What If I Fail My First Year at University?

No one wants to be reading this article, because if you’re here, it means that failing your first year of university is something you’re genuinely worried about. Your first year might not have gone to plan for a variety of different reasons, but let us reassure you from the start that even if you do fail, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the end of your university journey.

In this article we’ll help you understand how the credit system works, what steps you should take when you first start to struggle, and what options you might have if you don’t obtain enough credits to progress into your second year.

What is a module credit at university?#

For most students in their first year of university, credits are a brand new concept. It can be overwhelming at first to find out that the structure of the university grading system is based on credits, so it’s a good idea to prepare yourself with a foundational understanding before you start your course.

During your first and second year at university, you need to earn a certain number of credits in order to progress to the next year of study.

In your first year, you generally need to earn 120 credits, but this can vary depending on your course. One credit equates to 10 hours of study, so in theory you will need to undertake 1200 hours of study during your first year to pass with a good grade.

A single module or course can be worth between 10 and 30 credits, but this is dependent on its workload.

How do you obtain credits at university?#

Credits are obtained by passing modules, which will be assessed in a variety of ways. This could be essays, coursework, exams, or even practical assessments.

In order to obtain the credits from a module, a student needs to get a pass, which means achieving at least 40%. Credits don’t usually have a direct effect on the classification of degree that a student attains, credits are more of a way to manage workload, track academic progress, and ensure consistency. Credits must be achieved to move from one year to the next, and can also play a factor in whether you are able to graduate at all.

The classification of your degree will depend on the marks you achieve in each piece of work, and be scored in a percentage. Understanding the university grading system in the UK and how these percentages work is crucial to keeping track of your progress.

Debunking Common Myths About: Failing Your First Year at University#

In your first few months of university, you will probably hear a few rumours regarding your first year “not counting” towards your final grade. Often, these will come from housemates trying to tempt you into a night out and skip the next morning’s lecture, so you need to be wary of what you believe!

It is indeed true that with most courses, your first year grade doesn’t count towards the final classification of your degree, however you still need to obtain the full 120 credits to move onto second year. In order to do this, you need to score at least 40% in all of your modules, which may sound like an easy feat, however the jump from A-Levels to university is a big one so try not to get complacent.

Evaluating the Reasons Behind Failing the First Year#

It’s no secret that university is a whole different ball game to sixth form or college. New students will be faced with a completely new approach to learning, which often involves far less in-person tuition time, and a much bigger focus on independent study.

That in itself can be a contributing factor to students failing their first year of university. Having to adjust to working to a much higher standard whilst also having to find the motivation to do a lot of your learning alone and from home, can be overwhelming. At school and college, the whole curriculum is taught in a classroom, but at university, only part of what you need to know to ace exams and coursework is spoon-fed in lectures and seminars.

Personal challenges also play a part in some students failing their first year of university. Moving away from home, missing friends and family, and juggling finances can all affect a students’ mental health. This can make it hard to find the motivation to study, and can have a knock on effect on coursework and exam grades.

Social distractions can also play a factor. The excitement of meeting new people, living with friends, and the endless amount of social events can tempt even the most dedicated students to put down their books and let their hair down. Of course students should allow themselves time to wind down and relax, however finishing assignments and attending lectures should always be the priority.

What To Do After Failing Your First Year#

You may be wondering what happens if you fail your first year of university. Luckily, there are a few options available to students who are facing failure at the end of their first year. These include:

Exam Resits

It would make no sense to retake your entire first year of university if you only failed one module, so most universities offer the chance to resit an exam or resubmit coursework over the summer. Any work that has to be resubmitted is usually capped at a 40% pass rate, so even if you did a tremendous piece of work, you wouldn’t come out with more than 40% for it. However, you would get the credits you need to continue onto the next year, as well as be eligible to graduate.

Retaking Your Year

If you had a bad year overall and weren’t close to achieving the credits you needed to progress into second year, you may be able to retake your first year of university. This is a big decision for students to make, as it will mean bearing the burden of an extra year of tuition fees and living costs. However, if failing your first year of university was down to personal circumstances which are no longer an issue, this could be another chance to start from scratch and thrive.

