start to critically reflect on your work with the feedback in mind. It can only help you.

[WaltzingBetty]

Cross post. It looks like you've got constructive feedback @goodgradeshavewine

From that the main areas where you've lost marks are critical analysis (barriers), ethics (esp GDPR, v important ), methodology (questionnaire vs interview) and statistical analysis. All pretty key areas that you've insufficiently covered.

You seem to be focussing on the less relevant aspect of the feedback and ignoring the gaps in your submission

[PurpleyBlue]

[quote goodgradeshavewine]@PurpleyBlue yes I've written loads of essays as I am in my third year at uni, I have never been pulled up about writing in the third person. This also wasn't an essay, it was a dissertation proposal. [/quote]
Well yes but it's still written in the third person.

[L0bstersLass]

@AryaStarkWolf

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

Yes, that was my understanding too.

[goodgradeshavewine]

@PurpleyBlue which I did...

[rbe78]

@goodgradeshavewine

Feedback -

Focus
 Alcohol is a drug that hardly ever gets the attention or headlines that other problematic drug use can generate. An interesting focus for research in that is seeks to update our understanding of the condition as well as to examine potential failures and problems in support.
 
Justification
 Clearly defined terms and scope of the research, as well as establishing why this is important. With the  current lockdown approaching an end, it is timely to consider these matters. You have also expanded on the elements to be researched and this is justified in reference to other earlier research that needs updated. 
 
Research Design
 Good grasp and description of some of the issues surrounding this approach. Would have liked more barriers and weaknesses identified that would have added marks for criticality.
 
Sampling and Data Collection
 Excellent resource with the facebook group. However, some thought needed as to how you will encourage participants to take part. 
The questionnaire element was competent in its description but perhaps not the most effective way to achieve your aims. Pople in this group may not have the technical and personal skills necessary to outline their feelings in writing. Perhaps a consideration of face to face or online interviews might have been better. Questionnaires if they are too lengthy tend to get a very poor response or people quit before the end.
 
Data Analysis
Good analysis that is let down by unclear writing on the inferential statistics element and some lack of understanding about what this can actually achieve. Please review carefully the statistics sections.  
 
Ethical Considerations
Covered the basics here. Need to be clearer regarding some jargon used and explain more fully how ethical disputes can be resolved. Lots of other stuff regarding destroying the data, GDPR rules and access were not included.  
 
Self Comment
 Very good balanced self awareness shown here. You identified a number of issues that either you chose nto to address or ran out of time to address them. Most of them would have added to your proposal if they had been added in. I take on board the commitment to furhter reading over the summer to get you off to a flying start...
 
Writing
Minor issues with in text referencing that will be sorted! Your writing style was very third person but in a sort of detached manner - it must have been hard to write She will instead of I will, or perhaps more correctly the research will...This is not a major problem for writing your dissertation as you will have corrected for that as well.

That's useful and considered feedback.

I think you're focussing too much on the 'writing' section. That is really only a minor point of the feedback.

Looks like the main places to think about improving your disseration plan are around data collection and analysis. Take on board the feedback that has been given on those sections and think how you can improve them for your actual dissertation. I'm sure your supervisor would be happy to help review your questionnaires before you send them out, and point you in the right direction for improving your understanding of statistical analysis.

But overall, it sounds like you're on the right track, and with a bit of work will get achieve a great dissertation.

Don't focus on the mark for this piece of work, take the feedback on board and move onwards and upwards!

[PurpleyBlue]

Your sampling and data collection sounds like it needs a rethink and your data analysis needs work. Sounds like you did OK though. Maybe your friend just nailed it. Don't worry about their grade.

[goodgradeshavewine]

@rbe78 thank you, yes you're right, I have been focusing perhaps too much on the wrong thing. I'm going to leave it for today then go back over it tomorrow and take in his suggestions going forward so I can implement them come dissertation time and further study the sections I am clearly struggling with.

[TeenMinusTests]

Not an academic, but it seems to me that the 'Writing' was not what caused the mark to be lower than you wanted. You gave a solid proposal that covered all essentials but missed some important issues in data collection, analysis and ethics.

[PurpleyBlue]

[quote goodgradeshavewine]@PurpleyBlue which I did...[/quote]
Yes but the feedback is saying you've struggled with it so I'd look into getting help with that.