Failed...next step?

Papillon87

Ok, here's the scenario. Didn't take my exams in June, personal problems, but didn't go through the procedure I really should have to get exemptions, because I was just an idiot basically. So I sat the repeats, though I was sitting the exams for the first time. Now I have just discovered I failed. I had contacted my tutor saying I felt this to be the case, but he said to hold on till I knew I had failed before looking down the road of appeals etc. I have only myself to blame as I didn't work hard enough but at the same time, I've been under a lot of strain. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I should do now? I've emailed my tutor to tell him I failed. How do I get my individual results for all the exams I sat? Can anyone enlighten me as to super supplementals and the appeals' system?

Sorry to hear you failed, but to answer your questions about suggestions you should talk to your tutor (which you've done) and perhaps drop into Bartley in the SU as well. The deadline for appealing supplemental exam results is very tight, so contacting your tutor is a good start.

As for individual results you could contact the department, but it'd be worthwhile contacting the individual lecturer too. Assuming you'll get super supps (which, really, you should if you had extenuating circumstances in June) it's 1000000000% worthwhile looking over a paper you have failed with the person who marked it. May be somewhat scary but if you don't realise where you have gone wrong, you may make the same mistakes again in later exams.

To appeal any exam you generally need a reason. It isn't like the Leaving Cert where you can appeal any subject willy-nilly (can't believe I just used that word). There are two courts of appeal - the faculty court and then, if you wish to appeal further, the Academic Appeals Committee. Have a look in the College Calendar, Page 10, for information on the AAC as well as for general exams information. If memory serves me correctly, you will be appealing on the grounds of ad misericordiam which literally means 'an appeal for pity' but means that you are appealing on compassionate grounds, and I assume you would be appealing to sit super supps.

Check all the above with Bartley first, since it is at best one and a half year's out of date, and at worst two and a bit! Best of luck with your appeal, and remember to go to see the lecturers who set the subjects you failed. Oh, and annoy your tutor over the next few days. Camp outside his/her door if needs be. If they aren't getting back to you, wander down to the Senior Tutor's Office in House 27.

Papillon87

Thanks a million Myth.

My tutor actually rang me this evening a few minutes after I e-mailed him...getting teary eyed on the phone in an internet cafe was quite embarrassing...anyway, it wasn't a very satisfactory call on my behalf. He was very nice about it all, but you see I think he may have forgotten I didn't sit the exams first time around, or maybe because I have not specified what my circumstances were to him. So the options he presented were to repeat the year or go off books and resit the exams at the end of the year. I was kind of still very upset from the results so I was just sniffing in agreement, but when he phones me tomorrow about this my mother is adamant I tell him I want to appeal under the extenuating circumstances option. He said something along the lines of "you have to have been on your deathbed to get to sit super supplementals, they're very strict about it"...very disappointing. I suppose I am most frustrated because I somehow managed to pass the 9 exams in my TSM subjects, but failed the Linguistics thing.:(

If you're not happy with your tutor, go to the Senior Tutor's Office. They can represent you, can give help on the spot, and can re-assign you another tutor if needs be. If you're not going anywhere with your tutor, give them a call. Or just drop in. They sometimes have chocolates, but always have tissues

Papillon87

Myth wrote:

If you're not happy with your tutor, go to the Senior Tutor's Office. They can represent you, can give help on the spot, and can re-assign you another tutor if needs be. If you're not going anywhere with your tutor, give them a call. Or just drop in. They sometimes have chocolates, but always have tissues

Haha, thanks...I'm going through them rapidly this evening! Yeah I will be contacting him tomorrow again, and if he is not happy to appeal on my behalf I will most definitely be going to the Senior Tutor. Thanks very much again, I'll let you know how I fare, though I'm not optimistic after today.

prothalamium

Papillon87 wrote:

Haha, thanks...I'm going through them rapidly this evening! Yeah I will be contacting him tomorrow again, and if he is not happy to appeal on my behalf I will most definitely be going to the Senior Tutor. Thanks very much again, I'll let you know how I fare, though I'm not optimistic after today.

Keep strong papillon, I've been in this situation too. I know repeating the year/going off books doesn't sound very good right now, but I did so myself and it turned out to be much better for me in the long run. It's a drag going over the same work, but you'll understand the material much better by the time you pass into the next year, and you're more likely to have sorted yourself out fully. Actually I went off books and worked a full-time job from October to February (studied February-June), so ended up saving loads of money for my 2nd year. Don't fret - even if college don't let you pass into next year - you'll be fine!

Papillon87

prothalamium wrote:

Keep strong papillon, I've been in this situation too. I know repeating the year/going off books doesn't sound very good right now, but I did so myself and it turned out to be much better for me in the long run. It's a drag going over the same work, but you'll understand the material much better by the time you pass into the next year, and you're more likely to have sorted yourself out fully. Actually I went off books and worked a full-time job from October to February (studied February-June), so ended up saving loads of money for my 2nd year. Don't fret - even if college don't let you pass into next year - you'll be fine!

Thanks prothalamium. It's slightly heartening to know I'm not alone! But yeah, you're right, the options of repeating or going off books are rather getting me down. I'm in limbo at the moment.

Ciara22

Dont be worried about repeating the year, I did it and it wasnt all that bad to be honest. At least you'll know your stuff this time around. The worst thing about it is having to make a whole new set of friends! Also, in second year, I missed a supplemental exam and they let me sit a special exam. I had to pay about 300 euros for the pleasure but I wasnt on my deathbed by any means.

