He got a Third.

[DoNoTakeNo]

Firstly, I know this is not about me.
Secondly, that doesn’t stop me being devastated for my DS.
I just need to get this off my chest I suppose; any coping strategies appreciated.
DS got his degree result today; as per the title, it’s a 3rd - he missed out by half a percent. He studied at a prestigious university but has told me he feels that his degree is a waste & he can’t even apply for jobs he wanted (his original plan was a Masters but that’s not going to happen now).
He has had so much trauma and tragedy in his life, I’m honestly devastated that he has been hit with this (& yes I know it was his work that got him the result, not just chance).
He lost his father to cancer as a teen, he recently lost a cousin to murder, and he has a rare & complex life-long illness.
He always has a home here; DH & his siblings & I love him very much.
How on earth can I help him?
I hope others who are getting results now aren’t going through this.

Wow- he’s overcome so much in his life and, despite everything, has secured a degree!

Well done to your son, that’s amazing.

Can he ask for an appeal/re-mark? I would suggest he speak to his tutors. Half a percent is very close.

DS got a 3rd. He retook the final year and upped it to a 2:2. Still not amazing but I was very proud of him. If your boy really is devastated there are lots of retake options.

At such a close boundary, I'd be asking for a remark. Did he disclose his situations?

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/students/support/academic-advice/assessment-support/exceptional-circumstances/undisclosed-exceptional-circumstances/

ETA - not saying he's at Bristol! Just using their policies as an example.

I would definitely get him to query it. He should have had some kind of viva being so close to the 2:2 grade boundary.

What subject is his degree in?

Your post absolutely broke my heart — I’m so sorry you're all going through this. First of all, your DS sounds like an incredibly resilient young man to have even gotten to this point, and so much of that will be thanks to the love and security you clearly provide. Please don’t downplay how proud you should be of him (and of yourself too, frankly).
A third from a top university is still a degree — and that alone is no small feat, especially considering everything he's been through. I mean, we both know people with half his challenges wouldn’t have made it through the first year, never mind finish. That speaks volumes about his grit.
Now, onto some practical stuff — because that’s how we cope, right?
A few things to gently suggest or look into:
Master’s options: Many will take a strong personal statement and mitigating circumstances into account — and your DS has those in abundance. It’s worth calling admissions tutors directly (or emailing — sometimes easier emotionally) to explain the full context.
Work experience can open more doors than grades: Some sectors value real-world experience far more than uni results, especially if he’s got passion and drive. Even if he starts off with something entry-level, he can build a career from there. Plenty of success stories start off “on paper” like this.
Mental health: Please do keep an eye on his emotional state in the coming weeks. This kind of disappointment — especially piled onto grief and illness — can really knock someone sideways. Just being there, listening, validating his pain... you’re already doing the most important thing.
And finally: he is not a failure. I know you know that. But he might not feel it yet. So keep reminding him — gently, often, and in ways he can absorb. This result doesn’t define his worth, his intelligence, or his future. Life is a long game, and he’s just had a very tough level.
Sending so much love to you both.

This ^.

Well done to him for getting this far with so many difficulties to overcome.

What did he want to do? There are usually other ways to achieve what you want in life.

Does he know what went wrong? Was it due to poor health or did he struggle academically? If it was the latter, maybe a masters isn’t the right path for him, unless it was in a different field eg a professional course? If it was the former or if he was looking at a professional masters, there will be other ways to get accepted in the future eg with professional experience.

He still has plenty of options.

He sounds like he’s done really well just to get through these three years. To reiterate what another poster has said, maybe have a look at the grade boundaries. I was 2% off the next classification up and so I appealed it as per the policy. I was then awarded the degree classification in line with this.

He need not give up on the idea of a masters, a job in industry for a few years to save up, build up his confidence and he can go back and do a masters.

meanwhile, congratulations to DS

What does he want to study at Masters, OP?

Could OU be an option? They ask for a 2:2 but are incredible flexible in regards to entry requirement and are also lovely on the phone and super helpful in my experience

I got a 2:1 but honestly after a bit of work experience nobody cares what grade you got. Obviously it depends what he wants to do but for many subjects it won’t matter in time. People tend to just say they have a BA or BSc in a certain subject without giving the grade. If he needs it to do a masters I’d suggest he asks about retakes though. Just check a masters is needed for his chosen career path as I know a lot of people who have masters degrees and have never needed them to get their job. I hope you can still have a nice dinner or similar to celebrate him getting a degree.

