Venting : Whining about Grades

[Kortytoh]

This is venting.

I was perusing the student boards for my Critical Thinking course when I stumbled upon this little gem:



Hello,

I was not satisfied with my mark in my midterm so i was wondering if we could have another midterm which will be a make up for this one.

Oh, is that so? Poor little boy isn't "satisfied" with his mark, so he wants another midterm, perhaps one which will allow him to attain marks more in line with his great intellect, something which the professor has clearly missed. It would be a shame for such a shining example of human brilliance to be obscured by something as ugly as a poor mark.

I thought this particular brand of idiocy was something people grew out of after leaving the confines of secondary school. Three years down the road, I realize the only thing that has changed is the audacity with which students demand grades more in line with their perceived intellectual worth.

I have noticed this more in the liberal arts than in the sciences, where grading tends to be more subjective and therefore more open to "upwards re-assessment". The average on this particular midterm was 59%, completely in line with the more challenging courses at the Year 2 level at my university. The fellow above clearly does not seem to understand the concept that not all marks can be As, and that just because you don't like the mark you get, you cannot decide the test was flawed and demand a new one.

If you want to play with the big boys, you have to give up your childish caprices. Simple as that.

Gahhh, this exasperates me so... there is no concept of being responsible for your results, and of taking adversity as it comes, with a stiff upper lip and the disposition to overcome it.

[AMothfromWpg]

This is venting.

I was perusing the student boards for my Critical Thinking course when I stumbled upon this little gem:



Oh, is that so? Poor little boy isn't "satisfied" with his mark, so he wants another midterm, perhaps one which will allow him to attain marks more in line with his great intellect, something which the professor has clearly missed. It would be a shame for such a shining example of human brilliance to be obscured by something as ugly as a poor mark.

I thought this particular brand of idiocy was something people grew out of after leaving the confines of secondary school. Three years down the road, I realize the only thing that has changed is the audacity with which students demand grades more in line with their perceived intellectual worth.

I have noticed this more in the liberal arts than in the sciences, where grading tends to be more subjective and therefore more open to "upwards re-assessment". The average on this particular midterm was 59%, completely in line with the more challenging courses at the Year 2 level at my university. The fellow above clearly does not seem to understand the concept that not all marks can be As, and that just because you don't like the mark you get, you cannot decide the test was flawed and demand a new one.

If you want to play with the big boys, you have to give up your childish caprices. Simple as that.

Gahhh, this exasperates me so... there is no concept of being responsible for your results, and of taking adversity as it comes, with a stiff upper lip and the disposition to overcome it.

Your example - guy doesn't have a case.
However I would argue (and I will be actually filing an official complaint on the topic when I can find some time) is that alot of faculties (nevermind Universities) do not have a standardized grading schema implemented.
So not only do you have a rage in percentage/grade between faculties, you have it between the same courses and sections - where a B in one class will be a C in another (or any other variance thereof).
That's frustrating.



Ok, so I am taking a BA. Still, the point matters.

[ALI~2853]

All I got to say is that is kind of stupid...whining about bad grades. I get grades that I'm not satisfied with but I don't whine about it because I know it's my fault. I just don't tell certain people what my grades are to prevent getting in trouble.

[N. McKay]

Gahhh, this exasperates me so... there is no concept of being responsible for your results, and of taking adversity as it comes, with a stiff upper lip and the disposition to overcome it.

You're more than correct, of course. (Sometimes I've felt that university is wasted on the young!)

But:


The average on this particular midterm was 59%, completely in line with the more challenging courses at the Year 2 level at my university.

I don't know what letter grade 59 per cent equates to, but if it's anything near a failure than the midterm may be worth a second look. The average student in a course should pass the midterm, otherwise there's a good chance the prof is doing something wrong.

[army_gurl_74]

A 59% would be in the D- to D+ range... more so a D+. A D+ is a pass (depending on how your school works this might be different) but its also not the greatest mark in the world.

