UCD resit fee extortionate

Larianne

I think all colleges should charge for repeats. Why Trinity doesn't, I don't know. Might make people take their exams more seriously instead of having the attitude of "ah sure there's always the repeats".

helimachoptor

errlloyd wrote: »

Dude I hate to argue both sides here, but **** it may as well.

5c is at profit what copri-print charge.
Invigilators are 10e an hour, and split between everyone re-siting
Electricity costs a fcking pittance and would be on anyway
Lecturers get paid a salary so **** them they can ****ing correct it for free
Those exam books surely cost about a third of the price of copy books.

So far this resit has cost UCD about 2 euro.

Ok i can accept that the cost of providing facilities etc doesnt add up to €230. So as pointed out above lets say €50.
so that leaves €180 as a deterrent tbh as the OP says he was broke etc I think having to pay €180, €360 etc etc for repeat(s) would be a pretty good deterrent.

If the OP is struggling there are plentiful resources available to get help. If he didnt go to lectures etc then thats tough, no use complaining when the means to pass the test has been there 2/3 times a week for the last few months.

MagicMarker wrote: »

Amazingly all other colleges have these same costs, yet don't charge as much.

Try harder.

They can charge what they want. UCD just charge higher but its not extortionate.
Again if you dont want to be put in the position of having to pay for a repeat dont fail the test.

helimachoptor

quicklickpaddy wrote: »

Jesus Christ man... You're actually trying to be a prick.

I'm not getting into a petty argument. €250 is greed - not an incentive.

I'm just even gonna bother replying any more. I've said my piece.

I dont know, paying €250 to repeat an exam ive already had a chance to do is quite an incentive to me.

anyway paddy, best of luck with the repeats, if you are struggling go to a tutor or lecturer.

Blatter

I'm gonna throw something else in here,

The cost of repeating a module(going to lectures, tutorials, labs etc.) + resiting the actual exam = the cost of just resiting.

How on earth can this be justified in any way shape or form, surely the cost of repeating the module should far outweigh just sitting the exam again.

Blatter

Larianne wrote: »

I think all colleges should charge for repeats. Why Trinity doesn't, I don't know. Might make people take their exams more seriously instead of having the attitude of "ah sure there's always the repeats".

I don't disagree with that, there should be a fee for repeating, but it shouldn't be used as a way of generating profit, which is clearly what UCD are doing.

I'm actually flabbergasted that some people can actually say that UCD's resit fee is not extortionate, when it clearly is compared with all other Universities and educational institutes.

I think NUIG charge one fee of €200 and you resit as many as possible.

I'm not sure but UCC's resit charge is €60-70, about 25% of UCDs.

errlloyd

Right, I am going to conclude by saying rather simply.

I was only ever arguing for the principle of deterrent.

If anyone thinks they or their class has been unjuststly ****ed with a hard exam, and therefore will largely have to repeat, email your rep, email your pro, email James Williamson and Paul Lynam.

These people are in positions to help you, 2 of them we pay. And tbh, I am sure they would like the chance for the PR victory.

If worst comes to worst, email Scot Ahearne and get some help paying.

Tails142

DIT only charge €30 a resit for comparison.

quicklickpaddy

helimachoptor wrote: »

I dont know, paying €250 to repeat an exam ive already had a chance to do is quite an incentive to me.

anyway paddy, best of luck with the repeats, if you are struggling go to a tutor or lecturer.

I know I said I was going to stop but this is the last one.

First of all. Stop being arrogant, pretentious and condescending. It makes you look like a wanker. I'm not trying to make enemies here.

My one point which has been continually ignored is that €250 is too much money. Let's say it was €100. That's still an incentive but it won't cripple people financially. There's a balance to be hit here. I'm not saying abolish the fee - it has it's purpose - but I have serious issue justifying €250. It is too much money. Simple as.

Blatter

Can anyone actually confirm the resit fee, I've heard €230, €250 and €270 from various people.

