Hey guys I am an MSC student and well jst went through my first sememster and i got a mean grade of B in a UK university. I have been an average student all along in my life and I am wondering if I would be able to get a good PHD while scoring a B. In the university I was they grade in A,B,C,D and then Fail. Kindly guys advice me, i think i am willing to take on a PHD later but also again is that grade ok?

you will need more than 'average' drive to do a phd.

The grades help but a PhD is also about the person. You have to want it, have the commitment and be willing to do some serious graft.
And kiss goodbye to relationships, social life, money and ever seeing the sun for three years. I made that last bit up

Thanks guys, well but am not really sure if that grade is pleasant at all. Well, been trying to think on one side if I was a professor evaluating a student, would that grade impress me at all?Well i dn't know...What's ur opinion guys...?

I was not only distinctly average at MSc but bordering on not very good. But, it turns out, I am good at research. My dissertation is about it be published (well part of it) and I had worked on publications for charitable organisations as well.

I was told I got the studentship because they could see my enthusiasm for the topic. So, if you really want it, go in there and show them you want it. Am coping just fine. Normally do about 3 drafts of things before my supervisors are happy, don't feel under any great amount of stress most of the time and generally love my PhD.

And trust me, I was not averaging anywhere near Bs at ANY time in my MSc...

A

Thanks very much. Well i think I would say generally I am like that. Will get very nice materials for research and i love reading alot though it turns out that whenever i do the assignments, they do not come back with as good marks.But figure it out this way,you get a 65 which is a B and someone gets a 70 which is ranked an A.No much difference actually but due to the competition in the class it turns out that the person who got a 70 is ranked more highly. I will be trying an industrial placement this summer and then decide whether to go for the industry or PHD.

But then you have the people with marks into the high seventies, even eighties..... maybe even the big 90.
Which begins to sound very different to a sixty five.

Marks in the 80s and 90s is pretty much unheard in my field. So you need to find out where your marks sit in your class to determine how good they are (I wish we used the bell-curve like Canada).

A good merit (i.e. 65% or above, or good B) at masters should get you on a PhD course, along with a first or good 2.1 at UG. However, at masters level your written work/dissertation should really be of a first/70%plus standard if you intend to do a PhD. If you can't pull 70s or come near the top end of the marking scale for your class in masters' written work, you probably won't like a PhD!

And mine; it doesn't make them impossible tho'!

Perfect guys, that's good advice.I have to hit on the thesis!Hopefully,anyway my MSC class is very very competitive and the Professors say everyone is good since we are all on a competitive scholarship that got us chosen all around the world.I have approached the industry guys and they are very excited actually one gave me a placement without even asking for the grades.

What on earth do you mean by B? Masters aren't graded but instead have pass and distinction (and possibly merit). I would think for most PhDs pass would be fine (if funded, if self-paid, you may not need an MSc) but at my department they ask for merit.

Some Institutions will give your coursework/ exams in grades or marks irrespective of the final 'grade'. E.g. here at UCL you get a grade and mark associated with each course then Past/ Distinction (we don't have Merits).

A116 said:

was not only distinctly average at MSc but bordering on not very good. But, it turns out, I am good at research. My dissertation is about it be published (well part of it) and I had worked on publications for charitable organisations as well.

I was told I got the studentship because they could see my enthusiasm for the topic. So, if you really want it, go in there and show them you want it. Am coping just fine. Normally do about 3 drafts of things before my supervisors are happy, don't feel under any great amount of stress most of the time and generally love my PhD.


I've just to do my dissertation before finishing my MSc. I'm sitting with mostly As and have an application in for a PhD but there's no interview stage etc. so how would they know of your enthusiasm? My chief worry is that I only got a 2:1 in my Hons and had never showed any real interest in studying or academic flair until my Masters year.