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Badger Girl

Badger Girl

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Alright, I don't want to be a whiner, but my genetics grade was just posted. I got a B+. 🙁 I have never been so mad at a B+ before in my life. The reason why I was mad is because I was less than ONE percent away from an A-. Seriously....grrr! 😡 I definitely have become grade-obsessed, which I never have been before. It is way different when you have a specific goal in mind!

I know that there is a recent thread about getting lower grades and I'm not trying to rub that in because I know that a B+ is not terrible, but I guess I thought I was going to be able to pull off a higher grade.
 
Im with ya Badgergirl. Ive always been somewhat grade obsessed but this past year I was completely adamant that I get all A's in Chem and OChem. Thankfully, I was successful but I must have been in my professors office at least twice a week asking questions. And before test....instead of PMS I had PTS (okay that looks wrong...ie acronym for euthanasia..but you get my drift) Any chance you can talk to your professor and see if he can look over your grades and perhaps regrade you to a A- for effort? Couldnt hurt to ask. Explain to him/her about the vetschool thing. My professor (also one of my references) was very understanding about why I needed/wanted/had to have/ was obsessed...LOL...with getting an A. If that doesnt work, then I guess you just have to chuck it up to doing the best you can. Funny...now that I think of it I got a B in Genetics too. Grrrrrr!
 
You earned a B and he gave you a B, I don't see what the problem is. Seriously this is ridiculous.
 
Agreed...I think it definitely could hurt to go back and ask for a "re-grade"; in my opinion, that would look like what you don't want it to look like: whining and grade-grubbing.

Take what you earned, be satisfied with what you learned, and move on...



ratbandit said:
You earned a B and he gave you a B, I don't see what the problem is. Seriously this is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
 
Happens in vet school, too. In one of my classes, I was 3 POINTS away from an A. Not three PERCENT, but three POINTS. As in, one question on the final exam. The class only had 450 points available. No pluses and minuses here, either--so I got the B.

Our scale is 90-100 is an A, rounding is done at 89.5. A friend got an 89.45% in a different class. She has to take a B in the class.

No big deal in the big picture of things. As someone said, there are plenty of worse things. When calculating your pre-req GPA, that 0.3x3 credits or whatever is going to make MAYBE 0.01 difference--if it helps you to think of it that way. 🙂 Grading scales are grading scales for a reason...sucks, but no big.
 
ratbandit said:
You earned a B and he gave you a B, I don't see what the problem is. Seriously this is ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Excuse me, but what is "so ridiculous" about this? Last time I checked, you need pretty high grades to get into vet school and I think everyone has been a little disappointed here and there with a grade or two. For the record, I earned a B+, not a B.

Relax. Jeez!
 
I have more Bs in undergrad than I can count on two hands. No pity here! I understand the "almost perfect" frustration, but seriously, it won't make you any worse off. You'll be fine.

(Not trying to be mean, really. It's just kind of a peeve of mine when straight A students or close complain about Bs... kind of like my friend complaining that she can't find a shirt that fits because, "The medium is too big for my stomach, but the small isn't big enough for my boobs!" I'm like, "Oh, you poor thing." 🙄)
 
Sheesh. Some people are being a tad hard. Badger Girl, I know the feeling. It's frustrating to be so close to that A. But don't let it get to you. A few B+s won't stop you!
 
Badger Girl said:
Excuse me, but what is "so ridiculous" about this? Last time I checked, you need pretty high grades to get into vet school and I think everyone has been a little disappointed here and there with a grade or two. For the record, I earned a B+, not a B.

Relax. Jeez!
Click to expand...
Still wishing you made this thread?
 
I'm not mad I started this thread. My overall GPA in undergrad was a 3.0, so I am taking all of these classes post-undergrad. I had more C's than I can count on one hand!! I had a great GPA in grad school, but it wasn't science-related. Science classes are a lot of work for me, so getting close to a A- was a real accomplishment! That's why I'm disappointed!! 🙁
 
You guys are gonna fit right in at vet school.
 