The link here clearly states it's €230 for the academic year 2010/2011.

http://www.ucd.ie/students/resits_repeats/

Is this incorrect or what?

*whichever one it is, they are still outrageous charges.

helimachoptor

quicklickpaddy wrote: »

I know I said I was going to stop but this is the last one.

First of all. Stop being arrogant, pretentious and condescending. It makes you look like a wanker. I'm not trying to make enemies here.

My one point which has been continually ignored is that €250 is too much money. Let's say it was €100. That's still an incentive but it won't cripple people financially. There's a balance to be hit here. I'm not saying abolish the fee - it has it's purpose - but I have serious issue justifying €250. It is too much money. Simple as.

The fact that you think i was being pretentious and condescending means you are in fact not even reading what i'm writing. If you think that by me saying go to a tutor etc is me being a wanker then again please re-read. If you are struggling and go to a tutor then you stand a chance of not having to pay €250 to repeat an exam by getting free help.

Also you dont have to justify it paddy, you just have to pay. You may think its extortionate I dont I view it as motivation to not have to repeat and thus not pay €250.

Fair enough you have to pay it this time, if you think its expensive then dont pay it again by passing the exams.

€100 is an average night out in town for a lot of people students included tbh.

Eager_Beaver

Can confirm its €230, but would want to be disastrous as most will be e for fail, leaving room for compensation.:D

quicklickpaddy

helimachoptor wrote: »

If there was something medically wrong with you most colleges will waive the fee.

helimachoptor wrote: »

And may i say i had it quite a site more difficult than you had it now

helimachoptor wrote: »

So the invigilator provides their time free of charge? thats very nice of them. The ESB dont charge for the electricty during repeat time? How nice of them. The printing company dont charge for printing repeat papers? How nice of them.

helimachoptor wrote: »

The fact that you think i was being pretentious and condescending means you are in fact not even reading what i'm writing.

helimachoptor wrote: »

Also you dont have to justify it paddy, you just have to pay

I think arrogant pretentious and condescending about covers it. I'm not trying to insult you. Just listen to yourself.

helimachoptor wrote: »

€100 is an average night out in town for a lot of people students included tbh.

My god man... You're talking to a student here. I can't remember the last time I spent more than €25 on a night out.

Tea-a-Maria

helimachoptor wrote: »

€100 is an average night out in town for a lot of people students included tbh.

Jesus Christ what do you buy on a night out?Champagne and caviar!?Most students I know would spend €20-€30

My two cents,having a resit fee is a good deterrence for wasters.I've seen a fair few people not do a tap all year and then whinge and cry about having to pay resits.Zero sympathy for them.

That said,€230 is extortion of the highest order especially when other unis are compared.UCD seem to have a habit of this,between the massive library fines,the fine for not having your student card..:(

quicklickpaddy

Tea-a-Maria wrote: »

That said,€230 is extortion of the highest order especially when other unis are compared.UCD seem to have a habit of this,between the massive library fines,the fine for not having your student card..:(

Exactly what I'm talking about. €50 for not bringing your card to the exam. This is the kind of system UCD operate under and I think it's more than fair enough to kick up a fuss!

Larianne

quicklickpaddy wrote: »

Exactly what I'm talking about. €50 for not bringing your card to the exam. This is the kind of system UCD operate under and I think it's more than fair enough to kick up a fuss!

Ah here now, what? That's ridiculous!

helimachoptor

quicklickpaddy wrote: »

I think arrogant pretentious and condescending about covers it. I'm not trying to insult you. Just listen to yourself.



My god man... You're talking to a student here. I can't remember the last time I spent more than €25 on a night out.

Post 1: Helpful info, if you miss an exam and present a doctors not the fee will be waived. Explain how this arrogant/pretentious/condescending.

Post 2: Doing a subject from September - December and not getting tested til May is a lot harder than doing a subject Sept - Dec and the exam in December. I have experience of both systems.

