Hey peeps, how have you been? I’ve been chilling and preparing for my graduation next week (8th February). So bloody excited! So I thought I would share something that I would never in my life ever share which are my grades for each module so you can decide whether you trust specific advice in the module reviews or just completely ignore it xD
I also thought it could be a sort of motivation for the rest of you who might be like me someone who isn’t super smart, nor are they super dumb. I no longer want to cower in shame for not being able to obtain top grades. I am proud for getting a Merit! And if I had gotten a Pass, I would be proud of myself too for even putting myself through this mess in the first place haha. Anything that replaces your personal sacred time is worth celebrating for.
Grades
What I found weird were the modules I hated were the ones that I got higher grades on. The modules that I enjoyed were the ones that I almost failed on – like wtf man..
I will add in the future how to calculate your grade and what the rules are for each pass, merit and distinction grade when I have a bit more time.
For now, Ciao!
Hi, Congratulation. I am new on computer science in artificial intelligence at York and I found your blog which is very helpful. I will take the exam on Algorithm and data structure next couple week but I could not found your blog that review this module. I am wondering if you could help me with the tips on the exam since it is very new to me and I am getting freaking out. Thank you so much, wish you could save my life TT
Hello Aleb 🙂
Sorry for late response it depends what exams they are?
Exams mostly are open book so they’re quite straight fwd you don’t need to remember anything. Most of them you have to work out the answer thus understanding the logic in how to work out particular answers helps more than remembering actual facts.
There’s not many example papers I’m afraid 🙁 I hope you were okay with your ADS exam apologies for late response again!
Hi Bexa,
Firstly, Huge congratulations on your results and your degree!!! You’ve quite literally put blood,sweat and tears into it and all the hard work has paid off! 🎉
I’m wondering what would you say are the biggest difference in the assignments where you got a distinction and ones where you passed. Is there a certain way to answer questions for masters degree or is there a mark scheme that you followed? Or just some modules easier than others?
At a masters level, they never quite tell you what they’re looking for in the mark scheme etc, so just wondering what approach you took?
Thanks!
Star
Hey Star 🙂
Legit absolute carnage of a 3 year haha.. Honestly I have no idea how some were scraping pass and some were distinctions…. lol if I knew I’d get all distinctions xD
I do think using evidence to back up what I was doing and then sort of comparing different ideas before explaining why I chose what I did helped a bit.
Congrats on finishing and your excellent results. I am currently enrolled in this degree and honestly finding it a chore to get through. I feel like I am not learning much and I am 7 modules in and this is making me frustrated. I too am looking for a career change like you and the feeling of not knowing anything is really preventing me from applying to any jobs. I just am looking for some advice about not feeling this way and how to actually feel like I am learning on this degree
Hi Brian,
Wow, you’re already 7 modules in! That’s a huge achievement and you’re so close to the finish line.
Did you take any breaks along the way? And what kind of roles are you aiming for? It would also be interesting to know what field you were in before this as sometimes it helps to draw connections between past experience and new opportunities.
It’s totally normal to feel overwhelmed or frustrated during a course like this it’s tough AF. Juggling so much content in a short time, while balancing work and life, isn’t the easiest way to learn for many of us – me especially! Personally, for me to learn I need to revisit concepts repeatedly in different ways over a LONG period of time to really retain them. Even now a year after finishing I’ve forgotten much of the theoretical content 🙁
But what stuck with me and what’s been really helpful in my career is the process of problem-solving. The course taught me how to tackle problems I didn’t initially understand by:
1. Breaking them down into smaller questions (like forming hypotheses).
2. Researching and exploring existing data or information.
3. Iterating until I reach a conclusion or solution.
Each person will take diff bits away from the course but for me, that process was more valuable than memorising specific technical concepts. It’s helped me a lot in my role as a data engineer, where I handle things like data analysis, data cleansing, automating processes, and designing solutions. You can learn this process elsewhere but the MSc qualification you gain after completing this course shows your competence in your job search so it’s an added bonus. I’d say I only use about 20% of what I learned from the course directly but the skills I picked up from completing it like problem-solving and self-learning have been far more valuable.
My advice? Think about the kind of role you want and which parts of the course are most relevant to it. Focus your efforts there. Self-directed learning is a big part of this field and tailoring your studies to align with your career goals can make the process feel more purposeful and rewarding.
You’ve already come so far … keep going! You’re building valuable skills, even if it doesn’t always feel that way right now. You’ve got this!
Best of luck,
Becky xxx