Unexpectedly low grades access works, what are my options?
Just heads-up, I have wrote a lot. If you want to skip, I put a "*---*" line separating lines where the important bits are, like:
*------
this
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Hello, I'm 20 and last year I took an access course in computing. At first it felt overwhelming, but I quickly found out that alot of stuff they taught I already knew through self study. Which led to me not talking the course as seriously
I was exceptionally well at programming that I would finish the class's task within 10-15 minutes and help my classmates throughout the whole class duration.
However, when it came to research and writing academically, I was horrible. Still, I was able to get by and catch up every once in a while.
Soon enough, I admittedly started enjoying the attention I get for all the programming knowledge I had and started really trying to help my classmates get through, which led to me being more ambitious with my own work BEYOND what was required for a distinction-- too much that I actually destroyed the little time I had for my other units that I was bad at. Except for math, I was good at it.
Eventually, after the mid term break (I think that's what it was called) the teachers started trying to pace us faster. At some point we were told the final deadline only 3 weeks prior in may... Suffice to say, everyone in my class freaked out. We were practically only half way through or so.
At that point, I kinda had enough. The course was honestly poorly managed from the college-- we were only shown the full schedule for the course (it had a name, but forgot it) about a month before the deadline when we learned that they were supposed to give it to us as soon as possible... Oxford literally was gonna visit us the teacher showed us the schedule so we can lie and say we have given it as soon as the course started (we didn't even know such a thing existed prior to a month before the final deadline). Aside for this, there has been several occasions where the assessment needed clarification and one of teachers kept refusing to be specific which costed us time and effort doing the work supposedly incorrectly according to the teacher that REFUSED TO TELL US HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY. there was one time two different teachers along with the classmates argued how an assignment work should be carried out which again set the people who were already working on it back because they supposedly did it wrong.
After a week of the final deadline announcement, I frankly had enough and proposed with my classmates to create a WhatsApp group so we can figure out a way to even out load of work across us. I would on the programming alone, duplicate my programs, change them a little between the duplicates and hopefully have them graduate in those units with at least merits but the goal was distinctions. Most of the rest were gonna work on the math units which I later joined in as well... Suffice to say, this is was a really good test on my leadership skills which I found to be quite good.
On the deadline day, we couldn't finish everything. I was close to finishing the programs for everyone but quite finished. We thought we failed because we were wrongly told that failing one unit fails us the whole course, which I found out to be a horrible lie after I got my results.
"Thankfully", the teachers pushed back the "deadline". They kept pushing the deadline back casually that me and my classmates started questioning if this final deadline was intentionally put early on to scare us into working harder (which backfired because stress) and they were always going to keep pushing back to the real deadline.
As I was closing in on my part of the group effort, the teacher for the programming units casually gave everyone the final finished programs from the previous year students... I don't know how moral or legal that is, but they did it. You would think I would be happy about that right? Well no. Because now the group kinda dissolved. They didn't really need me as much anyone and all my efforts to my programs somewhat unique to each student was squashed. Even worse, I tried incorporating their horrible programmed program into my almost finished one to help me finish it quicker, it led into so many issues that I had to revert to a much already version of my program, effectively removing 3 weeks worth of head banging effort... Eventually I spent another 3 weeks make it even better than before. If the finished program they gave us was distinction level, mine would have been distinction++. I have always been a perfectionist to a fault but this is the worst it has ever been back then.
This left me with no time at all for the other units. I had plan for all of them to finish them within a month, but all my plans went to the dumpster. That and the fact that I didn't know I could just let some units go and I will be fine, filled me the most stress I have had all my life. This is a course that was supposed to be super easy for me, but everything went to **** in so little time...
Breaking down, I had nothing I could other than beg for my tutor for an extension , which thankfully they gave.. kind of..
This led me to be able to achieve distinction level for all the units except for a couple of them which I didn't even finish but was fine with that. I spent WEEKS coming to the college from 9 am til 7 sometimes 9 PM! That and fact I had an insomnia phase throughout this course, it made me feel like dying. But I felt it's worth this excruciating mental pain to get a high grade. I finished what I could with my given extension and hoped it was enough grades for university entry.