Badger Girl said:
I'm not mad I started this thread. My overall GPA in undergrad was a 3.0, so I am taking all of these classes post-undergrad. I had more C's than I can count on one hand!! I had a great GPA in grad school, but it wasn't science-related. Science classes are a lot of work for me, so getting close to a A- was a real accomplishment! That's why I'm disappointed!! 🙁
Click to expand...

I can 100% sympathize. My undergrad GPA was a 3.0 and I am taking all my pre-reqs now as a second bachelors. I had a ton of B's, and a scattering of A's, C's and D's. My best shot now is to do killer as a post-bac student and hope it looks good enough. I actually took genetics this semester also and am stressing about if I made the cutoff for a A- or not(hoping grades will be posted soon).

A 3.3 from a B+ does very little for brining up ones GPA compared to a 3.7 or 4.0 for an A. A B+ or a B just feels like a huge step backwards from my current position.

This semester I had to kicked my butt working 40 hours a week and taking Orgo 1, Gen Bio 2, Genetics, and Microbio. Keeping my fingers crossed for an A in the former 2 and an A- in the latter.
 
Sorry but GET A GRIP! It's not the end of the world! I got in to 3 schools (off alternate lists for 2, right in to 1) and my worst grade was a BC in chem my freshman year. After that I received anywhere from a B- to an A. My GPA was basically a 3.35 so totally not stellar but it didn't matter!

I used to be a perfectionist but learned as I got older and had other priorities that it was a waste of time. There are other things in life to worry about!😛
Relax and breathe!
 
I understand that for some people, a B+ may not be that big a deal, but some of you are just being unnecessarily mean. BadgerGirl seems to only be frustrated with the B+ because she was so close to the A-. Even if you've never been in the situation where a borderline line grade has cost you the difference between an A and B (which I'm sure most of us have), just try to cut her some slack. All she's looking for is a little support.

Anyway, BadgerGirl, I know it's disappointing and I can sympathize. The same thing happened to me in my genetics class. I was close to the borderline, so I even took the final (which I didn't need to, since I was a senior and they had let seniors not take the final in that class), since the prof said it could only help my grade, and I still got the B+. But if it makes you feel better, I have a friend in his 1st year of med school right now who graduated with a 3.99 (he had one B+ in a non-science class), college and departmental honors, 3 summers of research work, and a couple schools actually rejected him or had him on the waitlist! I know it's not vet school, but it's similar. Anyway, even though he had a near-perfect academic record, he didn't get into his first choice school. Kind of ridiculous, but sometimes I think these schools just throw the apps down the stairs and pick the ones that fell to the bottom! 🙄
 
:clap: Yay! Zinkpanther gets it (and a few others, too!). I just figured that more people would have been in the same situation as I am in, but maybe that isn't the case! The difference this time around for me in school is that I actually care about my grades and I know I will have to work very hard in the other pre-reqs to get high B's/low A's!
 
Oops...tried to write a new thread, but replied to this one instead.
 
zpinkpanther said:
Kind of ridiculous, but sometimes I think these schools just throw the apps down the stairs and pick the ones that fell to the bottom! 🙄
Click to expand...

Actually, I think they put the names on little pieces of paper and throw them in the air and the ones that land on the table get in!
 
pressmom said:
Actually, I think they put the names on little pieces of paper and throw them in the air and the ones that land on the table get in!
Click to expand...

That's actually more logical. Because unless you had the apps nicely bound or closed up in manilla envelopes, you'd just be asking to have papers from one app mixing with papers from other apps, and generally have paper flying everywhere. Much too chaotic.

In fact, scratch that. Maybe these days they just have someone write a computer program to randomly select people for them. Afterall, it's a paperless process, right?😛
 
VAgirl said:
That's actually more logical. Because unless you had the apps nicely bound or closed up in manilla envelopes, you'd just be asking to have papers from one app mixing with papers from other apps, and generally have paper flying everywhere. Much too chaotic.

In fact, scratch that. Maybe these days they just have someone write a computer program to randomly select people for them. Afterall, it's a paperless process, right?😛
Click to expand...

