Many students feel that as “First year does not count”, the whole year can be spent coasting or partying away.
Failure to pass first year at best means endless summer resits and at worse repeating the year. So does first year count?
This university mantra is passed on from final year students to first year students, from generation to generation and seems to be the motto plastered on the lips of every fresher.
Freshers who choose to follow this motto can be found staying up into the early hours of the morning completing an essay due later on that day or drinking themselves into a stupor the night before that very important assignment is due, in celebration of the exam they managed to scrape a “Pass” in despite barely revising.
Of course, there are those who try the no-revision method and are greeted with an ‘F’ (also known as a third) on assignment collection day.
But in the land of late nights and later mornings the letter ‘F’ stands for ‘Fun’ and the phrase ‘First year does not count’, right?
Au fait in the art of fluking exams; going out to paint the town red and shopping to their heart’s content or until cards are rejected (more often than not it is a case of the latter), are the extracurricular activities that students who are ‘too cool for school’ choose to partake in.
It is just too bad that such shambolic shenanigans will not help you complete your degree, nor will they add any extra merit to your CV.
Now, while it may be true that first year does not always directly contribute to your final degree result, indirectly it can do as it lays down the foundations for your remaining years at university.
The actions and habits you develop in first year tend to follow you into your second, third and fourth years.
Also, in most universities if a nursing student fails a placement more than once, they are withdrawn from the course.
If you fail a mock or internal exam, you may be able to calm yourself down by saying it was only a mock or it was only worth a measly percentage towards your final grade.
However, the bitter truth is that if you get enough grades of that nature, they will be your final grade.
Not just in your mocks or assignments but in your final degree.
So the next time you hear an unknowing first-year chant the popular phrase: “First year does not count”, you have two options; you can chuckle to yourself knowingly or tell them to think twice before uttering the deadly phrase.
FAQs
For most degrees, the first year doesn't count towards your final score.
Is 69.5 a first? ›
When calculating your overall degree average you'll get rounded up to the nearest %. i.e. a 69.5% will be rounded up to a 70 and you'll get a First!
How important is GPA in first year? ›
Your GPA is important, but it isn't everything
A low GPA can mean you took harder classes to begin with. It might also show that during some semesters, you were too distracted or overwhelmed to complete your assignments in the best way you could; or that you were figuring out how to be a university student.
Does the first year of a level matter? ›
At the end of the first year, you take exams in all your subjects. If you're taking a full A-level, these results won't have any impact on your final grade – although they could help shape your predicted grades. If you're just taking the subject as an AS-level, this exam will determine your final grade.
Is 69.6 a first class? ›
UK degree classifications are as follows: First-Class Honours (First or 1st) (70% and above) Upper Second-Class Honours (2:1, 2. i) (60-70%)
How much does first year count? ›
Although the first year sets the foundation for your subsequent studies, it typically does not count towards your final degree classification.
Is 89 A or A+? ›
Grading System
| A+ | 95 – 100% | Outstanding |
|---|
| A | 90 – 94% | Excellent Superior performance, showing comprehensive understanding of subject matter. |
| A- | 85 – 89% | Approaching Excellent |
| B+ | 80 – 84% | Exceeding Good |
| B | 75 – 79% | Good Clearly above average performance with knowledge of subject matter generally complete. |
12 more rows| Percent | Letter Grade |
|---|
| 94 - 100 | A |
| 90 - 93 | A- |
| 87 - 89 | B+ |
| 83 - 86 | B |
8 more rowsA+ (90% and above): Outstanding work that demonstrates independent thought and critical reflection and has an excellent research question as well as systematic and persuasive answers to this question.
What will an F do to a 3.8 GPA? ›
The failing grade will NOT calculate in your GPA, but it will still show on your transcript. On your transcript, an "E" will show to the right of your failing grade to mark the course as "Excluded".
Is a 2.0 GPA good? A 2.0 GPA means that you have a solid C average across all of your classes. This GPA is essentially the unofficial cut off point for how low your GPA can be in order to get into college. With a 2.0 GPA, there are only a couple schools in the country where you'll have a high chance of being accepted.
Is a 2.8 GPA good in university? ›
Because a 2.8 is two-tenths of a point from a B average, a 2.8 GPA indicates several above-average grades and that your performance on homework and exams was up to par. With a 2.8 GPA, several colleges will consider your application, so you have a decent number of options to choose from.
What grade is the hardest year? ›
Junior year is often full of stressful academic experiences. SAT's, the desire to get good grades and the college application process make junior and senior years arguably the most difficult of high school.
What year do grades matter most? ›
Your first year and sophom*ore year affect your cumulative GPA, which is important to most colleges. However, a solid academic record in your junior year is likely to carry more importance with an admissions committee.
Does one bad grade senior year matter? ›
So, a weaker performance in senior year than in previous grades can impact your application and college admissions decisions. You might wonder if this still applies to you if your college applications are due before your grades are finalized. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the answer is yes.
Does the first year of high school count? ›
Having a strong freshman year GPA will be helpful when it comes time to apply to colleges. However, it will not make up for lower grades down the road. Colleges are interested in how you progress as a student; they want to see improvement to indicate how you would perform at their school.
Do colleges look at your first year of high school? ›
In a word, yes: Even though freshman year comes with a huge learning curve for a lot of students as you transition from middle school, colleges do still look at your grades for this year.
What counts as a first year student? ›
Description: A student attending any institution for the first time at the undergraduate level. Includes students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term.
Do first and second year grades matter? ›
So, unlike in your first year, the marks you achieve in your second-year assignments and exams do count towards your final degree classification. If you are taking a four-year course, your level two, three and four modules will determine your overall grade.
