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?

[Teeshirt]

Yes, you’re misunderstanding the comments on writing in the third person. The tutor is saying you need to write in the third person but you’re not doing it correctly - you seem to be writing “she expects” etc. That is not what writing in the third person means here. You’re not meant to refer to yourself in the third person, where instead of writing “I”, you write “she”. You need to write “the research” expects / analyses/ indicates etc.

[goodgradeshavewine]

So do you think just take into consideration the feedback and use this as a learning curve? It doesn't mean I'm not cut out to do my dissertation next year?

[JediGnot]

@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 ?

Work is a necessary evil, study is work, do as little as possible subject to considering your other needs (eg make sure you don't get sacked, make sure you get a promotion, make sure you get the grade you want).

Unless the studying is being done for it's own sake, in which case the OP is probably working as hard as possible already.

[goodgradeshavewine]

@PurpleyBlue okay, yeah I will do, thank you

[TeenMinusTests]

ps Please make sure you ask for the sex of respondents. If you must then ask for gender as well, but sex differentials will be important for this kind of research.

[SweetLathyrus]

Why do people think you can just appeal a grade you're not happy with? That's just not how Universities work - most will only allow appeals on the basis of failure of the marker/module tutor to follow regulations - NOT on the basis of academic judgement.

I know it can be disappointing, if you worked harder on one piece of work than another, but academic work (for the most part, there are a few exceptions) are marked on outcome not process/effort.

Work is moderated and externally examined.

[goodgradeshavewine]

@Teeshirt ahhh okay, that makes much more sense.

[SweetLathyrus]

(Sorry the first line is aimed at other posters, not you, OP).

[MarieIVanArkleStinks]

It isn't possible to appeal a grade simply because you are dissatisfied with it. You would have to prove there was some irregularity in the delivery of the module - for example that material had not been taught in conjunction with the stated learning outcomes - or with the making or moderation procedure.

It would be worth asking for some clarification so you can work effectively with the feedback you've been given. What does it mean, that your writing shows you found it 'difficult to write effectively in the third person?' Vague feedback is unhelpful, you need a clear set of strategies for improvement. A detached, objective style is essential to a dissertation: the problem with a repeated focus on the first-person singular (or worse, the second-person generic 'you' so many students seem to like) is that it can quickly lead you into an overly subjective or descriptive style. The key pointer is to engage extensively and critically with the evidence.

Another point to consider is that quantity of work put in doesn't necessarily square with quality of work put out. It is possible to overwork things as well. Have you read Stella Cottrell's Study Skills Handbook? She goes into this idea in ways that are quite helpful.

If your university has study skills or a proof reading service available I'd recommend you use them. Get as much objective feedback as you possibly can to avoid making the same mistakes in the final dissertation.

[AryaStarkWolf]

@goodgradeshavewine

So do you think just take into consideration the feedback and use this as a learning curve? It doesn't mean I'm not cut out to do my dissertation next year?

Of course it doesn't, 60% isn't a bad mark anyway

[MapleMay11]

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

Why on earth would anyone settled for scraping a 2:1? What a ridiculously low bar.

[goodgradeshavewine]

I'm not going to appeal, I know my uni as others have said, don't allow it on academic judgement.

[JewelGarden]

Maybe you should read your friends to see if you can pick up something useful from the way she has written hers.

[PurpleyBlue]

@goodgradeshavewine

So do you think just take into consideration the feedback and use this as a learning curve? It doesn't mean I'm not cut out to do my dissertation next year?

Definitely use the feedback, it well get you a higher grade. If anything it's good feedback as it's made very clear what you need to do to get a good grade. You can absolutely do this, there is nothing in there that has said "this isn't going to work have a massive rethink"

[IliveonCoffee]

What your friend got was irrelevant - regardless how much or little time she spent on it. Its content that matters - you can spend hours and and hours, writing pages upon pages but if you fail to meet a certain criteria they can't bump you into the next grade.

Either way, you got a 2.1 - sounds like you were aiming for mid 60s anyway, so its still within your aim. No-one will look at the individual grades for every assignment in the module - the only possible way this will matter is if this is the makes the difference between your overall degree grade when its percentage is added - but unless this is particularly highly weighted, and all of your other grades significantly higher, its not likely to.

If you get 69 in your overall grade - go look at the highest weighted pieces with the lowest marks for review.

