Hi there

I am in the unfortunate situation of having a disability called dyspraxia which makes doing exams almost impossible, one thing I want to ask is, I have had many rejections for MSc and PhD and I am wanting people's honest advice.

I have a BSc no honours my uni stopped the course just before I was due to do my hons year and I have a PgCert.

Am I qualified for researched based MSc/MPhil/MRes as I apply for them and get no good news? have I blown a career because my disability ruined my chances for a career?

I need help:-s

You're post is rather contradictory. Although you state you have dyspraxia, you then note that the main concern in applying for courses has been the fact you have only an Ordinary, rather than Honours degree. Have you asked the Universities why they rejected you? What was your average mark in your degree (it must have been decent enough if you got onto a PGCert)? Are you changing discipline/what discipline are you in? What 'rank' of university were you at/are you applying to? Are you confident that your references are solid?

These are all questions you need to answer before you make presumptions regarding disability (which surely your earlier institutions took into account)

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I've had funding as reasons and no room in various labs cited and the small matter of since last august having to speak out about a bullying lecturer - whether that would be an issue as well.

My uni where I got my PgCert - (where the bullying occurred) was an ancient university and my BSc was from a newer uni and I know it is the disability killing off my exam marks as there is the clear thing over the exams where only about 40-45% whereas continuous assessment lies between 50-90%?

I just don't know what to do and even a lecturer at my last place said I should apply for a research place and that is what I am doing.  Am I being penalised for both issues? :-(

Oh and my field is Biological Chemistry and I have research experience in cannabinoids

That does sound rather complicated, and I can understand why you are confused!!

I am not in hard science, so I'm not entirely sure how it works re funding for equipment etc. But how would you fund your Masters? I, as a lot of people did, took out a Career Development Loan, are you asking prospective universities for funding? To be honest, although exams lowered your mark, research degrees will be more interested in your marks for ongoing assessment. I used to work in Special Education (in schools, I know at HE it is referred to differently), and I know the impact dyspraxia can have, and I find it very difficult to believe that they didn't take your problems into greater account - if they had there would not be such as disparity in your marks.

With regard to the bullying issue, was your complaint well advertised? I know a number of staff at my Uni have gone to the media when certain things have happened which did not help their cause... How would future unis know about this issue, do you think referees may have noted something?

I am not sure I understand all the ins and outs of your situation, but I think it is important to remember that there can be strong competition for PhD places. In that case, obviously grades from previous degrees do come in to divide the "good from the bad" which is obviously not to your advantage. I think it is vital in any application to highlight your strengths, e.g. maybe your determination/commitment to do a research degree despite the extra effort that is required due to the disability, your enthusiasm etc... You have to convince the potential supervisor that you will be an asset to them, so my tip would be to highlight your strong points and not get too caught up in what happened during your BSc. Good luck.

Hi, I do think that PhD in particular and masters to a certain extent are incredibly competitive. My son has very severe dyspraxia, however he has straight As and A*s in his GCSEs so far (sitting the last as we speak) and I know that he finds exams hard, but is managing ok - what you say worries me - he is planning to go on to do the IB now, and then is hoping to study natural sciences at Cambridge - I know it affects different people in different ways so I hope he'll make it through ok.

Back to you, I'm not sure tbh what the problem might be apart from the nature of postgrad education and the fact that you aren't going with as high grades as other applicants. A friend at uni now though is also badly dyspraxic but she has got through and her disability certainly hasn't blown her career. It could be that the issue with the bullying lecturer may have got out - I don't think academia likes wave makers, although when bullying is rife then sometimes somebody has to say something - people don't tend to because they don't want to mess up their potential careers, but then it goes unchecked.

I'm not sure what to say or how to advise you I just hope that everything works out for you and the right course comes along and you get accepted

I have a commendation for my organic lab project and it is the more hands on stuff my highest marks have come in.

I am considering a career development loan and I was rather hoping to do an MSc with the OU, no exams just coursework and I am also asking my old uni (the one I got my BSc from) to try to give me lab experience and even some voluntary hours (maybe against H & S but it is in my field).  I was rejected an MPhil in what I did my research in where I was bullied

I also think the speaking out has hurt my career as well as I read about it online, the annoying thing is that the uni knew about it and another lecturer who WITNESSED it was silenced.

I have a feeling it maybe be the bullying issue more and I only spoke out so that no one else has to suffer what I did and it effected my labwork! People seem to be a bit frosty towards me

BTW I am 30 and I wasn't picked up even at school for it, it was only in 2002 I was spotted! my case of dyspraxia seem to be in the organisationm under stress. Everyone with it is a little different as you know stressed!

It sounds as though you have some good plans, I really hope that it works out for you - it is terrible that someone can effectively be blocked for having spoken out and I really hope that you don't suffer for that in anyway - they don't tolerate bullying in schools, but for some reason it seems as though its ok in academia (although I must confess I have been so very fortunate in that it isn't something I have seen or experienced!)

My son also suffers terribly with organisation and although he had a statement he was continuously marked down for it and for his handwriting - constantly, I lost track of the times I roasted teachers over it! He is ok in exams in that he can think straight in them and it doesn't affect him too much, but his muscle tone is so low and his handwriting so bad through that and his fine motor skills that I worry that he will suffer as he moves on :-( Dyspraxia is a horrible thing and totally misunderstood and underestimated in its impact in academia!

I hope I can get the CDL and that, seems the OU would have me on board, I told them about the BSc and PgCert and they said it is seen as an hons combined,

Believe me, I am shocked to know that it is tolerated and whenever when word started to get out in the department, people looked at me as if I have 5 arms or something, plus he also sexually harrased me as well, I mean - you don't expect a lecturer who is now HEAD OF DEPARTMENT (jointly) to do questionable things like bullying and keeping an eye on me as if he was my prison guard now do you?

As for the dyspraxia, does your son have the read and write software which lets you listen to what it is on spellcheck, I get a giggle with the pronunciation of the science words! But I am OK at organisation and likewise my handwriting was awful, now it is readable but I write BIG! its amazing to see how it can affect one person in another way and not in another.  I am little miss organised with it comes to notes! also tell your son to use a certain colour of folder for a subject, that makes life so much easier as if you know what colour is for what - you are more than organised, I use coloured folders and does he use them coloured overlays?

BTW I was in a seminar today and in the medical school and I have a feeling it is getting pretty known about the calling up the lecturer as people there look at me oddly - I feel I have almost lost my career as no one even wants me in the labs either it seems :-(