Nicest way to ask for a grade bump

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well I get A's not A-'s so this situation rarely arised with me :)
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Try to make it up by doing better on the mcats or in a higher upper-division class.

I got a 79.9something (like 1 pt away from a B) and the physics professor didn't round it, so I ended up with a C (my only C in college). Then I ended up getting all A's on the upper division engineering/physics classes and did well on the mcats. Also I think the professor was just an ass because he ended up failing 40% of the class, so I guess a C wasn't that bad.
 
KingHopkins said:
out of a 200 pt final i missed the A- cut off by 3 pts.

It was final redemption went from a D to C and this borderline. What do you guys think
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For the love of all that is good and holy, the answer is obvious, just ask!

Asking is better than not asking, suck it up, and go ask!
 
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ymnCheetos said:
I'm annoyed because you think you have a right to call me out on anything.

Besides, It's not like I'm the only one who got the points, I pointed out an problem with a wrong answer and everyone got their points back. Asking for points back that I deserve is hardly childish.




Edit: Just so you know, if I was 1 point away and there wasn't a question that I should have gotten right, I would have talked to my prof anyway.
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And you have every right to be annoyed. I guess I did not read your clarification of what happened. You made it seem...no actually you basically said (initially) that you should ALWAYS at least try to get the extra points...and you did not provide any definitition as to what would warrant someone approaching his/her prof to get back points with the hope of ultimately earning that grade bump.

So I guess I am annoyed at YOU for being unecessarily ambiguous and wasting my time!:smuggrin:
 
I was thinking about shooting my physics professor an email after today's final to ask for a grade bump, since I know I"m borderline.
I went to every lecture, and although I didn't show up to many of my professor's office hours( it conflicted with my schedule), I did attend the office hours of two of the TA's EVERY SINGLE time. (i'm not sure if that helps the argument)

What do you guys think?
 
I've done it once before. You probably need to be there in person (send the e-mail asking for an appointment), have a specific problem or two you feel you deserve more partial credit on, and have the professor like you. If your tests are multiple choice you're just screwed.
 
qualityhealth said:
I was thinking about shooting my physics professor an email after today's final to ask for a grade bump, since I know I"m borderline.
I went to every lecture, and although I didn't show up to many of my professor's office hours( it conflicted with my schedule), I did attend the office hours of two of the TA's EVERY SINGLE time. (i'm not sure if that helps the argument)

What do you guys think?
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I think it would be foolish to ask unless you can show that there was a mistake in the grading.
 
The prof can't just give you a bump. Unless there was a mistake in grading.
 
You could cry. After all, doesn't this C grade mean the world to you. You need this more than you need life. I would cry if I were in your shoes, but then again, I'm not.
 
Like I wrote in the similar D to C thread, just start crying. Don't stop the waterworks until the professor agrees to change the grade. Trust me, the sympathy votes you can get from it is amazing. After all, you really do want this grade changed? Might as well give your tear ducts a little practice.
 
I know I will still have to retake, but a D- counts at least for 1 Grad Point, while the E+ is .55 Grade points. I'm trying to keep my GPA from being hit too hard. I was 4 points away from a D- on the final. How should I ask the prof?
 
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I would take the D and retake the class. Can you do that? So you can get at least a B second round?
 
since when did a E be part of the grading scale? I have never heard of E's before, what school do you go to?

just ask the prof, if they change it then thats good, if they don't then at least you tried. Be nice about it and see what happens.
 
Cry and ask him to please don't fail you.
 
The prof can't just give you a bump. Unless there was a mistake in grading.
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Maybe you think he shouldn't, but he definitely can. I know because I've seen it done many times, and done it myself once.
 
jon stewart said:
since when did a E be part of the grading scale? I have never heard of E's before, what school do you go to?

just ask the prof, if they change it then thats good, if they don't then at least you tried. Be nice about it and see what happens.
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E meant "excellent" in elementary school. :thumbup:
 
The prof knows I was struggling with the material, but has helped me and I truly believe I have gained alot from the class.
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Then you got what you needed to out of it. You don't get points for being "most improved." It's unfair to your peers who were always on the crux of an A and missed it. One could argue they deserve it more than you since they were working hard from the start of the class.

I hate this kind of whining, honestly. You sound like a spoiled child. You get what you earn, not what you ask for.
 
I've also had a class where I missed the cutoff for an A by 8 pts(again, a single question on the final) and the prof wouldn't even respond to my emails or phone calls.
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EIGHT points? Dude, you've got balls of steel to ask for anything when you're EIGHT points away. And I don't care if it was out of 2000 points. It's still EIGHT points off.
 
Just sleep w/ the professor...could it be any more obvious:rolleyes:
 
Actually, it does matter if there are 2000 points in the class. If it was a million point class you would be asking for 4000 points, it's all relative. Incidentally if I was a prof I would make my class out of a billion points. That way if a student needed a bump they would ask for an unseemly amount of points... "I'm sorry, I know you just barely missed the A, but I cant give you 100,000 points!" heh heh heh it would be chaos!
 
