I failed 1st year uni

Idk what to do with my life, I’m legit gonna have to repeat the year, I’m scared, I’m shocked, I’m embarrassed. What do I do with my life? I’m scared to even continue reading my grades & email.

Reply 1

University of Portsmouth Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Hello

I'm sorry to hear about the situation you find yourself in. If i may, i can offer some advice from personal experience similar to this situation.

When i was in my first year, i was doing a BA in Politics and my grades were not good if i'm honest. I was confused as to why i went from getting good grades at A-level to really bad grades at university. Naturally, i was in a panic at the end of my first year because i didn't think i was good enough, however, i took some time to chill out, reflect on how my year had gone and gave it a really good thought as to why my grades we not to my usual standard.

I realised that my course just didn't suit me and because i wasn't that interested in the course material i wasn't getting good grades because i wasn't trying hard enough. I would suggest you take some time to reflect on how your year has gone. I know it is disheartening opening grades you're disappointed with, but the feedback could help you in the future.

I decided not to repeat the year and instead switched to a new course at the same university. I am now much happier and my grades have improved drastically, i don't regret taking politics for a year, because it was a learning experience i will never forget.

Don't forget, you're not alone and i'm sure your university staff will be more than happy to talk through your options with you. There may be options you are unaware of at the moment, or it may be you'll think of another path you can take, much like i did.

All the best :smile:

Andrew
UOP Student Rep

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 2

username5801783

Original post by Anonymous

Hey, I was in a similar situation to you and now I am on track for a 2.1. Just learn lessons from the experience and give it another chance. It's not too late to start over, trust me. I got 18/100 once in a module and barely passing, now I am getting 60's because my mental health is much better. You can do it, I believe in you OP. Don't give up!

Reply 3

Anonymous #1

Original post by Anonymous

You couldn't cheat like everyone else? How is it even possible to fail this year lmao

yOu cOulDNt cHeaT liKe eVeRyOnE eLse… you sound like a dumbass fr, the fact that you cheated your way through 1st year already tells me enough, I’m studying architecture, there’s no such thing as being able to cheat in it. Anyone who studied/studies architecture knows the amount of stress a person goes through.

Reply 4

Anonymous #1

Thank you very much for your advice, I was honestly dreading more about what I would tell my parents. I want to do the course that I was doing, (it’s a career I want to go into & I honestly enjoyed it) so I’m gonna retake the modules that I failed, I went into 1st year thinking it was a breeze just like A Levels and that I could slack around & at the same time do work last minute (that was my biggest downfall, which I don’t want to repeat)

Reply 5

5hyl33n

Volunteer Team, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by Anonymous

Excellent post.

Keep calm OP. I’m sure you will figure everything out. Good luck.

Reply 6

TheCorpsCorporal

Original post by Anonymous

The question I would ask is, are you sure this is the course for you? Does it interest you, are you passionate in it, do you want to pursue it for years of your life? If not, I'd recommend looking at a transfer.

If you do want to continue, then take a minute to asses what happened. Have a meeting with your tutor, or a lecturer you like. Ask them what they think you should do, look into possible study support. See if your union offers peer support. There's always an option :smile:

Reply 7

Anonymous #3

You don't have to redo, you can maybe leave university I'd its too hard then maybe get an apprenticeship or job etc

Reply 8

thegalaxy

Original post by Anonymous

How can people fail even with open book 24 hour exams, and saftey net? 😑

Not all unis did it like that. My exams were timed (so we had to do them in a specific 2 hour slot) and no safety net.

To the OP, try not to worry, you've got lots of options. Can you resit some exams later in the summer so you can carry on to next year with the rest of your cohort in September?

Reply 9

Mesopotamian…

Original post by Anonymous

How can people fail even with open book 24 hour exams, and saftey net? 😑

The mark schemes could have been set so that it was extremely specific and therefore more difficult to gain marks compared to a normal year under normal exam circumstances - that’s what happened in my degree at least.

Reply 10

SebastianMesser

Original post by Anonymous

I went into 1st year thinking it was a breeze just like A Levels and that I could slack around & at the same time do work last minute (that was my biggest downfall, which I don’t want to repeat)

There you are. Architecture (and any art/design subject) is learnt (and done) by iteration (or abductive inference in academic research-speak) - the first attempt will (almost inevitably) be terrible, but that is absolutely fine, it might contain the kernel of a brilliant idea, you just have to find it. Designers are paid for their prejudices, that is, a good designer’s instincts are right more often than they are wrong, but… you cannot do it once at the last minute…

Reply 11

Anonymous #5

An extra year at uni isn't neccessarily a bad thing. You have a years worth of experience to learn from now, you've got some background knowledge to use next time as well as some general living experience to help you manage your time and responsibilities better. Learn from the last year and you could come out of uni better off than if you hadn't of repeated, potentially with a higher degree classification.

Plus you can enjoy the extra year of being a student too and all the enrichment that comes with that, just make sure to balance your work and fun well and you'll can turn it into a positive and come out of it a better person.

We all fail and make mistakes from time to time, and these failures are what help us to learn and grow. It's just a part of being human and nothing to be ashamed of. Better to make these mistakes in a learning environment where you can learn from them, the whole point of education is to give you that safety net so you can make them and learn. No one is perfect all the time, what really matters is how you respond and develop to your failures and successes.