69% result for my degree - any way to appeal or increase by 1%?

Every university is different I'm afraid. Check your handbook, there may be an explanation of how they decide classifications. At my university, if your average is 68.5% or higher, and you have a majority of firsts in your modules (so for instance 4/7 modules must be firsts), then they round you up to the First. However, if you don't have the required number of modules at a First, they will leave you on the 2.1 - a friend of mine was left at a 2.1 with an average of 69.7%, sickening. The only way to know for sure is to check your university rules!!

Reply 3

Twinpeaks

18

I'm pretty sure my uni says if you have a first in over half your modules,but end up with 68/69%, you'll get a first.

Reply 4

Twinpeaks

18

Original post by gutenberg

Every university is different I'm afraid. Check your handbook, there may be an explanation of how they decide classifications. At my university, if your average is 68.5% or higher, and you have a majority of firsts in your modules (so for instance 4/7 modules must be firsts), then they round you up to the First. However, if you don't have the required number of modules at a First, they will leave you on the 2.1 - a friend of mine was left at a 2.1 with an average of 69.7%, sickening. The only way to know for sure is to check your university rules!!

That's so infuriating for you friend!! I always find that annoying with the degree classification, there's a massive difference between work that's 61% and work that's 69%, yet it's still lumped with the same classification.

Reply 5

Original post by Twinpeaks

That's so infuriating for you friend!! I always find that annoying with the degree classification, there's a massive difference between work that's 61% and work that's 69%, yet it's still lumped with the same classification.

I know, I really felt for her as she worked her butt off, and not only did other (lazier) people get a first, but as you say she now has the same classification as the guy in our class who barely showed up, but scraped 60.1%. The system also applied to the 2.1/2.2 border, and lower, so the university are consistent at least, and people did finish with a 2.2 as well. However, she went on to do an amazing Master's course at a really excellent university, so it hasn't hindered her at all :smile:

Reply 6

Bill_Gates

a girl i know got 68.5% went to see the lecturers cried etc made up some excuse she was ill and she got a first.

Reply 7

Depends on the uni some round up others will offer you a resist or an additional assignment to get that 1% the fairest thing though would be to round up it's only 1% really good luck

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Reply 8

cambio wechsel

20

Who wants to haggle over a 69?

Spoiler

Reply 9

Original post by jonathanemptage

Depends on the uni some round up others will offer you a resist or an additional assignment to get that 1% the fairest thing though would be to round up it's only 1% really good luck

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Honestly, I've never heard of a university offering a resit or an 'extra assignment' to bring someone's grade up - resits are if you fail, or didn't take the exam the first time around due to illness etc. In some cases, students may be called for a viva voce exam, to determine if they should be upgraded.

And while I completely understand how people say 'it's only 1%, round it up', it's actually quite a serious thing for universities. The 'gap' between 69% and 70% is a huge one mentally, especially as in some subjects - the humanities for instance - 75% would be considered an exceptional mark. The amount of work required to get a first versus a 2.1 is often much larger, even if it only looks like 1-2% more on paper. You'd be surprised at the number of people every year who finish on an average between 67-69%. If all of these people were rounded up, the proportion of firsts awarded by a university would explode. That, in turn, would devalue the university's degrees as a whole, as the perception would be that firsts are too easily awarded, if anyone who gets say 68% or more is rounded up. So it is in a university's interests to be careful and indeed picky with how they decide final classifications.

(edited 8 years ago)

Reply 10

Original post by gutenberg

Honestly, I've never heard of a university offering a resit or an 'extra assignment' to bring someone's grade up -

Mine did

Reply 11

Original post by jonathanemptage

Mine did

And which university is that? I'd imagine it's quite unusual though, leaving aside viva exams which do occur quite widely.

Reply 12

Schrödingers Cat

16

Original post by cambio wechsel

Who wants to haggle over a 69?

Spoiler

Are guys welcome too? :sexface:

Reply 13

Original post by gutenberg

And which university is that? I'd imagine it's quite unusual though, leaving aside viva exams which do occur quite widely.

Solent

Reply 14

Original post by jonathanemptage

Solent

Well there's a quite cutting comment to be made in response to that, but I won't.

Reply 15

Original post by gutenberg

Well there's a quite cutting comment to be made in response to that, but I won't.

I don't actually see why people don't like Solent I had a great time granted the courses are quite vocational but that just means you leave with more practical skills than say Oxbridge (not that they are bad by any stretch) it is even #1 in the UK for a couple of course's.

Reply 16

Original post by jonathanemptage

I don't actually see why people don't like Solent I had a great time granted the courses are quite vocational but that just means you leave with more practical skills than say Oxbridge (not that they are bad by any stretch) it is even #1 in the UK for a couple of course's.

Probably related to the fact that it ranked 107 out of 116 universities in the Guardian league tables recently. I agree with you that many former polytechnics provide valuable vocational courses, and are sometimes more practically-driven, which can be advantageous. My reservations would lie in the fact that, according to you, Solent allows students to re-take exams in order to try get a first, which doesn't make it a very reputable place in my view - or at least, I would be suspicious of a person's classification if they had a degree from Solent. Most universities allow you to try once, and if you fell short of the first, then tough luck.

Reply 17