It's a bit like my degree course. The first year was the university seeing if you were cut out for the course, as well as giving you a grounding. The second and third years counted towards the degree itself, but weighted so that the second year was 20% of the result. To achieve a first required an average score of 70%, so you could totally fail the second year and still ace the course... (I walked away with a 2:2 - the working students' degree!)
We had a similar system, although complicated by the fact that initially I was doing an HND and then transferred to the degree stream when I passed the HND with sufficiently high marks. In the end I managed to scrape my first class honours degree by exactly 1% :-D
1 = First Class Degree. Three of the students in my year were awarded these. They were all mature students, and one of them was doing a double Honours course - Bot/Zoo. 2:1 = Second Class Degree, division 1. The top half of the second class degree. 2:2 = Second Class Degree, division 2. The lower half of the second class degree. (I was told by an employer that 2:1s and 2:2s are more highly sought, if the holder was participating in other activities while at university.) 3 - Third Class Degree. Pass - a grudging degree. Prince Charles holds a Fourth Class Degree, I understand, as the Heir to the Throne must be seen to do better than scrape by...
I was the only person to get a first in my year. I was a 'mature' student, having worked for a few years between failing my A Levels and blagging my way into uni.
Heading off on a tangent, do you think Charles will ever inherit? Personally I think he'd be very wise to pass in favour of his son - the kid is fairly good looking, and hasn't done anything excessively stupid lately. If we're going to have a monarchy, I think it should be one that is (a) reasonably attractive, and (b) doesn't garner more negative PR than positive. Nobody has any respect for Charles, that's not a good characteristic for a king. Imho.
I think that Charles will inherit the throne, unless Tony's Cronies have abolished the monarchy by then. However, if he has any sense he'll abdicate almost immediately. Popular opinion is against Queen Camilla (anyone else having flashbacks to "Doctor Who - State of Decay"?), and since by the constitution, she must be queen when Charles becomes king, that's the only way that I can see around it. William, on the other hand, is a lot more photogenic than his father (although not as much as his half-brother) and seems to be more popular all around. I'm fairly conservative, and I like the pomp and ceremony that goes with the monarchy. If only they'd do something, like work!
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 07:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 07:10 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 07:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 07:15 pm (UTC)Wicked mate!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 07:52 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 09:30 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 09:55 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-03 10:35 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 11:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 12:08 pm (UTC)(I walked away with a 2:2 - the working students' degree!)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 12:19 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 12:34 pm (UTC)Sorry, I'm a Continental - I just happen to live here :)
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 12:36 pm (UTC)1st = 70%+
2:1 = 60% to 69.9%
2:2 = 50% to 59.9%
3rd = 40% to 49.9%
Lower than 40% was a fail.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 12:41 pm (UTC)2:1 = Second Class Degree, division 1. The top half of the second class degree.
2:2 = Second Class Degree, division 2. The lower half of the second class degree. (I was told by an employer that 2:1s and 2:2s are more highly sought, if the holder was participating in other activities while at university.)
3 - Third Class Degree.
Pass - a grudging degree. Prince Charles holds a Fourth Class Degree, I understand, as the Heir to the Throne must be seen to do better than scrape by...
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 12:50 pm (UTC)Heading off on a tangent, do you think Charles will ever inherit? Personally I think he'd be very wise to pass in favour of his son - the kid is fairly good looking, and hasn't done anything excessively stupid lately. If we're going to have a monarchy, I think it should be one that is (a) reasonably attractive, and (b) doesn't garner more negative PR than positive. Nobody has any respect for Charles, that's not a good characteristic for a king. Imho.
(no subject)
Date: 2006-05-04 01:16 pm (UTC)William, on the other hand, is a lot more photogenic than his father (although not as much as his half-brother) and seems to be more popular all around. I'm fairly conservative, and I like the pomp and ceremony that goes with the monarchy. If only they'd do something, like work!