Exam Results

LegacyUser

Hi all,

I could really do with some words of encouragement at the moment as I feel so so crap. I'm just after finishing my masters and I'm so gutted at my results. I managed to scrape a 2.1 overall and got two 2.2s and two 2.1s.

To say that I'm devastated is an understatement. I tried my best to do well but I feel like the year was completly in vain. I worked my ass off and put in 16 hour days at the library for the 8 weeks before the exams and still did so incredibly crap. What makes matters worse is that I was speaking to our course co-ordinator and she told me that the "minority" of students have gotten 2.2s, so its not as if loads of people have gotten them. I was trying to get jobs out of this, but with such sh!t results, that is just not going to happen. I feel so disappointed that I put my all into this masters and out of all my friends, I've done the worst. It's just the worst feeling in the world to know that even though you tried, you still did so bad compared to everyone else. My graduation is on next week and I really don't want to go, everyone keeps saying that I should go and I'll regret it, but the way I'm feeling now, I don't even deserve to be there after wasting my parents money to go and scrape 2.2s in subjects that I thought I did ok in.

Thanks for reading

Shelga

You got a 2.1! It doesn't matter whether you scraped it or not, employers will only see the 2.1 itself. Plus it's a Masters, which may give you an advantage over other grads, depending on your area of study.

It's important not to allow yourself to get trapped in this negative circle of beating yourself up over results you can't change. There's nothing you can do about it now, and it's still an excellent grade! Now you need to focus on what you're going to do next.

It sounds cliche, but the past is done, look to the future now!

LegacyUser

Thanks for the reply, I suppose I'm just gutted that I tried so hard and did so badly when everyone else in the class has done so well. It's heartbreaking when you try so hard and I still feel like I've failed.

woodchuck

I think you’re focusing too much on the negative here. Your OVERALL result was a 2.1 and that’s a very respectable mark, well done! If you really think you did better in those two subjects though, can you get them rechecked? And it’s all about how you work it on your CV too. You could write that you got a 2.1 in a masters studying subjects a, b, c and d without giving a breakdown. All they're going to see is the 2.1! It's a great achievement and WILL give you a leg up compared to others applicants. Definitely not time or money wasted.

Whynotme

Sorry but crap results are failing miserably! You didn't fail. You have shown that you can focus and achieve what many would love to do and don't. You have shown that you stick at what you start and carry through to the end.

Lose the defeatest attitude or you really will be unemployable. Clap yourself on the back for finishing what you started and can now hold your head high while looking for a job.

LegacyUser

Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate it. I know that I'm my own biggest critic, I just genuinely feel like an idiot that I worked so so hard and only managed to scrape a 2.1 and got 2.2s in subjects that noone got 2.2s in. I really am trying to see the positives, but these results are hanging over me like a dark cloud. I don't think I have anything to be proud of!

LegacyUser

You are being too hard on yourself. Employers will give considerable weight to the overall grade. Put it this way, my first year in college I got all Ds and Cs (not sure what that amounts to), but the second year and final year were the years that actually counted for my course and managed straight Bs (or a 2.1). I was very nervous that my employers would be put off by my first years results but of course they only considered the overall mark. I got a placement in a law firm and thankfully I am doing well.

Turtwig

OP,

You got a 2.1! Congratulations that's an excellent achievement! I know a 1.1 or 1.2 might sound better and it might open more doors for you, but the reality is you already have so many doors open to you. It's only a matter of doing the research, applying and sitting those interviews. Any HR department that sees your 2.1 will know you are a skilled and dedicated person.

Now, let's be honest here, so others people got a higher degree than you, big deal? They might have got the rub of the green, they might have spent even longer working at their stuff than you, they might even had more of advantage over you with their initial background knowledge, they might just be incredibly gifted, who cares? You did brilliant! At the end of the day these "qualifications" aren't a measure of your worth as a human being. Now, go and enjoy your holidays and a well deserved rest.

