I’m really very stressed out, I think I am going to be getting a 3rd class degree as I’m half way through my final year and my grades are bad. I work full time whilst studying for my degree part time therefore have a job/ experience but wanted a degree as an achievement. I’m hoping at best for a 2.2 but that’s looking very unlikely.
I’m suffering very badly with my mental health but as live alone cannot take the time off work to focus more on my study. Does anyone have any experience with this grade? How do you navigate from here? I am very ashame of myself and extremely anxious of how my family would feel once they found out.
From looking forward to have a degree to now wishing I never start as I might as well not waste all my money for the tuition only to get a grade that pretty much won’t help me for the future anyway 🙁 I’m just so sad right now.
EDIT: I’m doing Bachelor of Law (Honours) at Open University whilst working within the civil service full time
EDIT: I’m not looking to do a career in law anymore as understand its competive but more so doing law as I feel its a solid degree to have .
32 comments
Grades aren’t everything, and certainly aren’t the measure of a person. If you’re not relying on it to get work, don’t worry about it. Chalk it up to experience, take what you’ve learnt from it and move on. And most importantly, don’t worry what other people think.
I think “it depends what you do with it” applies here. A not great Uni grade doesn’t have to mean you life is over at all!
It *does* mean you’ll probably have to discount any graduate schemes or similar opportunities aimed at the 1st / 2:1 crowd.
An old Uni mate of mine also struggled a bit with his degree and IIRC received a 3rd / didn’t get the ‘Hons’ part of their degree as not all the work was completed.
He’s now doing well enough for himself in IT (his degree was technical) – I think he took a very entry level / low paid role in IT support (initially just answering calls and dealing with really basic problems, that kind of thing) but has worked his way up to more technical stuff.
Depending on your degree topic and interests, you might look at something similar?
Also I wouldn’t broadcast that you got a 3rd on your CV. You might still be asked in calls with companies / recruiters but initially I’d go with something like *”BSc Behavioural Science, University of Life, 2018 – 2022″.*
I don’t think any employer ever asked for my grade. I know someone at uni who had to repeat a year and he was one of the first people to get a job after graduation. The important thing is you’re getting a degree. Well done!
Definitely not over.
I got a 2.2 in physics. Had no idea what I wanted to do even if I’d done better.
The time at uni did however help me greatly with my self confidence and independence. I’m now working for a local company, not earning big money by any standards, but I own a house with my partner.
My partner finished school at 6th form and went straight into work they have recently done 4 years at college to get qualified in accounting. They never thought they would do anything that academic since leaving school.
Someone I worked with retrained as an electrician at 50.
One of my friends quit uni in their first year and became a games tester. He’s worked hard moving around different companies. He’s now leaving Microsoft in Vancouver to be a creative director with EA.
Don’t look at your time as wasted. You’re just going to travel a different path than you expected
I think that your grade will only really matter if you wanted to apply for a graduate scheme or go on to further study, eg a master’s.
To be honest the work experience is probably more valuable. I did a degree and a master’s, but had no work experience, and I really struggled to get my first job after uni. Lots of potential employers commented on my lack of work experience – unless you’re planning to work in a field specifically related to your degree, they’ll value the work experience more.
As someone without a degree, no, I don’t think it matters much unless you absolutely need it for your career (law, medicine, etc).
Skills can be taught, behaviour/attitude/personality is much more important. You may have a tougher route, you may need to move a bit to progress, you might even need to do more than your peers with better grades but the best thing you can do is show willingness to learn and work.
A real life example: I employ one apprentice and three graduates. The apprentice shows much more aptitude, less ‘know it all because I read it in a book once’ and far better personal skills. He’s ahead of the graduates in all aspects and is probably going to be promoted ahead of them on merit.
All it means is you probably can’t easily get on a masters or certain grad schemes. But otherwise, employers value experience more.
