Orgo 2 vent

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CantStop_WontStop

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Just wondering if this seems right to fellow SDNers...

Recently got the results from my first Ochem2 exam, which I'm happy to say I did well on. I scored a 108/130 points and the average was a 75/130... now, we have a rule with exams that any exam written in pencil is not eligible for a regrade, except for addition errors of points made by the TA's. After receiving my exam back (written in pencil) I noticed that there was an addition error which shorted me 9 points, and according to the TA who graded my exam, my score should have been a 117. I turned my exam back into the professor with a cover sheet explaining the regrade, and checked my score online a few days later to find out my score actually went from a 108 to a 107?!? upon questioning my professor about the lower grade through email (nicely of course) I was told that there was an addition error, but she actually found other mistakes along the way which cancelled out the addition error and caused me to lose an additional point. The 1 point difference is not a huge deal, but based on principal of the rules it doesn't seem right to me that exams in pencil aren't eligible for regrades to gain points if the TA makes an error, but that my exam was completely regraded to cause me to lose points. I feel like it should be a two way street if they set the rules like that, and they shouldn't be able to take points away if they're not able to give points back under the same conditions.

Any thoughts?
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
Just wondering if this seems right to fellow SDNers...

Recently got the results from my first Ochem2 exam, which I'm happy to say I did well on. I scored a 108/130 points and the average was a 75/130... now, we have a rule with exams that any exam written in pencil is not eligible for a regrade, except for addition errors of points made by the TA's. After receiving my exam back (written in pencil) I noticed that there was an addition error which shorted me 9 points, and according to the TA who graded my exam, my score should have been a 117. I turned my exam back into the professor with a cover sheet explaining the regrade, and checked my score online a few days later to find out my score actually went from a 108 to a 107?!? upon questioning my professor about the lower grade through email (nicely of course) I was told that there was an addition error, but she actually found other mistakes along the way which cancelled out the addition error and caused me to lose an additional point. The 1 point difference is not a huge deal, but based on principal of the rules it doesn't seem right to me that exams in pencil aren't eligible for regrades to gain points if the TA makes an error, but that my exam was completely regraded to cause me to lose points. I feel like it should be a two way street if they set the rules like that, and they shouldn't be able to take points away if they're not able to give points back under the same conditions.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I understand your frustration but there should or may be some sort of written policy in your syllabus concerning this.

At the end of the day will one point break you? Probably not but I wouldnt go and complain to the department chair because that will likely put you on the "bad" side of your professor. Talk to others, you may not be alone, see what happened at their end. If this is a more broad issue then maybe as a group you can approach the professor in a respectful civil manner. But beyond that? No i wouldnt go over him. Youve done well, so take it as a learning lesson and move on.
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
Just wondering if this seems right to fellow SDNers...

Recently got the results from my first Ochem2 exam, which I'm happy to say I did well on. I scored a 108/130 points and the average was a 75/130... now, we have a rule with exams that any exam written in pencil is not eligible for a regrade, except for addition errors of points made by the TA's. After receiving my exam back (written in pencil) I noticed that there was an addition error which shorted me 9 points, and according to the TA who graded my exam, my score should have been a 117. I turned my exam back into the professor with a cover sheet explaining the regrade, and checked my score online a few days later to find out my score actually went from a 108 to a 107?!? upon questioning my professor about the lower grade through email (nicely of course) I was told that there was an addition error, but she actually found other mistakes along the way which cancelled out the addition error and caused me to lose an additional point. The 1 point difference is not a huge deal, but based on principal of the rules it doesn't seem right to me that exams in pencil aren't eligible for regrades to gain points if the TA makes an error, but that my exam was completely regraded to cause me to lose points. I feel like it should be a two way street if they set the rules like that, and they shouldn't be able to take points away if they're not able to give points back under the same conditions.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
You knew the rule. Follow it next time. There's no issue here.
 
Thanks radian313, I certainly won't go over the professor, the 1 point doesn't have me that concerned, but it is the matter of principal that concerns me because if the extra errors weren't on my part but on the part of the professor/TA it's not like I would be getting awarded points for the errors since I did the exam in pencil. Like you said, frustrating on a matter of principal is all.
 
*You knew the rule. Follow it next time. There's no issue here.**

Not sure what you mean by this, the rule is that complete regrades aren't allowed for exams written in pencil. My exam was written in pencil and therefore not eligible for a complete regrade.... only addition errors on totaling up points per page are accepted for penciled in exams. My TA graded my exam as he saw fit but totaled the points wrong, so I turned it in to get it adjusted for the addition error, not a complete regrade. However, my professor did a complete regrade instead of just addressing the addition error, when the rule states no complete regrades are allowed for penciled exams. It shouldn't be able to go one way but not the other.