Post 3: So do they provide their services for free? Replying to a stupid post by MagicMarker and wasnt aimed at you.

Post 4: I gave a helpful post saying if you are struggling go and get help and it may result in you not failing and thus not having to pay €230. I fail to see how that is arrogant/pretentious/condescending

Post 5: You dont have to justify paying it, you have a simple choice. If you want to repeat then pay it. If you dont want to repeat for whatever reason i.e. if you think its an extortionate rate dont pay it.

Post 6: I play soccer and there are a number of students on the team, this is the average amount they spend and tbh even i was shocked, ok i can accept that this may not be the average per student per night. But i'd say as most students would probably go out twice a week they hit this figure.

Blatter

Larianne wrote: »

Ah here now, what? That's ridiculous!

Don't sound too suprised, this is UCD we're dealing with.

helimachoptor

Tea-a-Maria wrote: »

Jesus Christ what do you buy on a night out?Champagne and caviar!?Most students I know would spend €20-€30

My two cents,having a resit fee is a good deterrence for wasters.I've seen a fair few people not do a tap all year and then whinge and cry about having to pay resits.Zero sympathy for them.

That said,€230 is extortion of the highest order especially when other unis are compared.UCD seem to have a habit of this,between the massive library fines,the fine for not having your student card..:(

I wish
5 pints €25, 3/4 vodka red bulls €30/€40, food €10, nitelink €5 or taxi €20

I see what your saying but theres no way to distinguish between wasters and people who tried and failed.

Re-sit fees will only be going up. The other colleges will have parity with UCD within the next 2 years.

helimachoptor

quicklickpaddy wrote: »

Exactly what I'm talking about. €50 for not bringing your card to the exam. This is the kind of system UCD operate under and I think it's more than fair enough to kick up a fuss!

Paddy this is something we agree on 100%.
ITTallght is 30/40 i think

Larianne

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

Don't sound too suprised, this is UCD we're dealing with.

Well I think the fee for resits is fine, €50 for not having your ID is a loada balls. Although in fairness you should have some cop on to bring your ID with you to your exam.

Blatter

Larianne wrote: »

Well I think the fee for resits is fine, €50 for not having your ID is a loada balls. Although in fairness you should have some cop on to bring your ID with you to your exam.

You think a resit fee that is on average ~300% of what other universities charge is fine?

Your entitled to your opinion but the majority of people and I think thats a load of balls.

Econoline Van

Larianne wrote: »

Well I think the fee for resits is fine, €50 for not having your ID is a loada balls. Although in fairness you should have some cop on to bring your ID with you to your exam.

Out of 22 or so exams I've fogotten mine once. An honest mistake. And I would NOT have been happy if I'd been slapped with a fifty euro fine for it.

davi78

Today I had my last exam, it was in a subject that I picked up towards the end of the drop/swop period so I started behind the rest of the class. I also have a medical condition that impacts my ability to study and attend classes on occasion.

In order for me to have any confidence going into my exam today, I enlisted the help of a tutor. We met a total of 6 times, the cost was €40 per hour. So I have so far paid out €240. Unfortunately, I came out of my exam pretty upset because a lot of what was on the paper was not covered in my tutoring sessions. This is certainly not the fault of my tutor by the way, just bad luck. I am certain I have failed this module and now have to somehow resit it.

As I was not ill at the time of my exam, I will be liable for the resit fee which will bring the cost of passing a 5 credit module up to nearly €500. How can anyone say that the cost of resitting an exam is fair? I would not think of suggesting a sliding scale nor would I want special treatment but I am disgusted at the idea of having to pay to resit an exam that I did nothing but try my hardest to pass.

I believe that part of the Student Services Fee that we all pay should go toward extra tuition for students who are honestly struggling, not those who can't be bothered to turn up to class.

That's my opinion anyway.

dyl10

To the troll in this thread:

You seem to be a) confused about the matter and b) to be clutching at straws.

