Getting a first at Uni - whats the truth?

OP

VoodooDoll

i think you have to be in the top 5% in the country to get a first. it sounds hard, but its worth a try

Are degree results sort of standardised/ moderateted (not sure what you call it)

like alevel results are, for ex if it is a really bad year and no one gets higher han 50% will it put the boundary down so the top 5% of those get firsts?

Are all Uni exams standard no matter where you do them?

Reply 5

OP

Me2

thats 1/20 chance so it doesnt seem impossible... for clever people

Put that way it doesnt seem unreasonable.

Reply 6

My flatmate does law here (UEA) and said that in the past 3 years only a handful of people have got a first in law - its very very hard to get apparently, and not a reflection on the uni.

Reply 7

Missmoneypenny

Chicken

My flatmate does law here (UEA) and said that in the past 3 years only a handful of people have got a first in law - its very very hard to get apparently, and not a reflection on the uni.

Im thinking of accepting birm as first too for law. Do you mean a first is hard to get in general or a first in law is particularly hard?

Cheers X

Reply 8

AT82

My university is 47% 2:1 or higher but that probably just indicates its full of lazy twats at under graduate level although Salford's staticical weakness is teaching. I say statitical because I have not seen any evidence of this on my course.

I am personaly going to aim for first I have nothing to loose. If I get a 2:1 I still be more than happy. Its very very unlikely I will get a 1st though because the final year project is not going to be easy.

I wouldn't be surprised though if there is no coleration between 1sts and good A level results.

Reply 9

Missmoneypenny

Im thinking of accepting birm as first too for law. Do you mean a first is hard to get in general or a first in law is particularly hard?

Cheers X

Firsts are hard in general to get, but i think law is one of the hardest subjects to get a first in.

Reply 10

Onephatdeeva

Chicken

Firsts are hard in general to get, but i think law is one of the hardest subjects to get a first in.

Why is that though? Is it due to the sheer volume of people that do it?
Its supposed to be the most popular Uni course choice, for some odd reason, i am doing the Alevel and it is deadly boring! XX

Reply 11

Nylex

10

I thought universites set their own standards for which degree class you get, eg. 70% and above for a 1st and 60% for a 2:1 here.

Reply 12

Nylex

I thought universites set their own standards for which degree class you get, eg. 70% and above for a 1st and 60% for a 2:1 here.

Thats the same as here, but they make it particularly hard to get first in law.

Reply 13

OP

Nylex

I thought universites set their own standards for which degree class you get, eg. 70% and above for a 1st and 60% for a 2:1 here.

do they set standards for each subject, or each department or uni-wide? Surely it would be fairer if all unis had the same % for attaining degree class.

So if i went to a local Uni - derby which is requires low Alevel grades would i be more likely to get a first there that at Birmingham?

Reply 14

AT82

Chicken

Thats the same as here, but they make it particularly hard to get first in law.

The have changed it here. Different schools had different bounderies so they just made every school have the same bounderies. You now need 69% to get a 1st, it used to 70% before this change.

In general if you were getting on average 65-70% in modules would you say it was near impossible to get a first?

Reply 15

AT82

Ladyluck

do they set standards for each subject, or each department or uni-wide? Surely it would be fairer if all unis had the same % for attaining degree class.

So if i went to a local Uni - derby which is requires low Alevel grades would i be more likely to get a first there that at Birmingham?

Some more cynical people would say yes but degrees are heavily moderated so in theory they should not be too much difference, also if the teachingis not up to the same standard that could also effect your marks.

Reply 16

OP

amazingtrade

In general if you were getting on average 65-70% in modules would you say it was near impossible to get a first?

err....no! :wink:

but it depends on how hard it is to get that 65-70%

Reply 17