Advice for son who has just failed 3rd year at University

[Figleaf]

I posted this on Parenting and someone suggested I move it here (didn't know this section existed) .

My son has just failed his re sit exam year ie he failed last academic year but they let him bank his great project and lab results and redo only the exams this year. He failed all but 1 of the 4 re sits today. They say he can have an ordinary degree in Engineering just not an honours degree in Aerospace systems he had been reading.

My son hated remote learning which he did from semester 2 of Y1 , all the way through Y2 and into semester 1 of Y3. During brief periods at University he did well in projects or in Labs.

Not sure what advice to give him. We are British but living/working in America, he is is Glasgow. Really at a loss how to parent on this one.

@HarpyValley I really do think engineering masters are different. You can do them via your employer but he won’t get on a grad scheme in the first place. Therefore he cannot get the relevant experience. DH employs engineers. Training is regulated. It’s not as easy as you suggest in engineering. It’s a regulated profession and his degree is not recognised.

Going to see careers is the best thing. Going with an understanding of the limitations is also vital. I would also suggest looking at smaller employers and seeing if his best skills can be transferred to other areas of work.

Sorry I wasn't clear, I wasn't referring to him specifically doing an Engineering Masters, I was assuming he'll change direction after this. I just meant that an Ordinary degree won't automatically preclude him from doing a Masters in a different field in a few years if he has gained experience relevant to that other field in the meantime.

@HandsupSue you literally quote where I say a parental visit would be beneficial for support in general, so not sure why you felt the need to twist my words. But universities won't deal with parents except in very specific circumstances, and bringing the parents into university meetings isn't seen (by uni staff) as a particularly helpful or necessary move - in fact some staff I've worked with would politely exclude parents who turn up, unless those very specific circumstances (usually medical-related, e.g. the student is in hospital or otherwise incapacitated) apply.

Why did i say or even allude to that being the case with the university

but having someone sit beside you in any such meeting is supportive

Where not why

And you can’t stop someone bringing along someone for support to a meeting such as this. Just like in a disciplinary with HR, you are entitled to bring someone

Not a particularly useful analogy considering you're limited as to who you can have with you in a disciplinary - a TU rep or colleague. Not your mother, Aunt Freda, bezzer mate or anyone else you fancy bringing along.

But now I'm playing chess with pigeons, so I'm out.

Bye

I would not worry, at the moment, about doing a masters in anything. As I said, DD did a diploma in one year full time. There are other avenues for training and work. It’s just important now to find the right one. Hope the careers service appointment is useful.

OP, aeronautical engineering is a hard engineering degree at the best of times. Your DS may already have been told this but there are ‘top-up’ 1 year degrees,. Of course since he has done 4 years it likely depends on self funding. He could apply this autumn (not necessarily for engineering) even if it is simply to keep future options open. He of course could withdraw if he has found his preference through a non-degree route.
I guess it would be helpful for him to have a full grasp of all his learning difficulties with strategies whatever route he follows.

What is a top up one year degree please and who provides them?

I’d be looking at why he fails in an exam setting but excels in a practical setting.

Actually, the university should have picked this up and not put your son through this twice.

The results he's had from meetings. Has he exhausted all avenues re talking to course tutor, student services, disability section etc. Is there anywhere left to go at all. Because one final push / appeal might work. However he did fail 3 of the 4 re-sits, so he's not in a strong position. But I'd still push back first, to try and get the best out of this.

Did he genuinely try or did he just give it another go?

If he's genuinely tried to pass then let it go. Sometimes we bite off more than we can chew. Maybe he just needs to mature a little bit.

Sometimes something is simply above our capability. Don't try for a master's. It's going to be an utter waste of time and money.

Look for apprenticeships.

An ordinary degree is not classified. If you're very, very lucky you might get accepted onto a master's with a 2:2.

An ordinary isn't even a 3rd class. But HE HAS shown commitment. He didn't meet the arbitrary yardstick of grading. But does that mean he's not capable of doing the job? Of course not.

Just enough with the stress of trying to pass exams he's missing the mark for.

I got accepted onto a masters with an ordinary degree. Admission is usually at the discretion of the course leader. I explained the reasons why I didn’t do well at undergraduate level and the course wasn’t full so the course leader gave me a chance, and I got top marks.

@Figleaf I have read all your posts and most of the rest of the thread but not all of it so apologies if I repeat previous advice.

I have bright dyslexic/neurodiverse kids. It's been a slog getting to the workplace but they have done it. Lots of bumps along the way and not taking the most straightforward route.

One is a design engineer now. Not a chartered engineer yet or possibly ever. They had good experience with a recruitment agency.

I have definitely seen jobs advertised in engineering that require HND or degree. Companies like Renishaw and SPTS for example. Sorry I know not Scottish or aerospace.

Some companies have a healthy mix of people who've been technicians, apprentices, graduates and post grads working in their engineering teams. Obviously chartered roles and R&D roles require more qualifications but some people top up later or don't happily use their strengths in looking at the big picture, problem solving etc. in their interesting jobs.

Your son is fortunate to have his family providing love, support and a practical safety netwhile he regroups and finds his path forward.

Yes but it's very dependent on so many factors. Why is he failing the exams? Some people have a wealth of knowledge but go to bits and underperform. Maybe they're just too hard for him?

If it's the latter, it's unlikely he will get onto a master's. Maybe he just needs time.

Extenuating circumstances will help with a Masters application, particularly if it's self funded. As will work experience, or an apprenticeship.

Were the exams for topics covered whilst studying by distance?

Can I ask what happened with your son please?
I’m now in the same situation with my son!!!

I messed up my undergraduate degree massively! I took a while to get over it. I started pg dip and dropped out. All went horribly wrong. I eventually did an msc . Got a distinction. Top of my class. Have gone on to do just fine.

I think the thing is to try and keep his confidence. That's where I went wrong. I still feel like a failure sometimes. I'd tell him to take a break. Get a job /travel for a year or so and take the time to recover. Think about what he wants to do. Might be uni / might not. He's young. It might seem like the end of the world but it's not.