Son didn't pass degree

[anotherglass]

Hello, please be gentle as I am heartbroken for son. He has not passed the degree after failing to get the required credits. He can resit his exams but the most he can achieve is a pass, and no Honours. After 4 years of study he is devastated. He worked hard and passed his dissertation. I am in shock and it breaks my heart to see him so downhearted. Anyone have advice please on how to navigate thru this and keep him feeling good about himself. I am trying to remain positive but inside I am devastated. Thank you

Unfortunately a pass is not good, depending on what career he wants.

But probably better than having to explain that four years period where he was a t university X, but didn't come out with any kind of degree at the end?

One thought, though, would be if he would come out now with the exit qualification of a DipHE, which could at a later stage be topped up to a full honours degree (in the same way that a Foundation Degree can be).

@anotherglass

Which subject, OP?

I despise this aspect of British education. Most other countries allow you to continue and redo a semester without capping grades. Why does it matter if it takes someone 3 years or 4. That’s on them. If the work is done it’s done. Why this crazy demand for it all to be done in a timeline set by them. After all some degrees can be done part time. So this whole getting it done right or calling grades is stupid

This is why parents shouldn’t shoehorn their children into unis. Out of 4 siblings the two who went to uni are doing worse! The ones who didn’t have better careers with the head start they got plus didn’t rack up 60k debt each. Bloody Tony Blair.

Uni means nothing these days, tell him to chin up. No one has ever in my life asked for mine or the grade.. which is from a top 10. Needn’t have bothered lol.

At the university I worked for between 1999 and 2021, we would hold a departmental extenuating circumstances panel. If we refused, the student would appeal to the faculty panel, who would usually overrule us.

My brother (undiagnosed but I'm sure has ADHD) had results all over the place. (Distinctions or fails really.) I can't remember if he got a third or failed his degree.
Either way, hes now found a career which he enjoys and uses his skills. He's managed to make it work.
It was a slog, it was a difficult time for my parents as they were so worried but he figured it out.
He almost certainly shouldn't have gone to uni as the atmosphere and expectations didn't suit him but in his work hes thriving.
There is hope OP.

Thank you. x

Thank you. It is good to hear this story. My son's results were all over the place too. I am getting him assessed for ADHD,

Aerospace engineering.

Thank you. x

You’re getting all sorts of advice OP - mostly useful. I’ve been there and even as an academic myself it was difficult to negotiate the uni systems. The main thing is to urgently speak to his programme leader to see if he can retake to get honours abd get support for any learning and processing difficulties. Your son and yourself will be experiencing all sorts of shame, confusion and sadness. He will need lots of support and you also need some too so you can parent. All will be well but keep expressing love and praise your son for what he has achieved and say that you will work together to help him onto the next stage. 2 years on my son is happy in graduate employment, having regular counselling and we are both more aware of how autism affects daily life, social and working.

Thank you. We are speaking to the programme leader today and he needs to get extenuating circumstances to have a chance of honours. I am working on the appeal now. You are right about the mixed bag of emotions. I am very concerned about how he is feeling as he is not expressing much. This is so tough but I have put support in place for counselling / support. Thank you again xx

Hope it all works out op. Sometimes it might just be a case of 'it all works out in the end'. He was smart enough to get into such a tough subject. He'll be fine xx

He can probably transfer credits to OU and finish his degree with them.

Don't despair! Ds also studied Aerospace and failed a couple of modules in his final year. He's dyslexic (university were aware) and it turned out that he had simply not taken in what he was studying. It was management and financial.modules that he just hadn't got to grips with We got him some specialist tuition and he passed on his second attempt .He now has a very good job in an engineering adjacent career and is doing very well, and making use of those subjects which he originally failed!

Oh that's a well thought of degree in a shortage area. Don't let him give up, whether he gets his honours or not.

He'll be fine in the longer term . Do everything you can to keep him positive and engaged because it will affect him far more not to come out with a qualification.

There's much that can be done with an engineering degree beyond the aeronautical specialism.

Can they offer him an HND instead. Most universities do if someone fails the degree or doesn’t finish it.
it is still a recognised qualification and they then don’t leave with nothing.
or can they take the year again and still have the chance of an honours degree.
my DD didn’t complete her degree and her uni offered her an HND instead. She accepted this. Then went on to complete an apprenticeship and is now doing her dream science job in the nhs.

so although it can feel very upsetting, there is always another way to succeed.

Surely this depends on the industry and role. Some are impossible without a degree
but your overall statement about not always needing one I agree with with.

out of interest what did yours end up doing?

In the UK it takes no longer to get an Hons though.

It did when I was a student years ago in Scotland. I could graduate and work after my 3 years of study or stay an extra year for no real benefit...

Most logical step is to offer an HND in aerospace engineering tbh. That way he is leaving with a complete qualification and not wasted any time. He can then make his next step OP .

Also a great suggestion here.

Your son can still go see his university to get assessed by their disability services. It may be too late to claim mitigating circumstances with a diagnosis, but it will be helpful in understanding himself going forward. However, you can ask if he does get assessed, whether his resits could be classed as first sits such that the marks are not capped. Exam boards are taking place now, but most universities allow for chairs action even after the exam board takes place. There are appeal processes, so you’d want to look at those too.

He, and you, have my sympathy. It’s an unfortunate system that requires students with obstacles to learning to advocate for themselves, when if they could’ve already done that, they would.