Hi

I am probably over reacting.

I got my first masters results

64
65
66
66
and 74 for my presentation.

I want to go on to do a PHD and I am worried that these results maycount against me. As I don't know anyone else doing a Masters I don'tknow if these results are good.

I have 2 more semesters left.

Am I worrying too much? :-(

Hi
It's difficult to know without knowing what proportion of the course these account for, what your subject area is, whether you are looking for a funded PhD or whether you are self-funding / have funding in place.  You still have 2 semesters so presumably plenty of assignments. I got a really bad mark (53) for one of my assignments in my Masters but still went on to get a distinction and have just started my PhD.  Keep in there.

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Thanks, yeah it is hard to say as so many postgrad courses are different. They aren't terrible marks, but I was hoping for higher and after getting a great response to my presentation I was on a high then got broke back down to earth.

4 of those marks make up one strand/module so I averaged 67.5 for that. I came out with 66 in the second strand and I think 65 in the third. I have another whole semester to go with lots of assignments plus my dissertation which is the main part of my course and makes up the final semester (Masters in Research is my course) will make up a fair bit. Most marks lost were due to poor grammar/proof reading on my part. That is something I have not been guilty of in the past. But I find managing my time with a Masters much harder than undergrad. I know what is expected this semester and I know what mistakes to avoid. So if I keep my head down I should come out with a few marks in the 70s. I reckon if I finish on a high 60 average then i shud be able to progress to the PHD but I will be poushing for mid to high 70s. I am looking for a funded PHD. I got a fully funded masters and it is with the same university and department so I have a good chance. I just have to improve and show that I listened to the feedback.

The department treats the MRes as a learning process and as long as I show that I can improve on previous work and my Thesis is good then all should be okay.

Basically it's entirely subject dependent. There are some AHRC and ESRC subject areas where not getting a distinction can really make a difference in terms of getting any of the rare funded PhD places. Others it matters less, as the subject is less competitive. And in the sciences where there are lots more funded PhDs, you probably don't have much to worry about.

Hey! Yeah, depends on your subject, the uni, the source of funding etc, but I don't think you have too much to worry about. You are still averaging a good merit after all. It sounds as though you are in a good situation, having your masters funded and hoping to carry on at the same university- I don't think they'll worry about it too much if you don't quite hit the distinction. A lot of people in my department were offered their PhD funding partway through their MSc, and it was dependent on them completing their MSc, but it wasn't dependent on them getting a distinction on it, and that is in a really competitive field. So shoot for your distinction, but I don't think it will be a disaster if you don't get it. Having said that- it might make life a bit easier when it comes to funding- I won a scholarship for my PhD funding which went on academic achievement alone and which I wouldn't have got without my distinction, but these sorts of scholarships are quite rare! Good luck with it! KB

I have contacted the head of the graduate school who will be taking my interview, he also took my Masters interview. I think I will just need to complete it. I am applying for AHRC funding but my chances aren't good as I got a 2:1 in my undergrad although most of my PHD subject relevant modules were in the 1st category. The funding I am on now and hoping to get for my PHD is DEL. It is not as competitive.