[im TSR]

I know for political correctness they must care. But I'm talking about if they care In practice.

My sister got all firsts in semester one assignments+exams, and all firsts in semester two assignments. However, she got low 2.ii's in her semester two exams, and failed two modules! (she will still pass the year with between 40-50%)

She did so badly in late semester two because she had an illness that worsened.
She has medical evidence for this and the university has understood.

However, I'm a little worried because she will be applying to the top universities for her Master's in a few years. (LSE, Cam, Oxford, etc).

So I wonder, will the top univerisities be sympathetic toward her very low First Year grade?

Even though she clearly is an excellent student with Firsts in everything, until her medical condition worsened in the summer?
Her medical condition is getting better over the summer (she can't do resits because she's in hospital until September. Thus must accept her poor grades/failed modules)

But clearly she will get a First in second year, and hopefully in third year. it's unlikely for the medical condition to arise again, as it has been cured, just has to remain in hospital for a few months for recovery.

TLDR: Got firsts in everything. Except, failed exams and two modules in summer due to medical condition. Overall first year average of ~50% Will top uni's be sympathetic?

[sliceofcake]

I thought first year only counted for getting into second year? Isn't it your second and third year where it affects what level of degree you end up with?

[im TSR]

(Original post by sliceofcake)
I thought first year only counted for getting into second year? Isn't it your second and third year where it affects what level of degree you end up with?

MA application requires a full transcript. You apply at the beginning of third year.

The transcript will have year 1 and year 2 grades on it.
Year 1 doesn't affect degree classification, but the awful grades will be present on the application!

[Popppppy]

Not sure about MAs but when I was applying for undergrad I missed my offer due to getting a U in my physics practical due to flu. The uni were very understanding (i was able to show them that in my practical in the previous year I had gotten almost full marks) and they offered me a place.
It's similar for your sister as she is able to show from her good marks that she is capable.

[ginger.]

(Original post by im TSR)
(she can't do resits because she's in hospital until September. Thus must accept her poor grades/failed modules)

I think she needs to talk to her university if she has a genuine reason why she can't go to the exam, she shouldn't just accept it.

As for applying for Masters, it would certainly help if her referees mentioned it in their reference.

[Aeschylus]

Her references should state why her grades dipped on her transcript and she should mention it briefly on her research proposal. A friend had something similar and still got an MST offer from oxford.

[Nathanielle]

She should definitely try to get resits, because the reason she can't attend them because of a condition which isn't in her control (compare to being drunk and thus can't attend exams). When she simply doesn't go there without saying a word, then it will count as a student who simply haven't shown up and may also cause problems concerning the evidence/some more bureaucratic work. In addition this would get her another evidence, that she tried it and it wasn't possible for her to get good grades, as the University wasn't coooperative at all. Why had she attended in the first round, when she was ill at the time? Sounds to me, as the rules at that University are kind of harsh.

[fengirl]

I'm sure your sister will be fine, they do take these things into account. I got some pretty dodgy grades in first year due to just generally taking a while to settle in, then gradually worked up to getting all firsts in final year, and I've just been accepted for a masters by two really good unis.

At the end of the day they want the best students, end of. They use grades as a way of measuring who is the best, but they're human enough to understand that if your sister's got loads of firsts and then one dodgy grade then she's obviously one of the best students who had a bad day.

If you look at it from their pov, they're not going to pass up a really good student on a small technicality.

[im TSR]

Thanks for all replies.

(Original post by Nathanielle)
She should definitely try to get resits, because the reason she can't attend them because of a condition which isn't in her control (compare to being drunk and thus can't attend exams). When she simply doesn't go there without saying a word, then it will count as a student who simply haven't shown up and may also cause problems concerning the evidence/some more bureaucratic work. .

The uni has accepted her extenuating circumstances claim. However, they can't make special exams just for one individual. It's just "too bad" that she is simply too ill to turn up to the resits.

[Nathanielle]

(Original post by im TSR)
Thanks for all replies.


The uni has accepted her extenuating circumstances claim. However, they can't make special exams just for one individual. It's just "too bad" that she is simply too ill to turn up to the resits.

Why? It is not the fault of the student to be ill. I would really put pressure on them. Can they proove it or are they just saying that, because it means work? Are there only resits allowed when a certain number of students have failed their exams? What is with disabled students? Can't she write the exams next year, at least? I really don't get that, if she is as smart as you say, I would do all to be able to get into Master/PHD (or even job) at whichever University I want to, independant of their leniency.

[im TSR]

(Original post by Nathanielle)
Why? It is not the fault of the student to be ill. I would really put pressure on them. Can they proove it or are they just saying that, because it means work? Are there only resits allowed when a certain number of students have failed their exams? What is with disabled students? Can't she write the exams next year, at least? I really don't get that, if she is as smart as you say, I would do all to be able to get into Master/PHD (or even job) at whichever University I want to, independant of their leniency.