You don’t even have to put the grade, if you passed you passed, just put the degree down 🙂
I struggled at uni, my course wasn’t entirely the right fit and I suffered from some personal problems in the final year. I ended up with a non-honours degree but it hasn’t hindered me in my career at all. I eventually went into web development and got the job I always wanted to do. I have been asked what sort of degree I have on a few occasions over the years when applying for jobs but generally none of the companies I wanted to work for have ever demanded a 2:1 or higher in the job ad. In my experience, employers care more about your ability to do the job such as skills and experience than your degree type. I suppose it depends on the field you’re going into and how much stock they place in having a first or a 2:1. But your life isn’t over in any way – it might feel that way now while the degree situation is all very raw and current but you will move on and find your path in no time at all.
Michelle from Eastenders got a third!
Please don’t worry yourself. You’re working full-time whilst also studying for a degree. Just try your best.
I studied for a degree with the OU whilst working full-time, and it’s bloody hard. By far the most difficult, demanding, draining thing I’ve ever done.
Depends on the industry I think. I’m I graphic designer and have never been asked what my grade was. The various unis have reputations though, so where you went makes more of a difference in terms of getting through the door
Your potential 3rd class degree is a lot better than my failed degree and I’m doing alright.
Don’t worry, employers won’t give a shit
Not at all, I think getting a very good degree is only an issue if applying for very elite graduate jobs. I’m talking firsts from Oxford level. It is way more about you and your experience and what you do with it. See if you can complete extra more specific courses to your chosen line of work as an addition perhaps, as degrees are rather broad.
Millions of people dont have a degree and their lives are perfectly fine
The class of degree does matter in academia, but much less so in the outside world. It sounds like you’re going through a bad patch and it’s natural at those times to pick your life apart and to look at the negatives. The positive is that, after years of study, you’re going to come out with a degree. In a period where fewer people are choosing to go to university, this gives you an advantage, regardless of what class of degree you get. If you put your degree on your CV and don’t include the class, most employers won’t even ask. It doesn’t matter as much as you might think it does.
You’ve done most of the work already. Don’t give up now. Just a few more months to get through, and then you get to start a career. I’ve been through it myself and understand the stress of it, the feeling of time wasted, and of time running out. When you look back, you won’t see it like that, though. If your plan was to pursue a PhD and embark on an academic career, maybe that’s going to be more difficult. If your plan was to get a degree and get onto the first rung of the ladder in the world of work, you’re on track. Just keep going. While you’re feeling overwhelmed by it now, it’s because you’re hyper-focussed and stressed. You’re going to be okay. Just keep plugging away. A few more months, that’s all.
For what it’s worth I think you’ll be more valuable than a ‘regular’ student with a 2:1 to lots of employers. You have a degree, you achieved it while working full time to support yourself, you have work experience. Give yourself a pat on the back!
As for your life being over, there’s more to life than work anyway!
The real world doesn’t place nearly as much emphasis on degree grades as you think it does when you’re at University. The key is getting experience in the field you’re interested in. As someone who hires people, I’d much rather shortlist someone with no degree but plenty of experience than some numpty who’s spent all their life in the library to get a First but has never had a job.
I’m in a similar boat so don’t worry you’re not alone and it’s not the end of the world.
I got covid around 2 years ago which has basically messed up my health in a number of ways since initially having it. This year I have had to deal with nausea (2-4 hours a day), brain fog (when it comes on can’t even pull my thoughts together and I end up doing 2 paragraphs of work in 10 hour study sessions), breathing difficulties, and a host of other less annoying symptoms along with a lot of stress. I was on track for a first in computer science as of last year but due to health I’ve been struggling to the point I’m worried I’ll be getting a 2-2. I’m 28 writing this also bear in mind as I couldn’t afford to go to uni when I was younger because of my parents financial situation and besides that I wasn’t ready.
I’m not saying any of this for sympathy but more so to just explain life is shit and things happen, it’s not fair but you can’t control everything. It’s not the end of the world if you do poorly at uni at the end (as a worst case) as there are still many career paths you can go down and develop in by simply putting in the effort at work and learning some skills on the job.
Uni is more for getting into a specific line of work, but now the majority seem to just use it as their next step in learning – for example what is it you want to do after graduating? Will failing this degree stop you from doing it? If so what other means can be used to get into it? Just things worth thinking about as in reality your degree may not even be involved in determining the line of work you go into.