Ask for a re-mark for that extra half point? If that doesn't change the grade then he shouldn't give up hope, especially with all the challenges he's faced so far in life he's showing already he has the resilience to get a degree.

I got a third. Did an internship for a year via someone I knew, got a low paid job at a Uni and applied for masters after a year as I proved that I was a hard worker, just not good at exams. I then worked in my field before changing careers after my DC came along. Careers are as much about networking, drive and personality as they are about paper qualifications.

This. One of the most professionally successful and secure people I know got a third. They got a temp job, showed what they could do, worked their way up and got on really well. Their degree class was irrelevant a few years later. Your son has done extremely well. Not everyone can do a degree, regardless of what the media tells you.

I’m sorry to hear that, @DoNoTakeNo

Carol Voderman got a third, and she’s done alright!

I got a third. I was disappointed but honestly as a PP has said, it's probably only the first job who ever asked for a copy of my degree. After that nobody asked about results.

Hello, I'm an academic and echo what others have said - is his university aware of his extenuating circumstances? Did he have a decent personal tutor? If he was one of my students and I truly believed he was capable of a higher classification than his circumstances were allowing him I would have done whatever it took for him. Given he recently lost a relative violently I'd have been fighting to have at least his finals deferred. Just one of those circs and I'd have been making sure the school knew he needed support, never mind all three.

Don't write off the masters if it's one he really wants - is it at the same institution? If so they might waive the admissions criteria for him. Not being too outing but something awful happened to me immediately before my finals and my undergrad uni did that for me - and I've done it for students in similar circumstances. Also, remember Unis do actually want students on their courses so if you explain they can usually be understanding (once you reach the right person - the support staff usually can only give cut and paste answers). Absolutely echo everything @ThisTicklishFatball wisely says - good luck to your son, and well done on his achievements so far!

Another academic here, saying please reach out to the Unis concerned about Masters. Not every Uni will turn him down with a Third. And we do find that students flourish when they are allowed to specialise further.
Also, yes, please let them know about his mitigating circumstances although it might be potentially too late now.
Finally, he sounds like he's done really well in difficult circumstances and you have done an amazing job supporting him.

Whilst it’s unusual, a 3rd isn’t a barrier if determined in many jobs. My friend got a 3rd from a bad rated university down mostly to very difficult family circumstances, took a lab tech job (that didn’t require a degree) worked hard for 6 years then got an opportunity to get a PhD pt whilst working.

Have his formal degree results been published, or is this what he's worked out based on his modular results?

He's done well to get a degree. It will still open doors for him. DH got a pass without honours (less than a third) and has had an incredibly successful career. Some things just require a degree (moving overseas, particular jobs) some things require a particular grade (masters courses, PhDs).
What his mark was will not matter once he has some work under his belt. My advice would be that he starts applying for jobs in his chosen area emphasizing whatever work experience or placements he's done and not giving the degree grade. DH just puts BSc Degree name on his CV and noone queries it.

Congratulations to him!!!!!

I got a 2:2 20+ years ago and couldnt get a graduate job anyway. Ended up working as a temp and got made permanent within 2years (whereas applied for standard jo b at same company but didnt get it through interviews.
A girl on same course moved up from 2:1 to first a s had glandular fever in finals.

its unfortunate with uni you dont know for sure what you will get and even if you can work it out you cant necessarily change it.
i had one bad teacher for media part and he marked very harshly and gave me like 40%. I also got similar on a statistics modular with another poor teacher. In both cases lots of students did badly..

i think its got to be rubbish if youve paid so much now too!.
a third at our uni would ha ve been an average below 50% though.

Other than needed for getting on a Masters program or graduate training schemes, do people really look at degree classifications? No one ever asked mine as far as I recall. I did do a Masters as a mature student but my first job after getting it and my boss didn’t even know what in! He for some reason thought it was in teaching but what I had was a Masters of Education in Counselling Psychology (I was hired as the student liaison officer at a university). So my qualifications counted for not a heck of a lot (I mean it helped in my job but not in getting the job).
I’d give him some time to process and try to figure out his next steps without too much pressure from you.

It’s not a fail/general degree. Someone has to get a third. There is a lot of grade inflation these days. Carol Vorderman got a third!

it depends what career he wants.

Look it depends on what he wants to do, but I don’t think it will be the end of the world. He still has a degree. He will have to mourn his results but it’s not like his future is over. If he really wants to do a masters then he might be able to find a degree with an extended foundation year.

Back in my day we had connexions for support with this kind of thing. Is there anything like that now where he can go and discuss his options?

He will find his way and the degree will still be useful