2:2 in first year- how will it affect my applications?

[ww_yerim]

Hello, as the title indicates, I am currently in a situation where I got a 2:2 in first year and am worried about how it may affect my future prospects.
A few preliminary points: 1) my first year results do not count towards my classification in any way- only 2nd and 3rd year count. 2) These results were a massive shock to everyone, not only myself but also my tutors, to the point where I am in the process of investigating whether there may have been procedural issues in assigning my marks 3) I am at Oxbridge (mentioning this in case firms consider your grades within the context of your institution) 4) I do not have any extenuating circumstances to explain these results

Currently my plan is to apply to vac schemes and ofc TCs in 3rd year- short of terrible luck I should do much better in 2nd year (I was, according to tutor reports, on track for a good 2:1 to a first, so unless there's something I'm not aware of my first year result is quite out of character) but of course I am wondering how, should my grade remain the same after the investigation, the 2:2 in first year will be considered within my application, as I think it's important to prepare for such a scenario.

Any advice, even if harsh, is much appreciated.

 

[Jessica Booker]

Hello, as the title indicates, I am currently in a situation where I got a 2:2 in first year and am worried about how it may affect my future prospects.
A few preliminary points: 1) my first year results do not count towards my classification in any way- only 2nd and 3rd year count. 2) These results were a massive shock to everyone, not only myself but also my tutors, to the point where I am in the process of investigating whether there may have been procedural issues in assigning my marks 3) I am at Oxbridge (mentioning this in case firms consider your grades within the context of your institution) 4) I do not have any extenuating circumstances to explain these results

Currently my plan is to apply to vac schemes and ofc TCs in 3rd year- short of terrible luck I should do much better in 2nd year (I was, according to tutor reports, on track for a good 2:1 to a first, so unless there's something I'm not aware of my first year result is quite out of character) but of course I am wondering how, should my grade remain the same after the investigation, the 2:2 in first year will be considered within my application, as I think it's important to prepare for such a scenario.

Any advice, even if harsh, is much appreciated.

If the outcome after the investigation is that you have a 2.2 overall in your first year, you may just find it takes you a year or two longer in the recruitment process than the next candidate. In the vast majority of instances, you will need to wait for proof of a achieving a 2.1 or above, which won’t be until the end of your second year. For many firms they will want to see the majority of your grades to be of a 2.1 grade, and this may not happen until you have your final degree results. Therefore, this isn’t a absolute game ender - many people do this, they just come to the career slightly later on (and there is nothing wrong with that - this isn’t a race!).

With point one, that is the case for many degrees. Firms will still want to see good grades in first year

With regards to point three, that won’t be taken into consideration. There is no contextualised process across universities, and especially when it is for a minimum eligibility requirement.