grading curves

[dogfood2k3]

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i hear of people getting 80/130 on exams and still recieving A's in the class, college classes? how can that be? 80/130 is like 60%, D at my highschool. how many of you guys bombed your exams and still recieved B's or higher because of grading curves?

 

[patmcd]

I've had several college classes like that. It tens to be common in certain subjects like organic and such.

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

My college organic class had no such curve. Also, high school and college are worlds apart when it comes to the difficulty of classes.

 

[ethyl]

There's also grading curves that work against students. My biochemistry professor would give the top 5% of the class A's. This class was only full of 60 or so students. The next 10% got B's. The next 15% got C's and the rest failed. Perty rough. 🙁

 

[Glycerin]

A humanities teacher I had would also curve on percentages. The top 5% would get A's, the next 7% would get B's, etc. It was some sort of bell curve distribution.

I also had a physics class (from which I later withdrew and rescheduled for a different semester at a different school) where >70 was an A, 40-70 was a B, and <40 was a C. I didn't feel comfortable with that grading scale, because to me a 70 is a 70. I just felt people were being pushed along without really learning.

 

[RyanRyan]

There's also grading curves that work against students. My biochemistry professor would give the top 5% of the class A's. This class was only full of 60 or so students. The next 10% got B's. The next 15% got C's and the rest failed. Perty rough. 🙁

Thats really really harsh!! What school do you go to? That would mean 70% of the class gets D's and F's?!?? 😕

Well I go to UC-Davis and in my general chemistry/organic chemistry classes the curves were usually very very kind. I pretty much got D+'s in general chemistry that curved to B's and B+'s. Its just such a large class and filled with so many people who end up bombing tests who will eventually change their major. Its less common in upper division classes though, though there is still a good curve in most classes, but definately not like in the general chem/organic chem/calculus classes... the "weeder" courses.

 

[ultracet]

I danced around my house for days after getting a B+ in Gen Chem 1 with the grades of:
42, 56, 82

i didn't even bother studying for the final..

i thought for sure i was a goner...


My calc class on the other hand....
he failed 75% of the class
(we were all banking on the curve and it never happened)

 

[nerdystar]

A lot of professors scale, but at my school, a grade isn't considered passing if it's 55% or less of the total points for the course.

 

[RyanRyan]

I danced around my house for days after getting a B+ in Gen Chem 1 with the grades of:
42, 56, 82

Thats a great feeling! I got a 38% on a calculus midterm (the first midterm of the class), I buckled down, went to office hours, tutoring in the math department, and studied my a$$ off and got a B- in the course. I was freaked freaked out after that 38%.. changed my life I swear

 

[aya01]

There's also grading curves that work against students. My biochemistry professor would give the top 5% of the class A's. This class was only full of 60 or so students. The next 10% got B's. The next 15% got C's and the rest failed. Perty rough. 🙁

I've had professors like that, too. We had instances where students were curved down which I think is just completely wrong. If you got an A, you deserve an A instead of a B just because you didn't make the "top 5%" cut.

And I agree with ButlerPharmD. College tests are usually different from high school tests. Additionally, you have more grades in high school which help balance out those occasional bad grades whereas in college, your classes may only have a midterm and a final as a bare minimum. That's when proper curves (not like the one I just described above of course!) become your best friend 😀

 

[ultracet]

oh
and then you get to pharmacy school...

tests are even harder and there is no curving

 

[ButlerPharm.D.]

haha, yep!

 

[DHG]

There's also grading curves that work against students. My biochemistry professor would give the top 5% of the class A's. This class was only full of 60 or so students. The next 10% got B's. The next 15% got C's and the rest failed. Perty rough. 🙁

That's how my Bio III class was. I busted my butt in there but it paid off and I got an A-. Whew! I hate that bell type of grading. 👎