Professor that won't curve?

[chman]

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I am taking calc one and we just had the first test and everyone seemed to do horribly, including me. From what I could tell I was on the higher end of the spectrum with a high D. Yet the professor has not said if he is going to curve it. This seems really odd to me. Have any of you dealt with something similar?

 

[shishka32]

Ya, my calculus professor said he definitely would NOT curve. I went into the final with a 79%, came out with an A- in the class. So he curved it, and I think most professors do, but not all.

 

[chman]

Ya, my calculus professor said he definitely would NOT curve. I went into the final with a 79%, came out with an A- in the class. So he curved it, and I think most professors do, but not all.

It seems like almost all science/math teachers do, at least if the averages are this bad. I mean what is he going to do, fail everyone? It just doesn't make sense. Luckily there are still two more exams and the final left.

 

[BlueElmo]

Yeah, some professors won't curve, but with that low of an average, he might have to unless he wants to fail everyone.

 

[FloatOn]

I've had a professor or two who say they don't officially curve, as in it's not in writing in the syllabus, but we all know something magical happens at the end of the semester.

 

[circulus vitios]

My general chemistry professor didn't curve. Gen chem I had 120 students. Gen chem II has 70 students.

 

[BlueElmo]

I've had a professor or two who say they don't officially curve, as in it's not in writing in the syllabus, but we all know something magical happens at the end of the semester.

Yeah, some professors even when they say they will not curve definitely do curve at the end, no question about it.

 

[shishka32]

My general chemistry professor didn't curve. Gen chem I had 120 students. Gen chem II has 70 students.

Gen Chem I started with 470, Gen Chem II has 270. Class average in Gen Chem I was 51%. Sucks for the kids that were pre-med.

 

[s1lver]

Yes, my Chem I prof last semester. There were like 300+ of us last sem and only like 50 this sem. We didn't even need to be in a big lecture hall! 😀

 

[nonsciencemajor]

yess.. he may tell you all that he wont curve... but at the end of the semester, he will most probably curve without telling any of you if the class performance keeps happening like this...

and if this happens, it will be a delightful surprise as you will see your final grade and be like, I was expecting something like a letter grade lower 😀

but dont ask him for a curve, or keep bugging him about whether there will be a curve... just believe in the system and at the end there will most likely be a curve... but if you all ask him about it, he may not curve... just keep working hard, and keep this at the back of your head

 

[FrozenTexan]

After TAing several "weed out" classes for the last few years, I can say he most likely will curve, but plan that he wont (like nonsciencemajor said) so you aren't disappointed.


That said my Quantum Mechanics prof said he wouldn't curve, I had the highest grade in the class with a 53% (and was about 20% higher than everyone else) and he failed everyone else but me, I got a B-.... So you never really know

 

[orthomyxo]

I don't think many professors for intro courses will curve at my school. I don't know if this is unique or anything, but sometimes a class will have a different grading system that doesn't correspond to the school policy. My gen chem class was arranged so that you only had to get an 88 to have an A-, but my school says that 90-92 is an A-.

That's pretty rough though. My class averages have never really been lower than 65.

 

[Toastayy]

Eh at my school it seems as though it is the science/math teachers who refuse to curve and the other classes do...

 

[afatasstank]

When everyone does badly and the professor says he or she won't curve they are lying and just scarying you so people will study more.
The reason they have to "curve" is because they have quotas to meet, especially in large classes. for ex/ 20 -25 pecrent A, A-, 30 pecrent B's? etc. If a professor gives everyone C's D's and F's, it will defintely count against them, as will giving everyone A's. They want the grade distribution to be spread out.
I put "curve" in quotes because there are different ways to curve the grade. For example, if a 90 is an A, and a professor doesn't have enough students (maybe 5 pecrent when it should be roughly 15-25 percent) in the A range after the first exam, the professor could just make the next exam much easier, and therefore, technically he won't have to curve anyone's grade. It's all based on how other people in the class are doing. If for example, a 90 is an A, and after the first test you get a 90 while the class average is a 95, you better worry cause you are in the bottom half of the class, and next test is gonna be a whole lot harder.
In FrozenTexan's case, I assume that it was a very small class, maybe 5 people?, so those are usually graded differently (no quotas), because obviously in a hard course like that and only 5 people not every teacher is expected to have genius A students. Also he obviously did end up curving if a 53 was a B-, and theres not much he can do for people getting 33% or below.

 

[rankinr]

When everyone does badly and the professor says he or she won't curve they are lying and just scarying you so people will study more.
The reason they have to "curve" is because they have quotas to meet, especially in large classes. for ex/ 20 -25 pecrent A, A-, 30 pecrent B's? etc. If a professor gives everyone C's D's and F's, it will defintely count against them, as will giving everyone A's. They want the grade distribution to be spread out.

Slightly envious of that curve. Here is the one my professors generally use:

Top 10-13% - A
next 15-18% - B
next 50-55% - C
next 5-10% - D
bottom 5-10% - F

I don't mind it. It means that in the class I'm in right now, if I get an 80 I'll probably have an A 🙂

 

[JJMrK]

Probably half of my science classes haven't had a curve. With averages like that, though, you gotta imagine that some curve is going to happen. Try not to count on it, but it'll likely get curved.

 

[Everglide]

I am taking calc one and we just had the first test and everyone seemed to do horribly, including me. From what I could tell I was on the higher end of the spectrum with a high D. Yet the professor has not said if he is going to curve it. This seems really odd to me. Have any of you dealt with something similar?

Yes. It was actually in calc one, there really was no curve at the end.

 

[chman]

Well, I guess I am just going to plan for the worst and hope for the best. The professor did say that the first test in his/this class is the hardest...don't ask me why.

 

[afatasstank]

Well, I guess I am just going to plan for the worst and hope for the best. The professor did say that the first test in his/this class is the hardest...don't ask me why.

because everyone did badly on it, so now he is gonna try to abide by his no curve policy, and have to make the next tests easier

 

[chman]

The thing is is that I don't want to whine too much about it because I know the curve can work both ways, and I know that I would probably be complaining if I got a B that turned into a C or something.

I'm just going to see how I do on the second test and if I do bad I will drop.

 

[nonsciencemajor]

The thing is is that I don't want to whine too much about it because I know the curve can work both ways, and I know that I would probably be complaining if I got a B that turned into a C or something.

I'm just going to see how I do on the second test and if I do bad I will drop.

dude dont drop it. I am nearly sure If you are at the top of your class you will get an A, meaning there will be a curve.

BUT BUT BUT dont ask him if there is going to be a curve, can you give us a curve.... and tell your classmates the same thing, as I am nearly sure there will be one person in the class who will ask these questions... tell him to stop asking these questions because I have also seen that if a class asks for a curve, the professor wont give it....just to enforce authority and superiority..... the prof usually likes to stand by what he says when he says there will not be a curve, so eventually he will prob decide to give a curve and so when he is submitting final grades and he wont even tell you then.... the prof will probably most never say he will give you a curve, even when he plans to (even on the very last day).... when you check your final grade, you will be surprised

. so do the work, be at the top of your class if you can, and dont ask for a curve but expect it at the same time.... ASSUMING your class is on its best behavior and doesnt riot throughout the semester and doesnt unnecessarily waste the prof's time asking about a curve... people often undervalue this, but sometimes this is what makes a prof decide whether to give a curve