Either way this was just a vent and really it's a non-issue as it stands. Was just looking for opinions on the matter of principal.
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
*You knew the rule. Follow it next time. There's no issue here.**

Not sure what you mean by this, the rule is that complete regrades aren't allowed for exams written in pencil. My exam was written in pencil and therefore not eligible for a complete regrade.... only addition errors on totaling up points per page are accepted for penciled in exams. My TA graded my exam as he saw fit but totaled the points wrong, so I turned it in to get it adjusted for the addition error, not a complete regrade. However, my professor did a complete regrade instead of just addressing the addition error, when the rule states no complete regrades are allowed for penciled exams. It shouldn't be able to go one way but not the other.

Either way this was just a vent and really it's a non-issue as it stands. Was just looking for opinions on the matter of principal.
Click to expand...

My confusion. Why not use ink next time so the pencil thing never becomes an issue.
 
Yeah that's what I'm going to have to do I guess, but I tend to erase a lot because I'm terrible at drawing mechanisms haha oh well.
 
The prof was probably just mad that you beat the exam and did so well above average :cigar: nice job and I agree that it was stupid to dock you more points and regrade your whole test. Orgo profs tend to be that way though...
 
My thoughts exactly. Even with the 108 I was in the 95th percentile, but since the class grade is based off total point accumulation that jump from 108 -> 117 would have been amazing going into exam2, and the downgrade to 107 hurts a smidgen, but not much at all. I was thinking at least maybe she will give me back my 108 and just act like nothing happened, but I may not even press the issue and just take it on the chin.
 
Erasable pens?? hmm I do remember those from when I was in high school (almost 30 now), but have no idea if they're still out there haha that's definitely an idea though.
 
At the end of the day, you ended up with the score you should have received if the test had been graded correctly so nothing "unfair" really happened.

I would probably be frustrated too. I can't think of any professor I've had that would take away points due to a mistake in a student's favor. Good job beating the average.
 
Thanks guys/gals. Yeah it's just one of those annoying situations I guess. I mean, had the TA not made a simple addition error I would have ended up with a 117 from the get go, granted those points weren't actually earned, but if a TA is trusted to grade the exam then it should be followed through with. holdthemayo, you're definitely right though, at the end of the day I get the score I actually earned had it been graded correctly the first time, and I'm ultimately okay with that, just the principal that bugs me.
 
DrMikeP, that's very true, I definitely won't be making a fuss about it, as it serves me better to put my energy into preparing for the next exam and doing mcat studying rather than chasing points anyways.
 
J Senpai, I think it's Organic Chemistry actually, but it's my understanding that "Orgo" is an acceptable abbreviation for it, no?
 
Back when i was doing ochem in my undergrad we had the same rule... no test regrades if done in pencil and regrades will be scrutinized by the professor. I had a addition error and thought i could get a couple more points because of this, but nope, the professor tore me a new dingus marking one of my synthesis incorrect resulting in me losing like 10 points. I learned to always recheck my test at least two times for every problem because of this...In terms of fairness, it is 100% fair, but in terms of coolness...it was 100% not cool...haha
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
My thoughts exactly. Even with the 108 I was in the 95th percentile, but since the class grade is based off total point accumulation that jump from 108 -> 117 would have been amazing going into exam2, and the downgrade to 107 hurts a smidgen, but not much at all. I was thinking at least maybe she will give me back my 108 and just act like nothing happened, but I may not even press the issue and just take it on the chin.
Click to expand...

"Downgrade" to 107........ wow....

I mean I get it's a rule thing youre upset about.. but you really used the word "downgrade" for a ONE point drop?
 
I would have been more concerned if that point kept you from getting a B. You need to let it go. Trust me, medical school is way worse and those students who nitpick every single point tend to be labeled "troublemakers' in medical school. Don't be that "guy". Cut your losses and be happy that you actually were at the front of the pack.
 
I definitely get your frustration. We didn't even have the option to use pencils in my Ochem. Look at it from the professor's perspective-they have all these morally loose gunners changing things subtlety then trying to pass them off as grader error. I'm surprised they even looked at your test a second time.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
Halcyon45 said:
"Downgrade" to 107........ wow....

I mean I get it's a rule thing youre upset about.. but you really used the word "downgrade" for a ONE point drop?
Click to expand...

