Grandson has failed his Degree

He can appeal his grade. He would need to look at the paperwork in his Uni handbook or online to see how to go about an appeal.

Maybe there was extenuating circumstances around the time he was doing his degree? Possibly even things he’s not disclosed such as a learning difficult, anxiety, depression, stress… so many difficulties young students go through at Uni.

But if he is going to do that ask for him to do it quickly. There’s a time limit to do these things in.

He can contact the Student Union, or speak to the Student Welfare Office. There’s also the complains, conduct and appeals department who would be able to advise him.

Wishing him good luck

no idea what bluestone is, but i do know that as they say over on MN, his mother needs to give her head a wobble.
i hope she is not part of the bluestone expedition.

Yes, Doodledog they even have the same chat about that when the kids do their SATs now.

CrazyH if you don’t mind me asking, why do you / he think that he didn’t do well?

Was he out of his depth; or his mind on other things?

I did absolutely horrendously in my A levels.

I just didn’t do any revision at all (in fact, I didn’t know how to revise - which I think was a common problem).

I didn’t even read some of the key texts.

Some how my course work must have outweighed the abysmal exam results, and I just about squeezed through

I was far too busy with my social life, and subconsciously I don’t think that I was ready to leave home

Sounds like a good headmaster!

I remember the headmaster having a special assembly before we started our O levels, and saying that when we got old and looked back over our lives, if the worst thing that had happened was that we’d failed some exams we would have been very blessed.

I think he was right.

I agree Fanny that's one reason for going to Oxbridge. Their facilities and small tutorial groups are excellent. funded by grateful rich alumni

But it's all a learning curve and as long as the OPs DGS and others like him can rise above the disappointment and find a happy path in life, what else matters.

crazyH

FC - Business Studies
Yes - my daughter is now cross, because he has been invited to this trip to Bluestone. Can’t win 😫

Oh please have a stern word with her! The poor lad is obviously upset enough, he doesn't need his mother to pile on the disappointment. As already mentioned, I would be warning her to tread very carefully, without sounding too alarmist, young male suicide is a real problem. She needs to give the lad a break.

FC - Business Studies
Yes - my daughter is now cross, because he has been invited to this trip to Bluestone. Can’t win 😫

You need to have a firm word with his mother who is making this poor lad miserable.

I hope you're doing that CrazyH, as his mother's attitude and the family expectations will be weighing on your DGS regardless of cheering up he gets from you.

It will be good for your GS to spend some quality time with you. He may be more likely to open up to you than to his parents. Thirty years ago DS2 got a 1st and his partner a 2.2 at the same time. Now both are equally successful but guess which one has the company car. DS1, who has learned in the 'University of Life' is also successful and happy.

He will get over it and learn from it about himself and his future will still be bright. I had friends with attitudes regarding both of their sons degrees. They themselves not having them but insisting their boys gained a first. They didn’t one failed completely but both now have good jobs and incomes.

At the start of each semester students know where they need to improve as they have their results. The marks from each module predicts the possible result of degree at the end of study. It should not come as a surprise or shock when results do come in.

After three years or more depending on subject chosen there has been a lot of work done to achieve a degree. No person can take it away from you be it a first or a third. It’s an achievement and it can still be taken into consideration when choosing a career. It proves commitment and discipline which are both important attributes.

Joseann

So did David Dimbleby get a third!
I used to be a bit of an intellectual snob and think where the degree was from was more important than its grade. Now I'm far more impressed by a person's honest work ethic and their character, degree or not.

I’ve always thought that it’s more difficult to get a good mark from Scumbag College than Oxbridge, because you are likely to get better teaching and resources at the latter.

But as the proud alumnus of a Scumbag College, I would say that!

Disappointing his parents does sound like the major upset in this case crazyH. I hope he can get over that!
We are privileged in Scotland with no university fees yet so those, like my DD who had a false start can try something else without penalty
Her accommodation costs were the major expense so she came to live at home when she had changed direction.
I hope your DGS finds some sensible advice from his uni to help him decide what to do next. He's so young!

