Wyndru
Diamond Member
- Apr 9, 2009
- 7,318
- 4
- 76
WTF.
How about owning up to not studying well enough for the exam? It's always someone elses fault, isn't it?
The OP isn't entitled to a good grade just because he did well on a previous assignment. I got the highest grade in the class on one exam and then failed then next one when I was in college once. I just owned up to the fact that I didn't study and took it like a man.
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You're that guy, aren't you. You know, the little weasel who is always at the front of the class whining about his grade, how hard the homework is, making excuses for why you fucked up. You'll have a rude awakening when you make it in to the real world.
gorcorps
aka Brandon
- Jul 18, 2004
- 30,739
- 452
- 126
No kidding. Using an "I'm sick" excuse is also an especially bad one. No prof will take you seriously.
Mr. Lennon
Diamond Member
- Jul 2, 2004
- 3,492
- 1
- 81
All an F means is that you didn't even try to study. Professor is going to laugh at you if you try to complain about your grade.
I assume you don't care about the opinions of posters in this thread; rather, you care about your grade. If that's the case, forget resolving it via email. Go talk to the professor in person. If that's not easy because he or she doesn't lurk in an office regularly, call or send an email politely and concisely saying that you'd like to discuss your grade on the final.
If you make the situation confrontational, the professor will most likely dig in and refuse to budge. Go to the meeting with a short outline of your argument:
1) This is an important class and I take it seriously.
2) I understand and accept that my effort on the final was insufficient.
3) The fact that partial credit was given on previous exams but not on the final seems unfair to me [don't dwell on the unfair part, you're looking for sympathy].
4) I think that I deserve a [whatever grade you think you'd get with partial credit] and was wondering whether that would be possible.
It's very important to note that once a grade is finalized, it's much, much harder to change it. Most schools have a cutoff date each submission after which professors must jump through many hoops to alter a grade. You don't want to miss that date.
edit: PS - Don't go over the professor's head or [lots of parents seriously do this] sue the school because you didn't study.
If you make the situation confrontational, the professor will most likely dig in and refuse to budge. Go to the meeting with a short outline of your argument:
1) This is an important class and I take it seriously.
2) I understand and accept that my effort on the final was insufficient.
3) The fact that partial credit was given on previous exams but not on the final seems unfair to me [don't dwell on the unfair part, you're looking for sympathy].
4) I think that I deserve a [whatever grade you think you'd get with partial credit] and was wondering whether that would be possible.
It's very important to note that once a grade is finalized, it's much, much harder to change it. Most schools have a cutoff date each submission after which professors must jump through many hoops to alter a grade. You don't want to miss that date.
edit: PS - Don't go over the professor's head or [lots of parents seriously do this] sue the school because you didn't study.
In my first semester of college I thought I was failing a course I needed for my intended major and wanted to find out asap so I could hold onto my textbook and/or redo my schedule over winter break. I fired off a relatively short email to the prof explaining exactly what the issue was, fully expecting him to call me a moron and tell me to take a hike. Instead, he responded within 4 hours explaining that my average was higher than I thought, I did fine on the final, my course grade was better than I needed, and to enjoy my winter break so it's certainly worth trying. If you did poorly AND he's unreasonable, what more can he do to punish you? If he's a nice guy and willing to work with you then not emailing him will preclude you from getting any of the info you're looking for.
That being said, a good friend of mine teaches a few undergrad courses every semester and just last week he told me that he hates the post-finals period because many of his students email him stupid questions that he already answered or are clearly spelled out in the syllabus. He made it a point to say that he generally does not even respond to those emails and does not hold office hours specifically so he doesn't have to deal with those students.
I guess the bigger question is what do you want from the professor? Just to know your final grade? If you're concerned about failing I'm sure you can contact the department or dean's office. At least where I went to school, grades had to be in before graduation specifically because of potential issues with failing courses. If your concern is a "low" grade, there's not necessarily any reason to need it resolved before graduation...your transcripts can be altered after the fact and if you haven't already applied to and gotten into grad school for next fall, I don't see how you're going to do that now.
i usually think if you have questions about your exam, you should talk to your prof.
i had this gchem final or midterm where everyone bombed, including me, but i thought i would've done better. i went to talk it through with the prof and she realized she made some significant grading errors - i went up like 2 or 3 standard deviations on it after the regrade.
i had this gchem final or midterm where everyone bombed, including me, but i thought i would've done better. i went to talk it through with the prof and she realized she made some significant grading errors - i went up like 2 or 3 standard deviations on it after the regrade.
Often times the grading scale isn't really set until alll the points are in....too many variables come into play, and if he hasn't seen everything, it could still be wide open. Most profs that have taught the class many times have a good idea of where the averages will fall, but it can still swing half a grade or so, depending on the quality of the class.
Moreover, I don't know what class this was in, but in the sciences, profs (or the TA's grading the exams) are pretty analytical for the most part, or are at least convinced they are. This is the important part, because this is what convinces him or her that they did it right to the best of their ability, and they don't want to hear you bitching about how it didn't match the HW. Tough shit, welcome to life. As long as the problems were fair (or reasonably fair to a close approximation, again, in his mind) then he will see it as being consistent, and thus, valid. I've graded thousands of final exams, and dealt with thousands of complaingin students. I can't think of one instance where I or the prof said "Wow! We screwed the pooch here! Let me get you your A!" At most, the points have swung 5 or ten in their favor tops, which had a miniscule (none really) impact on their grade. Bitching about it will get you nowhere.
Further, one final (or even one class) is not going to sink you for grad school. Hell, a bunch of classes might not sink you, as long as you're not gunning for harvard law. You're probably fine. Go relax, pound some beers and/or ass, and enjoy the last 3 months of freedom you'll ever have.
DrPizza
Administrator Elite Member Goat Whisperer
- Oct 30, 2000
- 42,589
- 5
- 0
Except that any reference from him will not fly.
If he chooses to retake the course; his attitude will be informally passed along as an FYI to another instructor if he becomes a PITA.
Farmer
Diamond Member
- Dec 23, 2003
- 3,334
- 2
- 81
alkemyst
No Lifer
- Feb 13, 2001
- 83,769
- 19
- 81
when I went back to college in 1999/2000, all my classmates always contested their shitastic grades...sometimes even with their parents. I was so sad. Professors usually caved in.
I had a couple profs from the original MaBell days...they totally shot those fucking assholes dead. My DB instructor called almost 50% of the class up front one day (the day after you could get a W) and dismissed them all with an F for cheating.
I had a couple profs from the original MaBell days...they totally shot those fucking assholes dead. My DB instructor called almost 50% of the class up front one day (the day after you could get a W) and dismissed them all with an F for cheating.
waffleironhead
Diamond Member
- Aug 10, 2005
- 6,945
- 460
- 136
Try again, cause you're still failing
I'll even get you started.
"All semester,....."
Saint Nick
Lifer
- Jan 21, 2005
- 17,722
- 6
- 81
SP33Demon
Lifer
- Jun 22, 2001
- 27,928
- 142
- 106
Printer Bandit
Lifer
- Mar 16, 2005
- 13,856
- 109
- 106
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
buy some kneepads
CrazyAznDriver
Golden Member
- Nov 28, 2010
- 1,200
- 0
- 0
Haha my favorite finals was physics... I got a 20% on the final and got an b+. Got to love that curve.
TecHNooB
Diamond Member
- Sep 10, 2005
- 7,458
- 1
- 76
I thought those guys sat towards the back :hmm:
I actually rarely hear people whining about grades during class. Maybe during office hours.
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