The message from the university read something like, "if you don't turn up to the resits, you will not be able to progress to second year".

So yes, she has the opportunity to redo year 1. But that would come at extra cost, and possibly lack of funding from student loans company.

Do you think I should discuss with her to repeat year 1? (I'm not sure if it would be worth it)

[Ghost6]

(Original post by im TSR)
The message from the university read something like, "if you don't turn up to the resits, you will not be able to progress to second year".

So yes, she has the opportunity to redo year 1. But that would come at extra cost, and possibly lack of funding from student loans company.

Do you think I should discuss with her to repeat year 1? (I'm not sure if it would be worth it)

If she is set on graduate school,and naturally wants to attend a top one, she should "waste" the extra year to redo the exams, provided the old grades are removed from the transcript. With so many excellent applicants, even with "extenuating circumstances" it will be hard-to-impossible to compete with straight-A students who have demonstrated mastery of the material and dedication to study.

[Nathanielle]

(Original post by im TSR)
The message from the university read something like, "if you don't turn up to the resits, you will not be able to progress to second year".

So yes, she has the opportunity to redo year 1. But that would come at extra cost, and possibly lack of funding from student loans company.

Do you think I should discuss with her to repeat year 1? (I'm not sure if it would be worth it)

Has they give your sister any background information why they are deciding like that? (I mean e.g. legal stuff.)

Redoing seems to me too much, just because of exams, she didn't fail. (However shoudl it come to that decision, for which reason, I think you can get funding for an extra year, when you repeat it because of illness. Look in the forum for disabled students, there are some posts of people who studied longer because of illness/disability and they got funding. They should be able to give you advise on that.)

My advice would be at first to really try all to get resits without a year to repeat. It is very difficult to give any advice, because often it even depend on the course/faculty and not only the university, but from my experience there are more solutions than the "No" they often give you at first. To get more informations about what you can do (Perhaps you already have contacted them,but if not...) you could ask
- the person at the University who is responsable for the disabled/chronic ill students, they should be able to advise you
- the University lawyers (at least at my University they are very helpful and studentfriendly, but that can be an exception)
- students who are in positions (e.g. student union) to help other students with any kind of information (often not only information, but real help)
- a nice professor
- any information can help and if it is only: You should talk to this guy or "Never ask him like that, say it like that"

I don't want to get your hopes up, but from my experience you have often to fight for your right and the first three No's turned at the end into a Yes, of course or a Yes, okay, .

Concerning the repeat the year: I know too less and can't advise you, because that is your (your sisters own) decision, but it helps a lot with the decision, when you think through it. (Anyway in my opinion health comes first and another year is worth, when it helps you in the long term to be a happy person e.g. the grades you need, full recovery, etc.) As above mentioned you should check if your sister is eligible to get another year of funding because of illness.

Oh yes and as it is "only" the first year: Does it count towards the whole degree? Will she need the knowledge for the proceeding years?

[im TSR]

(Original post by Nathanielle)
Oh yes and as it is "only" the first year: Does it count towards the whole degree? Will she need the knowledge for the proceeding years?

Interesting.

The only other alternative seems to be to ask the university if she could do the exams in the hospital. I doubt they will allow this... But who knows.

Another issue is that one of her courses is an oral language exams. So this wouldn't really be possible without physically being at the university. Again, I highly doubt they would do a telephone/Skype chat for a single person...

First year doesn't count for anything. Knowledge is required for proceeding years, but she already has that knowledge. This issue is she can't attend resits (this August) dueto being in hospital.

The illness stems from her disability. So the university does have a legal obligation to make "reasonable adjustments" to exams/coursework, etc.
The question then is, is it reasonable to allow a hospitalised student to do exams in her hospital room.

Doubt it. There will be no invigilator. She could cheat, etc.

However, she did inform me that they DID offer her to do semester 1 exams in her room (by herself, no invigilator). She didn't take it because she recovered and felt ok at this time, in semester 1.

Do you think she could use this precedent to pursuade them to do the same for semester 2 exams?

[Nathanielle]

Hello,

I am sorry, I probably can't help you further, because there is so much to consider and every university has their own "system". (Of course there are laws binding for any university.)

Exams in hospital, hm, that is really down to your sister and her condition, but it probably makes sense that she is in hospital and can't prepare properly because she is ill. (Unless she has one of these rare conditions which only affect e.g. your writing speed and not hinder you from preparing properly).

It may be also smarter to save forces for the next year, before she can't recover at all and isn't able to work as before in the next year. (That can be a danger and that is what I meant partly with the "are the contents important", because however you/she decides, it should have no impact on the further studies.)

It is not important what I think, so just ask them! When they have been already able to provide special arrangements, they should be able to do it another time. Anyway, it shouldn't be that a big problem to send an invigilator, maybe they even have to, but the probability is very high, they just want to avoid more work for them.

Good Luck!