I had some circumstances and only just got my final results, they came in at 47.5. I feel like a retard for the work ethic indicated by this. What the fuck can I do with that? I might as well not have a degree from what I've heard. I've got a job at a bar, lovely place, but it's not really what I want to do. I want to be a teacher. Will this 3rd class degree impact harshly if I go on to do a PGCE, and would it be possible to do anything academic which would 'gloss over' my degree and serve as a better indicator for employers etc? I doubt I'm going to get into a masters program at this rate so that's out the window.
Also, what's the likelyhood of contesting this? In the 'component marks' section of the uni server an 8 credit essay section is listed as unmarked, and 5% of my dissertation (the proposal) is also unmarked. I handed both of these in with the appropriate paperwork, so I'm going to bring it up with the history school office this week. Have any of you had any success contesting results?
Also yesterday I found out that my dog died and I don't want to tell anyone I know so I thought if I told you guys it'd make me feel a bit less distressed. He was cool.
That's a shit one, mate. You should at least take solace in that most people's degrees are pointless. I'm sure you're a sprightly enough chap to go out and get yourself a career without that piece of paper so don't stress too much about it, it just means you're not going to find yourself walking into graduate schemes.
Sorry to hear about your dog. Tell us more about him.
Thanks for that. I'm can't tell my family yet, and don't really want to tell most of my friends because they'll probably feel uncomfortably sorry for me.
I honestly did have my heart a bit set on academics, I genuinely enjoy them and I think it's motivational issues that have set me back more than anything, but with this degree I'm not sure what options there are for me to prove this while I sort myself out. Are there any possible academic routes I won't have a hard time getting into now?
>Sorry to hear about your dog. Tell us more about him.
He was a rottweiler, acted like a puppy most of the time and had limited bladder control when he was excited. One time I visited home and he was so happy he pissed himself and was jumping off the walls. Good lad, imaginatively named 'Dave'.
>>4922 If you show some willing and aren't choosy about projects or quality of the university you go to then you'll probably be able to get on a PhD if you can source some funding. What did you study?
Classical studies. I know it's kind of niche but I'd like to think that might be an advantage, somehow.
I wrote a 10000 word dissertation in about 10 days of inconsistent library sessions, and got 47 for it. Despite being incredibly stupid, is that at least some aspect of that to be somewhat proud of?
>>4924 To put it bluntly, no. If you want to stay in academia (I can't imagine why, full of cunts), you'll have a hard time funding an arts doctorate, if you apply to local charities and have a good idea of something to write your thesis on then someone might take you on as a student.
Damn. Well, I think I know what the feedback will say, and I'm fairly sure with an extra day I could have bumped it up a lot. I finished writing with about 90 minutes to go to the deadline and so didn't have the opportunity to take a night off and use fresh eyes. That's probably my biggest regret.
To be fair I'm not sure I'd do well in a PhD, a few of my extended family have them or other accolades (another reason why I'm gutted about this result). I'm guessing there's not much middle ground available to me.
Basically this news seems to have killed most of my ambitions and despite knowing that nothing's really changed in the minutes before and after I checked my emails. I was really looking for some intellectual validation, some graded evidence. I think that's possibly why I'm looking for further routes.
I'm sorry, I feel like I should maybe have done a separate post to /emo/ with this part of my thinking. I might do that tonight if this thread is a bit inappropriate/if I feel like it could be productive.
>>4925 >you'll have a hard time funding an arts doctorate
Being realistic, you will never secure AHRC funding for a masters or PhD with a third, absolutely no way, and I can't imagine you having any luck getting a grant from anyone else either.
That's a fucker of a grade, anyway, and like the other lad says you'd be wise to kick up as much of a fuss as you possibly can for that extra few percent.
Academia is not as most people would hope it to be. >>4925 has it right and I get the feeling learnt this lesson well directly or from its victims.
Once you hit the world of private business then doors will open up quickly as you get experience and you can jump to related public sector later if you want to.
I'd be interested to know more of .gs opinions on academia, it's been an aspiration of mine for a while now. I'm also two weeks into an MA and seriously second-guessing, so I'm all ears.
Polite sage for threatening to derail the thread a bit.
>>4928 This. Pound the streets with a CV not listing any grades at all. You probably don't want your third out there, and it'll look suspicious if it's missing while your A-level grades are on display. Anyone looking for the usual C in English and maths will hopefully figure out that you are likely to have reached that standard if you even made it to university at all.
That seems like a good idea, cheers. I've got an okay grasp of grammar, a few decent skills and some widely applicable experience. My main worry is whether or not capability shines through initial confidence issues...
>I want to be a teacher. Will this 3rd class degree impact harshly if I go on to do a PGCE
Teacher here: I am sad to say your chances of getting on ITT (either PGCE, or SchoolsDirect/GTP) are slim to none. In fact I do believe the minimum standard is at least a 2:2 now. Sorry
>>4928 >>4929 >learnt it directly
Currently studying for a PhD so I'm not really that far into academia that I've felt the sting of actually working in it. As far as I can tell you're more or less fighting for less and less paperwork and lecturing so that you can actually do some work that you want to do but for the most part it's a losing battle. Due to some funny circumstances my PhD has moved from one uni to the other (both shit in the grand scheme of things but I'm lucky in that my project would be impressive whether I did it in a shed or in a shiny lab at Warwick) and I've always got on best with the technical staff better than I have the academics. Academics tend to think like individuals and actively do their best not to give a shit about one another, it's really quite immature.
I have just recently been reading about scientific research conducted in industry, though, and it doesn't sound much better. The guy who invented cubic boron nitride doesn't even have his own Wikipedia page and the guy who made the first man-made diamond had to then go on to do it again completely differently after he left GE because they owned all the patents.
In science, at least, the trade-off comes down to being between being able to take full credit for your work and publish under your own name and not the company's or having to teach (I shudder at the thought) and work with morons who basically refuse to do anything that might go to help someone else under the guise that they're "snowed under with work".
I think the best balance of the two is if you can land a job at a genuinely good university, of which there are few.