I know it’s hard now as I go through the same stresses daily at the moment but at the end of the day , life continues regardless of what outcome you get and I know of many successful people who have never even been to uni so it’s far from the end of the world – it’s just understandably disappointing and frustrating.
Getting a degree whilst working full time IS an achievement. Well done! If I was considering employing you I would be impressed by that alone.
You might not be about to waltz into a top job like somebody with a first from Cambridge or Hull, but the vast majority don’t.
You may have to work a little harder to get your career started, but something tells me that won’t be a problem for you.
Most important thing imho is to address your mental health problems as best you can. Good luck.
You could plead extenuating circumstances at university. They might be able to take this into account.
CV/Resume tips:
As other posters have stated, the grade is not important for all roles/companies. ‘University Educated’ is still a good thing to reference on your CV/resume. On your CV put the name of your uni, and the subject, start date and end date to account for the time you spent there; only provide the grade if you get the job and need to provide all the paperwork. If you are really not comfortable- put your education on the second page of the Cv, you can still include “University graduate” in your short profile on page 1 of the CV. Failing that, don’t reference university at all. If you have worked solidly for the past 3-6 years then you don’t need the University to account for gaps in employment.
Is your degree really what you want to do/get paid for?
Some practical ‘hands-on’ professions are more suitable for those that are not the best fit for University. Practical ‘hands-on’ is not a dirty word as many in those fields run their own businesses free of University debt.
I got a 2:2 in a science degree that was very theoretical. Like you, I had to balance work with study. Fortunately, I was in good mental health but there was a lot of family stress and I had an accident that affected my grades – hence I pleaded extenuating circumstances.
When I graduated, there were not many jobs in my chosen profession. Also my grade was not good enough to get into graduate programs. I knew I didn’t want to do a Masters so did some soul searching about my transferable skills and what I really wanted to do.
I learnt that I can study but only for short bursts of time and where the focus is on hands-on doing; not reading lots of books. I did successfully change careers. What I do today has nothing to do with my degree and I have so many industry specific qualifications that my 2:2 degree is rarely a problem.
All that to say, be kind to yourself. You are more than your degree. It’s okay to fail and there is always time to explore new options that work for you.
I would even go so far as to say it’s more important to pick a working environment that suits you than a degree. For example, the public sector can be more supportive of employees with mental health issues than investment banking. Choosing a profession where you can eventually be self-employed might give you longer holidays or the ability to plan your busy time to suit you and allow time for self-care.
I hope you find some solace from the responses here and I wish you well.
I also study a degree part time whilst working full time.
What I’ve learnt is that most employers are more impressed with the fact that I work and study rather than what grade I am likely to get.
I know a 2:2 graduate on £70k p/a and they are only 29 so a low grade doesn’t mean automatic failure.
I know people with thirds who’ve done very well for themselves. Calm down, enjoy the rest of your degree if possible.
Having a degree DOES help you, it’s not undone by it being a third.
The fact that you work full time and are studying for a degree at the same time will be the thing employers notice the most. No one ever asks what level of degree you got. I put on my resume that I have a BA honours degree and I don’t think anyone notices or cares. I studied with the Open University whilst having and raising my kids and bombed out on the exams both years I was pregnant when I had honors on all my assignments. It still fills me with pain that I should have had a first class degree but got a second because I chose to have a family instead of putting all my time and focus on my education- but has it held me back at all? No. I’ve gone on to get a second degree with a 4.0 GPA and guess what? No employer has ever asked what GPA I had on that degree either. I got employed just as I expected to. It’s not going to hold you back – be proud of what you e achieved and look at all the positives instead of the negatives. Mental health sucks so keep building yourself up and patting yourself on the back, you are amazing, you are doing amazing and you will keep on being amazing because that’s who you are and don’t let anyone, including yourself tell you otherwise- and if they do – don’t believe them. Pick yourself up. There’s always tomorrow that will seem a little brighter and a little better, and if things don’t turn out exactly how you wanted them to, you can always keep moving forward and work things out. Good luck and huge hugs!
