Final year dissertation disaster

[GatherlyGal]

DC is in their final year. She has autism and has struggled a lot. She IDs as trans and life has been up and down and quite hard at times for about the last 6 years.

Uni has been going great though and all on course for graduation this year. Except as it turns out she has not done her dissertation. I had concerns at Easter but she brushed them off and told me she can get extra time it'll be ok etc.

It all came to a head this week when she handed in her final course work and essays leaving just the dissertation and she had to face the fact she can't do it.

She is very independent in many ways and not great at letting us in when she needs support. She's been lonely and isolated this year (girlfriend is on a year abroad) and I think she may not have been going into Uni much but I don;t know. She has high marks in all other work but will not get the dissertation done so no degree.

She's got a meeting next week with her tutor but I don't know what the options might be. I'd like to be at the meeting (if she will allow and she probably won't) but she's worked hard and done so well and I just don't know how to help to get her over the line so she can come away with a degree.

Any suggestions at all on what options might be or how I can help her very very welcome.

My word of advice with the dissertation is that you can kinda cobble it together last minute. It's possible. My DS only did 5.5k for his master's dissertation and somehow got a 58. He himself couldn't sleep thinking he'd failed but he also did okay.

So for an undergraduate degree I'd worry less.

Thanks @Ffggewf but I think the ship has sailed and she's too late for this year.

Some universities allow for time and then a December graduation, it is worth asking if this is possible. Ds gf failed her dissertation and was allowed to resubmit it but not graduate in the summer but did in the December. If she has passed everything else then try and see what options there are.

It sounds like she didn't have a supportive dissertation tutor.

DD had weekly zoom meetings with hers and he reminded her regularly about deadlines.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I think she may get an ordinary degree instead of one with honours.

My heart goes out to both of you.

That could work @mumonthehill but I'm worried she's chucked the towel in and wants to do it next year. She's saying she's burnt out so I'm not sure she'll be able to do it over the summer.

She should apply for an extension asap before the deadline. She should be given a resit opportunity if she fails to submit it or fails what she does submit. But please check your university regs

(I work in HE and our university would allow a reattempt but the mark on the reattempt would be capped at a minimum pass mark only)

Indeed I am quite mad at how its come to this. I am a bit shocked at the absence of support generally and don't feel they get good value for all that money.

She's heard that about the 40% cap on a remark but might get some special dispensation for mental health difficulties and her autism so that might work.

@GatherlyGal when is the dissertation supposed to be submitted? When is the due date?

I'm not sure @Ffggewf because she had extra time but I think today was the final day of that extra time and she decided on Monday she wasn't able to do it.

try not to panic until she's had a conversation with her tutor. She won't be the first student this has happened to, there will be contingencies for this scenario. It's likely that she'll be offered an 'ordinary degree' (non Hons), more pastoral support to complete the diss, an extension, possible later graduation or maybe even intercalation and redoing/deferring her third year (obviously this has cost implications and will depend on what she has already had in terms of SFE loans). IME, Universities don't like to fail students, especially at this late stage, so will try to get her over the line.

Also…if the worst thing that happens is that she gets the mark capped at 40 but still gets an Honours degree…that’s still a really good outcome!

That's encouraging @BalladOfBarryAndFreda she was hoping to do a Masters and on for a 2 (i) so I am hoping there might be a bit of flex.

I'd rather help her though another year (we were going to support with the masters anyway) just so she can come away with a degree. I just hope she's not wasted all this time and money!

You can also check if she needs to have completed the dissertation to get her degree (but with a different classification) - she might be able to pass with a BA (or whatever degree she is in) but not a BAHons (the Hons part represents the dissertation) - I work at a Uni and this is what happens with one of our courses.

She tried that and it was a no unfortunately.

They could ask if you could sit in on the meeting due to her autism, the tutor may agree but is under no obligation and its generally frowned upon.

Ask if she can apply for ECs (extenuating circumstances) to fill the gap. Worse case could be a December graduation.

Your comment on it not being value for money shows me you are taking your frustrations out on the wrong place. You don't just buy a degree, you earn them and they need to do the work here and reach out if they need support. They are adults.

Right sit down with the tutor and try and getting an extension. If she's been doing really well then the dissertation shouldn't be an obstacle, I understand it's daunting but the tutor needs to sit with her to plan what she is doing, how to structure it and break it down it smaller chunks so it's manageable in a timetable she can stick to. Tell her not to panic, she can do it 😀 My DH left his till 3 weeks before the deadline and still got a 2:1 - well stressed me out!!

I understand that and I know DD has to take responsibility but I have been disappointed by a few things.

She was told she'd failed first year because she didn't attend an exam. She did attend and they lost her paper. it got sorted out but she was very stressed by the whole thing.

My obvservation is that the level of supervision, the management / admin and number of hours of teaching is not especially good value for money.

is this a research dissertation in science? has she done the lab work / data work that forms the core, but has just failed to write up the project? or has she failed do to the primary lab work?

there will definitely be procedures for extensions / resits / extenuating circumstances.

you might need to ask her to sign a form authorising you to communicate with the university on her behalf, and then you can help her sort things out more closely.

Just to manage expectations - if she is struggling to write a dissertation then maybe a masters isn't the right decision just now.

I agree @RampantIvy. I just want her to come away with a degree.

@GatherlyGal I hope your DD manages to find a resolution.

I hope she learns from this that it isn't weak to reach out for help.

I remember when DD was writing her dissertation. She had a bad bout of covid in the middle of it and asked for an extension, which was refused. Even her tutor was surprised it was refused.

She managed to get it over the line but it was a stressful time.

Has she done ANYTHING for it? Does she have a topic?

Why isit to late tk start it make a plan what it will look like and at least write the into and flows from there. Do all nighters unless it's art or a project

Whilst I appreciate your dd has had some difficulties, we all will, have and still do have difficulties in life.
that doesn’t mean you just opt out
bills still have to be paid
deadlines have to be met
etc etc

you need to start giving her the tools to manage life a little better