Grandson has failed his Degree

I know he won't see this now but a degree isn't the be all and end all of life. Perhaps this will turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Maybe he isn't meant for the constant grind of money making. Life is more than what you earn and own. Money makes life easier but it doesn't necessarily make you happier. He may go down another route where the wages are less but the happiness and satisfaction is increased.

Is your gs upset, has he worked hard at his degree and if he wants to try again he needs to contact the university.
If not, it’s not the end of the world, it really isn’t.
At 21 he is an adult and will make his own way as we all do.
Enjoy your time together and hope his mum comes round soon . Good luck.

All I see from the OP is that qualifications = status.
This can be achieved in many fields without an ology.

CrazyH, I hope all's well.
You mentioned that the degree was in Business Studies; what type of work was / is your grandson hoping to go into?

My SIL ‘s son failed his first, second and third year. My Mil later told me that his mum had been going down to the uni weekly doing his washing ,helping with assignments etc.
He resat every year but there was meetings every year with the university. Eventually he came out with a Third something todo with computer game design. IMO he should have left after the second year at the latest as l think at this stage in his life uni isn’t for him and of course he was racking up debt.
He is one of 9 grandchildren and from high achieving families who have more scholarships than you can shake a stick at and went to Russell goup / Oxbridge uni’s. His sister went to a different uni no problems. What l will say is he got a job as soon as he left and is now 34 and has never been unemployed,. Found and married his soulmate. Don’t want children so their life is work and playing computer games. Not my idea of life but he is the most contented l have ever seen him. He was lucky in that it wasn’t a surprise ( and l doubt it should have been to this man) and had supportive parents and Granny.
As long as he isn’t allowed to drift ( ie to get a job ) and is given space and encouragement to think and plan and do what interests him. You only learn by your mistakes and the support and direction / options on offer discussed with him in his time.

FC
Eventually, management. But, quite frankly, he will do anything. As I’ve said earlier, he is a very good golfer. And, caddies for a lot of professional golfers and businessmen. I’m hoping someone will appreciate his work ethics and give him a job, whether he gets his degree or not.

Thanks CrazyH, that sounds very positive.

My late step son (who was actually older than me) was very high up in Rolls Royce management, and employed a lot of people.

He always said that the most important things were the ‘soft skills’ like work ethic, a pleasant demeanour, manners, being able to talk to people appropriately (sadly lacking in a lot of folk, young and old)

I’m absolutely certain that things will work out for him.

Has his mum calmed down a bit?

MerylStreep

All I see from the OP is that qualifications = status.
This can be achieved in many fields without an ology.

"There's more than one way to the top".

Or if not the top, a career, a good salary and a happy life.
Ambition, a good work ethic and the ability to get on with people from all walks of life go a long way to achieving your aims.

Has his mum calmed down a bit?
I hope so, we know a Dad like that and his children have suffered as a consequence.

vampirequeen

I know he won't see this now but a degree isn't the be all and end all of life. Perhaps this will turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Maybe he isn't meant for the constant grind of money making. Life is more than what you earn and own. Money makes life easier but it doesn't necessarily make you happier. He may go down another route where the wages are less but the happiness and satisfaction is increased.

Not having a degree doesn't always mean you earn less either!

Alan Sugar, Deborah Meadon, Richard Branson, Bill Gates, none of whom are what you'd call poor 😀
Jon Snow,

And, of course, you may be awarded one or more honorary degrees when universities recognise your worth.

He won't be the only one, crazyH, it has been an extraordinarily tough time for them all.
www.theguardian.com/education/2023/jun/24/uk-students-without-graded-degree-graduating-covid-strikes-boycott

crazyH

FC
Eventually, management. But, quite frankly, he will do anything. As I’ve said earlier, he is a very good golfer. And, caddies for a lot of professional golfers and businessmen. I’m hoping someone will appreciate his work ethics and give him a job, whether he gets his degree or not.

www.golfdigest.com/story/prize-money-payout-british-open-royal-liverpool-hoylake-2023

He can take it again. It would only be the last exam (3rd year). If at first you don't succeed...

