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Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

Thoughts on WIWIKAU

224 replies

Newtothismother · 16/07/2023 01:28

A friend of mine suggested I join this group on Facebook as my son and I are researching university courses (he is in year 12). I did so a few months ago. I am disappointed in it - posters congratulate students on getting a 2.2/third; literally every other poster has SEN; there are multiple posts by mums saying they dreading their kids going to uni and will swoop them up at first sign of adversity. Did my friend send me down a rabbit hole or is this a reputable group? Have only just joined MN HE group but it is much better and speaks hard truths which may be difficult to hear but are invaluable

OP posts:
Looksgood · 20/07/2023 13:28

Passing a university degree with any classification is an achievement, unless nobody is allowed to fail.

If work has passed at the standard required, the student has fulfilled the requirements for a degree. That's good. A bare pass may be the most some people are likely to achieve in any scenario. It may represent a hardworking student with difficult circumstances. It may represent a student with greater potential who didn't put in the work.

All of those students have passed. References will often round out the picture. But they've been awarded a degree, quite properly. Others haven't achieved this. They don't earn degrees.

A third-class degree is nothing to be ashamed of. For students who believe they could have done better with more work, there may be some regrets. That's their business - and they may or may not be appraising their abilities realistically. But the correct response to anyone earning a degree of any classification is of course to congratulate them.

BiancaBlank · 20/07/2023 16:18

OP didn’t actually say ABB were bad grades, but hey ho

ChristinaAlber · 20/07/2023 17:11

Well according to a relative who's professor at a Russell Group uni practicaly no one is allowed to fail - they have to give exam marks to students for "trying" and "turning up" even if what they write is complete nonsense. But i certainly wouldn't say that to someone who was happy their child had got a third (I wouldn't say it if they were unhappy either) and if someone was proud on a public forum then just ignore. No one is obliged to join these groups, I'd never heard of it until this thread.

redfacebigdisgrace · 20/07/2023 17:19

I like the more inclusive nature of the Facebook group. Too many snobs on this forum. Some well known on this thread posting true to form. I am a teacher. My own kids are dyslexic and have their struggles but will go on to university. One is just graduating from a RG with a shock horror 2.2 that he worked really hard for. Some of these posts make me roll my eyes. Very elitist.

EuniceNewtonFoote · 20/07/2023 17:43

Well according to a relative who's professor at a Russell Group uni practicaly no one is allowed to fail - they have to give exam marks to students for "trying" and "turning up" even if what they write is complete nonsense

That is complete nonsense.

TizerorFizz · 20/07/2023 18:02

@RampantIvy “Success” of Dc is not about money though is it? It’s really very different. The horses don’t go to Oxbridge, get a first or gets multiple A stars at A level. Neither did they compete against any other dc so we’re not actuality judged as being brilliant or otherwise as no friends followed racing! Also it was a tongue in cheek comment!

TizerorFizz · 20/07/2023 18:04

It was also useful re deflecting from Dc!

Somethingintheattic · 20/07/2023 18:40

The HE boards are heavily populated with people who think university is only for the most able. They are convinced that the only option is RG and ideally STEM. Anything less is treated with contempt. Their DD and DS are all high flyers, incredibly bright..and going into high earning careers. WIWIKAU is much more supportive - maybe because most people post under their own names. People can ask questions that you wouldn't ask here because you would get a snotty reply..which is a shame.

redfacebigdisgrace · 20/07/2023 20:55

@Somethingintheattic exactly.

RampantIvy · 20/07/2023 23:05

Is anyone seeing more posts on WIWIKAU than ever about students failing modules or the complete year? It feels like that to me.

I admit that I was surprised at how hands off university tutors and lecturers were on DD's course at her university. They studied so many different topics and had such frequent changes of lecturers and tutors that there was no opportunity to build a rapport between the students and staff.

DD met her personal tutor just once in the three years she was there. He didn't even turn up for the next meeting, so she changed tutors and had just one online meeting with her. When she wanted a reference her personal tutor didn't even know who she was.

Looksgood · 21/07/2023 06:17

EuniceNewtonFoote · 20/07/2023 17:43

Well according to a relative who's professor at a Russell Group uni practicaly no one is allowed to fail - they have to give exam marks to students for "trying" and "turning up" even if what they write is complete nonsense

That is complete nonsense.

Yes, that's nonsense. Does not apply at either the Russell Group or the Post-92 where I've worked in recent years. I've never once heard mention of marks for trying. And students fail.

Piggywaspushed · 21/07/2023 06:53

As, in fact WIWIKAU shows!

The 'they get marks for just writing their name' thing has persisted as a rumour at all levels of education for donkey's years. It's never been true and why a smattering of teachers and lecturers themselves persist in spreading this is beyond me.

FWIW my DF is a lecturer and he says it's relatively easy to fail.

WhenIWasAFieldMyself · 21/07/2023 07:01

Somethingintheattic · 20/07/2023 08:08

OP has a 'high flighing son at Cambridge' and an 'AAB son who wants to study languages'..here we go again....

