| lesley153
|
With pleasure, Mark, thank you. It's wonderful to be off tenterhooks at last!
He had a job offer at the end of April, conditional on his being able to jump though all the normal pre-employment checks, and getting the 2:1, so there was a lot riding on this - isn't there always? We can stop biting our fingernails now. :) |
Reply #2981. Jul 08 11, 6:09 PM
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satguru 
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Great news and mazeltov Jonathan, that placement is now in the bag!
Reply #2982. Jul 08 11, 6:45 PM
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honeybee4
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Congratulations to Jonathon. I know it is a good thing, but this American needs to know what is the significance of 2.1. I assume it is a grade point?
Reply #2983. Jul 08 11, 7:10 PM
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| lesley153
|
Thank you both. David, I hope so!
Judy, a first means you've averaged 70%-plus over your whole degree course, and is not common. A 2:1 (aka "upper second") means you've averaged 60-69%, and I believe that a 2:2, or lower second, represents an average score of between 50 and 59%. It's also possible to get a third class degree, but I don't know what that entails.
Wiki knows more about it than I do. :)
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_undergraduate_degree_classification#Upper_second-class_Honours |
Reply #2984. Jul 08 11, 7:22 PM
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honeybee4
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Thanks Lesley.
Reply #2985. Jul 08 11, 7:34 PM
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flopsymopsy
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Speaking as a former secretary to various examination boards in different universities... the percentages Lesley refers to may differ in different universities although they're a reasonable rule of thumb. British universities each have the freedom to set their own criteria. Some use more continuous assessment than others, some include significant research projects even at the undergraduate level, and others still rely solely on closed examinations taken at the end of year three. The standard across the country is maintained not by the rigid imposition of arbitrary percentages but by the system of external examiners whose influence is considerable. Having said that, if you get less than 70% across the board you're unlikely to get a First - however the exam board might still give the same class of degree to someone with an average of, say, 69% if there were mitigating circumstances.
Reply #2986. Jul 08 11, 7:57 PM
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Professer
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Jonathan did very well Lesley, he should soon be able to take on the world and make sackfuls of cash.
Pleased he got such a terrific result and he certaqinly has done himself and you proud.
Reply #2987. Jul 09 11, 1:03 AM
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| lesley153
|
Thanks, Flopsy, he mentioned the examiners' convention, and the fact that they discuss things like individual exams and marginal percentages. This probably explains why the results, which they might have been expecting around Friday lunchtime, weren't available till the middle of Friday evening.
You're right, Gary, we are happy about the result and it's beginning to sink in that it's another pretty big landmark. I find the word "sackfuls" most appealing. :) |
Reply #2988. Jul 09 11, 5:20 AM
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bloodandsand
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Pass on my congratulations, Lesley. A wonderful achievement. You should both feel very proud.
Reply #2989. Jul 09 11, 5:44 AM
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| lesley153
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With pleasure, Bev, it is and we are.
It reminds me of my pride, delight and relief when he had his 18th birthday, and we were 1.still alive and 2.still speaking to each other: only I think this is better. :) |
Reply #2990. Jul 09 11, 7:21 AM
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bloodandsand
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Mine hits 18 in 14 months time - hope I can say the same. At the moment it's looking highly unlikely!
Reply #2991. Jul 09 11, 7:38 AM
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| lesley153
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| Why unlikely - is he having a Kevin phase? Good luck with that! |
Reply #2992. Jul 09 11, 7:43 AM
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flopsymopsy
|
Oh... and I should have said "Congratulations" - to you both. The graduation ceremony will be one of your proudest moments - take a camera and lots of tissues. :)
Usually exam boards run late by several hours only when there's a problem - but it might be a nice one. Several students with mitigating circumstances, for example; each one will be discussed very carefully to make sure everything is fair to them whilst maintaining standards for everyone.
Although I did have one case where the head of department had changed his course's rules during the actual exam board meeting which resulted in the university being sued by some students who had been adversely affected. We arranged for them to resit and I got parachuted into the next exam board meeting as the university's enforcer - imagine my horror when the dept head tried to do the same thing as before! I sat through the entire meeting saying "You can't do that", "You can't do that", "You can't do that" ... I can't remember how long that meeting took but those students had a very long wait to learn their fate and I got no dinner!
Reply #2993. Jul 09 11, 8:21 AM
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bloodandsand
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When does it end, Lesley? Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Reply #2994. Jul 09 11, 9:03 AM
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| lesley153
|
Thanks, Flopsy, congratulations happily accepted/transmitted. Sorry you were on the wrong end of it. We made sure we had dinner!
Bev, I asked Jonathan if there was light at the end of the Kevin-tunnel, and he said... Nah. I'm sure there must be, or we wouldn't be here - we would have been extinct long before broadband was invented. Does the grunting stop when offspring feel grown-up enough not to need to do it any more: old enough to communicate with their parents on the same level? I think if we knew the answer, we'd be dead rich. :-/ |
Reply #2995. Jul 09 11, 3:31 PM
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| lesley153
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| PS All he said was the "Nah" bit. The rest is me. |
Reply #2996. Jul 09 11, 3:32 PM
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bloodandsand
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Thanks, Lesley. Looks like I'll just have to grin and bear it for the next couple of years :))
Reply #2997. Jul 09 11, 4:00 PM
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| lesley153
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| I hope grinning helps, and I think that's the answer: keep smiling, till they start worrying, and wait for it all to go away. Best I have, sorry. |
Reply #2998. Jul 09 11, 6:44 PM
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| veronikkamarrz
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We can't all be as lucky and as good a Mother as Lesley...:)However, most of us try, and can usually find a wonderful kid, at the end of the tunnel.
I'm sure you and yours will get there uninjured, bloodandsand. Be patient, and smile a lot. :)
Reply #2999. Jul 09 11, 8:53 PM
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bloodandsand
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You've both made me feel a lot better, thank you!
Reply #3000. Jul 10 11, 5:37 AM
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