Fourth-year history student Sam Barrett told Sky News he loved studying at the University of Edinburgh but the recent disruption had "tarnished" his time in the city.

He said: "Quite a lot of jobs you need a certain degree - so many people are in this limbo, whereby they're potentially not going to find out and it's really problematic."

Members of the University and College Union (UCU) and EIS-Further Education Lecturers' Association (EIS-FELA) are taking action short of a strike in a dispute over pay.

Lecturers will mark work but will not enter the result into recording systems.

Institutions affected are said to be considering a raft of measures in response, which could include basing final grades on work already submitted.

The action - affecting 145 institutions across the UK - began on 20 April.

Mr Barrett, who submitted his 12,000-word dissertation last month, said: "It's extremely worrying. And especially after four years."

He explained that students "invest a lot of time and effort" into their dissertation and is something they "care deeply about".

He added: "So, the prospect that it's not being marked is extremely disappointing."

The student said that he was on the side of the academic staff.

He said: "I am in complete solidarity with them. I just can't believe that the university hierarchy have decided that this is a suitable course of action to take."

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The University of Edinburgh has vowed that all students' assessments and work will be read and marked, even if delayed by the impact of the boycott.

A spokesperson said: "The university has robust measures in place to reduce the impact of industrial action and we are making every effort to provide results, degree award outcomes and progression decisions to students by the published timelines.

"Marking and returning marks on assessed work is being treated with the highest possible priority."

A range of "temporary variations" have been put in place to provide flexibility to marking assessments and "to ensure that academic standards are not compromised".

The spokesperson added: "Such variations will only ever be used in the event that activities have been significantly disrupted by industrial action and only when it is not possible to mitigate this using existing provisions of regulations and policies."