Failed

Former Member

I failed my last unit...frustrated and shocked too say the least. Now I have to decide whether to postpone the rest of the year until my head is in a better place or try and keep going. What's even more frustrating is that they haven't given me any feedback and having sent an email expressing my concerns and plan to potentially withdraw they still haven't made any contact back!!

Former Member

Hey Whitelillies
So sorry to hear this, I know you've been finding your studies really stressful already.
You say you've emailed them, but is there any way you can talk to one of your tutors personally? I'm sure you'd get much better personal advice if you could speak to them directly about it.
Spanner

Former Member

I study entirely online so I don't have the opportunity for proper face to face contact with anyone at the uni...

Former Member

Do you have a tutor or anyone you can contact for some form of communication other than email?

Phone maybe?

Former Member

I have the contact details for the programme administrator and programme co-ordinator but all the advice I was given at the start makes it clear we should communicate via email. She has until Fri (which is my day off) and then I will call her if she hasn't replied...

Former Member

I work on developing an online program, so I have some experience of the pastoral care of online students. Yes, email is encouraged as a primary form of communication, but for issues such as this a phone call is a good way of getting in touch and explaining things properly. It doesn't have to be face to face contact, but talking to someone on the phone and getting their undivided attention is a good way to get things moving.

Former Member

They emailed me back to say they were investigating and would call me back next week. Since then I had specific feedback on my essay which was absolutely ludicrous so i sent a further angry email...will see what she says next week

Former Member

I work in HE as well, and have dealt with pastoral care with distance learning students.

You are entitled to it, whatever they "recommend" as far as I'm concerned. Of course, your institution might take a different view, but I can't see a logical reason for that. Are you in a position to go and see someone? There will be both an appeals procedure, and (if you're seriously concerned about feedback or dissatisfied with your treatment) a complaints procedure.

Former Member

In my second email I made it very clear that I wanted to make it a formal complaint as I felt the marking was unfair and was biased. My programme co-ordinator is away from work until next week so that's why I'm waiting for her to call me back as she said she would in her email. If she asks to see me face to face then I can do so.

I've made the decision to leave - be it permanently or just postponing it. I've always believed things happen for a reason and I truly believe this has given me the push I needed to take a break from studying. Just wish it didn't feel like my whole life has just been spiralling out of control since Jan 2012!

Former Member

Possibly a temporary break is a good choice. Give yourself time to breathe, catch your breath and catch up on things.

Former Member

I know I can't offer massively useful advice about what to say, but I always find that in cases like these it's worth writing an email and when you are ready to send it, keep it in drafts and leave it an hour or two. It sounds crazy, but when you calm down from being angry you can go back and double check you have not let your anger cloud the point you were trying to get across.

Former Member

I did that G-Raffe I agree that it's easier to go back to it once you've calmed down. I got other people to check it too, to make sure it was factual and not too emotive.

I agree Scary Monster...just wish it didn't feel like failing quite so much!

Former Member

I think is better for you to continue your studing. Don't miss the year. If you do then all your efforts will be menanigless.

Former Member

laurelia I'm not sure that's particularly suitable advice for whitelillies. I'm not even convinced that it's good advice- there are cases where it's better to take a breather than to soldier on doggedly and do more damage. this is particularly true with whitelillies. also, taking a break doesn't mean that her efforts are meaningless. she's recognising the need to look after herself.

Former Member

Having only just been reconnected to the internet, I am now catching up on...well everything!

I definitely made the right decision to postpone...having moved house on the same date as what should have been my exam and having been suffering with physical ill health yet again it was certainly the break I needed to focus my efforts on getting better and looking after myself...the year also isn't wasted as I can continue where I left off and hopefully retake the two units I've now effectively failed without having my marks capped! If the exam board decide I can only resit with a cap on my marks, then I can reconsider my options again

Former Member

If you're not well enough to study then you should try and suspend, and tell the university everything that is going on. I highly doubt that the marking was "unfair and biased"; IME everyone who fails says that, and 99% of the time they are wrong. However even the 1% struggle to do anything about it because you cannot challenge academic judgment unless you have substantive proof that the process was not carried out properly.

If you have evidence of your mitigating circumstances, and you told the university about them in a timely manner, you should be ok.