DS got a third after struggling at uni, how limiting is it?

[Misthios]

DS started uni in 2021 and for the first year his studies were entirely online. DS has significant challenges with neurodiversity - properly diagnosed dyspraxia and ADD, almost certainly autism too. His mental health was very poor and I was very pleased he was living here at home as he simply would not have coped otherwise. He finally crashed and burned after his third year (4 year degrees in Scotland) and was placed in academic suspension for a year. We had the most awful year with him trying to get him formally assessed and medicated for his ADD, he started on anti depressants, found a tutor to help in the subject he struggled with, and finally got through and into his final year.

This year has also been a struggle, the support from uni is just not there, funding in Scottish unis is a massive issue and he was not having check ins with tutors or disability support or anything. It was all very hard for him but long story short he has had his degree results today and got a third.

He is very upset. We have told him how proud we are of him for sticking at it and going back to finish his degree and the class of thart degree doesn't matter. He does not want a high flying job. He just wants to work in a lab. I am just worried that with the very competitive jobs market that he is going to struggle to get anything and will end up thinking that uni was a waste of time.

And I thought the pre-school years were the hard ones.

Once you have a career track record, people tend to want you for that and don't care about your degree. I didn't have a fantastic degree but I found that, after my second job after qualifying, I was either approached directly by prospective employers or headhunted. If your DS can find something that suits him and really gets his head down and works hard, he'll almost certainly find he's fine.

This isn't true. In 2000 I got a third class degree from a third rate college. But my first rate degree opened doors like you wouldn't believe. For my first three jobs, positions were created for me. I'd print off 20 copies of my CV with a covering letter. Not only did doors open, but it was like the door had been removed and a giant vacuum cleaner was sucking me in!

This is really interesting to me. I interviewed loads of graduates at my old company and I don't believe I (or my HR partner) ever actually looked at the degree mark - just that they had a degree. But, to be fair, it was not a scientific sector. Wishing your son all the best - it's a great achievement, especially when you've had to overcome difficulties.

Really great outcome. I have a ND child I’d be thrilled with that outcome.

For my own son my focus is on skills I think he might convert into work opportunities. For your son that might be getting into a lab (I know material testing labs - soils/engineering materials would love someone like him if he was good at repeating tests - operatives are hard to find but there is enough crossover that he could learn this stuff) he could get some experience that way and move as a lab tech to other types of labs.

Ridiculous statement.

I got a third. No covid lockdown for me obviously but undiagnosed ASD & ADHD (got at ASD diagnosis age 40ish, haven't gone back for an official ADHD diagnosis but the signs and traits for AuDHD are all there) did make uni a struggle.

I have had a reasonably successful career and the Third hasn't been a disaster. In my case the fact that I got a first class grade for the laboratory practical project - it was only a 10% weighting for grading so not enough to drag up my abysmal exams - but it was enough for me to be able to get a special exception made by the admissions tutor to go onto a postgraduate course where I was able to play to my strengths with practical science and no final exam. Is there any potential for something like that?

It’s so hard for ND young people to fit and succeed in this hyper competitive self-promoting world. Well done to your son. I know of several ND DC who have lost their way entirely so be proud that he go there in the end and convince him that he should be proud too.

I think he might struggle to get started in his first job but if he’s flexible as you say he will get in somewhere in due course. After that, unless he’s doing more qualifications - I don’t see anyone being interested in his graduation marks. Just put the degree rather than marks on the cv. He should also be prepared to talk
about his score without shame and rather as a story of resilience and surviving the bump rather than as defeat.

Did he have to pay for uni? I know in Scotland some /most don't have to pay. So if he doesn't have debt then it doesn't matter as much. Would be worse if he was 50k in debt.

But at least he pulled through and managed to get a degree. That's the main thing.

If your son can manage to get some practical experience in a lab of any sort then the resulting reference could be of far more use than any degree. Once you have a solid track record employers look at that, and not at a bit of paper. Do you have any friends or acquaintances with a business who might be able to give him a start with some work experience?

A relative of ours got a third. They struggled greatly with exams. To be honest, they were wrote off at school so going to Uni was impressive for them.

They have since gone on to gain well respected quals in their industry (same industry as the degree) and currently in the process of becoming director at a company they work at. They are very respected in their industry with clients for knowing their stuff.

Be proud. The difficult route to things is more character building than it being a breeze...

Oh bless him, with all the challenges he's been through he should be rightfully proud of himself for seeing it through.
Unfortunately employers do just see the grade and not the story behind it. My nephew has a 2:2 in a science/engineering field and hasn't managed to secure anything for a year now. He started off looking for something in is field, but is now looking for anything.
He can't get a min wage job because of his degree, and he can't get a degree level job because of his grade. The job centre told him to take his degree off his CV but then he's got a 4 year gap in his employment history. Poor lad is really trying but is a bit stuck.