I am sorry to hear your GS failed his exams. It can be a hard blow at that age when his peer group are moving to the next stage. I hope he will be able to resit or repeat the year but, if not, there are other routes and options as many posters have highlighted.
I think students coming out of University this year will be forever known as the COVID generation. Nothing was normal for them when they first went up and they were in lockdown. This severely limited their ability to socialise and form support groups in that vital first year. Young people going into University straight from school get a shock to their system as you are left to sort yourself out and manage your time and studies. If they are away from home, all their previous support systems have gone. Also, some of them have had lecturers on strike and exams not yet marked. My GS graduated without a final grade, as did his cohort. They really have had a rough three years. Please reassure him it is not the end of the world. I hope it turns out ok for him. His mother needs to step up to the mark and support him.

Well said, Devorgilla

Thanks again. all you dear , lovely, wise friends. Yes, you are my friends.and I really and truly value your opinions I feel so much better- a degree. Atm we are in West Wales (Bluestone) with my youngest son and family - and enjoying the company of his little cousins. I will certainly keep in touch with you all / much love xx

What I meant to say is yes, a degree is not the be-all and end-all. I’m trying to write this in the dark on a sofa/bed in the holiday cottage, because I don’t want to disturb the rest 👍

Enjoy your holiday Crazy.

Your thoughtful post Devorgilla reminded me how we met our best friend. He failed his first year at university so repeated the year and was in DH year where they first met and he has been such a loyal friend to our whole family ever since, through thick and thin. Now that DH has died, he still comes to see me.

The National 5 results come out soon as well as Scottish Highers and my DGC are eagerly awaiting dreading the post.
The circle of life.

crazyH, have a lovely holiday with your grandson. It will help him clarify his thoughts.
Callistemon21 and Grammaretto, thank you for your kind comments.

We’re back after a fun (but wet) weekend. Despite the age difference, the cousins enjoyed their time together. My son and d.i.l. were glad my grandson was there. He helped by frolicking around with the little ones, and keeping an eye on them. I just sat and watched.
My daughter has calmed down a bit. He is back at home and his laptop is doing overtime. I hope he will get through his resits. Thank you all so much xx

Glad you had a good time in spite of the weather. My little GC love their older ones and romp happily around with them - it is an excuse for the older ones to be a child again! I am sure it has done him a power of good.

Hope your GS finds his niche in life.

I can remember getting average A level grades- the school had been meged in the sixth form with two others and many good teachers left, so standards had dropped- so I had to go to a poly rather than a uni, this was a big distinction in the eighties. I ended up on a degree I didn't really care for- did OK in the first year, probably enough to pass, but by the second year, I started to lose interest, wound up the lecturers( nearly got sent down when I refused to a module), and then failed..
Looking back, my own stupidity, cost me big time, as no one wanted a degree dropout, and I had to reapply to somewhere else the following year and had to sit in front of a panel to get a grant and basically grovel to prove my worth. I did get my degree two years later, a second in history, but I struggled to find work as employers would ask why I had to sit two degree courses and currently I am in a permanent but quite low paid job.
Morale of the story was, either I should have tried my chances with the job market 38 years ago or tried to pass first time as degree failures and dropouts do struggle and are seen by many employers as lazy.

Your grandson will have achieved a qualification depending on the number of credits gained while at university, for example, if he failed his finals he is likely to have enough credits for a higher education diploma. This is still worth something. He is also entitled to careers advice from the university. It is definitely not the end of the world. It sounds like you’re doing a great job at supporting him in this temporary crisis.

This is an old thread.

ProudNanna

Your grandson will have achieved a qualification depending on the number of credits gained while at university, for example, if he failed his finals he is likely to have enough credits for a higher education diploma. This is still worth something. He is also entitled to careers advice from the university. It is definitely not the end of the world. It sounds like you’re doing a great job at supporting him in this temporary crisis.

I would think he has a job by now. This was nearly a year ago

Perhaps CrazyH will come back and tell us how he is