My memory could be a little faulty, but I think my Orgo I class was out of 400 or 500 points. When I went in to get my final, the prof handed it to me, but as he did so, he volunteered on his own, "Sorry - you were only three points away from an A," and then turned back to his computer. I didn't argue the three points (which was one multiple choice question) since it was an A- vs. an A, but if it'd been the difference between a C+ or a B- I would have been pretty irked. Seemed a little cruel of him to tell me I missed the A by one question. It wasn't like I asked, and I honestly would have been happier not knowing that. I figured he would have bumped my grade on his own without saying that if he intended to do so, so why argue it?

If I were on the verge of a passing grade, first I'd scrutinize my final and see if there was anything where I could conceivably argue getting a couple of more points. If there wasn't anything, I might go to the prof (hopefully this isn't the first time you've ever been to see them), and explain that I studied and tried my hardest and really thought I'd mastered the material. I'd ask if there was absolutely anything extra I could do to raise the grade. If not, you just have to re-take the course.

But hopefully if you weren't doing well in the course to begin with, you'd have been going to see the prof more regularly, showing your dedication and demonstrating that you were really doing everything you could (including going to see a tutor if that was suggested). I had a 67% on my first Physics I exam and freaked out. I went to the prof, went over problems with him, and went to see a tutor. I did a little better and I think I got a 80% on the second exam, and actually talked him into giving the class an extra credit physics paper. Somehow, with getting an A on the third exam and doing well on the final and the extra credit paper, I got an A. I don't know what the break-down was, but I really think going in to see the prof throughout the semester helped.

This is a different situation, but I also recall for my Chem I lab I had a solid A going into the final, and then saw I had a B on my transcript after the final. I went in to see the prof, and he referred me to the TA that graded my half of the class. My TA had already gotten his PhD and left, but the other TA was still there. After she read through it, she realized that he didn't give me any partial credit whatsoever (they're supposed to) for several of the problems. After she adjusted his lapse in grading (and said she'd talk to the prof about checking the other students' finals), I received an email from the prof apologizing for the grading mistake and informing me that I did get an A. So, anyway, it is a good idea to question things if you're really boggled by your grade (i.e., it's lower than you anticipated it could be). :luck:
 
I have changed grades in the past when I have made a mistake, but I don't respond to wheedling. I have a student now who "feels he did A work" but who is receiving an A- in the class (even if I use his readjusted math, a 90.5% is an A-, not an A). Hate, hate, *HATE* grade wheedling.
 
Perrotfish said:
Maybe you think he shouldn't, but he definitely can. I know because I've seen it done many times, and done it myself once.
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On what grounds? Our teachers would think we were being stupid if we asked for a grade bump. Maybe I should have asked my english teacher, I had a 89.4 and he did not round it.
 
Doesn't this strike any of you as being hugely unethical? Think about it you earned a C but your b#tched and moaned to the professor to get him to change it...is that the kind of behavior a responsible premed and future doctor should exhibit?

Maturity people ... you earned those grades. Accept reality.

However, if the class is subjective like a philosophy or psych class or the professor is known to contradict himself i think you may as well make a good case. But only if he made a mistake in grades or in phrasing the question.

I have a huge problem with people who just go to the prof and ask "can you PLEAAASE change my C+ to a B!?"

Those people get 4 thumbs down :thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown:thumbdown :insert generic Rick James .gif here:
 
Ummm, you could just stop worshipping the almighty GPA?
 
Phenol312 said:
Doesn't this strike any of you as being hugely unethical?
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Hugely unethical? no. Maybe unethical for the professor who hands out grades without concern for merit, maybe futile or stupid for the student who has no case for a higher grade, but hugely unethical for no one.

I dislike people that have such a sense of entitlement that they lobby for grades they didn't earn. But if you're borderline, you might have a case for a higher grade. That is at the professor's discretion. While you hate "wheedling", Quix, do you not give students who are very borderline the opportunity to demonstrate that they earned the higher grade (in the very least by finding a mistake by you)?
 
thoffen said:
Hugely unethical? no. Maybe unethical for the professor who hands out grades without concern for merit, maybe futile or stupid for the student who has no case for a higher grade, but hugely unethical for no one.

I dislike people that have such a sense of entitlement that they lobby for grades they didn't earn. But if you're borderline, you might have a case for a higher grade. That is at the professor's discretion. While you hate "wheedling", Quix, do you not give students who are very borderline the opportunity to demonstrate that they earned the higher grade (in the very least by finding a mistake by you)?
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Absolutely - there's a difference between my making a mistake and a student hunting for extra points. I get more of the latter than the former, which is why I hate it. I especially hate it because I give ample opportunity for extra credit (the voting bonus occurs in every class I teach, I give extra assignments for bonus points, in classes with two exams I'll curve the lower of the two averages to the higher average, in classes with multiple high-point assignments I'll drop the lowest grade, etc.; and all of this *still* isn't enough for these students). I already bend over backwards to help my students, so if a student is still borderline despite all of this, tough nuggets.
 
Storm His Office And Let Him Know Whats Up!!
 
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