@Misthios

Which subject is his degree in, OP?

Why bother commenting this? Sooooo mean. I bet all your kids are perfect (JK)

A friend of mine got a third and now works in an environmental analysis lab, they moved up from lab tech to technical development to lab and people management. They’re now on almost £60k pa. So there are good news stories to come from a third, if your son is happy to put in the work at an entry level job.

What an unnecessary nasty thing to say, given the circumstances.

Given the challenges he has faced and surmounted, it’s really notable that he got through the course and passed. Congratulations to him.

I think it will be seen as what it is in the context of his challenges, which is bloody good going. Well done him for persevering.

I would resist saying things like “class of degree doesn’t matter” and “no one will ask in a few years’ time”.

There nonsense platitudes will be obviously untrue and undermining your very true statement that the important thing is he stuck at it and now he’s ready to work!

I was absolutely relieved to start a low graduate level job after the anxious and difficult years at uni. It was a huge relief - easy work, structured, professional.

For many people, working is so much better than academic life.

I still have recurring nightmares about university. I don’t have any about work.

Pharmacology.

He did not have to pay for his degree which is something. He struggles with the self-promotion and talking himself up which is why I think getting a third party opinion on CV other than me ansd his dad would be helpful.

Realistically he’s not aiming for graduate schemes anyway as that wouldn’t suit him so it’s less of an issue.
I’d encourage him to look at local government or civil service jobs even for interim. If he meets criteria he would be a guaranteed interview in council I work for. Lots of staff are ND.
He should use uni careers service to fullest. They will have sessions on cvs, interviews, assessments etc. I follow my DD’s uni careers on instagram.

@Misthios

OP, could he look for a retail job in Boots, just something to start out with?

Doing well in that plus the specialist knowledge he has might lead to a promotion and/or further training?

https://www.boots.jobs/

I would encourage him to get out there in some way.

Apply to do work experience at local hospital lab, formal process to be followed and takes a while to organise but would be useful. NHS or other public sector might be good as they should be understanding of his disability. I think if he knows deep down he did well to complete in the circumstances that will show and should I really hope give him some confidence in himself. Lots of people his generation were affected by Covid as well.

I had to post OP as I remember the devastation of feeling like a failure to this day. I failed to get into 4th year of a science course at a Scottish university too. I felt devastated at the time and ashamed when I was younger, but honestly, it has not held me back. I know it’s a different world from when I graduated over 20 years ago but it is not the end of the world. I’ve been very successful in my career, I never lie on my CV but despite changing jobs many times not once have I been asked about lack of classification. I just put BSc Physics and the dates.

It also helps that in UK many degrees are only 3 years and I moved to England so it doesn’t stand out. Most people, even good friends have met in my life post uni will have no idea as it just doesn’t come up beyond - I did X at Y uni. To your son it will feel like all people talk and care about but that fades as soon as you are underway in the workforce and your experience and effort are what defines you, not your degree classification.

As for previous poster who said it’s worse that no degree - don’t be an asshole - and also you could not be more wrong. My even ‘worse’ degree is the building block I needed to access the starting point for my now very successful career.

I know 3 other people around my age very well who had the same thing happen. They all have great careers - one of them in lab work for a well known pharmaceutical company- that person did go on to do a masters later to upgrade their academic record, it might still be possible to do that in a few years when he’s in a better place for studying.

feel free to send me a message. I know of 3 people this happened to at one uni and 1 at another - all earn very well in their 40s.

Does he need to mention the class of his degree on his CV? I don't think it really matters.

Or he could take another degree in the UK somewhere or even a post-graduate degree where they would be happy to have him (lower ranking unis)

I actually had a friend who got a third in a humanities degree. She worked menial jobs and then went back to University to study child psychology. She now heads up a unit in a prominent UK children's hospital.

You can turn it around if you want to and if you can get funding.

I mean, what does it matter now? It’s done, and you are rightly proud of him for getting through it under very difficult circumstances. I have two ND teens myself so I understand. Congratulations to him ☺️

I just wouldn’t put the actual mark on his CV, I’m pretty sure that not once in my career has anyone asked to see my certificate. Not once.

The best thing he can do is just try to get work experience, which might be tough if he's recovering from health struggles, but he'll get there

An emphasis on making connections, practical career experience will help him here. Being able to hit the ground running, understand how the office works

He's made it through, which is something to be proud of. He wont be the first to have got a third, its all about how he moves forwards, after taking some time out to recover and relax.

Maybe a gap year for now? x

I had a couple of secondary school teachers who got thirds. Also, a friend got a third and managed to get a job as a lab tech in a secondary school. Are there any job fairs coming up where he can go talk to some potential employers?