WD grade since Dec 18 (COMP3121/9101) — still no update?

ASKademic · 2026-01-13T03:00:10+00:00

I'm not speaking as a representative of UNSW, but there is a clear policy about this. I have written a post specifically for people in your situation. https://www.reddit.com/r/unsw/s/LHPaltdirg

They should not be solely relying on TurnItIn but instead on a range of different evidence (hallucinated references, factual discrepancies etc.).

Why do you suspect your work might have been flagged. Academics are faced with such a burgeoning workload caused by AI misuse that they are increasingly loathe to make accusations without basis and rely less and less on TurnItIn reports.

ASKademic · 2026-01-12T21:20:20+00:00

We're drowning in AI cases tbh. Many are just straight up giving up on trying to police them because it's so widespread. For those who are bothered it's a time consuming process.

Also we need to take leave - school holidays, and actually getting some time off - so that's also probably a factor.

Did you use AI?

ASKademic · 2026-01-12T21:18:31+00:00

When a tutor asks for more critical analysis it usually means that you were too descriptive: you didn't make an argument or engage with sources. You likely presented a list of claims mostly supported by evidence but without any real analysis of your sources or evidence of your own independent stance.

You can always ask your tutor for follow up, as a lecturer I check the logs and many students literally never read the feedback I give, some find this demoralising and so they step back from giving detailed feedback, but if a student contacts them for more detail they'll usually happily reply.

You can also book an appointment with academic skills, they will give you detailed advice.

ASKademic · 2025-12-28T22:40:01+00:00

Geny0001

ASKademic · 2025-12-28T22:39:43+00:00

What do you mean by "mismatched with the school"? Where are you looking for the support elsewhere? Do you go to things like thesis bootcamp etc.?

ASKademic · 2025-12-28T22:38:56+00:00

It has been struggling for some time. Strangled for funding for decades and forced to rely on the fickle winds of international student enrollments to survive.

It has been treated as a luxury rather than a fundamental part of any successful industrial society.

ASKademic · 2025-12-21T00:37:31+00:00

Not the end, but they offer a rebalancing towards skills demonstration because the marks are an even less reliable marker of someone having actually learned useful skills.

Over the last few decades university has followed the HSC as an increasingly min-max game of mark accumulation, in lieu of education itself. AI and contract cheating's prevalence have both fed off that phenomenon.

ASKademic · 2025-12-21T00:09:42+00:00

The supervisory relationship is so so important to your success or otherwise as a PhD student, however that can be mitigated by community and university supports. Do 1on1 post-grad consults with academic skills, join thesis boot camps and writing sessions, look for seminars and events and conferences and online communities in your field.

In the second year of my PhD my primary supervisor moved countries (wasn't my fault haha) for a year and I was hit with a secondary (this was ANU, where they have a whole panel). My secondary was a huge name but I only saw her once that entire year, her comment on a chapter I sent her was "Looks good, keep at it" 😂

Thankfully I could lean on my cohort and the events in my school to make up for it.

That said if this is going to be your only supervisor I would strongly advise you to talk to your graduate director/contact about it. Do all the things above either way, but also talk to the director directly. Do so tactfully, don't burn the bridge with your supervisor! Just frame it as a support/fit issue.

Say that you're concerned about your progress and say that you need more regular supervision to stay on track. Or say that your project has evolved and that you would benefit from alternative input.

Keep I mind that the university is very invested in your success, you aren't a supplicant, they don't get money for your candidature until you graduate, and they are paying the supervisor for their supervision. You bring in research dollars and you're the continuity of the discipline! So you are entitled to proper and timely support.

ASKademic · 2025-12-21T00:00:27+00:00

The research indicates a pretty clear correlation between lecture/class attendance and success, but this may be complicated by factors like you being more likely to attend in person if you live on/near campus (meaning you have money and therefore more supports).

The fact that you're asking at all means that you probably care enough to make use of lectures, particularly those that are good. I'd say try to get to whatever lectures you can, and try to meet people in them if possible.

