Failed my MSc Dissertation - depressed and need some advice! :(

Hi John2054 this is the other student, we actually did ask for help and no one was willing to do so, so we had to work it out amongst ourselves, other students and outside profs. We were also prohibited from switching to qualitative, and we can easily prove this in the emails we exchanged with our professors. Long story short, help was sought and no arm was extended.

Hey guys. I'm feeling really miserable and I need your advice. In 2014, I started my MSc in Business Psychology. I was really excited and finished the program within a year. My professor/supervisor encouraged me to do a quantitative research instead of qualitative. I told her I wasn't good in stats at all and I would rather do qualitative, but she told me don't worry I'll help you throughout your thesis. So everyone in class but me and 2 others did quantitative.

So throughout my thesis, i was supposed to use a software called SPSS which I really struggled with. My supervisor wasn't helpful at all and was on a long vacation and barely answered my emails on time. So I turned to Google and YouTube for help. I really tried my best learning what kinds of stats to use and how to analyze my data. My supervisor told me to use specific kinds of stats and assured me that they were enough (they weren't though and I only came to know of this once I failed). Before submitting my thesis, she told me not to worry and that my dissertation was "simple and to the point" and "quite good". (My supervisor was one of the examiners btw)

Long story cut short, I failed. I got a freaking 42% and passing was at 50%. I was so depressed and when I talked to my supervisor, she told me your thesis was and I quote "really bad" and not at a postgraduate level. I felt betrayed. How could she have told me it was really good and then given me a 42%! And then she started laughing and told me that "you're just like me; you're just not cut for quantitative." I will never forget that laugh and those words; I've never felt so betrayed.

I didn't even know how to respond or what to say. I really felt bad and miserable and I couldn't believe how a professor would do and say such a thing. She also didn't give me any feedback and didn't even tell me where I went wrong; she simply highlighted the "D section" in the rubric, and the head of the Business Psychology told us that that is the only feedback we would be getting. I was confused because i really wanted to know where I went wrong.

My supervisor told me to accept my "post graduate diploma" because I wasn't allowed to petition for a resit. (Later I found that she only told me that because she told another student who also failed and I quote "We don't want to give our university a bad rep, therefore, we tell students that we don't allow them to do resubmit their dissertations."

I was really mad at the point and immediately appealed for a resit. (Btw, only 2 other students failed as well and we were the only ones who did a quantitative research in our class. Everyone else who did qualitative passed). All 3 of us appealed, and the board took a couple of months but thankfully accepted our appeals and we were allowed to resubmit our dissertations. They told us that we were entitled to a new supervisor, however, the head of Business Psychology at our university (she was going to be our new examiner btw) told us that we were on our own and that no one would help us. We were scared to email the Board and tell them this because the head of Business would be grading our dissertations and frankly we didn't want to "piss her off".

Regardless, I was determined to pass this time. I spent so much time working on my dissertation, improving the literature and analysis and made a couple of people proof read it and check it over many times. I really put a lot of effort this time. So imagine my utter shock when I failed again. The head of our program just gave me three extra points, so I was now a 45%. I still needed five points to pass. (the other two failed as well and their marks stayed the same). And just like my supervisor, the head of the Business Psychology didn't give me any kind of feedback, only a rubric with the "D section" highlighted again.

I'm falling apart. I can't believe this happened again. I feel much worse than the first time. I gave it my best shot. It's really unfair because I was initially supervised by a professor who was incompetent and didn't understand a single thing in quantitative research. And when the Board agreed for a resit, I felt like God was giving me another chance. They told me that I was entitled to have another supervisor and that my university should arrange it. My university didn't and told us we won't supervise you and you're all on your own.

I don't know what to do now. I refuse to accept a Postgraduate Diploma. All this hard work had gone to waste. I need to get my MSc but I really don't know what to do now. There is no form to fill for a second appeal. I don't even know if I have a case here. My university is very unhelpful and no one is listening to us.

I'm really sorry for the long post guys but I feel really depressed. Is there any way I can appeal again? I really want to get my MSc

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Hey guys! I hope this messages finds you well. I'm really sorry about contacting you after several months (I've been really busy with so many things). But I just wanted to let you know that Edinburgh reviewed my case and gave me another chance to resubmit my dissertation. Unfortunately, I can't change it to qualitative as I can only improve on my current quantitative research. However, the school assigned me with a new supervisor (she's a new professor and is really good in quantitative) and so far, she has give me a lot of useful feedback. Submission is in August, so I have a few months to work on my research and strengthen its content. Just wanted to update you all with the good news and thank you so much for all your help/advices!

Just perusing postgrad section and saw this, do you have an update yet op? hope it went better!

Hey! Thank for your response. It's due on Friday so I'm just trying to finish it up. I'm just happy that my supervisor really helped me out with the measures and the methodology section. Now I just have the discussion part left. Due in 4 days!

Just found your thread, good luck and keep us posted about how you get on!

hey! Thank you, I definitely will! I think results come out around October if I'm not mistaken. I'm so scared!

hey! Thank you, I definitely will! I think results come out around October if I'm not mistaken. I'm so scared!

Any news yet? Fingers crossed for you!

Just seen this - really hope it all worked out for you!!

Results came out this morning guys... aaaaaaand I passed!!

Thank you all so much for your support and advices. I'm over the moon!

Results came out this morning guys... aaaaaaand I passed!!

Thank you all so much for your support and advices. I'm over the moon!

Results came out this morning guys... aaaaaaand I passed!!

Thank you all so much for your support and advices. I'm over the moon!

aaaaA congrats m'dude!!!
This thread is like a bloody rollercoaster but omg im so proud of you!!! Nice work dude

Congratulations!

That is amazing, I'm so chuffed for you!

I bet you're going to have a big celebration now

Congratulations OP! Always good to hear things turn out well. Your username is very appropriate!

haha thanks man!

Great story about not rolling over and accepting bs. This is a really good example of conducting yourself in a robust but professional manner.

Congrats on your success and hard work, and, hopefully, satisfaction at last.

Hey guys! I hope this messages finds you well. I'm really sorry about contacting you after several months (I've been really busy with so many things). But I just wanted to let you know that Edinburgh reviewed my case and gave me another chance to resubmit my dissertation. Unfortunately, I can't change it to qualitative as I can only improve on my current quantitative research. However, the school assigned me with a new supervisor (she's a new professor and is really good in quantitative) and so far, she has give me a lot of useful feedback. Submission is in August, so I have a few months to work on my research and strengthen its content. Just wanted to update you all with the good news and thank you so much for all your help/advices!