Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[ChrisP]

I was just wondering if anyone knew how easy it would be to get from a 2:2 at the end of second year to a 2:1 at the end of third year. Is it possible? Am dissappointed with my results from second year and hoping that I can change this over this year

[poachedegg]

I think it depends on what % you got this year; ES has just completed his 2nd year doing Chemistry and he says that 60% is a 2:1 with 75% being a 1:1.

 

Hope that helps.

[Leicester_H]

It should be possible with effort.

Have a word with your tutor. What marks did you get - what do you need.

Can he/she give you any pointers on how to improve (they jolly well should be able to).

I think 70% is a more usual boundary for a 1st - but exam boards DO look at all students, especially those close to boundaries.

The external examiner will see (viva) a student mid 1st, mid 2i etc and then people close to boundaries to see if they should be raised.

 

Examiners NEVER lower grades/marks.

 

H

[squiffs]

actually, usually 70% is a first, 60% a 2:1, 50% a 2:2 and 40% a Third.

 

In your final year 25% of your final grade is your dissertation, your second year is also 25% of your final grade, so if you do really well in your dissertation and all modules there's no reason you can't bump yourself up to a 2:1 overall.

 

50% third year modules

 

25% dissertation

 

25% second year

 

so you're definitely in with a chance, don't be disheartened

 

 

(My OH is in his final year in Sept, and I finished uni in 2010 )

[Minnie&Moose]

Hi ChrisP

 

As an academic here's what I normally say to my own students in a similar situation to the one you describe:

1. look carefully at any feedback you have on your various assessments to identify areas of weakness in your work as well as your strengths. I'm sure you do this, but do make sure you pick up all feedback even on courses/modules that you've completed - look back over the last two years, are markers picking up the same kinds of errors, weaknesses etc in your work - are there things there that you've not fully addressed?

2. try to keep on top of the work during term time, make full use of any discussion sessions, tutorials, seminars etc - and make sure you're as well prepared as you can be before you go in - you'll get more out of them the more you've read - they're an opportunity to explore ideas more fully, identify areas that you don't fully understand, or areas that you want to challenge because you don't agree with them - playing with ideas, exploring them, pulling them apart, working with them - this is how to really get to grips with a subject.

 

Common problems in assessments (which may not be your problems of course) are:

1. in exams (essays or short-answer questions) some students don't answer the question set but just write everything they can remember about a particular topic, whether it's relevant to the question or not.

2. often students are not precise enough in their writing - this may be because they don't really understand the subject/issues adequately or, more often, it's because they don't necessarily realise that they're not being precise or accurate enough, or that what they've written could be interpreted in several different ways.

3. there isn't always adequate evidence of reading around the subject and demonstrating a fuller knowledge of current debates, different theoretical standpoints etc., so make sure you do read widely and demonstrate this in your work - not by throwing in everything including the kitchen sink, but by knowing which examples to include and most importantly, which ones to leave out - i.e. we're back to the issue of answering the question set and not just writing about a general topic/issue.

 

Depending on how your final degree class is calculated (and each institution has its own rules about this) it is usual for students to improve significantly on their performance between second and third year - and in many cases to be expected. But it does require work. So, if you can, look on your current situation as a stimulus for improving your performance in the coming year, identify the areas that you need to give special attention to, try to pace yourself by working steadily and sensibly, and build in some recreation and relaxation to make sure you're working as effectively as you can.

 

Good luck with it.

[Plum]

Go for it. You just need to keep motivated and focused. I think a bit of a knockback will have been what you need and next year you will fly.

[j00lz_12366]

The external examiner will see (viva) a student mid 1st, mid 2i etc and then people close to boundaries to see if they should be raised.

 

Examiners NEVER lower grades/marks.

 

H

 

I'm sorry but this mightn't be strictly true-I dont know the full intimate details but i know that it's possible to have marks lowered by the external verifier/examiner...which could strictly speaking lower the final grade..dont think it really has much to dow ith the original point just thought its an important detail-externals arent only there to lift grades

Edited July 9, 2011 by Guest

[Old Speckled Hen]

My daughter is an actor and to keep the wolf from the door she does private tuition. She is untrained but bases her teaching on a first from Cambridge. She has been tutoring somebody at university who last year got a third. This year she managed a 2.1. Maybe private tuition might be the answer and a lot can be done via email.

[Leicester_H]

The external examiner will see (viva) a student mid 1st, mid 2i etc and then people close to boundaries to see if they should be raised.

 

Examiners NEVER lower grades/marks.

 

H

 

I'm sorry but this mightn't be strictly true-I dont know the full intimate details but i know that it's possible to have marks lowered by the external verifier/examiner...which could strictly speaking lower the final grade..dont think it really has much to dow ith the original point just thought its an important detail-externals arent only there to lift grades

 

At Leicester and De Montfort, this was true when I worked there as an academic

Edited July 9, 2011 by Guest

[Leicester_H]

In your final year 25% of your final grade is your dissertation, your second year is also 25% of your final grade, so if you do really well in your dissertation and all modules there's no reason you can't bump yourself up to a 2:1 overall.

50% third year modules

25% dissertation

25% second year

Proportions depend on Uni and course - eg. not all courses do a dissertation.

Some treat 1st year modules as a qualifier for the 2nd year, some count them in the final grade.