*--------------------
Skip to result day, I get my results aaaand... Locked to a pass. All my units were locked to a pass and I didn't get full credits because I didn't finish all the units. My qualification was incomplete and locked to pass.... The only thing I had more than a pass in was maths, which had some distinctions in them.
-----------------------*
Talking to the head of department, which then they talked to my teachers with... Turns out this "extension" I was given was not "official". Apparently they didn't talk to the head department about it and I didn't provide evidence- something the tutor never asked of me when I asked for an extension. The head of department even told me that if I had came to her about it, she would have definitely given me a proper extension and not locked me to a pass and incomplete credits. But unfortunately there was nothing she could do at that point.
I was essentially made to do all this extra work for pretty much nothing. This made feel suicidal... Something I haven't felt in a long while. I never felt this helpless ever. I did EVERYTHING I thought I could, but the rewarded me with nothing.
Having backed up all my work into my laptop, I decided to give a call to my firm and backup university choices I applied too. Found out they both rejected me because of my abysmal results. I asked for an interview with someone in the IT/computer science departments to take look at my work and I can explain my situation, but my firm choice university didn't provide one, and my backup choice admission team told me there a chance I could be accepted in still and I requested an interview with the head of department for computer science, I was given email which I contacted about this issue and asked for a possible interview, but I think they just ghosted me because it's been well over 3 weeks by now.
The past 2 weeks I wasn't able to go to other universities and ask the same thing because I had some important personal business I had to work out, but now I'm free although I think too late.
*--------------------
I truly think if a teacher that understands the effort of my work was to look at my work, would understand how high level and high quality it is and how it deserves distinction level had my extension never been a lie given to me.
So what are my options?
--------------------*
*------
this
--------*
Hello, I'm 20 and last year I took an access course in computing. At first it felt overwhelming, but I quickly found out that alot of stuff they taught I already knew through self study. Which led to me not talking the course as seriously
I was exceptionally well at programming that I would finish the class's task within 10-15 minutes and help my classmates throughout the whole class duration.
However, when it came to research and writing academically, I was horrible. Still, I was able to get by and catch up every once in a while.
Soon enough, I admittedly started enjoying the attention I get for all the programming knowledge I had and started really trying to help my classmates get through, which led to me being more ambitious with my own work BEYOND what was required for a distinction-- too much that I actually destroyed the little time I had for my other units that I was bad at. Except for math, I was good at it.
Eventually, after the mid term break (I think that's what it was called) the teachers started trying to pace us faster. At some point we were told the final deadline only 3 weeks prior in may... Suffice to say, everyone in my class freaked out. We were practically only half way through or so.
At that point, I kinda had enough. The course was honestly poorly managed from the college-- we were only shown the full schedule for the course (it had a name, but forgot it) about a month before the deadline when we learned that they were supposed to give it to us as soon as possible... Oxford literally was gonna visit us the teacher showed us the schedule so we can lie and say we have given it as soon as the course started (we didn't even know such a thing existed prior to a month before the final deadline). Aside for this, there has been several occasions where the assessment needed clarification and one of teachers kept refusing to be specific which costed us time and effort doing the work supposedly incorrectly according to the teacher that REFUSED TO TELL US HOW TO DO IT PROPERLY. there was one time two different teachers along with the classmates argued how an assignment work should be carried out which again set the people who were already working on it back because they supposedly did it wrong.
After a week of the final deadline announcement, I frankly had enough and proposed with my classmates to create a WhatsApp group so we can figure out a way to even out load of work across us. I would on the programming alone, duplicate my programs, change them a little between the duplicates and hopefully have them graduate in those units with at least merits but the goal was distinctions. Most of the rest were gonna work on the math units which I later joined in as well... Suffice to say, this is was a really good test on my leadership skills which I found to be quite good.