LegacyUser

Thanks guys, I'm just a natural pessimist, but all of your replies have made me feel better. I'm just a massive perfectionist and probably psyched myself out before going into these exams. Much love to all xx

LegacyUser

I know you probably expected to do better but i mean you got a 2.1, a 2.1 masters is an amazing thing to have. I have a 1.1 degree but there's no way id be able to even finish a masters or even dedicate myself as much as you did.

tenchi-fan

Great attitude.. with an attitude like that you don't even need to worry about exam results.

Anyway.. your award (2.1 or 2.2) is an overall rating. You don't get a 2.2 in a subject or a 2.1 in a subject. You get Bs and Cs in individual subjects. You get 2.1s and 2.2s OVERALL.

Being a perfectionist is all well and good in an academic situation. In real life you need better people skills, and you need to be able to brush off criticism and recover from disappointments.

Dark Phoenix

Op you passed you got a 2.1 its not bad at all!! I hated college I couldnt even tell you what result I got I passed and got some kind of honour thats all I cared about. i worked before college, during college and walked into a job after college no problem. No employer has ever asked me exactly what result I got in college - its your attitude and experience that back up a college degree. I've interviewed people for jobs that got top results in college but hadn;t a notion how the real world or industry operates or had a clue how to sell themselves in person!

LegacyUser

Thank you so much everyone who has taken the time to reply. I'm still trying to come to terms with the amount of work put in vs the results that I received, and I'm trying to remember that it's a 2.1 overall, and not how I got there. I think it's mainly the shock of having put in so much work and for it not to pay off is whats killing me the most. I still haven't gotten a job whereas most of my fellow classmates have.

I still feel fairly crap, but I appreciate all the kind words of encouragement and I guess that sometimes no matter how much work you do, you still can do crap!

Overheal

I was trying to get jobs out of this, but with such sh!t results, that is just not going to happen.

Bull****.

I tried my best

Truth.

I worked my ass off and put in 16 hour days at the library for the 8 weeks before the exams

Truth.

You can have no idea how well your jobhunt will go until it goes. Self-Actualization accounts for a lot, actually. Keep thinking something wont happen, and it wont. And oddly enough if you keep thinking you will find something better, you will keep looking for something better even when you land on something great. But that's another story. In both cases you are putting your mind in a bad place.

I don't know what a 2.1 is. I know what a Masters is though. So do employers. It's a sheet of paper that says "I busted my ass and made sacrifices to get this sheet of paper". And you did work hard, and you earned that paper. Never beat yourself up because you are around people who got a 2.x or whatever the hell metric that is. Be happy for them. You never have to compare yourself to anyone.

Trying to be the Best can be detrimental. Try just being better. I mean that in the best possible way. The Best would be Perfection. That is not a reasonable goal. The top of your class doesn't think that way, even though if you checked, there are people out there who did far better than they did. It will drive you to madness, sadness, and frustration. And right now you have a Masters that you didn't have before. I would reckon your credentials just shot up tenfold.

Are you Infallible? Did you try your best? Then don't worry about it.

Turtwig

Overheal wrote: »

I don't know what a 2.1 is.

A 2.1 usually constitutes a gpa of 3 on a 4 point scale.

Overheal

Which in all reality is still a fantastic score if my brain is working properly.

Agent J

Normally i follow the rules but im tempted to breach them to smack the OP with a dose from the reality bat. (Im kidding... Mostly)

You did fine.

You need to ease up on yourself and try to look objectively at it.

A 2.1 is a respectable score and you should be proud of that. Forget about everyone else. They did not live your life and vice versa.

You did your best. You tried and you got the best result you can. Your best result does not mean you have to get a 1st. It meants you did exactly what you did. You worked your ass off and got the highest mark possible for you.

Now, go out and get drunk(or whatever is your choice of fun is).

You have earned it.

Naikon

crapresults wrote: »

Hi all,

I could really do with some words of encouragement at the moment as I feel so so crap. I'm just after finishing my masters and I'm so gutted at my results. I managed to scrape a 2.1 overall and got two 2.2s and two 2.1s.