Well it isn't an upgrade, and it wasn't neutral, so "downgrade" did seem like an appropriate term. I understand the one point isn't relevant by any means, and I'm not chasing the points. The sole source of my irritation is that a rule was set, followed, then changed on whim at the discretion of the professor. Even my TA said "that's effing rude, you must have caught her on a bad day because I've never seen her do that to a student before."
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
Well it isn't an upgrade, and it wasn't neutral, so "downgrade" did seem like an appropriate term. I understand the one point isn't relevant by any means, and I'm not chasing the points. The sole source of my irritation is that a rule was set, followed, then changed on whim at the discretion of the professor. Even my TA said "that's effing rude, you must have caught her on a bad day because I've never seen her do that to a student before."
Click to expand...

I've seen profs do that to those annoying students who every test come up and complain about they earned a 101 vs a 100 or argue over 2 extra points of extra credit on an assignment. Sometimes an innocent student gets caught in the crossfire. That's why these days many science profs just do hard as hell multiple choice exams.
 
37Base said:
Look at it from the professor's perspective-they have all these morally loose gunners changing things subtlety then trying to pass them off as grader error. I'm surprised they even looked at your test a second time.
Click to expand...

Kind of my point exactly. Per the rule they weren't supposed to look at it a second time, just supposed to add up the red ink on each page and see if it matched the total score on the front of the packet haha I mean my TA is the one who graded the exam originally, confirmed the addition error, and let me leave lab to go hand it in for a regrade haha he wasn't expecting it to be an issue either.
 
DrMikeP, I do know 2 students in the same class that are like that a actually, and I can see why profs would get annoyed with that type of behavior. I really never hand my exams in for complete regrades, but this one seemed so simple and then backfired haha. Oh well, hakuna matata!
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
DrMikeP, I do know 2 students in the same class that are like that a actually, and I can see why profs would get annoyed with that type of behavior. I really never hand my exams in for complete regrades, but this one seemed so simple and then backfired haha. Oh well, hakuna matata!
Click to expand...

Good way to look at it. On a positive note, most of my good students who worried over such ended up with good grades anyway. You should visit the prof and see if you can volunteer to help with anything.

That said, not all of the annoying ones got good rec letters. My favorite wording for those students who are annoying yet insist on rec letters: "The student performed well academically and adequately in other areas."
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
Just wondering if this seems right to fellow SDNers...

Recently got the results from my first Ochem2 exam, which I'm happy to say I did well on. I scored a 108/130 points and the average was a 75/130... now, we have a rule with exams that any exam written in pencil is not eligible for a regrade, except for addition errors of points made by the TA's. After receiving my exam back (written in pencil) I noticed that there was an addition error which shorted me 9 points, and according to the TA who graded my exam, my score should have been a 117. I turned my exam back into the professor with a cover sheet explaining the regrade, and checked my score online a few days later to find out my score actually went from a 108 to a 107?!? upon questioning my professor about the lower grade through email (nicely of course) I was told that there was an addition error, but she actually found other mistakes along the way which cancelled out the addition error and caused me to lose an additional point. The 1 point difference is not a huge deal, but based on principal of the rules it doesn't seem right to me that exams in pencil aren't eligible for regrades to gain points if the TA makes an error, but that my exam was completely regraded to cause me to lose points. I feel like it should be a two way street if they set the rules like that, and they shouldn't be able to take points away if they're not able to give points back under the same conditions.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Look bud, if you're as much above the class average as you say you are, asking for a regrade would just be asking for trouble/you look too gunner. Move along and count your losses. Maintain a good relationship with these professors rather than nagging them for points.
 
CantStop_WontStop said:
Kind of my point exactly. Per the rule they weren't supposed to look at it a second time, just supposed to add up the red ink on each page and see if it matched the total score on the front of the packet haha I mean my TA is the one who graded the exam originally, confirmed the addition error, and let me leave lab to go hand it in for a regrade haha he wasn't expecting it to be an issue either.
Click to expand...

Oh I see , it was just a matter of adding up the already graded test. Yeah I agree that is ridiculous. It sounds like possibly the professor misunderstood and thought you wanted a regrade? Or maybe she/he was in a bad mood and had one out for you haha. Either way, it's good you're doing well in the class


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app
 
37Base said:
Oh I see , it was just a matter of adding up the already graded test
Click to expand...

Yep this exactly. I'm glad that is clear now because I feel like the assumption in the thread is that I'm gunning for a few extra points by calling people out on their grading mistakes, which is not the case. The graded test was simply totalled up wrong and turned in for an adjustment, but ended up being completely regraded even though we have a written policy that says exams done in pencil are not eligible for regrades.
 
Man, reading some of this is making me so happy to be done with organic chemistry. Many late nights studying in the library!! Thank goodness for study groups. Best of luck!
 
Thanks!! I totally agree, actually taking a break from studying now. Exam 2 is on Friday. Only 5 weeks to go after this, which should go by fairly quick.
 
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