Paid Members SpursRiot2012 Posted March 28, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thanks, @Fog Dude, that is helpful - just hearing about other people's experiences of their final years and hearing that they've had similar issues does help, in a way, weirdly. I really like Birkbeck as a uni in terms of the teaching quality but it's very easy to become something of an island when you're studying there. The most contact hours I've ever had in a term has been six per week, over two modules. Some lecturers are better than others - I find the academics to be a lot better about communication than the actual journalists who are just teaching for some extra cash. My grades over the three years have been fairly good. I have never done an assignment - bar one essay, that I completed while recovering from a broken leg and hadn't been to hardly any lectures for - that I haven't got a 2:1 level grade or above. For that essay, I asked for an extension, was told by the lecturer via e-mail that they aren't allowed to give informal extensions and that I could submit a Mitigating Circumstances form if I wanted afterward. Went to the form, saw how dense it was, and just figured I'd be better off submitting what I and taking the shitty grade and moving on to my project. Ended up with 56, I think, for that. It's just so frustrating knowing - knowing - that if I could just get my head right, or rather had gotten my head right earlier in the year, I'd be surely on my way to a 2:1 without doubt, and potentially a First. I've actually already been accepted onto a masters course from September and I impressed so much in the interview they they gave me the condition that I simply pass my undergraduate degree, so I think mentally that also made me take my foot off the pedal a bit in my final year. Being cooped up for basically two months during the winter with my leg added to it, not to mention the fact that I'm also in opiate replacement treatment, on anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication - it all just led to this point. Well, I've got my whiteboard - I'm going to try and finish my 2,000 word essay tomorrow, a day before the deadline, giving me enough time to then do the 3,000 word essay that's due Monday and then, come late 2nd April, look at my project. That's all I can do, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulf ist Gut Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 13 minutes ago, SpursRiot2012 said: Holy crap, is this *the* Ulf ist Gut?! How's it going! Thanks for the advice. I happen to know that lecturers at my uni aren't allowed to give informal extensions (I've asked once before) and we have 'Mitigating Circumstances' forms that we can submit after submitting a piece of work to explain why it might not have been up to a certain standard or to ask for the opportunity to resubmit - forms they've made really dense and complex, bastards. I am on medication and what have you, so could probably get a doctors note stating that I suffer with this stuff, but honestly don't know how much help it would be. I'll maybe give my uni a call tomorrow and chat with the disability team for some advice, and e-mail my final year project supervisor (who I have seen literally once all year and who cancelled the last meeting I'd had arranged with him and hasn't replied to an e-mail I sent with a question about a month ago). I actually am fairly sure I can complete the 2,000 and 3,000 word essays without too much hassle. For example, a couple of months ago, I wrote another 3,000 essay for Media Law about six hours before it was due and got a decent grade of 78 - God knows what I'd be getting if I started things earlier. It's the final year project that is sending me into a spiral of dispair and binge watching TV shows when I should actually be working. None other! I'm pretty, pretty good - I don't really have the time nowadays to post regularly or keep up with topics and just lurk in the shadows but given i'm a uni admininstrator it only seemed right give my two penneth. I'd definitely see what you can do about the main project if that's what's causing the issues. it sounds like the support you're getting isn't great, which probably isn't helping so definitely get on them for some help, even if it's just to bounce some ideas off and help come up with an acton plan. Re: The Mitigating/Extenuating Circumstances thingĀ - never be embarressed or compare what you're putting in for with anyone else. If something's affecting your performance then you've every right to apply for help. Usually as long as you've got evidence to submit with it and your requst isn't massively unreasonable it'll get accepted. Ā Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fog Dude Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 You're welcome. I thought my reply was the sort of shit I should've spilled out here ā or at least somewhere ā at the time instead of internalising it all, so well done for speaking up, I suppose. I was worried that it came across as self-centred hijacking, but I can only really relate things to my own experience. The only time I was taught by someone who'd been involved in broadcast journalism it was actually bloody brilliant, but he was from a different department as that clearly wasn'tĀ the focus of my course. Sorry to hear that people who fall into that category for you look like they'd rather not be there sometimes. Ulf is probably right about not comparing yourself to anyone else in terms of mitigating circumstances, but in my case when you've got a friend whose Mum is dying it does feel like taking the piss to say you're suffering as much as they are.