ApeXaviour

Many people repeat. If you take it with a good attitude, use and learn from the experience to go all out, you can surprise yourself. Myself, I repeated a year. I took it as a kick up the arse, worked my cajones off and did better than I ever thought I could. It was a growing experience. I honestly doubt I would have gotten near as good a degree, or be where I am now, had I not repeated that year.

howaya

sympathies with you, Papillon - realizing you'll have to repeat is tough. Been there. However, am sure you had your reasons for deferring the exams last summer, and perhaps you owe it to yourself to have some time to cope with whatever went down then.
Am happy to chime with other posters' reflection that repeating a year actually did them a lot of good. You need to show a measure of persistence.

It sounds like your tutor is doing their bit.

I made more friends through my repeat class, and the experience did allow me time to sort out my life and appreciate how much I enjoyed the subject material.

Hope that some good comes of it for you

Papillon87

Thanks everyone. Well basically I have to repeat. My tutor is applying to have my summer exam status changed to absent rather than fail but apparently that makes no difference. I suppose I'm most frustrated by the fact that I only made one attempt at the exams, and because I failed one out of 10 I'm having to repeat an entire year. Current mood: upset and bitter.

I appreciate everyone's reassurance that repeating will do me good, maybe it will, but right now I don't feel like that. I have this fear that everyone is going to judge me and think I'm an idiot, only one of my friends even knows what I've gotten myself into. I'm the type of person who always did very well at school etc., yes the annoying one who never failed an exam in her life, and it's really hard to accept that I let personal problems get in the way and hinder me so much because I never ever would have thought I'd end up here.

Also, I'M OLD! I'm 20 now. So I'm going to be 24 graduating...I had plans!! I'm going to feel so ravaged by age amongst all my 18 year old classmates .

Anyway, this has descended into a rant. Thanks for the support.

prothalamium

Papillon87 wrote:

Thanks everyone. Well basically I have to repeat. My tutor is applying to have my summer exam status changed to absent rather than fail but apparently that makes no difference. I suppose I'm most frustrated by the fact that I only made one attempt at the exams, and because I failed one out of 10 I'm having to repeat an entire year. Current mood: upset and bitter.

I appreciate everyone's reassurance that repeating will do me good, maybe it will, but right now I don't feel like that. I have this fear that everyone is going to judge me and think I'm an idiot, only one of my friends even knows what I've gotten myself into. I'm the type of person who always did very well at school etc., yes the annoying one who never failed an exam in her life, and it's really hard to accept that I let personal problems get in the way and hinder me so much because I never ever would have thought I'd end up here.

Also, I'M OLD! I'm 20 now. So I'm going to be 24 graduating...I had plans!! I'm going to feel so ravaged by age amongst all my 18 year old classmates .

Anyway, this has descended into a rant. Thanks for the support.

-I was 21 when I got put into the year before me, and I am older than some of my classmates now. But the majority have taken years out to travel or work, are mature and even have kids and proper jobs. We all go out for pints/food and it's great - there will be no massive unbridgable gap there just because you took a year out! College, unlike school, is a lot more allowing of difference, complications and personal difficulties, you know? Don't panic about that. And to be honest, being a little bit older (and having gone over the info twice) gives me more confidence than insecurity. Oh, and a new class means you get to make more friends

- "So I'm going to be 24 graduating... I had plans!"... hmm, so did we all! That's one of the biggest lessons I learnt from the failing experience - that life often just happens, you can't control it, and you have to make the best of it. At the end of the day, repeating is a second chance, and you have a chance to do it right this time. Things could be so much worse! The most important thing to realise is that failing exams is a way of letting you know that you're not ready to pass into the next year - not because you're stupid or lazy, but because in your case you had some personal problems you had to clear up first. Personal stuff can put huge strain on anyone, whether they're an A student or not. Don't get down on yourself, hold your head up high, acknowledge it as **** that happened - but you're moving on.

- Your friends/classmates will not think you're an idiot. So many people repeat, it's totally normal, and to be honest nobody actually cares very much or even sees that sort of thing as gossip-worthy. In fact it happens so often that people barely even notice or remark on it. Don't think you have to make excuses for yourself. If anyone does judge you for making one stumble in your academic life, you can do without them.

Good Luck!

paperclip

You're making me feel old- I'm going to be 26 when I graduate. >:(

cailinoBAC

Hey Papillon, I wasn't in the exact same situation as you, but I know how you feel. I finished top of my year in school, and never failed any exams in 1st and 2nd year. I had a lot of problems readjusting after 3rd year abroad and never really settled back into 4th year for this and other reasons. At the end of the year, despite suggestions from many different people that I put off my exams to the next year. I just wanted to be finished and felt I would settle for a 3rd class degree, but that didn't even happen. And really you're always made to feel like a pass degree is the worst possible thing in the world. My tutor, who I'd barely met before 4th year, was most helpful and pushed me to appeal and be allowed to repeat (luckily not absolutely everything). It was very hard to see all my classmates graduating and know that I should have been with them. And at that stage I felt that I had messed up all my plans, when actually I was still only 21! It doesn't matter what age you are, you'll always feel like it's a 'waste of a year'.
Of course it's disappointing having to repeat a year, but you will probably do your best not to let it happen again, in fact, as was mentioned before, it could be a good lesson and you might end up doing much better than if you just scraped through, also I'm pretty sure repeating 1st year is much better than having to repeat 4th year!
If you are confident with the subjects, maybe you could get a job and go off books. Depending on your hours, you can probably still sit in on lectures and all that, you're just not officially there.

Good luck!