 

H

[Leicester_H]

I was just wondering if anyone knew how easy it would be to get from a 2:2 at the end of second year to a 2:1 at the end of third year. Is it possible? Am dissappointed with my results from second year and hoping that I can change this over this year

 

May I ask what subject are you studying ? (I was a Physics Senior Lecturer)

[squiffs]

The external examiner will see (viva) a student mid 1st, mid 2i etc and then people close to boundaries to see if they should be raised.

 

Examiners NEVER lower grades/marks.

 

H

 

I'm sorry but this mightn't be strictly true-I dont know the full intimate details but i know that it's possible to have marks lowered by the external verifier/examiner...which could strictly speaking lower the final grade..dont think it really has much to dow ith the original point just thought its an important detail-externals arent only there to lift grades

 

At Leicester and De Montfort, this was true when I worked there as an academic

 

I have to agree with Joolz, I've been told all through my academic career (from Middle school to university) that we should think twice about having our marks questioned, as they can just as easily be deducted as they can be increased if we are borderline.

[j00lz_12366]

The external examiner will see (viva) a student mid 1st, mid 2i etc and then people close to boundaries to see if they should be raised.

 

Examiners NEVER lower grades/marks.

 

H

 

I'm sorry but this mightn't be strictly true-I dont know the full intimate details but i know that it's possible to have marks lowered by the external verifier/examiner...which could strictly speaking lower the final grade..dont think it really has much to dow ith the original point just thought its an important detail-externals arent only there to lift grades

 

At Leicester and De Montfort, this was true when I worked there as an academic

 

That's why I said I don't know the intimate details but I do know that for some universities this year grades have been marked down by external verifiers so it is possible, maybe it's unusual-I know that staff were particularly unhappy by it as it did mean more than 1 degree was downgraded by it

[Leicester_H]

I have to agree with Joolz, I've been told all through my academic career (from Middle school to university) that we should think twice about having our marks questioned, as they can just as easily be deducted as they can be increased if we are borderline.

 

Questioning marks / requesting a re-mark is entirely different - this is basically correcting a mis-mark. Yes - they can be marked up or down.

 

LOTS of romours are passed around - you need to find the written regulations concerning marks. None of the exam boards I sat on EVER took any marks away from any student that they had earnt.

 

But back to the original question - YES - work hard and you can go up a grade (or possibly 2).

[squiffs]

I see. The universities myself and my friends attended (Birmingham, Cambridge, Oxford, Kent, Manchester, Aston, Bristol, Cardiff, Bangor, UWE, Portsmouth, Reading, Southampton, Leicester for e.g.) didn't use exam boards - rather, members of staff set the questions, marked them, sent a sample of the exams off to external markers, and then peoples' marks/exams were adjusted accordingly.

[Leicester_H]

Hi

 

Leicester (and DMU where I was also a lecturer) does use exam boards - they consist of the examiners (usually the lecturers) plus a lecturer from another university (the external examiner).

The lecturers set the papers. Model answers (usually in science, maths etc) with mark schemes are also written. (Non scence subjects tend to use double marking to ensure fairness).

External examiners view the exams and changes are made if necessary by negotiation.

The exams are sat.

The exams are marked by the lecturers. Random checks are made for accuracy of marking.

Departments then usually have a internal meeting to discuss the marks, any special or borderline cases and decide who they think the external examiner should viva. The vivas are then held.

There is then an exam board(meeting) which then produces the final marks list for ratification by Senate.

 

At these meetings of the exam boards no student ever had their mark lowered.

 

H

[squiffs]

Hi

 

Leicester (and DMU where I was also a lecturer) does use exam boards - they consist of the examiners (usually the lecturers) plus a lecturer from another university (the external examiner).

The lecturers set the papers. Model answers (usually in science, maths etc) with mark schemes are also written. (Non scence subjects tend to use double marking to ensure fairness).

External examiners view the exams and changes are made if necessary by negotiation.

The exams are sat.

The exams are marked by the lecturers. Random checks are made for accuracy of marking.

Departments then usually have a internal meeting to discuss the marks, any special or borderline cases and decide who they think the external examiner should viva. The vivas are then held.

There is then an exam board(meeting) which then produces the final marks list for ratification by Senate.

 

At these meetings of the exam boards no student ever had their mark lowered.

 

H

 

 

Does this all happen without a student's knowledge? Prior to marks being finally released?

[j00lz_12366]

Does this all happen without a student's knowledge? Prior to marks being finally released?

the marks that you get back from you tutors are actually provisional, the exam board will sit and then it is possible that marks can change, all universities will have an exam board at the end of the academic year at least..one of the uni's you mentioned had marks going down this year..dont want to go into further detail tho

[Leicester_H]

Does this all happen without a student's knowledge? Prior to marks being finally released?

Students aren't normally told if their mark was raised without a viva (eg. if, in hindsight, an exam was deemed too difficult, thus lowering everyones overall mark) or if an individual student was significally disadvantaged in some way (maybe through illness)

 

Students will be told if they are required to attend a viva. Usually the student has a good idea why they are being vivaed (Tutors are usually very sympathetic). If they sufficiently impress the examiner their grade may be raised. In my 10 years lecturing experience NO student was ever lowered.

 

The lecturers(and examiners) really do want their students to do as well as possible and are scrupulous about being fair.

[ChrisP]

I was just wondering if anyone knew how easy it would be to get from a 2:2 at the end of second year to a 2:1 at the end of third year. Is it possible? Am dissappointed with my results from second year and hoping that I can change this over this year

 

May I ask what subject are you studying ? (I was a Physics Senior Lecturer)

 

I'm studying Physical Geography