But I do agree with you that particular person's case, the midterm might have been a little bit more on the difficult side because of the average but if they passed they shouldn't be complaining because most of the time when a student's grade is bad its because they didn't study and not the prof's fault.

[Kortytoh]

I don't know what letter grade 59 per cent equates to, but if it's anything near a failure than the midterm may be worth a second look. The average student in a course should pass the midterm, otherwise there's a good chance the prof is doing something wrong.

The average midterm marks at my school go from high 50s to low 70s. So-called "bird courses" will have averages of 70-72% (B-), while the tougher courses (there's a few in every program, and everyone knows which ones they are) will have averages of 58-62% (D+ to C-).

This of course discounts sophomore Organic Chem with its delightful 49% averages on midterms (that's an F). Glad that's in the past for me...

[zoli]

Whining over a midterm with a 59% average might be a little justified but what I hate more is the people that come up to me and whine about getting an 80% on their assignment with the justification that "I always got A's in high school"

I would always explain to them that most of their class "always got A's" in high school that is why they are in University so you have to expect that a new grade distribution will happen.

I also hate the "So-and-so had the same answer I did and got one extra point" when in the grand scheme of things does one extra point on an assignment worth 0.5% of your final mark matter? I knew another TA whose response to this was to reduce the mark of the one with the extra point.

[JessieSkellington]

Ah, internet discussion boards.

Last year in my first-year Biology course, the Prof put the answers to the three midterms up so students could use them to study for the midterm. He also let us know that the questions would be very similar to the ones on the midterms, but obviously, a bit different. (i.e. asking about step A of a process instead of step B.) Quite generous of him, I think. But, someone made a post on the WebCT message board about how it was unfair not only that he was changing the questions slightly, but that he was changing the letters of the multiple choice. Basically, they were saying that anything less than having the exact same questions with the exact same answers on the final was unfair. Switching the correct answer to A instead of C was far too much too ask. Not only that, but a bunch of people agreed.

It just blows my mind sometimes. Obviously, the Prof wasn't swayed to keep the questions the same.

[army_gurl_74]

That is just.... ridiculous.

That is all.

[Flashman]

Kortytoh, the person you quoted.. I don't see them sticking around post-secondary institutes too long.

The one complaint I will give creedence to is that people in Arts courses are generally graded on fairly subjective things. Point and case, last semester I took a History course where 60% of the mark was earned over three papers. Thankfully, I put it together pretty well and walked away with a solid average in the class. Other people, including a friend of mine were less than fortunate.

One essay in particular, we each had a similar topic (mine Copernicus, his Galileo), I helped him edit and vet his paper, and in the end, while I felt mine was probably a bit better put together, they were roughly the same in quality. I walked away with an 85%, and he had a 60%, even though his essay was written effectively, and in good order, properly researched, etc. etc.

It just goes to show you that it all really depends on who exactly marks your stuff. Some people are more generous than others, some aren't, even when the quality of work is roughly similar. The plight of an Arts student...

[Kortytoh]

Indeed, and I feel your pain. When I am subjected to essay-type evaluation (roughly twice per term in my field of study), I always get this uneasy feeling that things are not as transparent as they could be.

What gets me is the near-constant whining and complaining, the arguing for marks not because one has legitimate cause, but simply to boost averages for admission into professional or graduate schools. Pitiful.

[zoli]

What gets me is the near-constant whining and complaining, the arguing for marks not because one has legitimate cause, but simply to boost averages for admission into professional or graduate schools. Pitiful.

The other thing coming into play is "grade inflation" many professors I've spoken to complain about this all the time. Gone are the days when a 70% was a decent mark now you need an 80%. This comes from public school systems that want to keep everyone happy and so give out higher marks. This constantly drove a friend of mine from Spain up the wall because he remembered graduating with an average of 66% and he was third in his class.

Its funny because once you get that first job no one cares about your marks anymore.