Quite.
And yet can't cope with other people celebrating their own children's achievements.
All a bit pot and kettle really.

WhenIWasAFieldMyself · 21/07/2023 07:05

RampantIvy · 20/07/2023 23:05

Is anyone seeing more posts on WIWIKAU than ever about students failing modules or the complete year? It feels like that to me.

I admit that I was surprised at how hands off university tutors and lecturers were on DD's course at her university. They studied so many different topics and had such frequent changes of lecturers and tutors that there was no opportunity to build a rapport between the students and staff.

DD met her personal tutor just once in the three years she was there. He didn't even turn up for the next meeting, so she changed tutors and had just one online meeting with her. When she wanted a reference her personal tutor didn't even know who she was.

Yes, though as a pp knows someone who is a professor and says practically nobody is allowed to fail these days, those posters must be inventing it.

You couldn't make it up. Except...

GCSister · 21/07/2023 07:06

Well according to a relative who's professor at a Russell Group uni practicaly no one is allowed to fail - they have to give exam marks to students for "trying" and "turning up" even if what they write is complete nonsense

Absolute rubbish.
In fact, my external examiner commends me for having students that fail as it demonstrates to robustness of the programme and the marking and moderation process.

RampantIvy · 21/07/2023 07:19

The marking was pretty strict on DD's course.

TizerorFizz · 21/07/2023 08:01

But not all courses are equal. Or universities. The majority degree was a 2:2 60 years ago. Now a 2:2 isn’t good enough for lots of grad schemes. However not everyone wants these. There is plenty of evidence, that the IFS looked at, which indicates a 2:2 does lead to lower pay though. So with a third it’s difficult to see what uni gave DC they could not have got at work. Although they probably didn’t know what work they wanted so spent time thinking about it. Often a third means resits and results being capped. Probably an unhappy student too - square peg round hole scenario.

Oakbeam · 21/07/2023 08:51

Well according to a relative who's professor at a Russell Group uni practicaly no one is allowed to fail

The failure rate is relatively low, but those that deserve to fail will fail. If they fail on a first attempt, they are usually allowed a resit later in the year. Many who do so achieve a pass, reducing the the overall failure rate even further. The marking standard for a resit is the same for a first attempt. So, again, those that deserve to fail will fail.

Based on first hand experience of marking or checking the marking of hundreds of exams at a university (RG and in top ten UK, if it makes any difference).

TizerorFizz · 21/07/2023 10:23

Unis cap marks for the second attempt. Often at the pass mark of 40%. A delayed first attempt due to extenuating circumstances is different.

redskytwonight · 21/07/2023 10:43

Oakbeam · 21/07/2023 08:51

Well according to a relative who's professor at a Russell Group uni practicaly no one is allowed to fail

The failure rate is relatively low, but those that deserve to fail will fail. If they fail on a first attempt, they are usually allowed a resit later in the year. Many who do so achieve a pass, reducing the the overall failure rate even further. The marking standard for a resit is the same for a first attempt. So, again, those that deserve to fail will fail.

Based on first hand experience of marking or checking the marking of hundreds of exams at a university (RG and in top ten UK, if it makes any difference).

Anecdotally I'd suggest that people drop out (either to go and do something, change university/course or defer a year) rather than actually fail. So, by definition, if you've got as far as taking the exams, you're probably more likely to get a pass grade.

I agree with PP that there are quite a few people talking about failures on WIWIKAU, but I think these are mostly first (and some second) year rather than final exams.

Oakbeam · 21/07/2023 11:13

Anecdotally I'd suggest that people drop out (either to go and do something, change university/course or defer a year) rather than actually fail.

My post was referring to exam (and coursework) fails, but you are correct in my experience. Very few people actually reach the end of a course and fail completely. Those that do will usually be given an opportunity to enable graduation with something at a later date.

DonkeysForCourses · 26/07/2023 02:25

It's horses for courses isn't it and both places have value.

I do chuckle at the 'I can't believe how disgusting the kitchen/oven is' posts, that invariably show really quite clean kitchens by student standards.

It's nice seeing parents celebrate success - It's not as though all 40,000 post.

RampantIvy · 26/07/2023 06:39

The "sobbing all summer" posts have started now. I love my daughter, but I knew she was ready to start the next chapter and was mentally ready for her to go to university.

I was excited for her, yet apprehensive. It is natural to worry if your DC can cope, make friends and manage the workload, but I honestly don't understand the being upset all summer scenario.

The young person must be able to sense this and maybe these are the students who find it hard to settle? And parents who guilt trip their DC into messaging every day and put trackers on their phones must add to the stress.

TizerorFizz · 26/07/2023 08:45

I’m worried about me now! I never felt worried at all. Just a natural progression for all of us. We all embraced it.

OneFrenchEgg · 26/07/2023 08:51

TizerorFizz · 26/07/2023 08:45

I’m worried about me now! I never felt worried at all. Just a natural progression for all of us. We all embraced it.

This is why I left the group. I just couldn't cope with all the weird emotion about kids growing up. But I've never subscribed to being my kids friends so maybe it's different if you do rely on them in some way.