My mom swore when i was applying to college that they posted them on the wall and threw paint at them. The ones that got paint got in. She claims they did it this way b/c it was fun for them too 😛!

Whatever way - it certainly all seems random at times!
 
Someone said don't go talk to the professor because it looks like you are complaining, I completely disagree with this. Of course it depends on how you approach it, but I know many a student who had their grade boosted because they went in and talked to their professor in a professional and sincere manner. It doesn't show that you are a whiner, it shows that you are a serious student and are truly interested in your grades. If you don't believe me, survey professor and ask what they like to see in their students. The majority (especially the good ones) will say they prefer students who get more involved and actually visit them during their office hours to talk about their grades. I had a professor that would only pass students if they came to see him during in his office, it didn't matter what you got on the exams.

How you do it is important. It's best to set up an appointment ahead of time rather than just surprising them with a visit. Let them know you want to set up a time to discuss your grades. Then when you go to visit them, make sure you have a copy of every exam and assignment from the course. Mark any questions that you got wrong that were unfair or you misunderstood the question. Even there was any subjective grades (graded for attendance or participation, essay questions, etc) question why he gave you the exact grade he did. State your case about how hard you worked in that class and any specifics that may support your case.

Griping about your grade on a public forum isn't going to do you much good. But taking action and actually trying to do something to change your grade just might. If you are seriously upset about your grade, you won't just complain about it but you will get out of your comfort zone and try to get it changed even if you seriously doubt it will work.
 
I was just venting; that's all. I don't expect to get my grade changed or anything. Like I said before, I just thought that more people could relate to this type of situation. Guess I found out the hard way. Yikes.
 
ratbandit said:
You earned a B and he gave you a B, I don't see what the problem is. Seriously this is ridiculous.
Click to expand...
If you were my best friend I would have told you the same thing, the point is it's not a big deal even though it feels like it is.
 
I guess I didn't understand at first that you weren't complaining because you had all As and didn't want a B to mar your "perfect record"... THAT is what irks me. "OMG I made a B, eww, that's so horrible, I can't believe I did that, I've never made a B before in my LIFE..." etc etc.

But, after you explained that your GPA is a concern to you because of previous undergrad stuff and you've been working hard to do well in the pre-reqs in order to bring it up, and you were frustrated specifically with the fact that it was sooooo close and not the fact that it was a B. I do get that, and it has happened to me before. It stinks.

So, I guess I can sympathize. It's still not the end of the world, but I think you knew that all along. Sorry for the misunderstanding on my part!
 
VAgirl said:
That's actually more logical. Because unless you had the apps nicely bound or closed up in manilla envelopes, you'd just be asking to have papers from one app mixing with papers from other apps, and generally have paper flying everywhere. Much too chaotic.
Click to expand...

Wow, we beat that joke into the ground! :laugh:
 
HeartSong said:
Someone said don't go talk to the professor because it looks like you are complaining, I completely disagree with this. Of course it depends on how you approach it, but I know many a student who had their grade boosted because they went in and talked to their professor in a professional and sincere manner. It doesn't show that you are a whiner, it shows that you are a serious student and are truly interested in your grades. If you don't believe me, survey professor and ask what they like to see in their students. The majority (especially the good ones) will say they prefer students who get more involved and actually visit them during their office hours to talk about their grades. I had a professor that would only pass students if they came to see him during in his office, it didn't matter what you got on the exams.

How you do it is important. It's best to set up an appointment ahead of time rather than just surprising them with a visit. Let them know you want to set up a time to discuss your grades. Then when you go to visit them, make sure you have a copy of every exam and assignment from the course. Mark any questions that you got wrong that were unfair or you misunderstood the question. Even there was any subjective grades (graded for attendance or participation, essay questions, etc) question why he gave you the exact grade he did. State your case about how hard you worked in that class and any specifics that may support your case.
Click to expand...

