1 of 1- PrettyFlamingo
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I failed the first year of my MA by three marks
I have just found out today. It consisted of four modules and a final assessment. Due to a set of very different appalling personal circumstances at the end of 2016/early 2017 I was unable to submit the first two pieces of work as I was literally unable to do them (not for academic reasons). I was granted extensions of a week, but I went back to the Open University and told them thanks but this was not helpful as I still couldn't do it in an extra week. (I don't want to regurgitate all the circumstances here, but they were nothing to do with personal relationships or exes). What I failed to do was submit an extenuating circumstances form.
I have now failed, and have been told no resubmission, no resit. I have failed by three marks over two assignments, not four. So realistically someone could have submitted all four assignments of inferior quality to mine and passed the module, whereas I did half the work and got three marks too little - evidence I am perfectly capable academically and of engaging with the course, once I was able to get back on track.
This has scuppered my future - it means I have a student loan now for nothing, I have to pay to redo the whole year again, cannot complete my thesis, on which hinged my plans to do my doctorate and seek a research post.
I'm so distressed I can't see beyond anything at the moment, and I wondered if anyone had any thoughts, could offer any past experience, or can give me any uplifting ideas or positivity. I will write to them and ask them to reconsider, but beyond that I can't think very far. It meant everything to me and now I feel very distressed. Thanks everyone.
Be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons.
- Sanshi
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Re: I failed the first year of my MA by three marks
What do you want? I mean what is it that you thought you would enjoy and motivated you to go through all that effort? Is it interest in a specific research area or anything like this? Just because you don't have a piece of paper doesn't mean that you can't get there. It may seem that way, but that's nonsense. Many people who were great in what they did didn't have a piece of paper with a fancy logo of an university on it.
"Self-abandonment. That is the secret. We have to abandon ourselves to the state, in our love for the state, and in so doing live the life of the state and no more our present state. And to make the state alive, one must become it."
Neville Goddard ~ The Law and the Promise
- PrettyFlamingo
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Re: I failed the first year of my MA by three marks
Sanshi wrote:
What do you want? I mean what is it that you thought you would enjoy and motivated you to go through all that effort? Is it interest in a specific research area or anything like this?
Yes - it means I cannot now progress and do my thesis, unless I resit this year (unless they relent and let me make up the work to get the missing three marks). I was so excited about writing this thesis - it's something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I already have a degree but I won't be able to do a PhD without the MA.
I could visualise the end, visualise them granting me a pass, allowing me to progress, I suppose ..............
Be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons.
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Thread Starter- Cynthia
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Re: I failed the first year of my MA by three marks
What do you want? I mean what is it that you thought you would enjoy and motivated you to go through all that effort? Is it interest in a specific research area or anything like this?
Yes - it means I cannot now progress and do my thesis, unless I resit this year (unless they relent and let me make up the work to get the missing three marks). I was so excited about writing this thesis - it's something I have wanted to do for a very long time. I already have a degree but I won't be able to do a PhD without the MA.
I could visualise the end, visualise them granting me a pass, allowing me to progress, I suppose ..............
Yes, I think that would be a good idea to do the visualising as you've described. You could also do Neville's revision, one type of which he described as going back to the event that was not as you wanted it to be, such as your receiving the letter or however you got notified of this and rewriting it in your mind to say that you've passed and doing that over and over in your imagination. Is it possible that they could have made a mistake for some reason? Are they really that unreasonable that they might not consider a late filing of the extenuating circumstances form or isn't there somebody you could talk to about what the problems were that you had that led to your not being able to do the work? Perhaps if they knew how excited you were at the prospect of completing the MA and doctorate and at doing the research they might relent because of that. I should have thought that would count for something because I've seen so many people who don't have that excitement about anything. I suppose I should add that before you try to talk or write to anybody that you should probably imagine them being receptive to what you're saying and finding in your favour. I hope this works out for you.
Last edited by Cynthia (3/12/2018 8:41 pm)
The first man to raise a fist is the man who has run out of ideas.
- PrettyFlamingo
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Re: I failed the first year of my MA by three marks
Thanks Cynthia. I think the fact that I got myself galvanised and produced two assignments of sufficient quality to get me three marks less than I needed from four pieces of work says it all. I'm truly heartbroken tonight. I feel utterly destroyed. I don't feel or consider myself a failure, because the evidence is in the work I did do that I am not. I feel the future I had planned has been whipped away and I feel bereft.
Be a flamingo in a flock of pigeons.
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Thread Starter- Cynthia
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Re: I failed the first year of my MA by three marks
I do think it says it all that you were able to do so well from only two assignments. That should also surely count for something. I can understand why you feel so terrible about it, but don't give up hope. There could even be a solution to this that you don't even know about right now.
The first man to raise a fist is the man who has run out of ideas.
- Oasiscalm
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Re: I failed the first year of my MA by three marks
Understanding there is always a way around any problem.
I always like when Abe talks about being tuned in and tapped on etc. Take the stance that you will get onto the PHD this year as you desired.
When I was a student I was in a similar situation where it seemed that I had no option but to resit a year. Then I knew nothing about LOA but my attitude was simply that I wasn't going to let the rules stop me progressing.
I was looking on the university intranet (I guess u could say I was inspired to look) and found some information on a form that would allow me to "appeal" and within a day the decision was reversed and that was that.
Stay in the end. Don't accept defeat and a solution will show itself to you.
Veronica Isles LOA coach veronicaislescoaching.com