Appealing university grades

[Freefaller]

I'd probably do the same. However, I just wouldn't expect or feel I deserved it because of being 1% short of the grade. In fact I was less than 1% from a 2:1 I was annoyed by it, but I also know that I could have worked a little harder and done a little better.

Hasn't stopped me getting myself good jobs over the past 12+ years.

 

[skippy2421]

The problem with a lot of people saying "well I did alright" is that times are different now even to the two years or so ago when I was job hunting. Jobs are now few and far between and those companies still employing can afford to be more fussy and as such nearly all grad schemes are now 2:1 entries. You also have greater competition so dependent on what he wants to do and subject studied it may actually pretty much rule him out of his preferred career path unless he goes back and goes through the whole procedure again. I agree experience does far outweigh your degree classification when further along in your career but it's getting that first foot on the ladder that may well now be extremely difficult for the op where it was easier before hand. For a lot of jobs there is no "working your way up from the bottom" option anymore as the grad scheme is now the "bottom" so to speak.

Not excusing him for not pulling his weight in what was his second year if memory serves but I certainly understand why it'd be a big deal. Hopefully he's on the phone or at uni now trying to sort this as the first thing I'd be doing after seeing those grades would be appealing.

 

[Amp34]

A lot of grad schemes in Aberdeen can be easily £30k+, especially when working for operators. Even if you work for a service company on a lower wage, if you end up going offshore/abroad then you'll get a significant amount on top.

Yeah, from my experience at a supermajor the grad schemes are very good for gaining experience as you move round multiple departments in the first 3 years or so. You may not be specialising initially, but as you say the progression is good and they've had countless people tread the path before. Also due to the lack of engineers in Aberdeen it's much easier to move upwards atm.

Out of interest what degree do you do and what do you want to go into? There's a few of us in the O&G sector on here

Im guessing engineering is different (with MEng qualifications) but you'll not get into an operator in a geoscience/reservoir discipline without a postgrad qualification, unless you're very lucky!

Having a first, 2:1 or 2.2 doesn't make a difference, it'll depend on whether you got into one of about 4 masters courses (that'll be where the first and 2:1 will make a difference) or have a PhD in a relevant field.

 

[NerveAgent]

The problem with a lot of people saying "well I did alright" is that times are different now even to the two years or so ago when I was job hunting. Jobs are now few and far between and those companies still employing can afford to be more fussy and as such nearly all grad schemes are now 2:1 entries. You also have greater competition so dependent on what he wants to do and subject studied it may actually pretty much rule him out of his preferred career path unless he goes back and goes through the whole procedure again. I agree experience does far outweigh your degree classification when further along in your career but it's getting that first foot on the ladder that may well now be extremely difficult for the op where it was easier before hand. For a lot of jobs there is no "working your way up from the bottom" option anymore as the grad scheme is now the "bottom" so to speak.

Not excusing him for not pulling his weight in what was his second year if memory serves but I certainly understand why it'd be a big deal. Hopefully he's on the phone or at uni now trying to sort this as the first thing I'd be doing after seeing those grades would be appealing.

But this is only the case with the biggest companies grad schemes and always has been.

thousands of medium companies take on graduates. They aren't called grad schemes and you probably aren't going to be be paid as well for a year or two but often you are not "stuck" in the very rigid career path and can get pretty far pretty fast...

 

[Freefaller]

Indeed many graduates are employed as a form of cheap labour or entry level jobs, as many have good skills but no experience and are good at following instructions and getting a lot of the bits and pieces done to make other people's lives easier. As they start to build their experience you can see the ones that apply themselves and start to get an understanding of the business and become more independent and proactive.

 

[sports_brah]

Well, the situation is pretty murky. They are not playing ball. They've admitted again they've made errors and that it wasn't all a fair game. However they're insisting I go through the official appeals route.

Meh.

 

[Sudden]

Well, the situation is pretty murky. They are not playing ball. They've admitted again they've made errors and that it wasn't all a fair game. However they're insisting I go through the official appeals route.

Meh.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but isn't that the point of the appeals route? So if they admitted they made errors, and you have this in written form, the appeal should be relatively straight forward?

 

[dowie]

Well, the situation is pretty murky. They are not playing ball. They've admitted again they've made errors and that it wasn't all a fair game. However they're insisting I go through the official appeals route.

Meh.

does removal of the errors actually put you over the boundary or just closer to it?

 

[AMDPower]

Hi

I have not read this whole thread but will just add, if your university has an official appeals route take it. See a lawyer at university or students union for advice in preparing the case.
I hope you have a very strong case because the universities rarely amend grades.

I should just warn you that the rules that govern universities are stipulated by the OIA. If you don't win the case at university, to be honest you wont unless you have an extraordinarily case and can prove this( which wont matter because most instances will fall under academic judgement) you can appeal to the OIA. But its almost impossible to prove, the universities have something in place which protects them from students and other academic staff questions their judgement. So your buggered to begin with, because you cant questions academic judgement specially in regards to marking exams and coursework, Some university recognise this stupidity in the law and actually will allow a remark of assignment and others not. Its an extremely unfair system that provides lecturers with every opportunity to jump through giant holes in the law and mess up your life.

success at university and good grades are very easy
1) work hard
2) suck up to teachers, ask for help when stuck
3) don't ever question anything, they can ruin your life and you can do very little

this comes from experience in helping someone with their case, lets say it
was bordering on criminal what they did and proof was all there but was thrown out under "questioning academic judgement", we are still in shocked till this day
Even if you win the appeals case with the OIA your university can overturn the decision as its
not legally biding decision, they have only an advisory role in this matter.

the courts in the UK also follow a similar line and will throw your case away if you ever decided to fight it in court.

OIA website

http://www.oiahe.org.uk/

good luck