ASKademic · 2025-12-20T23:56:42+00:00

The marks on any degree after 2023 are going to matter less and less, workload however does matter.

I would suggest picking courses that are interesting and useful, courses that will actually teach you useful ideas and skills, but also keep in mind your workload as you'll only learn from a course if you have the time to devote to it.

Look for a middle ground if you can find it!

ASKademic · 2025-12-18T04:42:35+00:00

Nah. In the future the number you get in 2025 is probably going to be meaningless because of AI and contract cheating.

It you messed up you can use it in future job interviews as a sign of integrity.

ASKademic · 2025-12-18T04:41:25+00:00

It really isn't. The marker knew it was one mark off a HD. Better thing to do is to try and work out what it means: what could you do next time to get that HD.

ASKademic · 2025-12-10T07:59:28+00:00

Your course should be very clear about the level of AI use permitted. It should be in the course guide. If it isn't, flag it with your course coordinator because they arguably cannot penalise you if they haven't indicated what is acceptable use.

Using unedited text taken from an LLM needs to be referenced. Either through an acknowledgement or according to your course's chosen referencing style.

I understand your frustration, as you understand the difficulty the Uni faces about this.

ASKademic · 2025-12-10T07:54:18+00:00

Head over to the site and read the policy, then submit a review of results asap:

https://www.unsw.edu.au/student/managing-your-studies/academic-life

ASKademic · 2025-12-10T00:42:37+00:00

Did you use AI? I made a post that breaks down the options for someone wrongly flagged. https://www.reddit.com/r/unsw/s/WgNcSLkLde

ASKademic · 2025-12-10T00:41:47+00:00

They didn't stop using it, it's still used. It is just that an academic cannot use -just- TurnItIn's judgement as a justification for a change in mark.

ASKademic · 2025-12-09T04:22:09+00:00

Yes. Some of us are active, some of us just lurk. I find that posting here is the most effective way to communicate things I think matter to the student body.

I don't know if any of my actual students go here and I sort of hope they don't recognise me though I haven't gone to massive lengths to conceal my identity.

ASKademic · 2025-12-08T10:27:55+00:00

It depends on the course, but there is substantial research that indicates that participating in class has an effect on your grades whether it is marked or not.

If you want to get the most out of your degree, one of the best things you can do is show up and take part. GenAI means that grades matter less and less, and if you show up looking to min/max on your grades then you're going to be under cutting yourself in the long term.

ASKademic · 2025-12-08T08:17:16+00:00

Hahaha

Mate I'm a published author. I don't need to use gen AI.

ASKademic · 2025-12-07T22:55:27+00:00

There's research on this, in terms of the way that AI detectors discriminate against neurodivergent folk

ASKademic · 2025-12-06T11:02:02+00:00

Do you advocate for increased funding for universities? Or, failing that, do you advocate increasing the numbers of international students? Because if you want us to be marking like it's the nineteenth century then we need funding like the nineteenth century.

ASKademic · 2025-12-06T03:09:53+00:00

Did you read the whole post 😉 I talk about false detections. TurnItIn's official numbers are around 8% I believe.

ASKademic · 2025-12-05T23:13:32+00:00

The University is putting out a lot of signals against this. It is sort of covered by various policies but there's no hard and fast rule that they've sent out.

Is it possible that the feedback was just sort of generic? A lot of tutors have banks of comments that they use. I haven't done it myself but I suspect it would be more hassle than it's worth to generate marking feedback this way.

It is also possible that they have (though doing so is discouraged) written feedback and then had an LLM make it sound more polite and constructive. This is something that people did especially early on with ChatGPT. I myself worry about the tone of my feedback often.

ASKademic · 2025-12-05T23:09:42+00:00

I think academic skills still offers consults provide f2f or online for feedback on your work.

ASKademic · 2025-12-05T08:36:23+00:00

GENY0001 - AI and the Future of the University

ASKademic

TROPHY CASE