[Soverymuchfruit]

Spend your summer relearning your stats. There will be lots of dissertations thoughtfully asking interesting and important questions. The quality of the statistical analysis determines whether one can learn anything from the analysis, and so effectively whether they actually answer the question.

[Scarby9]

That is really useful, constructive feedback.
It is very clear what your strengths were, and what - and how - you could improve. 60% seems a good fit for that feedback.

If you are struggling to see how you can address the issues raised, ask your supervisor for specific guidance on those areas, and - as others have said - access support from central university resources.

I did my PhD at 50, having been super- competent and always highly praised for my writing in my career prior to this. I expected the actual write-up to be a walk in the park compared with the research and stats parts, but the required style was so specific and different to anything I had written before (mine required first person, which just felt so alien). For the first time in my life, the way I expressed myself in writing was criticised.

I had to take a deep breath, make a booking at the university library for a FREE tutorial support session (with an advisor half my age) which was excellent and gave me the tips and approach I needed to reset my thinking.

Take your frustration and channel it into 'I'll show them!' - access all the help you need and stun them with your final dissertation.

[CaptainThe95thRifles]

OK so there are significant flaws in your methodology and data analysis - this is the section you need to focus on, because it's where your research really sinks or swims. You really need to focus on addressing that rather than being bitter about your friend outperforming you.

Also, the use of "she will" is indeed third person, but it is wildly incorrect in an academic context. The feedback here is useful - it specifically encourages you to use the correct form of academic third person. "This research will address X issue" or "Results will be analysed using Y software".

[NakedNugget]

I think if you found it 'easy' then you probably didn't challenge yourself enough.

Can you change it now and add to it so your actual dissertation hits a better mark?

It's hard to accept but you don't know what you don't know and if you think you're awesome and nailing something then you might genuinely not be, it's just you don't know it.

[GloriousMystery]

@CaptainThe95thRifles

OK so there are significant flaws in your methodology and data analysis - this is the section you need to focus on, because it's where your research really sinks or swims. You really need to focus on addressing that rather than being bitter about your friend outperforming you.

Also, the use of "she will" is indeed third person, but it is wildly incorrect in an academic context. The feedback here is useful - it specifically encourages you to use the correct form of academic third person. "This research will address X issue" or "Results will be analysed using Y software".

Yes, exactly. I don't know why you were only focusing on one single piece of feedback about your use of third person, OP -- there are clearly far more serious potential flaws in your proposal. Can you, for instance, use face to face interviews, rather than questionnaires, bone up on your statistics, and make sure you're au fait with best practice as regards ethical considerations, GDPR etc?

[Teeshirt]

“Third person” here means using things like: the statistics, the data, the publications, the evidence, Joe Bloggs etc. Don’t refer to yourself at all, except maybe in the intro or conclusion.

[DogInATent]

You've got good feedback there, and if you take the time to understand and apply it you can improve your grades a lot. You clearly need to adjust what you think is a well put together dissertation proposal with what's required for that format of paper. Some of the points raised in the feeback suggest your understanding of some critical concepts involved in designing a dissertation topic is not there yet.

Your data collection design, data handling, ethical and data protection considerations are highlighted as poor or weak. Your understanding of the subject area is picked out as being better.

[KOKOagainandagain]

Does your department provide exemplars of proposals that scored highly or even better PhD proposals that won funding? If not, maybe request some.

Writing a proposal is a different skill to writing an essay and will not be one that you have practiced.

It's always useful to highlight limitations of the method of data collection selected especially when collection methods are determined by practical constraints of time and money rather than the freedom to select methods that produce the most reliable data. Consider the use of multiple methods - open ended questionnaire, plus focus groups, plus in person and/or virtual interview etc. All have strengths and weaknesses.

[FatJan]

That sounds like very constructive and justified feedback.

OP, don't refer to yourself as 'she' in the essay, that's not what you're meant to do.

As you've been instructed, say things like 'This paper will demonstrate xyz' instead of 'The author of this paper will demonstrate xyz'.

Instead of 'She found some difficulties arose when doing X' say 'Difficulties arose when doing X'.

But as you've recognised above, you're focusing on totally the wrong thing. There's lots of constructive feedback in there which I hope you're also taking into account.

[Blossomtoes]

@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.

This. I was asked to proof read a dissertation once with only a week to go before the deadline. My advice if it had been earlier would have been to start all over again.

Your plan clearly isn’t of 1st standard, OP. Take the feedback onboard and use it constructively instead of whining about it.