A few years ago, my daughter went to Bristol University to do a business course. After a few weeks she said she didn’t like it so I told her to come home but she said Mum you’ve bought all the books. It would be a waste, I said I don’t care if you’re not enjoying it you must come home.
she then took a few months out and went travelling including Australia. When she came back, she went to an agency and got a part-time job in the office of a sprinkler company, she was 19. She came home one day and said mum they want a junior quantity surveyor. Should I apply for it I said yes go ahead.She got it
she stayed there a couple of years and then came and said to me she wanted to go to London. She had to go for an interview in Bristol. She got the job went to London and worked for a big company in the city(she worked on the Shard)She is now an independent quantity surveyor doing very well for herself so really, I would not worry, but I know that’s easier said than done..

So did David Dimbleby get a third!
I used to be a bit of an intellectual snob and think where the degree was from was more important than its grade. Now I'm far more impressed by a person's honest work ethic and their character, degree or not.

Doodledog

A third is NOT a fail. It is an honours degree. A pass degree is not a fail either.

Good grief.

Carol Vorderman got a third in Engineering

What was the degree in CrazyH, just out of interest.
And I’m very sorry to hear about your grandson’s predicament.
This needs to be kept in perspective

All too often, youngsters are pushed into striving for certain achievements because "it's what their parents want". The pressure to succeed must be immense and for this young persons mother to be angry with him is disgusting. She should feel ashamed of herself, not of him for failing.

Give your GS time and space and let him make his own decisions on his future.

I suspect he is more miserable about the parental attitude than anything else. As others have said, is this a route he would have chosen for himself. Did he enjoy his time at uni? Did he struggle all the way through?

Encourage him to be brave and make his own choices. He could return and try to do better, or take a completely different path to the job market.

What he has learnt will never be wasted. You need to have a firm word with his mother who is making this poor lad miserable.

It is not the end of the world. He should be able to do resits or even repeat the last year. If it was his dissertation, he can be given time to rewrite it.

My mother died suddenly one week into the three months I had to write an MA dissertation. I had lost another close relatively a few months previously and my mind ceased to function and even with an extension I struggled, but the university had a system that I submitted the incomplete dissertation and was then told to revise it and I finally got my act together, wrote a dissertation that has been cited a number of times and ot my degree.

I know a lot of people who have failed degrees at the first attempt, sorted the problem out and gone on to resit exams, redo modules or years and get there in the end .

Nothing venture, nothing win. Give him support and love and tell him that he is not the first to fail a degree at first attempt and will not be the first to succeed in the end and do well.

CrazyH - I was instantly angry when I read:

' his Mum (my daughter) is quite annoyed'

so I'd be pretty annoyed with her. She should be accepting and supporting her son (and whatever he decides to do) not piling on the blame and disappointment.

The brightest, most capable, creative and caring chap in my group suddenly dropped out and took a year off - due to unbearable stress. His family were kind and supportive, yet still, he had unreasonably high expectations of himself, so just made himself ill.

CrazyH I am sorry your family finds itself in this situation. It looks very much as though my nephew will fail his degree despite being given many extensions. He has ADHD and my sister worries about his future. His a lovely chap and determined to get on so we will have to see. My GS dropped out in the first term at university last year after an emotional breakdown and we worried like mad for him but is now working for a record company and is very happy. I do hope your grandson can be allowed to resit if he wants and that his Mum welcomes him back home soon.

This thread started today

Thanks, gdh. I was beginning to think I was going mad.

Doodledog You did post before, I distinctly remember reading it. It was quite lengthy, I can’t remember it all but you said that even if someone did only one year of a degree course, they’d get a Certificate. Ditto for two years. It’s very odd that your original post has disappeared.

You didn’t repeat my post, Doodledog, I just couldn’t remember what the name of the qualification was!