DD heading for failure (finals)

[DuesToTheDirt]

Degree results come out next week. She did not hand in her dissertation (long story, in which coronavirus played a part but is not the only reason) and has not completed one of the other modules. She has been lying pretending to us that everything is OK, but now the truth is out we got her to email supervisors yesterday to see if her degree is salvageable, no response. Tried to follow up by phone today (she was REALLY against this), but no one is answering.

She was heading for a 2:1 but I can't see how she will now get anything other than a fail.

Anyone else in the same boat?

That great! She'll also get to go to the same graduation ceremony as everyone else now. Often resitting in August means you miss the main July graduation, but these are all postponed due to CV.

That's great news. This sounds very much like one of my DDs, well done on supporting and helping her through this.

Great news.

I’m not sure what the point is of having a deadline at all if people that miss it end up with the degree anyway. Seems a tad unfair to those people who worked their asses off against the clock to submit on-time.

There's usually a cap on the mark of a late essay furbaby which means it's worth handing in on time.

Some of the process is different from usual due to Coronavirus, though some is not. More students than usual have had difficulties this year for reasons related to the virus.

@FurbabyLife

I’m not sure what the point is of having a deadline at all if people that miss it end up with the degree anyway. Seems a tad unfair to those people who worked their asses off against the clock to submit on-time.

She’s been granted an extension so it shouldn’t be capped.

You normally need a good reason (and evidence) for an extension but due to current circumstances anyone who applies (where I work anyway) is getting one.

There are normally deadlines for people who need extensions and it’s not a week before results come out.

Quite, but universities are being extremely flexible at the minute.

That's great news OP, I'm so pleased to hear that.

Might it be worth getting an assessment of your DD for autism if you suspect it? It would be useful to know and to help her deal with life in the future..

We have pondered the pros and cons of a diagnosis. My nephew got a diagnosis of Aspergers just before he started uni, my SIL thinking it would help him access help. He stopped going to lectures around Christmas but hung on till the summer, didn't take any exams. No help was offered, and then it all came to light in the summer SIL was told, "Well he could have asked for help if he needed it." .

But knowing this is a likelihood has helped with various areas, like I never ask for hugs anymore. I now accept she will never want hugs.

That sounds difficult for all of you. I'm glad she has been given an extension (or whatever the specific process is, this sounds like a first sit in the resit period to me but every institution differs!). Would she be open to you sitting down with her to make a plan of work to get it completed between now and August?

I am hopeful that she can do it now without much intervention from us, particularly now that the dialogue has been opened with her department. But since the issues came out on the open, DH discussed a plan of work with her and she has actually been tackling it. She is even prepared to talk about some of her work, rather than avoiding any questions. And she seems much happier

Oh bless her. So good you've helped her and she's accepting support.

It's a very scary place, being worried about doing yourself and your talents justice.

But you've caught this in time 🙏👌

Of course she's happier. She's not facing catastrophe after all. 🙂

All of that sounds very positive! I hope she's able to get back on track with the dissertation and get the result she is capable of.

Thanks all. It's a really positive outcome I don't know what would have happened if she hadn't got in touch with them before results day (probably Monday).

I think it's easy to forget that young adults with slight ASD can be mostly high functioning but need help with things like organising themselves, talking to people and so on until they're a bit older than their neurotypical peers. Presumably students who are physically disabled are offered support and ASD students should be too.

IME the level of support offered by universities is very variable.

Good luck to your daughter with the rest of her studies 🙂

I feel for your daughter… I’ve been in this position, not with my dissertation, but with other things and it’s very frustrating, especially when you want to do well, you try and put an effort, but you just don’t know where to start and things pile up. I had to step down from my course because I wasn’t making the grades I needed, no matter how much effort I put… It was suggested that I have learning differences and I don’t have a diagnosis for them… And I really struggle. In general, there are some things I have a very very hard time with I’m very motivated, but when things pile up on me I freeze.

Even if she doesn’t get the results she wants, other doors will open. Maybe not the ones he wants or expects, but something will turn up. If anything, when you feel like this, you learn from it, well hopefully… And it has made me a better person. I have had to learn to be creative because I can’t get things done the way I need to, and I can understand others who aren’t in the best situation. So much pressure is put on students and in the workplace to succeed, not everyone will.

Very lucky. My son late with stuff in February in his day had to redo the whole of year 3 (which i was paying for - luckily they did not charge me for the final term's fees in his first year 3.

My son certainly needed help with organising things and gave me access to his university emails even so check his deadlines when he did year 3 for the second time and says he is very glad he got his degree (albeit he got a third class honours degree which presumably is pretty hard to get as low as these days!) As he lived at home that year I also used to write on the kitchen calendar the deadlines too (not something I would obviously do with the other 4 children and I only did it at his request).

Anyway I am glad in this case she can still finish this year after all.

At my University, she'd be allowed a second attempt I August, although it would be capped at a mark of 40. Universities vary, but I don't think we're unusual. I think a degree may still be achievable.

Oops, didn't realize there was a page 2! Anyway, she won't be the only one.