Independent Study Grade Questions

[tessellations]

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Hi all! Grades came out today, and to my surprise my PI gave me an A- in my independent study. This was surprising because my PI has only ever expressed satisfaction with my work, and was excited about some results that I had at the end of the semester. I sent him a polite email telling him that I was a little bit surprised and to ask if there was anything I could do to fix the grade and if not, what I can do to improve next semester. Regardless, it's out of my hands now and I'll accept whatever happens. I like and respect my PI and don't want to come off as entitled. I was truthfully just surprised, especially since I just won a research fellowship that my PI wrote a LOR for and had a good end of semester meeting with him. I tend to live in a bubble about these things, and I just had some questions.

1. How common is it for students to not get an A in a research independent study? Is this more common than I realize?
2. How does an A- in an indie study look compared to an A- in a traditional class? This is actually my first non A grade. Is there are a difference between these two things? Does an A- even look bad? Am I just being insanely neurotic?
3. Does a 3.98 look better than a 4.0? I've often heard that 4.0 automatons are a dime a dozen. I guess I'm just looking for a positive here...does this humanize me a bit? I promise I'm not a robot

I apologize for my neurosis, but most people I know have gotten As in their indie studies at my school, so this was just a bit surprising. I guess I just want some context! This was not the "class" I was expecting to lose my 4.0 virginity to!

 

[BombsAway]

What year are you? Losing the gpa virginity as a senior in an indie would rough.

 

[tessellations]

What year are you? Losing the gpa virginity as a senior in an indie would rough.

I'm a junior! Yeah, it's a bit frustrating to survive Biochem, Orgo, and Physics just to be taken down by an indie. But hey, what can you do?

Rule 1: Take a Breath

neurosis is correct. you have no issues except your worry and fear. your GPA is fine.

Thank you! Taking a moment to breathe has helped.

 

[BombsAway]

I'm a junior! Yeah, it's a bit frustrating to survive Biochem, Orgo, and Physics just to be taken down by an indie. But hey, what can you do?

Have you heard of poop senders dot com? lol, kidding, nothing you can do about it. Im a senior and expect to lose mine in a stupid 1 credit lab that no-one ever gets an A in this spring.

 

[Catalystik]

An A- does not look bad.

 

[tessellations]

Have you heard of poop senders dot com? lol, kidding, nothing you can do about it. Im a senior and expect to lose mine in a stupid 1 credit lab that no-one ever gets an A in this spring.

Hahahaha. I guess it's just a right of passage. If anything, it kind of takes some weight off my shoulders.

An A- does not look bad.

This is exactly what I needed to hear, thank you!

 

[Catalystik]

I sent him a polite email telling him that I was a little bit surprised and to ask if there was anything I could do to fix the grade and if not, what I can do to improve next semester. Regardless, it's out of my hands now and I'll accept whatever happens. I like and respect my PI and don't want to come off as entitled.

And you don't want to come across as a "grade grubber," so I'm glad you plan to let it go if the PI doesn't budge.

 

[tessellations]

And you don't want to come across as a "grade grubber," so I'm glad you plan to let it go if the PI doesn't budge.

Yes, I definitely don't want to come off that way. Also, I just watched the video in your signature and it made my day a whole lot better. Too funny!

 

[Catalystik]

Yes, I definitely don't want to come off that way. Also, I just watched the video in your signature and it made my day a whole lot better. Too funny!

Thank you for your comment. The video keeps making me laugh, too, as I catch the more subtle visual humor.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

Man. The perfectionist in me would be pissed. I mean, that GPA is stellar, and an A- is good. But if I had a 4.0 and that class knocked that down, I think I'd send an email too.

Fortunately for me, I don't have a 4.0 so I don't have that problem. 😛

 

[tessellations]

Man. The perfectionist in me would be pissed. I mean, that GPA is stellar, and an A- is good. But if I had a 4.0 and that class knocked that down, I think I'd send an email too.

Fortunately for me, I don't have a 4.0 so I don't have that problem. 😛

Yeah, the perfectionist in me definitely felt that way And it's funny, because I totally thought I was going to lose it to genetics this semester, but I somehow escaped that with an A. Oh well! In the end, I'm still very proud with how I've managed to do in college. While a 4.0 was great, it's kind of nice to be knocked down a peg in a way. Keeps you on your toes 😉

 

[benjamin94559]

Its super frustrating to only get good feeed back and then an A- RIP