To say that I'm devastated is an understatement. I tried my best to do well but I feel like the year was completly in vain. I worked my ass off and put in 16 hour days at the library for the 8 weeks before the exams and still did so incredibly crap. What makes matters worse is that I was speaking to our course co-ordinator and she told me that the "minority" of students have gotten 2.2s, so its not as if loads of people have gotten them. I was trying to get jobs out of this, but with such sh!t results, that is just not going to happen. I feel so disappointed that I put my all into this masters and out of all my friends, I've done the worst. It's just the worst feeling in the world to know that even though you tried, you still did so bad compared to everyone else. My graduation is on next week and I really don't want to go, everyone keeps saying that I should go and I'll regret it, but the way I'm feeling now, I don't even deserve to be there after wasting my parents money to go and scrape 2.2s in subjects that I thought I did ok in.

Thanks for reading

OP, I am pretty sure you don't fully grasp the concept of "crap" if this post is anything to go by. Why are you complaining exactly?

CK2010

OP thats a great result! i know that no matter how many people tell you its good, it doesnt really make up for the fact that its still not what you were hoping for or feel you deserved but it is a good mark.

when you really put your all into something it can be a bit dis-heartening when you dont get what you thought you would but put it this way- you worked as hard as you could and gave it your all. you'll have no 'what if i studied more/ read extra material/ took better notes' etc. it may not be what you wanted but its a good grade that you worked hard to get and you should be proud that you put all your efforts into it.

i have a 2.1 bachelor's degree which i worked hard for but because i had a new baby to care for who had some medical issues as well, i didnt get to give it my all and focus purely on my degree and now i always think if only i could've done more of x, y, and z.
you can honestly say that you did all you could, id love to be able to say that (and, like you, i will be able to when i finally get to do my masters! :pac:).

im not trying to trivialise how you feel but i think you should feel a great sense of achievement purely in the fact that you did your very best, you cant say you could've done more, you put in alot of hard work and it honestly did pay off. well done.

flyswatter

A 2:1 is a fine result and you have received your Masters now so be proud of that fact.

No point beating yourself up about this, especially since you have a Masters and a good result.

I think you're only going to regret it if you don't attend your graduation.

LegacyUser

Just to check back in, I'm so happy at all the lovely responses, you've made me feel so much better about myself and I have to stop with the comparisons to everyone else.

And I am going to graduation, the melodramatics took over there briefly I'm afraid!!

Much love to all who replied, this has perked me up so so much. My perfectionism, whilst a positive thing, can often stand in my way as I strive to get the best results and sometimes when you work too much, you burn yourself out.

xx

CK2010

enjoy your graduation!

herisson

crapresults wrote: »

Hi all,

I could really do with some words of encouragement at the moment as I feel so so crap. I'm just after finishing my masters and I'm so gutted at my results. I managed to scrape a 2.1 overall and got two 2.2s and two 2.1s.

To say that I'm devastated is an understatement. I tried my best to do well but I feel like the year was completly in vain. I worked my ass off and put in 16 hour days at the library for the 8 weeks before the exams and still did so incredibly crap. What makes matters worse is that I was speaking to our course co-ordinator and she told me that the "minority" of students have gotten 2.2s, so its not as if loads of people have gotten them. I was trying to get jobs out of this, but with such sh!t results, that is just not going to happen. I feel so disappointed that I put my all into this masters and out of all my friends, I've done the worst. It's just the worst feeling in the world to know that even though you tried, you still did so bad compared to everyone else. My graduation is on next week and I really don't want to go, everyone keeps saying that I should go and I'll regret it, but the way I'm feeling now, I don't even deserve to be there after wasting my parents money to go and scrape 2.2s in subjects that I thought I did ok in.

Thanks for reading

Op you are being way too hard on yourself! a 2:1 is fantastic and its a masters level! im an undergrad and im lucky to even get that grade!

Cheer up you did well!

creative100

Don't be so negative! You did what many people aren't able/not arsed to do!

aidan24326

People are being too kind here. This is about the most ridiculous PI 'issue' I've ever seen or heard of. OP got a 2.1 (a very notable result) in a Masters Degree, and is giving it the whole woe is me??? !!! OP, there are people out there with real problems, many of them have posted here. Your non-problem is completely irrelevant by comparison. You got a very good result in a masters, cop yourself on is all I can say.

