42 means you barely passed.

Now that I have about fifty psychology students to take care of, I may claim myself to have become something like a tutor. How exciting! As a friend put it: It’s exciting to have people’s futures in your hands. Apparently, I do.

Initially, I’ve been excited to be able to share some of my pseudo-professional knowledge and likewise learn from what young and fresh people’s minds have to offer. And then…

…disillusionment set in.

I’ll tell you how this happened. I got a bunch of papers to mark. So far, so good. Until I started reading. Some of my students are bright, potential researchers. Others have turned my inherent positive attitude upside down. Once you read reports lacking the most basic language skills, not to mention a lack of logic, you sit there frustrated and disillusioned, thinking about anything that may cheer you up.

42 means you barely passed.

When I used to study, I needed a 60 to pass. Anyways, apart from the limited academic standards which, as I learned, are common standard in undergraduate education in the UK, getting a 42 appears to be more difficult than you might have guessed.

Fortunately, my kids have me. They will pass. And I plan to teach them how to get their methods right. And their references. And their error bar charts. (Hopefully this story will find an end once they hand in their next reports.)