Ā The one bit of encouragement I can give as that it sounds like the worst may be over in terms of marks. I'd also averaged at least a 2:1 the whole way through, but been primed for less impressive grades with quite a few essays and translations that landed in the low 60s in the last semester, all so that they could say the 58 I got in my final speaking exam ā which was worth a massive proportion of my total mark ā wasĀ 'not anomalous' when I found out about it alongside my overall grade 3 days later. Hopefully that means the 56 is as bad as it'll get for you and you've actually had time to react to it. I took a year after graduating to find my Masters course, but I can understand how already having an offer for one would dampen your motivation even further. And yeah, once you realise it's all in your head that can lead to a downward spiral of beating yourself up about it from which there's no easy escape. Knowing that other people have been through the same kind of stuff might be better than agonising in silence, though. Best of luck with making full use of that whiteboard anyway. Hang in there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members SpursRiot2012 Posted March 28, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 28, 2018 Thanks for all the advice, all. I emailed my media law lecturer on the off chance of an informal extension and as expected that was refused. However he did say there is an official process through the department by which we can apply for deadline extensions, which I wasn't aware of, and that I should contact the course director. I've sent a pretty detailed email explaining what my situation is and asking what, if any, the formal process for requesting an extension to my final year project would be. They're shut until Wednesday now but if I could even get a week or two week extension to the final year project, I'd be ecstatic. We shall see.Ā Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members BomberPat Posted March 29, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 29, 2018 In my experience (Higher Education administrator with responsibility for a range of degree programmes, and liaison with two partner universities, for the record), you're pretty likely to be granted an extension if you have extenuating circumstances - regulations vary depending on university, but I know several will allow one "self-certified" extenuating circumstance; i.e., you don't need to provide a doctor's note, or any supporting documentation.Ā That said, given that there's a medical element to what you're going through, just provide every bit of paperwork you can to support your claim, no matter how tenuous, just to be on the safe side. Bear in mind that the university will always be on your side, though - they want you to succeed, so it's unlikely that they'd turn anything down. The other thing to bear in mind is that you're far less likely to be granted extenuating circumstances after the fact - I've dealt with way too many students who try and apply after the work has been submitted - so even though the forms and the whole process is a ballache, try and get it out of the way ASAP. Most universities have a "Fit to Sit" policy around exams - if you're healthy enough to attend the exam, they consider any extenuating circumstances as not valid - and some will extend that to assignments; basically deciding that it's an either/or proposition - you're well enough to submit, or you're not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members SpursRiot2012 Posted March 29, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 29, 2018 8 minutes ago, BomberPat said: In my experience (Higher Education administrator with responsibility for a range of degree programmes, and liaison with two partner universities, for the record), you're pretty likely to be granted an extension if you have extenuating circumstances - regulations vary depending on university, but I know several will allow one "self-certified" extenuating circumstance; i.e., you don't need to provide a doctor's note, or any supporting documentation.Ā That said, given that there's a medical element to what you're going through, just provide every bit of paperwork you can to support your claim, no matter how tenuous, just to be on the safe side. Bear in mind that the university will always be on your side, though - they want you to succeed, so it's unlikely that they'd turn anything down. This is really reassuring. I'll have to see what the course director says on Wednesday or whenever he replies - I'll chase him up myself on Wednesday anyway. I've got a doctors appointment April 10th to review how my new medication is working etc so could documentation at that point. Cheers, BombPat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members John Matrix Posted March 29, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 29, 2018 I walk past this barbers everyday and I dunno, maybe itās because Iām approaching that time of the month, but for some reason I only just noticed the price list...Ā Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members SpursRiot2012 Posted March 29, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 29, 2018 Ha, awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted March 29, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 29, 2018 Matrix, you can't just cock tease like that. You need toĀ go there and review it. Only Ā£10 for a cut too!Ā Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted March 29, 2018 Moderators Share Posted March 29, 2018 Seconded. You can't not get your haircut there at least once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 They should have a discount option for braver customers called the Knife Edge Chop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Carbomb Posted March 29, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 29, 2018 (edited) Would've thought the full Ric Flair would include a big ol' platinum-blond bleach and perm. Edited March 29, 2018 by Carbomb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awards Moderator Onyx2 Posted March 29, 2018 Awards Moderator Share Posted March 29, 2018 Discounts if you go in wearing a sequin robe and nothing else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Chest Rockwell Posted March 29, 2018 Moderators Share Posted March 29, 2018 And then elbow drop your oversized suit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Gus Mears Posted March 29, 2018 Paid Members Share Posted March 29, 2018 (edited) 33 minutes ago, Chest Rockwell said: And then elbow drop your oversized suit I'd pay good money to see Matrix cut the following promo in said suit, but altering every instance of "$1000" to 'Ā£14.95 from Matalan'.Ā Ā Edited March 29, 2018 by Gus Mears Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts