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Started a masters degree by distance learning in January, it's the first studying I've done for nearly 10 years. I coasted through most of uni, put in some real effort at the end and got a 2.1 from a good university. Made the decision to really do my best this time and I've been spending a few hours every night on uni-work.
Just got my first assignment back and I'm a bit disappointed with a 58/100. It's not that I think the mark is unfair, I accept the feedback, it's just that I feel I could/should have done better. On the other hand it is the first thing I've handed in to be marked for 9 years, so maybe it's to be expected that I'm a bit rusty.
Did anyone else have a slow start with their masters after a long gap?
Guess the problem with distance learning is that the markers don't readily know who the bright people are, so don't know who to give the good marks to. I would correspond with them and explain you're a bright chap, have a 2:1 from a good university, so WTF is this 58 out of 100 business?
Er.. I'm really not saying that at all, gary. I accept the mark is fair, I'm just a bit disappointed in myself (more mature now, working harder but didn't get the mark I was hoping for). I was a bit worried about writing something in an academic style again, possibly focussed too much on that and took my eye off the ball with regard to actual content.
How much correspondence did you have with the Uni when doing your first module? I've just started the 2nd year of my (distance) MSc and have been quite happy with the way it's going, and that's from someone ****ing useless at studying and went to the Alps to party the week before their final dissertation was to be handed in 😉
Went down for a 2 day induction right at the start, then it's all been online lectures and reading since. There's also a forum but that's almost all discussion with the other students on the course, so very little interaction with teaching staff. They did make a big deal about how it's not spoon-fed to you any more, you have to go away and find your own readings, research etc. Next assignment is due in 2 weeks, hopefully I'll be do better then!
Get a draft copy in asap. That's something that's been highly encouraged at my end, I'm sure you're lot will support drafts too.
That's one thing they said they won't do. Different story for the dissertation next year, when I get a supervisor, but for standard module assignments they won't look at drafts.
I guess it's a new level of study, after a big gap, and I think I know where I went wrong, so not so bad over all.
Think about what you want from the course - the pass (a badge ) or to really engage / do well with a view to a PhD etc.
58/100 isn't too bad for your first assignment, but speak ( not email) with the tutor about how you might improve .
Also, make sure you are working as smart as you can. Mendeley for references etc.
Good luck. I finished an MBA by distance leRning last year, so I feel your pain.
Is it assessed anonymously? (ie your name is not on the assignment, it's an ID code).
It's not anonymous, no. I've got a 2 goals for studying - I want the qualification as it's a necessary step into chartership and to take my career in a more interesting direction, so that's one. I also enjoy learning, and I want to do as well as I can this time rather than finish and wonder if I could have done better. I'm aiming for a minimum of a Merit, so only 2 marks off that, Distinction would be the ultimate goal.
Seriously considering doing an MSc in Computational Neuroscience, for the ****ing hell of it. I'm not sure whether I want to PHd yet and I couldn't realistically go into that field with my current background, need more programming and neuroscience.
Get in contact with your tutors for further feedback, find some academic writing textbooks that are relevant to you course, read the learning objectives for any given assignment and make sure you tick every single box.
Also, get a distinction. The person who got the highest mark in my undegrad was an utter idiot, she just put the most time in - it's a matter of application, people tell themselves that getting a 1st or a distinction is down to ability. It is to an extent but most of the time it's a cop out for people who don't want to take responsibility for their own failings, I for one did that and thus underachieved. In reality I used to get 55's to 60's on 4000 word essays by getting pissed, doing the work over 2 nights before the deadline with no sleep and then getting a thrill out of gaining a B despite not taking any of the work very seriously.
Slowly making up for it and going in the right direction but it's a long road to where I really want to be and doing what will make me genuinely happy. Instead of baffooning my way through my life pretending everything is okay.
Slightly off topic but what are your respective MSc courses if I may ask?
I've been contemplating a distance learning MSc, which would also be a career change (building surveying) for a while now, but the lack of face to face contact puts me off for a subject in which I would have limited knowledge. Particularly, as like the OP, its been a while since I studied.
EDIT: And in ref to the OP, perhaps the lecturers are marking conservatively as its early into the course. Maybe they don't want to go awarding top marks to all students right from the off, for fear of lulling you into a false sense of security that this distance learning is a piece of cake 🙂
What is the pass mark? At undergrad, 58/100 is a 2.2 - but it's a bare pass at Masters where I am - still recoverable to get a good overall mark (merit etc.) but it will take work.
The important thing to do is look at your feedback and the problems with the first assignment with a view to transferring as much of the feedback as possible on to the next assignment - even if it's on something different entirely, you need to know what it was, generally, that you did wrong. Did you fully answer the question, did you coherently present your arguments, were your conclusions supported by the evidence you supplied - that sort of thing is essential stuff - and make sure you try not to make the same broad mistake again.