First Assignment/Essay! (Access to HE)

I was really surprised with mine, I was expecting to have to do it all again but I did really well and it has given me a really good confidence boost for the rest of the course. Hope everyone else's is going well?

Reply 2

So what grades did everyone get? Seems a bit silly not to mention grades in a thread about the results of the first assignment.
I have 1 merit so far. Unhappy about that tbh.

Reply 3

kal452

OP

i agree it was definitely a confidence boost. I only suggested not mentioning score because i was concerned that people would start showing off, but as we are all mature perhaps that won't be a problem.

I got three distinctions; one for each marking category.

Reply 4

Mine was given back to me as a merit. The tutor said to add another paragraph about a certain topic and hand it back in and it would be a distinction. The tutors aren't lying when they say they're there to pass us, not fail us. If you're unhappy with your grades, maybe you could ask the tutor what you could have added to make it a distinction?

It's probably very different depending on the course, but I didn't find mine particularly difficult, just time consuming. It involved reading through a lot of different books and websites on the subject matter and arranging all that information into a structured piece, rather than merely answering the questions as I noticed a couple of people in the class doing. I'm doing Access to Bioscience by the way if you were curious.

Reply 5

Summer241

ndkathleen

So what grades did everyone get? Seems a bit silly not to mention grades in a thread about the results of the first assignment.
I have 1 merit so far. Unhappy about that tbh.

Don't be disheartened, a merit is really good :yes:

Distinctions are incredibly hard to get (I think they're the equivalent of an A at A' Level) so only a couple of people will get them.
In biology we were told only one person got a distinction out of both classes, so out of 60 people.

Reply 6

PatmaCrotch

We hve handed in two assignments for both subjects now, we were told things aren't graded at level2 they only become merits etc at level 3 which starts at end of nov

Reply 7

Hmm, yes. But I got A-grades at A-level so I that's why I'm disheartened :wink:

(doing access course because I did my a-levels 5 years ago)
But thanks anyway! Yeah also nobody in my class got a distinction, despite there being some really smart people. It's odd...

The teachers also said that they will not be giving out distinctions this early on in the course. This seems weird though, as even though I got A grades at a-level quite easily, my essays are not getting distinctions on Access. This is bad news :P

Reply 8

To be frank, your tutors sound like dicks.

Reply 9

silencehurts

I had my first exam a few weeks ago and I got a distinction! Im soooo happy!!!!

Reply 10

Kyoujin

To be frank, your tutors sound like dicks.

you sir are correct :smile:

Reply 11

antd

4

kal452

I got three distinctions; one for each marking category.

How many credits do you have distinction at?

Reply 12

Summer241

ndkathleen

Hmm, yes. But I got A-grades at A-level so I that's why I'm disheartened :wink:

(doing access course because I did my a-levels 5 years ago)
But thanks anyway! Yeah also nobody in my class got a distinction, despite there being some really smart people. It's odd...

The teachers also said that they will not be giving out distinctions this early on in the course. This seems weird though, as even though I got A grades at a-level quite easily, my essays are not getting distinctions on Access. This is bad news :P

I would argue with them over that. If your assignment is worthy of a distinction, then you should get a distinction, regardless of what stage of the course you're currently at!

A few people have got distinctions so far at my college. I've got one and I only started in late September.

It always seems to be one person who gets a distinction in each assignment so far, in every subject. It makes me wonder if they pool them all together and pick the very best one to have the distinction, so everyone else with an above-average standard of work just gets a merit by default :confused:

Reply 13

From reading all of your experiences, comparatively I think my college just hands out distinctions :/

Reply 14

rlharcourt

2

think you would need to get in touch with the external moderators and express your concerns regarding grading. Were you not given criteria for each assignment? Exam?

Reply 15

Stettin

Well I know one of my subjects Chemistry I'm doing badly because I have been way to lazy. I still have a chance on Biology though.

Reply 16

Robbie_Tor

I mentioned something on grading on another thread... my class at college isn't getting graded with P/M/D on our assignments, and I can't understand why as everyone else seems to be? Ours are simply 'pass'.

Is it because some of you guys are doing level 3 assignments now? I'm doing level 2 assignments at the moment, and then graded level 3 assignments after Christmas.

Reply 17

Summer241

Robbie_Tor

I mentioned something on grading on another thread... my class at college isn't getting graded with P/M/D on our assignments, and I can't understand why as everyone else seems to be? Ours are simply 'pass'.

Is it because some of you guys are doing level 3 assignments now? I'm doing level 2 assignments at the moment, and then graded level 3 assignments after Christmas.

Yes, you can only get a 'pass' in level 2, only level 3 assignments are graded pass, merit or distinction :smile:

Reply 18

dodgy old geezer

whats going on here? my college is saying we have to make level 3 as level 2 is an a grade pass and they want more.if we dont get level 3 we get hauled aside roasted and told to shape up or ship out.level 3 is all about analysis in depth. some say its to hard and drop out.near 50% so far.all colleges are not the same it seems. :woo:

comments please

Reply 19