Anybody else dramatically failed their 1st year?

[Saberu]

Didn't fail it but I missed one of my exams because I was never told when it would be. They said to me that if you miss something you automatically fail the module even though the coursework was worth 70% and the exam 30% and I got 95% or something for the coursework. Oh well first year isn't worth anything anyway Though putting 60 hours in of coursework time inside one week to end up with a fail for the module kind of sucks.

 

[w11tho]

I think we're arguing for the same point. I'm not saying the first year should be as easy as A-levels (which it shouldn't) - but it shouldn't throw everybody into the deep end, certainly because so many people are away from home for the first time, having to make new social groups etc.

Oh dear God - should we also make sure first year students have someone to tuck them in at night? All this pandering about is pathetic IMHO.

The only thing is, the way you come across is this: "Only the very intellectual elite should go to university" - I apologise if I've paraphrased you incorrectly.

Only the academically talented should go through government subsidised further education. As I mentioned earlier, I'm all for people wanting to further their education, but I don't expect it to be government subsidised.

If they(you)'re that intellectually elite and talented at their(your) subject, why can't the people teach themselves the subject and we can do away with universities and higher education all together?

You're joking, right? Apart from the utter absurdity of that post, I don't see its point. I say "only the academically talented should be going to University", and you come back with "they should teach themselves". Qué?

Are you telling me that your first to second to third year was a linear progression in terms of difficulty?

Absolutely. We spent about 3 lectures on A-Level material (the Further Maths syllabus) before we were straight onto University level material.

 

[w11tho]

Well I would like people to go to university and study subject that people where increased knowledge are needed. People from these subjects are more in demand and will therefore get paid more, that was my point, not that you should go to uni to earn more money.

People with good degrees are getting paid more money because their degree is a sign of intellectual ability. Banks don't hire people with theoretical physics degrees because they need to know about sub atomic particles, newspapers don't hire History graduates because they'll need a good knowledge of the socio-economic impact of the dark ages, etc etc. The vast majority of people will go into a job in which the knowledge from their degree is unimportant - it is the evidence of ability the degree can show which is needed. Anyway, university is about education - not about training people up for a job.

So what would be your answer to the problem? A cap on grades that you need to get to go to university, that’s the only viable option if you are against higher fees.

Cut down the number of Universities, drastically. Then, the Universities left can advertise their courses accordingly. For instance, if you're think you have the kind of talent that warrants a large chunk of government help to further your education in it, then I don't think getting an A/B in that subject is too much to ask.

On the subject why are you apposed to these higher fees?

I thought I made my point about top-up fees clear enough:

A University education should require academic talent as a prerequisite, not monetary wealth.

 

[PaulStat]

i didnt think it was possible to fail the first year 80% Avg in my 1st

oooooo get you

 

[w11tho]

Hang on, surely you should be for top-up fees then, as they allow the talented individuals (i.e. those undertaking research) to conduct world-class research

Hold on Sherlock, how do you think people are going to get the stage at which they can begin research? They need a degree.

10pts for such watertight logic though.

 

[w11tho]

I'm not sure that there's any evidence to show that having a degree makes you any better at your job than not having one. As I understand it, the main purpose of a degree for an employer is to differentiate the people who are capable of getting a degree from the people who aren't, with the idea being that people who are capable of getting a good degree will be more capable in their jobs. It's not the degree which MAKES you good at your job though - if it were then employers would be sending their employees to university for three years to increase their productivity!

Exactly - couldn't agree more.

 

[R.O.S.S.I]

I only need 40% to pass my first yr, but i just hope and prey ive done enough to do so.
Last exam today, so im off to get the uni bus! Tarra peeps wish me luck!

 

[csmager]

Thing is with maths or physics there's no chance of blagging anything - you either know the material or you don't. Trying to revise for an exam the night or even a couple of nights before is really no good because you just need to practice doing problems and past papers over and over. If you've never had the feeling of looking at a series of questions and having no idea of where to go or how to even get started... then you're a very lucky (clever) person.

Yeah there is. Myself & my housemates missed countless lectures in the first year. Revision consisted of ~1 day before each exam (they're usually spaced Mon, Weds, Fri). Got a 72% Average for the first year, one of my housemates got a 73% Average... the others didn't fare so well, but they all passed.

This year is more of the same. Probably went to less lectures, done one day before each exam, they've all gone OK. There is an advantage to Maths/Physics type courses - there's a limit to what they can ask you. And they appear to have no imagination, as the questions from year to year (looking at past papers) are so incredibly similar. We actually had a Thermodynamics question this year that was word for word, number for number the same as one from 2003... which I happened to do the day before.

This is Engineering MEng at Durham University, btw.

 

[playworker]

Heh, I failed all 3 years Had to do retakes in the first and second year but there's nothing you can do about failures in the 3rd year, they just get taken as is. Still managed to scrape a 2.2 in the end which kinda shows how much of a farce the course was, Comp Sci at Salford Uni in case you're wondering