I agree - it's all in how you approach it. I've been in similar situations, and I would do essentially what Heartsong described. I'd go over all grades for the course and circle/highlight any question where I either didn't understand why it was marked wrong or disagreed with how it was graded. Then I would make an appointment to meet with the professor, saying that I would like to arrange a meeting to understand how I earned the grade that I did (remember: whether you got an A+, F, or any grade in between, you EARNED that grade, the teacher didn't "give" it to you) and thank him/her in advance for his/her time. When I met with the professor I would say something to the effect that I wanted to ask where he/she thought I could have improved in my performance, so that I can do well in my future coursework. When I was met with remarks such as "why are you this worried about finding areas where you can improve? A B+ is a good grade!" I would explain the situation, and that while I agree that a B+ is a good grade, there is room for improvement and that I want to be the best student I can be. After they give general tips in response to that first question (if they do), then I would whip out the assignments that I didn't understand or didn't agree with the grade that I got. I'd ask "what did I do wrong here?" or "why did I get this grade/this many points for this assignment/question?". For some questions where I think I deserved more credit than I received, I would go through my thought process with the professor and explain why I thought I was right. Sometimes the professor may give partial credit even if the answer was wrong, and when you're borderline between two grades, every point helps.

You'll have to decide for yourself if it would be worth it do something like that in this case, but I think it would be sound advice for all future classes to make sure to set up some degree of a rapport with your professors from the beginning of the course. Introduce yourself, attend and actively participate in lectures (don't be afraid to ask questions in class if the teacher allows it), go to office hours, etc. Most of my professors encourage us to email them with questions if we get stuck on homework assignments or when we run into something we don't understand when studying for exams. This may be an easy and convenient alternative if you can't make office hours. Bringing the professor any questions you have about the grades you earned on exams or assignments as you get them back over the semester is more effective than just bringing them all in after the final grades have been determined. If the professor remembers you as a hardworking, serious student when determining final grades, he/she may be more inclined to bump you up for all the effort you put in if you're on a borderline.

Wow, sorry for the long reply! I tend to get very verbose when I'm overtired. 😴 I hope that I was able to help, if you could force yourself to read that whole thing.
 
I think the truth of the matter is that most people aren't really interested in finding out how to "improve for your future coursework" and "become a better student" they are just convinced that they are right about a couple of points and just want the grade. I can't believe how many people here are actually suggesting this. If you were truly interested in the learnign the material you would have asked about this stuff DURING the semester not after the fact.
 
On the one hand I can see where you are coming from, Badger Girl, being in a similar situation during my second bachelors degree. I almost cried over an A- in the graduate Advanced Genetics course that I took as an undergrad, but I spoke with the professor and understood the reasoning behind it. She actually offered to move me up to an A in the end after speaking with her and I asked her not to, because she was right in that I should be held to the same standard as the graduate students.

On the other hand, I probably wouldn't post something like this here in a thread, because in the grand scheme of things, the hundredth of a percentage point that this will ultimately matter to your GPA isn't really worth getting that upset about.
 
I was just venting; that's all. I don't expect to get my grade changed or anything. Like I said before, I just thought that more people could relate to this type of situation. Guess I found out the hard way. Yikes.
Click to expand...
Guys, like she said, she was just venting... yeesh.

C'mon- we've all been there. That "So close I can taste it" kind of feeling. Plus, admit it, you'd trade a B+ for an A- any day of the week (well, except for Nyanko, apparently...).

And I really don't think that the difference between the B+ and the A- is reflective of anything having to do with "learning" or her work-ethic. You all know that grades are somewhat subjective AND, on the flip side, nation-wide grade inflation runs rampant. In a system that encourages us to compare ourselves to one another based on our numerical worth (i.e. GPA), no one is 1oo% of the time above that grade-grubbing urge which is sad since grade-inflation undermines the whole value of the "system" anyway. My oh my- the view is scenic from my soapbox today...

Besides... like I said, she was just venting. I thought this was a community in which we could support and empathize... hope I wasn't wrong. 😉
 
on a related note, i propose that this thread die.:bullcrap:
 
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