On the deadline day, we couldn't finish everything. I was close to finishing the programs for everyone but quite finished. We thought we failed because we were wrongly told that failing one unit fails us the whole course, which I found out to be a horrible lie after I got my results.
"Thankfully", the teachers pushed back the "deadline". They kept pushing the deadline back casually that me and my classmates started questioning if this final deadline was intentionally put early on to scare us into working harder (which backfired because stress) and they were always going to keep pushing back to the real deadline.
As I was closing in on my part of the group effort, the teacher for the programming units casually gave everyone the final finished programs from the previous year students... I don't know how moral or legal that is, but they did it. You would think I would be happy about that right? Well no. Because now the group kinda dissolved. They didn't really need me as much anyone and all my efforts to my programs somewhat unique to each student was squashed. Even worse, I tried incorporating their horrible programmed program into my almost finished one to help me finish it quicker, it led into so many issues that I had to revert to a much already version of my program, effectively removing 3 weeks worth of head banging effort... Eventually I spent another 3 weeks make it even better than before. If the finished program they gave us was distinction level, mine would have been distinction++. I have always been a perfectionist to a fault but this is the worst it has ever been back then.
This left me with no time at all for the other units. I had plan for all of them to finish them within a month, but all my plans went to the dumpster. That and the fact that I didn't know I could just let some units go and I will be fine, filled me the most stress I have had all my life. This is a course that was supposed to be super easy for me, but everything went to **** in so little time...
Breaking down, I had nothing I could other than beg for my tutor for an extension , which thankfully they gave.. kind of..
This led me to be able to achieve distinction level for all the units except for a couple of them which I didn't even finish but was fine with that. I spent WEEKS coming to the college from 9 am til 7 sometimes 9 PM! That and fact I had an insomnia phase throughout this course, it made me feel like dying. But I felt it's worth this excruciating mental pain to get a high grade. I finished what I could with my given extension and hoped it was enough grades for university entry.
*--------------------
Skip to result day, I get my results aaaand... Locked to a pass. All my units were locked to a pass and I didn't get full credits because I didn't finish all the units. My qualification was incomplete and locked to pass.... The only thing I had more than a pass in was maths, which had some distinctions in them.
-----------------------*
Talking to the head of department, which then they talked to my teachers with... Turns out this "extension" I was given was not "official". Apparently they didn't talk to the head department about it and I didn't provide evidence- something the tutor never asked of me when I asked for an extension. The head of department even told me that if I had came to her about it, she would have definitely given me a proper extension and not locked me to a pass and incomplete credits. But unfortunately there was nothing she could do at that point.
I was essentially made to do all this extra work for pretty much nothing. This made feel suicidal... Something I haven't felt in a long while. I never felt this helpless ever. I did EVERYTHING I thought I could, but the rewarded me with nothing.
Having backed up all my work into my laptop, I decided to give a call to my firm and backup university choices I applied too. Found out they both rejected me because of my abysmal results. I asked for an interview with someone in the IT/computer science departments to take look at my work and I can explain my situation, but my firm choice university didn't provide one, and my backup choice admission team told me there a chance I could be accepted in still and I requested an interview with the head of department for computer science, I was given email which I contacted about this issue and asked for a possible interview, but I think they just ghosted me because it's been well over 3 weeks by now.
The past 2 weeks I wasn't able to go to other universities and ask the same thing because I had some important personal business I had to work out, but now I'm free although I think too late.
*--------------------
I truly think if a teacher that understands the effort of my work was to look at my work, would understand how high level and high quality it is and how it deserves distinction level had my extension never been a lie given to me.
So what are my options?
--------------------*
Having read this twice, is the gist that you've complete some work, received a low grade, and want to find a way for your teacher to revisit it?
Original post by Admit-One
Having read this twice, is the gist that you've complete some work, received a low grade, and want to find a way for your teacher to revisit it?
I think they have crap grades but want a good institution to let them in regardless
The reality i that we are almost halfway through the first semester and no university is going to take you on this year.
