messed up my spanish oral, need 80%+ to get a 2:1 - help!!!

omg i guess i just wanted to rant. i prepared real hard for my oral and then nerves overcame me i forgot everything and messed up. i reckon i got 50% roughly. and this is half of a whole uni module and so now i need 80%+ in the written half to get a 2:1. yikes! is this do able - it is equivalent to GCSE/AS spanish, can i get 80%+ in the written half if i cram?

i just wanted some of you to make me feel better somehow. :frown:

Reply 1

paddy

14

I think it´s doable, just revise lots and lots, and practice writing too.
And don´t worry you probably did better in the oral than you thought :smile:

Reply 2

Scuttle

shinytoy

omg i guess i just wanted to rant. i prepared real hard for my oral and then nerves overcame me i forgot everything and messed up. i reckon i got 50% roughly. and this is half of a whole uni module and so now i need 80%+ in the written half to get a 2:1. yikes! is this do able - it is equivalent to GCSE/AS spanish, can i get 80%+ in the written half if i cram?

i just wanted some of you to make me feel better somehow. :frown:

If a 2:1 is the same at most places (60%+) then your maths is wrong.
You need 70% or more to average a 2:1 if both the oral and written parts are equally weighted.

Reply 3

shinytoy

OP

18

thanks but i was truly awful i kept saying um and er and i forgot the most basic phrases. it was truly terrible. and this 4 minute oral was 50%. omg! if i dont get a 2:1 then i will never get a job omg what do i do omg i need 80% in the writing exam!!how can writing a letter even get 80%? surely as no letter will get 100% then the markers wont give me 80?

Reply 4

Profesh

20

Scuttle

If a 2:1 is the same at most places (60%+) then your maths is wrong.
You need 70% or more to average a 2:1 if both the oral and written parts are equally weighted.

Go easy on her; she's only a DeLoitte intern.

Reply 5

Ribbons

12

Urm, you could go and revise/practice writing. It'll probably take your mind off the panicky thoughts and you'll be doing something worthwile. Panicking won't help. Good luck! :smile:

Reply 6

shinytoy

OP

18

no i need to get 67% in the module overall to get a 2:1 degree, and i've lost about 25% on the oral so i need 80% in the writng one i think, also woth 50%

Reply 7

shinytoy

OP

18

omg if my oral is neg marked then ill get a rubbsih grade, but if pos marked i'll do ok.

how can i know if it is neg or pos marked? and my exam is part grammar and part writing . i think i can get a 1st for it but maybe not 80.

Reply 8

shinytoy

OP

18

so if i write my comprehension part in dummy terms like 'my name is bob.i live in a house. i have a dog' then i'd get a better grade than putting in loads of tenses and making a couple mistakes?
how can a letter be neg marked?

also anyon know if orals are marked on communication more or grammar - will i get a better grade for communicating a lot of info in wrong grammar or less in a good accent?

Reply 9

kellywood_5

17

The oral exam is 50% of the whole module?!! Yikes! :eek:

Just out of curiosity, what year are you in and what uni are you at? First of all, I agree with paddy that you've probably done better than you think, so try not to panic too much- all is not lost! For the grammar/writing exam, I'd say it'll be pretty difficult to get 80%, but certainly doable as long as you're better at those 2 elements than speaking. Make sure you revise the grammar really thoroughly and take the time to read the questions properly, even if at first glance they seem really simple. If you're aiming for 80%, you can't afford to lose marks for stupid mistakes, and if you're good at grammar, it's possible to get nearly full marks. Writing is trickier, but I agree with wesetters that you should stick to what you know. Of course things like lots of tenses and fancy constructions will impress the examiner and get you a few more marks if you can use them properly, but if you try when you're not really sure of yourself and screw it up, you'll not only lose quite a lot of marks, you'll also give the examiner a negative impression of your ability. I don't think a couple of minor mistakes would be the end of the world, but you can't afford big ones. As for the oral, I think communication and grammar go hand in hand really because if your grammar (and accent, for that matter) are poor, they prevent proper communication. Also, since it's a test of how well you can speak French, not how much information you can think of, grammar and accent are probably more important. That's just a guess though. Oh, and saying you'll never get a job unless you get a 2.1 is a bit drastic! Plenty of people get good jobs without even going to uni, so it's not that bad.

Reply 10

khil

15

I know people with 2.2s and thirds who've got good jobs. One of my best friends' dad got a third, admittedly from Cambridge, but a third nonetheless, and he designed some big bridge in England, now working as an engineer.

Basically, yes you will get a job even if you do only get a 2.2. For that matter, neither of my parents even have degrees. Mum's got a good job dealing with some legal financial thing, and dad's an accountant and I think he sometimes manages the computer systems around the office. In short, they're good jobs - and they don't have a degree.

In short - stop panicking, just do your best. Think of it this way - if you panic, you'll repeat your fatal mistake at your oral, namely panic so much that you screw up when you could do much better. So just calm down - get a nice cup of tea and relax, then get working and hope for the best. :smile:

You can do it! :biggrin:

Incidentally, how did it go? :smile:

Reply 11

shinytoy

OP

18

its on monday. but its cool folks, i just noticed my oral was worth 40% not 50%, so i only need about 76%+ which i think i can do.

i think its awful to be in the final year with almost half of a 15 credit module hinging on a 3 minute oral exam. oh well.thanks everyone!

btw dont drink coffee before an exam it will make you forget everything

Reply 12

shinytoy

OP

18

i just found out, that the module guide was worng and the oral was 50% like i originally thought. the uni is gonna correct the module guide. do you think i ha ev grounds for apppeal?

messed up my spanish oral, need 80%+ to get a 2:1 - help!!!

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