Conditional Progression

You may be able to move into the second year despite failing some of your first year modules, however this means you would have to resit them in second year, making your next year of study even more tough. This is called conditional progression. This does however depend on the number of missing credits and the university’s policy, so you definitely need to check with your university to see if they offer this option.

Compensated Passes

If you only failed one module but your performance in all others was strong, your university may allow you to progress with what’s called a compensated pass. This would mean that you would effectively get a pass for the failed module and be able to progress into your next year.

Exit Awards

If you don’t want to continue your university journey, you can choose to withdraw from your course. Depending on your course and institution, you may be eligible for a certificate or diploma which reflects the work you put into your course.

Transferring Courses

Transferring to a different course may be a good option for students who failed specified modules, as it would mean finding a course that is better-tailored to their strengths.

Talking to Your Professors: Steps to Take and Questions to Ask#

If you are worried about your performance in a particular module, or if your personal circumstances are putting you at risk of failing your first year altogether, your should consider should be arranging a meeting with your professor or personal tutor.

Here are a few simple steps you can take:

Don’t wait: Schedule a meeting as soon as you notice issues starting to creep up. Tackling the issue early means you may have more options available to you, but also you give your professor more time to work with you towards a suitable solution - universities appreciate proactive students.

Prepare for the meeting: This is your chance to prove that you are serious about turning things around. Make sure you go over your grades and any feedback in advance, and also make notes of any concepts you are particularly struggling with, and identify the methods of learning that work best for you.

Be open and transparent: If personal issues or external circumstances are what’s causing you to fall behind, the best thing you can do is to be open and honest with your professor or tutor. They can point you in the direction of valuable resources and will let you know about any extra support or accommodations you may be eligible for.

Ask for feedback: Understanding where you went wrong is a crucial step to getting on the right path. Detailed feedback is key to pinpointing areas in which you need to improve.

It is important to make the best use of your meeting, as one-on-one time with professors or tutors at university can be hard to come by. If you are in fear of failing your first year at university, here are some good questions you might want to ask:

“Where did I go wrong and what can I do to improve?” This can help you understand whether you need to do more learning in a specific subject area, or if the issues stem from the way you are answering the questions. Most courses have a specific answer structure that examiners are looking for, and if you know all the relevant information but aren’t presenting it in the right way, you won’t reach your full potential.

“Could you recommend resources or tools to help me further my work and understand difficult concepts?” Your professor may be able to introduce you to a new study technique or point you in the direction of websites or textbooks that will help you understand tough topics.

“Can I resubmit coursework or improve my grades in any other ways?” You may be able to complete extra work or resubmit assignments to improve your grade, especially if you have circumstances outside of your control that have led to your performance.

“What support services can I access?” This could be anything from academic advisors and tutoring problems, to in-house mental health support. It is always good to know the full range of support available to you through your university.

“What can I do differently to pass future assessments?” Your university may be more willing to offer you the highest level of support if you are able to show them how committed you are to improving your grades. Make sure you are ready to hear constructive criticism, and make plans to put any suggestions you’re given into action as soon as possible.

What to do about student finance after failing first year#

Retaking your first year is often a good option for students who have failed, especially if there was a specific reason behind it, such as personal circumstances.

However many students will worry about what will happen with Student Finance if you fail a year.

Luckily, all hope is not lost. Student Finance will often allow a student to undertake an extra year of study, however this does mean that you will have more money to pay back in the long run!

The gov.uk website lists some scenarios in which you may be eligible for funding for an extra year, these include:

- mental health

- illness

- bereavement

- pregnancy

- a caring responsibility

Make sure that you take steps to figure out what options are available to you as soon as you realise you are in danger of failing your first year at university.

University is a big jump from college or sixth form, and often students can feel overwhelmed by the amount of work and time spent studying that is required to achieve a good grade. Just remember that your professors are there to help you, and approaching them early can help mitigate problems further down the line. Even if failing your first year comes as a complete shock to you on results day, you may still have options and it doesn’t have to be the end of your university journey.