Degree classification progress (Dec 2012)

Part of the new year resolutions should be the process that help us know if we have opportunities to make them real.

During the last years my resolution of having a First degree seemed to have more opportunities than at this time but all of them were thrown out of the window by different situations: a sudden illness, allegedly a norovirus, during M364 and M359 exams gave me a Grade 3 and Grade 2 respectively, instead of the two Distinctions I was going for and last year I couldn't make it better when an 81% in the M363 exam gave me another Grade 2, reducing drastically my options as only around 4% of people achieve a Distinction at the project module.

My current situation is as follows:

M263 only seems to have an impact in my final degree if I do really bad in M362 and TM470. A 2:2 result probability will be reduced to 6% if I achieve at least a Grade 3 on it. Having a Distinction on it would remove the options of having a 2:2 from the table after June 2013 (reducing the table to the first column, with 90% possibilities for a 2:1 and only 10% possibilities for a First).

If I achieve at least a Grade 2 in M362 this year (an option that looks very feasible to me now, as I will try to get a Distinction on it) that would make M263 result totally irrelevant for my degree classification calculation (providing that I pass it).

A First Class degree is only possible if I achieve two Distinctions at third grade (as I already knew), any other combination will be a 2:1 or 2:2 at the moment. So a First Class degree is at this moment unlikely, only a 10% probability, curiously the same as having a 2:2,  the remaining 80% probability is for a 2:1. 

Good point is that if I achieve at least a Grade 3 in M263 and M362 this year but don't get a Distinction in M362 there will be no pressure for having more than a 40% in the project module. The need to have just a 40% is a big margin for a project module.

In summary, I just need a Grade 3 in M263 and M362 to have a 2:1 so in case problems managing the two modules workload would appear I should focus all my efforts in M362 that is the only module that will be able to boost my degree result and keep my opportunities for a (now unlikely) First degree.

Anyway providing that I pass both of them this year, in December 2013 I will have a very clear picture of how hard should I work during my project module.

For now my new year resolution would be at least a Grade 3 in both modules. Focusing on having a Distinction in M362 if possible. That give me some margin to maneuver :-)

Mirror, mirror on the wall

263|362 (mirrored numbers)

This year M263 and M362 will be for me the modules to study. Unless I change my mind before 10th January I will not be registering for the project module this year else the next one.

That will give me all the time to dedicate myself entirely to the project during the academic year 2013-2014. There is an extra pressure added, though. It will be the very last year I will be able to claim my BSc (Hons) Computing with The OU and so failing the project module for some reason would mean for me to have to renounce to my dream as I can only claim my degree until 31 Dec 2014.

But thinking negative is not my thing at all, so I'm convinced everything will be fine for me and that I will finish my BSc on time.

For now M263 is going really well, I achieved a 88% in the first TMA (so far so good).

Results are out

Today my results were published.

DB123:  OCAS:80% / ECA: 80%.

M363: OCAS: 85% / OES: 81% (Grade 2)

All the efforts during the year don't seem to have been taken in consideration by the examination board at all when deciding my final grade, only the exam result seem to have counted to define my final grade.

Such this life.

My options for a First are now too tight as I would need to achieve a Distinction in the two level 3 modules I have ahead. A 100% effectiveness that doesn't look like too much possible when someone knows that normally only around a 4% of the pupils achieved a Distinction in the project module last years.