Arbitrary grading

[Phd student]

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Hi All. I really need a good advice on this issue. I`m a doctoral student and I just finished all my coursework that are required. I am really a very good and diligent student and exceeded expectations in almost every work or research I worked on. I had this semester a professor who is really very difficult to deal with, he never seems to be interested in us or in teaching and doesnt make any effort to prepare himself for our class. This semester he was co-teaching a course with another professor in an area that I know very well. I had a very good relationship with the first professor who taught us about 8 classes and then there were 5 classes for this professor to supposedly teach.
In the first part of the course I`ve received an A+ and the material was enjoyable and the professor seems to know the material very well. In the second half of the course, this professor came to class and started to ramble on with no direction. On the syllabus the expectations of the first professor are clear while the expectations of this latter professor is really unclear. One example is the points for each assignment are really vague for example we had a presentation and a final paper and they are both combined on the syllabus as one item with one percentage of the grade. This might work in undergraduate course but on Doctoral level this is very weird and I have never seen this before with other professors. He also provides very unclear so called feedback and when I talked to him once about some points he took off from two assignments, and used examples from the paper that contrast his comments on the paper, he didnt say anything and told me that he will look into it.
The final paper that I`ve prepared is a paper that was really of a high quality and so was the presentation. Because there is no clear points for presentation and for final paper, I couldnt tell how the grade will be calculated but I know that because I had A+ with the other professor, only if this professor would provide arbitrary grade I would not get an A. Eventually I found out two days ago that I got a B+. I am very confused and I have no clue how this grade came about. the criteria for grading unlike the other professor are unclear and I responded to his comments which means that the grade should go up and not down. This professor I should say became known to be a manipulative person and students just want to get rid of him.
I just feel that this grade is so unfair and doesnt by any shape or form present my hard work and my knowledge of the subject not only me saying that but others including professors and students.
Any advice?

 

[Catalystik]

Hi All. I really need a good advice on this issue. I`m a doctoral student and I just finished all my coursework that are required. I am really a very good and diligent student and exceeded expectations in almost every work or research I worked on. I had this semester a professor who is really very difficult to deal with, he never seems to be interested in us or in teaching and doesnt make any effort to prepare himself for our class. This semester he was co-teaching a course with another professor in an area that I know very well. I had a very good relationship with the first professor who taught us about 8 classes and then there were 5 classes for this professor to supposedly teach.
In the first part of the course I`ve received an A+ and the material was enjoyable and the professor seems to know the material very well. In the second half of the course, this professor came to class and started to ramble on with no direction. On the syllabus the expectations of the first professor are clear while the expectations of this latter professor is really unclear. One example is the points for each assignment are really vague for example we had a presentation and a final paper and they are both combined on the syllabus as one item with one percentage of the grade. This might work in undergraduate course but on Doctoral level this is very weird and I have never seen this before with other professors. He also provides very unclear so called feedback and when I talked to him once about some points he took off from two assignments, and used examples from the paper that contrast his comments on the paper, he didnt say anything and told me that he will look into it.
The final paper that I`ve prepared is a paper that was really of a high quality and so was the presentation. Because there is no clear points for presentation and for final paper, I couldnt tell how the grade will be calculated but I know that because I had A+ with the other professor, only if this professor would provide arbitrary grade I would not get an A. Eventually I found out two days ago that I got a B+. I am very confused and I have no clue how this grade came about. the criteria for grading unlike the other professor are unclear and I responded to his comments which means that the grade should go up and not down. This professor I should say became known to be a manipulative person and students just want to get rid of him.
I just feel that this grade is so unfair and doesnt by any shape or form present my hard work and my knowledge of the subject not only me saying that but others including professors and students.
Any advice?

Since you're posting in a forum for permed students, I have to assume your eventual goal is to apply for medical school. The good news is that grades from grad school are rarely considered in the med school application process, as not all med students have a graduate GPA and because they are widely assumed to be inflated. The latter might not be true in your case, but one B is unlikely to hurt you.

 

[Phd student]

Since you're posting in a forum for premed students, I have to assume your eventual goal is to apply for medical school. The good news is that grades from grad school are rarely considered in the med school application process, as not all med students have a graduate GPA and because they are widely assumed to be inflated. The latter might not be true in your case, but one B is unlikely to hurt you.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I am not a pre med though, I just found similar topics here that resembles to mine. Ph.D. and MD often times face similar questions in their education I know that from students who I meet and work with. My two main concerns are first the grade was not based on clear guidelines and I worked hard on my papers. And second, the grade impact my GPA and it brings it down from 3.9 to 3.8. Finally, it is the unfairness and vague expectations that it is really weird.

 

[gyngyn]

My two main concerns are first the grade was not based on clear guidelines and I worked hard on my papers. And second, the grade impact my GPA and it brings it down from 3.9 to 3.8. Finally, it is the unfairness and vague expectations that it is really weird.

I can think of no situation in which this difference will affect you negatively.

 

[WingedOx]

It's good preparation for third year...

 

[LizzyM]

Let it go!

The point in a PhD program is to learn the material, not to grade grub. If the school gives you the opportunity to evaluate the course, make your complaints known in that way. Bring the syllabus to the attention of the director of graduate studies, if you have one, or ask the chair of your department to point you in the direction of the faculty committee in charge of reviewing syllabi.

Some faculty have no patience with grade grubbers and they will behave badly when faced with one. Don't be that student.

If you are consumed with the need to be perfect, please seek out someone in student counseling services to talk to about it. Nipping that in the bud can prevent illness down the road.

 

[JustAPhD]

The difference between a 3.9 and a 3.8 is irrelevant in a PhD program.

 

[mimelim]

It's good preparation for third year...

Good preparation for real life outside the super friendly feeling protecting bubble of American education.

 

[WingedOx]

Good preparation for real life outside the super friendly feeling protecting bubble of American education.

Well I AM a special snowflake. Bitchy OB residents were the only people to ever not see things that way.

 

[Goro]

For follow up on my learned colleagues sage comments, the bolded is particularly relevant in medical education. We have found that perfectionists tend to try to learn everything and end up learning nothing, and/or they're constantly in our offices annoying us about how their 95 should actually be a 96.

I had one student who's math on this was so contorted on trying to raise a 77 to a 78, that it actually warped space-time. Interestingly, she's now a psychiatrist in San Diego.

Let it go!

The point in a PhD program is to learn the material, not to grade grub. If the school gives you the opportunity to evaluate the course, make your complaints known in that way. Bring the syllabus to the attention of the director of graduate studies, if you have one, or ask the chair of your department to point you in the direction of the faculty committee in charge of reviewing syllabi.

Some faculty have no patience with grade grubbers and they will behave badly when faced with one. Don't be that student.

If you are consumed with the need to be perfect, please seek out someone in student counseling services to talk to about it. Nipping that in the bud can prevent illness down the road.