[TiffanyAbbott]

I dislike people who blame profs, for their bad marks. I wish people would just own up to their mistakes. There are 3 ladies in my psych course who do nothing but complain about their marks, which are 60-70s. Then they talk about how they only studied for a couple hours on sunday... well if you're not going to work at it, of course you're not going to get a 90.

I mean my tests in that class have been all over the place, from 80's to 50's but that's because of me, and my studying, or lack of.

[JessieSkellington]

I dislike people who blame profs, for their bad marks. I wish people would just own up to their mistakes. There are 3 ladies in my psych course who do nothing but complain about their marks, which are 60-70s. Then they talk about how they only studied for a couple hours on sunday... well if you're not going to work at it, of course you're not going to get a 90.

I mean my tests in that class have been all over the place, from 80's to 50's but that's because of me, and my studying, or lack of.

I definitely agree. I was sitting in front of a couple of kids in my Psych course one day and they spent about ten minutes before class complaining about how much they hated the Prof and how she gave them such horrible marks, and then in the same breath went on the say how they hadn't opened their textbook all semester. And all of the tests were about 75% multiple choice!

I think some people just desperately need to blame others for their own shortcomings.

[Cadpat Sailor]

The other thing coming into play is "grade inflation" many professors I've spoken to complain about this all the time. Gone are the days when a 70% was a decent mark now you need an 80%. This comes from public school systems that want to keep everyone happy and so give out higher marks. This constantly drove a friend of mine from Spain up the wall because he remembered graduating with an average of 66% and he was third in his class.

Its funny because once you get that first job no one cares about your marks anymore.

At my school 76 is decent, 70 is average, and 80+ is very rare beyond second year.

[RMC 24409]

I give you all an A+ ! ;)


Are you happy? :)


No?:banghead:



You should...:eek:



The course is Life 101.:rolleyes:

[Andy]

I give you all an A+ ! ;)


Are you happy? :)


No?:banghead:



You should...:eek:



The course is Life 101.:rolleyes:

Pfft - everyone knows that Life 101 is graded on the most ridiculous bell curve ever.

[pat16]

I think I'm failing that course :p I think I need to pay more attention in class :lol:

[Mr.Spooka]

I can't say I've taken Collage or Univeristy level courses (as I'm sure you can tell by my spelling). But I agree with you guys fully. Some people in my Music class failed a Theroy test (on transpostion from on key to another), they say it was becaue the teacher didn't help them understand the material. Yet, all class they sit there with their Ipods in their ears and think their cool playing Electric Bass or Drums. Not only that, they suck at playing them too.

[Maples]

It's only after leaving school for university that I think that the marking systems accurately relect genuine performance, (over in the UK there is a lot of exam grade controversy year-in, year-out.)

Having just started a Law degree it's not uncommon for people to start off with very low marks, which steadily rise as your knowledge and grasp of the subject expands to the stage where you can formulate intelligent and detailed judgments that reach beyond the immediate. If our tutors had started off by giving us up-scaled grades, no-one would take the subject seriously.

As a general rule, if you get a low mark, you deserve it. You should have done more research, attended more lectures/seminars, done more reading, or more independent study. There is always something more you can do to be that bit better.

The trick is then balancing that with a lifestyle that lets you enjoy university as a life experience as well as a learning opportunity. That's the hard part, finding that balance.

[MThornback]

The trick is then balancing that with a lifestyle that lets you enjoy university as a life experience as well as a learning opportunity. That's the hard part, finding that balance.

If there is ever a coles notes version of that plan that works...they'll win the nobel peace prize :p

[Geotech]

If there is ever a coles notes version of that plan that works...they'll win the nobel peace prize :p


I wish, I think that person would be come the unofficial god of college and university students everywhere.

[MThornback]

Yup....official status would be right behind procrastinatiors united being an accredited student group or political party :p

[Barbie]

Ulk. I officially hate this year and I am going to have my graduation soon. This year went by too fast with no point . . .

On another note, I have sex ed everyday for the next two weeks and the males in my class have the maturity of 2 year olds. :rollseyes: