Has anyone’s DC deferred an exam in their final year?

[Unidilemma]

DS is due to take his first semester final exams shortly. He’s a v high achieving student on a challenging course and has done v well so far averaging a first last year (25% of final degree).

However, his mental health (which is always dodgy) has taken a big nosedive in the last couple of weeks and he may not be capable of doing at least one exam due to his mental state (extremely high anxiety - finding it v hard to concentrate, is ‘stuck’). He’s spoken to wellbeing and they’re arranging a meeting w his personal tutor. He’s got a lot of support around him from us and professionals.

So if he defers he won’t graduate w his peers - not sure when he would get his degree classification though.

He’s also got his dissertation to complete- so far going ok but he’s now worried that he hadn’t researched it enough (he has, his supervisor is pleased w his plan). He could probably get an extension on this too w extenuating circumstances.

Currently I just want him to feel better, but am concerned about what deferral could mean. He’s also not thinking straight enough to make a logical decision.

At my place, students can graduate with up to 60 credit points pending. They still get to graduate with their peers.

So check the University teaching manual, or examination regulations, for his cohort intake. It should be publicly available on the university website. It'll be a lot of official language, but it will be clear. And it's what all of us (academics and professional service staff) refer to when dealing with student assessment.

However, my advice would be for your son to try to do his work on time, or with suitable in-year extensions. Our resit or deferral period is over July and into early August, and over the many years I've been teaching, it's noticeable that students who were struggling are still struggling over the summer, and they don't have the whole support system of tutors and peers all studying together to keep them on track. It's just them & it's easy to lose momentum, and get even more stuck. And if your DS is getting the teaching needed to do the assessed work, he won't get any further teaching after the end of term.

If part of his anxiety is being a high achiever, then he needs to let that go. If his fear of not getting a 1st is getting in the way of him doing what is needful, then he's not getting a First anyway, if you see what I mean. He just needs to get on and do something - to quote the old advice "Don't let the perfect get in the way of the good." And the mantra that got me through my PhD: "A good dissertation is a finished dissertation."

There will be very few things in the rest of his life that require a 1st Class degree. I'm a senior professor with a leading reputation in my (tiny tiny field), and I didn't get a First in either of my UG degrees.

Thanks @ParmaVioletTea- that’s really useful advice. He really needs to speak to his personal tutor who can advise him on all of this pertaining to his uni/department.
He’s submitted everything else on time (with extensions as he gets them automatically cos he has DSA).

Part of his anxiety is being an overachiever- I keep on saying a 2.1 is only 60% - no-one expects anyone to get a first across the board. He always thinks he’s ‘failed’ - even at school he used to say this and then come out with high marks 99% of the time.
I will try and talk to him later about this a bit more. Thanks!

yes

my dc had covid during her finals

Agree it would be better to take the finals now than have the accumulating pressure and uncertainty of sitting it ,and perhaps others, over the summer. Depending how the weighting works he may still be able to get a first even if achieving less this semester.

Part of his anxiety is being an overachiever- I keep on saying a 2.1 is only 60% - no-one expects anyone to get a first across the board. He always thinks he’s ‘failed’ - even at school he used to say this and then come out with high marks 99% of the time.

I'm going to say something which may sound harsh here, and if he were my tutee I'd put it very differently, but if his high achievement comes at the cost of mental health - particularly disabling & paralysing anxiety about his work - it's not really high achievement. He can't sustain it at the highest level of study (the final year). High achievers who are fundamentally high achievers don't tend to need to wreck their mental health by trying so so hard. Trying too hard.

Harsh judgement, I know, but I've taught a lot of extremely high achieving young people, and those who can only do it by this sort of anxiety will crash and burn. THeir learning isn't properly secure.

He'll come good, of course he will. But maybe not for some years yet.

Can he focus on learning, rather than achieving? High grades mean nothing really. It's the learning that is important. That's what will stand him in good stead for the rest of his life.

To put the achievement of a First above actually learning in the fullest way possible is to put the cart before the horse. And if he is anxious, panicking and stuck, he's not learning in the most humanly enriching way he's capable of.

@Unidilemma forgive me if I missed it, but you've said nothing about what his future plans are. Has he been applying for any jobs or postgraduate courses?

As others said, getting a first has little relevance to future success. Some of his peers will already have secured graduate jobs on the back of previous grade averages, but I doubt any of those employers would withdraw provisional offers from grads who dropped from a first to a 2:1. Dropping to a 2:2 might be an issue for some employers, but not a 2:1. (This time last year my own DS had a predicted 1st and a job offer from a big name consultancy. He fluffed one of the final, exams which pushed him down to a 2:1, but it hasn't made a jot of difference to him, whereas delaying confirmation of his degree result probably have resulted in withdrawal of the offer, not to mention a much more miserable summer).

That’s unfortunate- did all come good in the end?

This is why he really needs to speak to his personal tutor, but he is waiting to hear back. I suggested he speak to the subject department admins but he didn’t want to.

The mad thing is @ParmaVioletTeahe loves learning! He’s just had an MH breakdown so can’t really think straight about it all. He be fine with a 2.1 but because he potentially didn’t do that well on a recent piece of work he thinks he’s ‘rubbish’.
I am worried about his future as work is no picnic. Hrs had a few thoughts re next steps and was going to apply for something that opened in Jan for applications, but how he is now, there’s no way.

@nosedyvhe hasn’t yet applied for anything post-uni. He was looking in to it and found something he was interested in but applications not open until Jan. He/we were going to look over Xmas at what options there are post-uni - for jobs or further study. He’ll be very employable with his degree - if he doesn’t get a job until he graduates then so be it.

I only know one of his friends who has an offer- he had a year in industry and they’ll employ him afterwards (not same course).

i think he really needs to get his MH issues under better control before he enters the post-grad workplace.

The mad thing is he loves learning! He’s just had an MH breakdown so can’t really think straight about it all. He be fine with a 2.1 but because he potentially didn’t do that well on a recent piece of work he thinks he’s ‘rubbish’.

Is intercalating/leave of absence for a year out of the question?

So he can recover from his mental ill-health?

@ParmaVioletTea- I’ve asked him and he doesn’t want to do that.