What should i do regarding my degree. please help?

Question

well I just graduated from university this summer.
unfortunately I graduated with the lowest grade possible (a third class degree)

I'm not dumb, but I'm just lazy and I never attended any of the lectures. My total attendance over the past 4 years has been 17%.

I never realised the importance of education untill a couple of weeks ago when it was too late.

Whenever people hear the grade I got they think that I am dumb. I don't want to go through the rest of my life with people believing that I am dumb.

So I wanted to know if I should start again and take another degree. The problem with that is that by time i finish a new degree i'll be almost 26. I'll feel uncomfortable going to university with all these young 18 byear olds. I also have ammassed debts through student loans (around 20 grand), so I can't keep taking out more student loans.

what should I do? Should I go back for 3 more years of a student life and no money. Or should I just get used to a life of low paid employment, and people thinking I'm stupid.

Answer 1

These days, unless your degree is in an extremely specialized field, you can't do anything with it anyway. Have you ever considered obtaining any certifications. These are typically cheaper and shorter programs. A certification (different than certificate of completion) will prove that you are an expert in a certain field. That might be a better alternative for you. Oh, and stop being lazy. You will never keep a job if you are lazy.

Answer 2

Firstly...I dont think you are dumb. I have just finished a degree in Physics and a lot of the cleverest people I know (much brighter than me) managed a third or failed altogether. I would put this question to you, which is what I have asked myself (I'm starting a PhD in Sept)...'Would it be better to go and wish you hadn't or not go and wish you had?'. For me it was the former so I signed up.

As far as worrying about the age of you and the people around you I really wouldn't. I went into Uni straight from 6th form and now some of the friends I have made (for life in some cases) are a range of differnet ages and from many different courses. I can understand the worry but in my opinion it wouldnt be a problem.

As far as money goes, that is a major thing to think about. I can understand the stopping of taking out loans and such...but is it a possibility to get some work while you study. Most Unis have a special department that helps place students in employment that is fair and will fit in with their studies. Summer is also a great time to make some cash for a little pocket money during the next year.

I realise all these things are easy for me to say, but I hope it is of some help. Good Luck and I hope it all works out for you x

Answer 3

Get a job. Study with the Open University. They will take your degree and give you up to 180 credit points towards a new one. You need 360 points for an honours degree off them.
Then pull your finger out and study for a change.
Doing 60 points a year, you will have a better degree in 3 years (provided you actually study), and you will have 3 years work experience.
Or you could try to get on a 1 year masters programme and if you are successful then the Third will be forgotten.

One final point, what do you mean only a third? The people who don't have degrees won't say 'only' a third. And the people who have better than a third, are educated and intelligent, therefore they should not be so ignorant as to say 'only a third'.


Without your third, their first means nothing!

Answer 4

We all make mistakes and it is never to late to go back to school. 20,000 isn't that much in loans. If you decide to go back to school, you will be considered an adult learner and you may be eligible for some grants or scholarships. You can also start by working and taking one or two classes at a time, in something that you are interested in. You can also look into working somewhere, like a hospital, that will pay for you to go back to school. Just make sure that you major in something that you can find a job after you graduate. I would do some research with the colleges that you are interested in. You may not need to be in school for 3 years and some of your credits may transfer. I am 28 and I have a Master's degree, but I am interested in going back to school. It is never to late to go back, you are still young and you have more time than you realize. Even if you finish school by the time you are 26, you will still have a good 40 or so years to work. I hope this helps.

Answer 5

First of all, getting a third is not that bad, it is better than a pass and even better than not completing at all.

Second, no one will think you are stupid, You have a degree which is more than a lot of people have.

I had a colleague on my masters course who had a third in economics and still got her MSc in strategic quality management.

26 is not too old for uni, I have just graduated again with a Law degree and I am 44. At 26 you will enjoy studying more, especiall after having had the experience of doing it already. You know the pitfalls and how to avoid them and as you know what happens already you will find yourself a popular person amongst colleagues because they will ask you the best way to go about things.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Answer 6

Look, you may have gotten bad grades but you did manage to graduate. While you will end up with a job that is below what you are capable of, this is just a beginning. Right now your education is important because you don't have a lot of experience. As you gain experience, prospective employers will care less about how you did in school.

So, tell employers that you didn't do well in school but you understand that you made a mistake by not applying yourself and you know that you need to do just that in a job. Take the best job that you can get, preferably with an employer where upward mobility is possible. Work really hard. Any employer will give you a chance if you are showing them that you are able to do your job and are capable of more. Even if (when, most likely) you get to a point where you've done all you can with that employer, they will speak well of you when they talk to other prospective employers. If you have opportunities to interact with people in the field that you'd really like to be in - professional conferences, things like that - take them. You may decide to retake some courses so that you are better grounded in the material, or you may find other ways to learn. Eventually you may decide to go to graduate school, though I wouldn't seriously consider that until you are sure of what you really want to do (not in classes, but in the real world) and have a strong enough work history to cause admissions to overlook your low undergrad gpa.

In any case, you can work your way into a good job. I quit college (with a lousy GPA) and went to work. I worked my way up to a point where people respected me. My employer paid for me to finish my degree. I did well, but my total GPA was still not stellar. Years later, after working my way into the field I really wanted, I went to grad school. They didn't fund me, because my GPA was still too low for that. However, I was admitted and did really well in grad school. Now I'm out and have been offered a job in my field well before most people expected me to find one. (I studied historic preservation, so my job prospects were not great but I networked really well)

You can succeed, but you'll have to work to prove yourself. Good Luck!

Answer 7

First of all you aren't stupid and anyone who thinks that passing a degree is easy is either too stupid to do one or extremely clever and didn't make much effort in passing theirs. I am doing my degree now and I have three children and a full time job, so I would just be glad to pass it.
Secondly, why don't you do an on-line degree if you don't want to be with the younger people, I am, just type in your search engine on-line degrees, it will come up with more than you imagined.
This time look for something that really catches your interest, I'm doing early childhood studies because that interests me. You need to keep focused on the degree as it is easy to go off track and it is more difficult to get back on track with an on-line degree and it is cheaper.
Good luck and tell us what you decide to do.

Answer 8

Let bygones be bygones look at the future and plan accordingly. as they say repentance is always late (i am not preaching you)
had you mentioned where you stay it would have been fine anyways now that you have you realised the importance of grades in life please be care full henceforth.As regards going back to college to improve grades i personally feel is not required because the same time you can utilise to do better things which can improve your chances of getting a job , now the question of finding the job apply for any competitive exams where there will be a written exam ,score as high as you can so that they have to select you even if you score less in orals,else try picking up some computer skills which will help you in getting job , you can also try call centre jobs, transcription jobs, or do your PG and become on line tutor , there are umpteen number of options it is for you to sit down and plan you future in a proper way.

Answer 9

You may be able to do some summer classes or something similar to bring up grades specifically in classes you did poorly in. It is probably not worth going back to school to do another degree, especially since you do not seem motivated to attend classes (I'm very similar). One thing that might work for you is distance learning where you can take classes online from your home. This would allow you to work while taking classes at night. Some jobs even pay for you to improve your education!

Answer 10

Well, you've made your bed...
I'd say, that with lousy college-grades, all you've got is a piece of paper stating that you are stupid.
If you want to get on with a career you should try getting better college-grades. If you're too much in debt, try getting a job and go to night school. It's not only the bad grades that are going to haunt you - it's also all the knowledge, you've missed out on.
Best wishes.