So I failed my Master's Degree today

Post Reply New Topic

My teacher requested a meeting with me today, and told me that I had done VERY poorly on my final paper. It was, unfortunately, too late to do a rewrite (my teacher had only been given a limited amount of time to mark as it was), and there was no way she could raise the grade at all, the paper had been that bad. Please note that I am finding this out after I'd assumed I'd be graduating this year, and after I'd already had numerous celebrations with friends and family of the fact.

I'm not quite sure how I feel right now. Not quite shattered, but I'm hardly in a pleasant mood right now. I have no idea what the f**k I'm going to do now. How the hell do I tell my parents this? How the hell do I break this news to them? Nevermind that this is the only course I've ever failed, and on the year I was hoping to graduate as well.

Oh, this is just breaking my heart for you. Is there any way at all to fix things for next semester?

Did your teacher have any way at all to help you out?

Oh, I am so sorry. It has got to feel humiliating. Maybe after a day of processing, you can tell your parents.
Allow yourself time to grieve.

Okay, I've just come back from a talk with my counsellor, and the good news is, this isn't a complete disaster.

Apparently, because I only needed one more credit to pass, I simply needed one extra summer course before graduating in the Fall. Thankfully, we were able to find one summer course that had an opening, so I still have a chance to get through this.

So...yeah. I may still wind up finishing this degree after all. I'll still have to live through the embarassment of not being at the same convocation as everyone else, and I will never be able to live down a failed course, but at least this failure won't drag down my entire degree with it. That, and this makes breaking the news to the parents a little more palatable.

The only downside that bugs me is that I was really hoping I'd be able to find a career this summer. One failed course has kinda put that on hold for a while. Even though I've saved my degree, if this job hunting year is going to be anything like the last, then I am going to HATE this summer.

If the place really wants to fill a position, one summer class away from a master's may not be a big deal, unless they need to meet some kind of external standard.

The baseline is 10% unemployment, still for the United States, although I hope, hope things are improving. Still a numbers game, just likely to take longer. And things might be better in your field and/or geographic region.

Good luck with everything! And please drop us a line from time to time as the spirit moves you.

Oh crap, I've just dug the hole even deeper now.
I came home, and my parents still think that everything turned out alright in the meeting with my Prof. I couldn't tell them that I failed the course, and I STILL CAN'T. I just can't! And revealing the truth to them now would only make things even worse!
Should I tell them? I really don't know if I can. I'm considering pretending to have a second meeting later on where I "discover" that I failed the course, and managed to get a summer course, but I don't think I can lie that well. What the hell am I going to DO?

Tell your parents.

They'll understand and forgive why you lied initially. They'll have a harder time if you keep up the lie.

I had almost this exact same thing happen to me--I had to retake a management class I got a C in after having everyone think I was graduating in the spring. I told people I wasn't into going to the graduation ceremony (in character for me, since I had also skipped my undergrad one.) I quietly retook the class over the summer while working part time at the university library. It can be done with minimal public embarrassment.

I think you are being harder on yourself than anyone else is going to be. You definitely need to tell your parents (they will eventually ask you why you didn't show up to convocation if you don't let them know....) I am so sorry that you have to go through this, but I think you are fortunate to have discovered that it is not really all that life-shattering. In just a few months everything will be back on trach, you'll have your degree, and you can put this all behind you. Good luck!

People tend to forgive those who come clean.

They struggle more with those who purport to come clean and don't really. To wit, Pete Rose on whether he betted on his team as manager. The lesson, don't be Pete Rose.

Maybe something like:

'Dad, I got something I've got to tell you. And I couldn't tell you before, please try and understand. I did really bad on the paper, and I failed the class. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier . . . '

[and let your Dad give you the potential gift of bringing the conversation to an early close, and saying that he understands and it's okay]

But also have a backup plan in case your Dad is not at this place mentally and emotionally. And keep it short and imperfect. And yes, it is personal. When a person invests a lot of hope into school and it goes badly, it is personal.

Good luck. We are all pulling for you, Man.

Please tell your parents. They will be disappointed that you lied, and should appreciate that you came clean. You need support in a time like this, and they can give it to you, but only if you let them know you need it.

Oh that sucks, man, but at least you can make up the credit over the summer. I know why it is like ot fail papers, but I am only an undergrad. My parents think I am doing super well in school, but in reality I am just doing OKAY.