UCD charge an extraordinary fee to resit and allow their students to resit exams practically forever.
Despite what delusions you may have about UCD, the quality of student that graduates from UCD isn't a top priority for the college at the moment, money and numbers is.

If they cared about the integrity of their courses they would kick people out eventually, but they don't, they let them repeat forever because all they want is $$$

I have no opinion on the merits of this either way, this is just my observation.

Larianne

SOCCER4LIFE wrote: »

You think a resit fee that is on average ~300% of what other universities charge is fine?

Your entitled to your opinion but the majority of people and I think thats a load of balls.

Well, it should be a standard fee across the board in every college like the reg. fees. But I think €250 is probably maximum it should be.

Econoline Van wrote: »

Out of 22 or so exams I've fogotten mine once. An honest mistake. And I would NOT have been happy if I'd been slapped with a fifty euro fine for it.

True it is very steep fine. Do they actually charge people the fine?

mumtoe&e

helimachoptor wrote: »

I was a standard i.e. post LC college student and also a mature student last year, yes parts were tough but if you put the work in you will pass.

And if you do buckets of study and still fail maybe the course isnt for that person.

This isnt always the case! I am a mature student - 2 active kids in tow, commuting 80 miles per day to and from UCD & currently working my fingers to the bone studying, whilst trying to juggle everything else. I am doing a course that "is" for me, however I am finding it extremely difficult. Pharmacology is a module that I am guaranteed to fail, I am studying it day and night, went to all lectures (bar one) attended an extremely worthwhile revision full day last week - yet I STILL dont get it - and am guaranteed to fail, even though I have spent 8 solid hours studying it today. Dont generalise! Not everyone who fails didnt put the work in!
Jump down off that high horse there!

davi78

Larianne wrote: »

Well, it should be a standard fee across the board in every college like the reg. fees. But I think €250 is probably maximum it should be.




True it is very steep fine. Do they actually charge people the fine?

They do indeed. On Monday I took my card out of my wallet as I did not want to bring my wallet into the exam hall. Somehow it fell out of my jeans pocket, probably during a frantic search for either coffee money or my cigarettes. I was interrupted three times during my exam to explain where my card was, to fill out a form explaining that I did not have my card and again to explain where my card was.

One of the invigilators explained to me that if I could produce my missing card before the "lost card" forms were processed they would waive the fee. Some very kind person (thanks to who ever you are!) handed in my card, I brought it to the invigilator and I was not charged the €50.

It is absolutely ridiculous that no other form of ID is acceptable. I do not understand why a drivers licence or passport is less trustworthy than a student card.

Blatter

Larianne wrote: »

Well, it should be a standard fee across the board in every college like the reg. fees. But I think €250 is probably maximum it should be.

I agree it should be the same across the board.

Another poster stated earlier that it cost about €50 admin costs per paper.
It is most unfair to make a €200 profit for every paper, especially in the difficult financial circumstances alot of students find themselves in today. And it's an unfair argument that students should not fail in the first place as I've already said, there are plenty of mature students who struggle and fail, through no fault of their own. Also those doing Veterinary/Medicine/pharmacy/engineering can genuinely fail an exam without dossing.

I would have no problem charging a high fee for those who get less than 10-15%, who have clearly being dossing.

There is no escaping the fact that the current resit fee is extortionate by any standards.

Blatter

Larianne wrote: »

True it is very steep fine. Do they actually charge people the fine?

You're saying that €50 for forgetting your student card is extortionate but €250 for a resit is not.

The cost of admin of resit is ~€50. Which is 1/5 of the resit fee.
The cost of admin in the case of a student card not present is probably ~€10, which is around 1/5 of the penalty.

They are both extortionate.

Larianne

If it's only €50 people wouldn't care.

I go to TCD where there is no charge for resits and the amount of people I have heard saying "ah sure there's always the repeats." I think they would think twice if they had to pay a €250.

There is special circumstances though where it should be waived, say if someone had been ill etc., where they can state their case but I think for the most part, the charge should be that steep.