The other reality is that the poor grades will preclude you from good institutions. To my knowledge, there is not a great deal that you can do except redo the access course somewhere else.
Original post by GamerDE
I’m doing an access to science, PSYCHOLOGY, CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY. With this can I enter a uni which accept the access course for computer science at university.
Probably not, or your options will likely be limited. Unis will likely only list Access requirements in related courses, so you'll need to approach anywhere you might want to consider with a copy of the syllabus for your Access course and your previous quals to see if they're encouraging.
Original post by gjd800
I think they have crap grades but want a good institution to let them in regardless
The reality i that we are almost halfway through the first semester and no university is going to take you on this year.
The other reality is that the poor grades will preclude you from good institutions. To my knowledge, there is not a great deal that you can do except redo the access course somewhere else.
The reality i that we are almost halfway through the first semester and no university is going to take you on this year.
The other reality is that the poor grades will preclude you from good institutions. To my knowledge, there is not a great deal that you can do except redo the access course somewhere else.
Reading the OP again, (and it is very scattershot which is why it's difficult to determine what advice is being asked), they might had had offers last cycle, and one of the choices said they might have some form of interview. If that was for 2023 entry then I agree that is very late now. There is no harm in contacting them again if they have heard nothing in 3 weeks, (you have to champion yourself in these situations, the uni will have no real interest in bending over backwards at one of the busiest times of the year), but this depends on what outcome the OP wants. Entering in 2023? Reapplying in 2024?
Original post by gjd800
I think they have crap grades but want a good institution to let them in regardless
The reality i that we are almost halfway through the first semester and no university is going to take you on this year.
The other reality is that the poor grades will preclude you from good institutions. To my knowledge, there is not a great deal that you can do except redo the access course somewhere else.
The reality i that we are almost halfway through the first semester and no university is going to take you on this year.
The other reality is that the poor grades will preclude you from good institutions. To my knowledge, there is not a great deal that you can do except redo the access course somewhere else.
Sorry that my post was too long thus a bit confusing, just didn't know how much I should write down.
But yes, I got low grades but my work is high quality. I only got low grades because my extension that the teachers gave me was not official but I was told it was. So I was locked to a pass on all my computing units on the fact that I was late to submit (cuz again, the extension was not official)
Original post by Admit-One
Reading the OP again, (and it is very scattershot which is why it's difficult to determine what advice is being asked), they might had had offers last cycle, and one of the choices said they might have some form of interview. If that was for 2023 entry then I agree that is very late now. There is no harm in contacting them again if they have heard nothing in 3 weeks, (you have to champion yourself in these situations, the uni will have no real interest in bending over backwards at one of the busiest times of the year), but this depends on what outcome the OP wants. Entering in 2023? Reapplying in 2024?
I didn't get an interview, I asked for one. I was given the email information of the head of department of computer science for the university I wanted to go to. I sent an email with the whole situation but no reply for 3 weeks. I could try to keep pressing on, but as you said it's probably too late.
Original post by FlamingEye
I didn't get an interview, I asked for one. I was given the email information of the head of department of computer science for the university I wanted to go to. I sent an email with the whole situation but no reply for 3 weeks. I could try to keep pressing on, but as you said it's probably too late.
Yes, I read it that an interview was fielded but not completed.
Why not contact them again now that things are potentially a bit quieter? If they say they can't consider you even with an interview next cycle at least you know that's not an option.
Original post by Admit-One
Yes, I read it that an interview was fielded but not completed.
Why not contact them again now that things are potentially a bit quieter? If they say they can't consider you even with an interview next cycle at least you know that's not an option.
Why not contact them again now that things are potentially a bit quieter? If they say they can't consider you even with an interview next cycle at least you know that's not an option.
Sorry but what is a cycle? You mean next year?
Original post by FlamingEye
Sorry but what is a cycle? You mean next year?
The following application cycle from the previous one where you held offers. So the current one for 2024 entry.
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