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Original poster

Question about degrees.

28 replies

Smurfgirl · 02/02/2005 15:36

I have been told that even if your overall grade for your degree is a 2.2 you will still graduate with a 2.1, if you got mostly 2.1s in your module results, OR if your 2.2s are all really high?

Is this an urban legend? Am I kidding myself into thinking I can get that 2.1 when my average mark is currently 59.3 (60 is a 2.1).

And am I really odd for freaking out about finishing my degree, and worrying about graduating. I am not convinced that I know enough about English to get some letters after my name!!!

Thanks x

OP posts:
beansprout · 02/02/2005 15:38

I think it depends on the policy of the college/uni you are attending. Mine hinged entirely on a bunch of exams and coursework counted for zilch!!!

Kelly1978 · 02/02/2005 15:39

If your marks are that close to the cut off point, you should have all your work reviewed at least. I'm not sure how all unis work, but I know at least some have this policy.

Yorkiegirl · 02/02/2005 15:40

Message withdrawn

lucy5 · 02/02/2005 15:41

I cant remember but it sounds unlikely. Although my fil sears he got his ma from Oxford for turning up for a dinner after his ba. Theres alot of these strange stories around. Hope u do get a 2:1 though but if you dont its not the end of the world, it just seems like it now.

lucy5 · 02/02/2005 15:41

i mean swears

Hausfrau · 02/02/2005 15:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blackduck · 02/02/2005 15:43

lucy5 - but that is actually true of oxford and cambridge (or certainly was...) you paid so much (so no doubt he 'paid' for dinner) and got your MA.....

sweetkitty · 02/02/2005 15:45

I don't know depends on the uni but if you are borderline I'm sure you should be called for an oral (viva) exam.

Original poster
Smurfgirl · 02/02/2005 15:57

I finish all my work for my degree (it is coursework assesed) in APRIL. I graduate in July. Eeek. Terrified is not the word, even though actually I am doing another degree after this.

My housemate just confirmed that if out of the 12 modules you take in 2nd and 3rd year you get 6 or more 2.1s you are guarenteed a 2.1, so far I have 3...

I have not heard of a viva exam? My course is all modular so I don't understand what I would be tested on...

OP posts:
LIZS · 02/02/2005 16:07

A degree is a worthwhile achievement in itself so you should be pleased with yourself . You may find later modules weighted more heavily in the final calculation, so a good performance now may counter weaker ones previously, but I'd agree with Hausfrau a 2.2 is a 2.2 and 2.1 a 2.1 , no matter how close to the borderline a mark may be. It may even be that the overall mark is calculated by excluding the highest and lowest marks - just depends on the course, your tutor should know.

tbh unless you are in a very specialist field, or planning to pursue a course or line of work relevant to one particular module, the individual module marks are not likely to be of much interest, just the overall one.

SenoraPostrophe · 02/02/2005 16:21

smurfgirl - that is the policy of many universities for BA degrees, although I would´n't have thought that any actually use the word "guaranteed".

vivas are usually used for BScs, although some universities use them for BAs too.

Just do your best [WINK] A 2:2 is still a good degree anyway.

Original poster
Smurfgirl · 02/02/2005 16:38

Ok! I am aiming for a 2.1 mark BTW but I am cutting it fine so I just wondered. I just looked and I actually have 5 2.1s out of 8 modules, so hopefully I should be ok marks wise anyway...

Thanks everyone!

OP posts:
Hulababy · 03/02/2005 11:15

They did this on my degree. Those people within a % or two were pushed up from a 2.2 to a 2.1

Only think that bothered me was I was well within 1% of a 1st, but they didn't have the same polcy of round up for that. Grrr!

Socci · 03/02/2005 11:25

Message withdrawn

LIZS · 03/02/2005 11:38

It could be that if they have in mind a % number of students they expect to award class of degree they can flex the borderline candidates, but best not rely upon it !

marialuisa · 03/02/2005 11:48

The university i work at is moving over to this system, here anyone within 3% of a higher classification will have their second and third year module marks reviewed. if at least 50% of the module marks are in the higher classification then higher degree.

Departments also jig classifications to give themselves a better profile/to ensure that they are in line with comparable departments. Last year DH's dept only had 3 candidates get firsts on marks alone but when it was observed that comparable departments award more firsts the top 9 candidates with 2:1s (based on average mark) were bumped up to firsts. The typical profile in a department with 200 undergraduates would be 10 firsts, 145 2:1s, 30 2:2s, 5 3s and the rest fails/retakes.

Gobbledigook · 03/02/2005 12:09

Ooh, that sounds good. I was well and truly pissed off when I came out with a 2.1 as I got an overall mark of 69% (as you know, 70% is a first) - I got a 1st in all of my coursework for the final year and got a 1st in the majority of my finals. However, they decided, after we'd done them, to include some marks from our second yr exams which brought me down to 69%. I appealed but they wouldn't do anything to change it and what upset me more was that my long term boyfriend (who I did A levels with and went to uni with) had Hodgkins Lymphoma diagnosed just before Easter of our final year so I worked my butt off under very difficult circumstances to get that 1st.

Anyway, that was a long time ago and it really doesn't matter. I am certain that the course of my career and life is no different from having a 2.1 than if I had a 1st. My degree and grade got me into my first job and from there it was all about 'me' and what I did from there on in.

Don't worry!

Gobbledigook · 03/02/2005 12:10

Maria - I think that also came into not giving me my first - quite a few of us did do really well that year so perhaps they reached their 'quota' so to speak

Gobbledigook · 03/02/2005 12:12

Also, I think the 2.1 bracket is very wide. I know it's still only 60-69 but from my experience the people who were averaging 68 or 69 were another class away from those averaging 60 or 61.

Hulababy · 03/02/2005 12:15

GDG - I got 69.(something)% too, and did feel a bit cheated! As you say, means nothing now - several years on but at the time... I felt worse as my brother got a 1st in his degree a month after I got my results. Mind you, he did average in the high 90%s (and got a number of 100%) in his coursework/exams [shock}

Socci · 03/02/2005 12:17

Message withdrawn

Socci · 03/02/2005 12:18

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Gobbledigook · 03/02/2005 12:18

Hula - 100% in uni exams?! WOW! I got a couple of 80+% in my finals but mostly 70's I'd say. I didn't think anyone got marks in the 90's or 100 so he must be mega brainy!!

Nah, doesn't matter now but I got in a right state about it at the time - I guess you just get all hyped up and I worked my a**e off in between hospital radiotherapy visits and frightening check ups (worse for him, I know) so I was in a right state by the time the results came out!

Gobbledigook · 03/02/2005 12:19

My uni was Leeds Socci (uni, not poly, as it was then -ooh, I'm old )

Original poster
Smurfgirl · 03/02/2005 12:21

I was poorly in 2nd year missing most of the seminars so that brought my mark down. I do have mitigating circumstances on many of my modules so I hope they do take that in account.

So far this year I have got a 58, and a 65 so I am hopeful!

It does not really matter if I get a 2.2, I just want that 2.1!

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