Turtwig

aidan24326 wrote: »

People are being too kind here. This is about the most ridiculous PI 'issue' I've ever seen or heard of. OP got a 2.1 (a very notable result) in a Masters Degree, and is giving it the whole woe is me??? !!! OP, there are people out there with real problems, many of them have posted here. Your non-problem is completely irrelevant by comparison. You got a very good result in a masters, cop yourself on is all I can say.

Bit Harsh. Have you ever set a goal for yourself? Worked your arse off to achieve it and ended up falling short, or worse still, just short?

beagle001

Quit feeling sorry for yourself a 2:1 is very good and will make zero difference if you impress on interview.
It's what you do after college that counts

beagle001

Quit feeling sorry for yourself a 2:1 is very good and will make zero difference if you impress on interview.
It's what you do after college that counts

LegacyUser

@aiden24326, if you have read the entire thread and what I've actually said, you'll see that I'm not upset at the fact that I've gotten a 2.1, I'm (or rather I was) upset that I only managed to scrape it by the skin of my teeth. I don't think people are being "too kind", I think they understand that the reason why I'm down about it is that I worked like a dog and feel let down that the work I put in is not matching the results.

To be honest, I'm getting over it now. Sometimes I get an odd twinge of disappointment, but the exams just didn't go my way (looking back I think I got overly nervous and misread the paper and didn't manage my time effectively). I am so grateful to all who replied, sometimes you need an objective viewpoint to see what the situation truly is. I just have to stop being a whinger and realise that it's the 2.1 what counts, and not how I got there!

xx

Malty_T

Malty_T wrote: »

Bit Harsh. Have you ever set a goal for yourself? Worked your arse off to achieve it and ended up falling short, or worse still, just short?

I have (I was one percent off a First for my BA) and while it's annoying, it's nothing compared to having an illness or something really bad happening. I think in this case, having some perspective is crucial. It's an annoyance and it's a bit disappointing, that's all it is. I highly doubt that anyone will ever care whether the OP scraped a 2:1 or not. In a lot of universities, Masters degrees are pass/fail or distinction/pass/fail anyway. It really isn't an issue and is highly unlikely to have a negative impact on job opportunities.

Naikon

crapresults wrote: »

@aiden24326, if you have read the entire thread and what I've actually said, you'll see that I'm not upset at the fact that I've gotten a 2.1, I'm (or rather I was) upset that I only managed to scrape it by the skin of my teeth. I don't think people are being "too kind", I think they understand that the reason why I'm down about it is that I worked like a dog and feel let down that the work I put in is not matching the results.

To be honest, I'm getting over it now. Sometimes I get an odd twinge of disappointment, but the exams just didn't go my way (looking back I think I got overly nervous and misread the paper and didn't manage my time effectively). I am so grateful to all who replied, sometimes you need an objective viewpoint to see what the situation truly is. I just have to stop being a whinger and realise that it's the 2.1 what counts, and not how I got there!

xx

Meanwhile in Africa...

LegacyUser

Mods, you can close this thread now, I've gotten all the constructive advice I need and don't need the snarky "get over it, it's only a small problem" brigade making snide comments.

Turtwig

Naikon wrote: »

Meanwhile in Africa...

This is fallacious reasoning. A person's mental health is not always benefited by their social position. For example, a person who has read something like "The Selfish Gene" may see less meaning to life than the African child struggling for daily survival. Ok, that's an extreme example, but it is all to common an arrogant assumption by people to make that someone who is richer, got better exam results,has a lovely family etc. should be satisfied with their life and not as entitled to complain when things didn't go as they anticipated. The idea that someone who wins the lottos is happier than someone who is a paraplegic is ridiculously naive. Happiness, is something that for all intensive proposes is very complicated and poorly understood by the vast majority of humans. Winning the lotto, finding God or a spirit, having the best job in the world, being healthy, etc. on average makes you no more happier than the person who has none of the so called benefits that were just mentioned. Also, the notion that a kid in Africa should be unsatisfied is equally as fallacious but, alas, far more intricate to explain.

Ickle Magoo

Naikon given a month off to study the forum charter he failed to read on his last vacation.

As per OP request, thread closed.