I got my results of this year today. Although I got a two-one, but it’s a lower two-one. By “lower”, I meant it’s actually quite low. But anyway, when I told my friends here about my results they responded as “That’s good, it’s a two-one!”, whereas when my parents heard the exact score I’ve got even though I explained how university here rank student’s result and a two-one is considered as not too bad, they still went “hmmmm…..”. This interested me a lot.
In English University normally there are five classes of results ranking – first, two-one, two-two, third and fell. A “first” is when you got a score above 70, a “two-one” is 60-70, “two-two” is 50-60, “third” is 40-50 and “fell” is lower than 40. So if I got 60 I will get a “two-one”, which is the same as those got 65 or 68, we are in the same class. To me, I would say there is a big difference between the efforts you made to get a 68 and a 60, however in university here, they are all the same. When employer look at your CV, they will see a “two-one” but don’t see whether it’s higher two-one (above 65) or lower two-one (under 65), although there is difference.
In China, and probably other Asian countries, schools count student’s exact score rather than classifying into several groups. The pass line is 60, so if you got 59, you still fell, although there is only 1 mark different. This is the why my parents were not entirely happy with my lower two-one, because the score matters more to them, in a Chinese way of looking at results.
I feel this is something to do with the mind-set differences between westerners and easterners. Generally westerners are more emphasis on the progress you make and the knowledge you gain rather than the results. On the other hand, easterners seem care more about what you actually get from the efforts you have made. Of course this depends on individual, but as general I can see a lot this kind of different mind-set in daily life, and this example is one of them I found today.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I think you should be pleased. As I’ve always said, it’s amazing that you can do a degree in a language that isn’t your first language, let alone get a 2:1!!
not bad:)go on~~wish you good luck in your next year!
Seems don’t have this kind of rating in the postgraduate degree. Just distinction and non-distinction, I guess. And it is extremely difficult to get distinction.
Hm, what I want to know is why our 1st is 70%? Now, getting a 1st is bloody hard work, so obviously it’s not just that standards are low. But why set exams where it’s impossible to 90%? I mean what’s the point? If you get 80 or 90%, that’s truly astounding, and no one will ever know. Or is it actually impossible?
And, Chinese exams are so theoretical and quantative. Might be a link there with the fixation on percentages.
To Megan:
Thanks, but after getting this result and I looked back to this year, I felt I could had worked harder.
To Valen:
Thank you!
To risingfan:
Wow, you guys only have two class of grade, how is that going to work?
To Maggieee:
Yes, that’s an interesting question too. Why 70? not 80 or 90? Will find out in future at some points.
Don’t geek in it