I know it feels rubbish but no it isn’t game over. Whilst I got an OK grade (2.1) I have honestly never used it (which is a whole issue itself). I’ve changed career twice since I left uni and didn’t find the vocation I wanted until I was 27. I studied graphic design at uni, after I graduated I trained as a chartered accountant until after 6 years realising I hated office life and went back to school to train as a cabinet maker.
At no point in the time in between did anyone ask for my grade – only what i studied. Employers and institutions only ever cared that I had my GCSE in maths and English.
A friend of mine got a 3rd in Physics at York, he now runs a very successful body piercing studio.
Try not to stress too much, just get the course done and get the degree whilst you’re there.
This is how real life works – if you work hard, turn up to work every day, show a degree of competence, enthusiasm and don’t make a pain in the ass for your higher ups then you will be absolutely fine and will get promotions too.
If you do the opposite then you might struggle, years down the line you will not even be thinking about your degree and nobody else will.
Life is full of people who got straight A’s or 1st in their degree and then did nothing.
Bro a degree is a degree it shows you can get shit done, your better with than without one regardless of the class.
Im 25 with only gcses and have done alright. Youll be more than fine.
Once you have a degree you have one regardless of the grade. As others have stated employers rarely ask what grade your degree is as most employers probably don’t even have one themselves. This starts the argument for who do employers prefer to hire? Those with a degree or without.
If your heart is set on gaining a degree then go for it and be proud of whatever grade you achieve. Good Luck
It’s far from the end of your life, you’ll still have an honours degree. You can easily do very well after university with a 3rd, an ordinary, failing or completely dropping out. (Though the latter would matter if you want to do soemthing like medicine.)
It’ll limit options for post-graduate study if that’s what you want, but you should still be able to get a Masters place somewhere. PhD places may be very difficult.
If you go into industry, it might matter a bit in the short term but not in the slightest beyond your first grad job (provided you stick with it for a couple of years). You won’t be offered a place at some of the pickier employers like big-name management consultancies, but there are still many options available. My employer’s grad scheme doesn’t have a bar on grade of degree.
If I were interviewing you, it’d be something I’d ask about in the interview, and how I weighed it up would depend on what you told me about the causes and your attitude toward the grade. (“I didn’t care and spent every night out on the piss” would not be postitive, “I struggled to cope and it was the best I could do” is absolutely fine and we’d just move on.)
Only other thing to mention is that some professional qualifications are made easier if you have an honours degree. It’s worth getting a 3rd over dropping out or an ordinary if you might want to be a chartered engineer for example.
Hi there, I had to resit my second year and got a Third at the end of it all. I had a difficult time both personally and academically while I was there, so at the end I was honestly just so relieved that I left with a grade at all. At points during my course I’d even spoken to senior lecturers to ask what is the worth of the certificate you get if you dropped out. I felt like such a failure.
10 years later and I am doing great. My family were so proud that I graduated and didn’t care about the grade. I had one shitty job interview where they brought up my Third, but this was for a job a year or so after I graduated – I managed to get employment almost straight away with no questions about my grade. Nowadays I don’t even write my grade on my CV – the time I have in employment is way more valuable to employers. With limited room on a CV I’d much rather talk about my achievements at work than the random modules I studied years ago!
A degree proves to employers that you’re willing to spend time and energy in learning something and seeing it through to the end. If anything, *you* should be proud of that fact. ❤
I’m now late 30s, for privacy I’ll just say my last year at uni went to complete shit.
I got a third in computer science, it got me my first job in the field and it has never been mentioned since. I have a career I’m proud of.
I’m heading for a third.
Have discussed with my lecturers purposely failing my dissertation so I can spend a whole year to do it and bump up my final grade
30 year old Desmond here. I was devastated with my degree result, particularly as my friends were high achievers and my gf (now wife) got a 1st, followed by 2 distinctions.
I was particularly listless for the span of a year and reinvented what I “wanted to do” a couple of times.
I then applied for a job that sounded cool, even though it requested a 1st or masters. A little luck – and a lot of preparation – secured me the job and I found myself in a career path which I love.
The grade isn’t everything and it does get better. Good luck!