Professors with unrealistic grading scales ...

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Fedekz

Full Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2008
Messages
665
Reaction score
440
I hate professors with ******ed grading scales,

98% = 4.0 78% = 2.0
94% = 3.6 74% = 1.6
88% = 3.0 68% = 1.0
84% = 2.6 65% = 0.7


Most of it isn't too bad, it's just annoying that an 84% is an 2.6 ... at the beginning of the term I was looking at the syllabus, saw this scale, and thought it was be a crazy easy course if it was graded this way. Yep, I was definitively wrong.
 
If you made it this far and haven't dropped the course, you have my sympathies, because that is just stupid. A 97.9% is a 3.6? Really? You got the shaft on this one... just get the highest grade you can get, and if it comes up on interviews why you got a C, explain you actually had an A and your professor was an idiot.
 
.
 
Last edited:
Yeahh that was my high school's grading scale. Needless to say I was happy when my current school does (mostly) 100-90=A, 89-80=B... Stick with the class and work harder than anyone else. I know its easier said than done, but maybe you can reduce the amount of work your putting into another class (without slipping grade-wise) and spend a little bit more time in Prof. No Mercy's class.
 
Really? "******ed"? I know it's an anonymous online forum, but didn't we learn not to use this word in this context way back in grade school?

Oh please. Save your Mother Theresa antics for someone else....it's a word, get over it.

To the OP, that sucks man. I guess you'll just have to study THAT much harder. I saw someone mention in a previous thread about getting the professor's syllabus before enrolling in the class. I think that would be a good idea 🙂
 
My high school:
85% - 4.0
75% - 3.0
60% - 2.0
No D's, everything else was an F. Yes grade inflation, college was quite an adjustment
 
If you made it this far and haven't dropped the course, you have my sympathies, because that is just stupid. A 97.9% is a 3.6? Really? You got the shaft on this one... just get the highest grade you can get, and if it comes up on interviews why you got a C, explain you actually had an A and your professor was an idiot.

Well, no... if it comes up, OP didn't have an A. According to the professor's rubric, he/she had a C. I don't get this; OP said specifically he/she thought that with this rubric, it would be an easy class. It was OP's mistake - but you certainly can't say the rubric was hidden, or somehow a surprise.

BTW, a 78% sounds like a C to me, so 2.0 seems pretty appropriate.
 
This sounds like BS, but if it is true... I feel really bad for the OP.

I don't know the reasoning behind the stupid grading scale, but I wouldn't be happy with it myself.😡
 
are u serious?

is the prof serious? thats riduculous.
 
Damn... That grading scale is about the same for me

My political science department grading scale

98-100 A
85-97 B
85-80 C
Below 80=F
 
Really? "******ed"? I know it's an anonymous online forum, but didn't we learn not to use this word in this context way back in grade school?

Are serious??? Please go back and play with some kittens or something. I get super annoyed when people who get all tied up on crap like this. We ALL know what people are saying when they call someone restarted or gay, and it has nothing to do with mentally handicapped or homosexual people.
 
Well, no... if it comes up, OP didn't have an A. According to the professor's rubric, he/she had a C. I don't get this; OP said specifically he/she thought that with this rubric, it would be an easy class. It was OP's mistake - but you certainly can't say the rubric was hidden, or somehow a surprise.

BTW, a 78% sounds like a C to me, so 2.0 seems pretty appropriate.

2.0 for what is almost a B? And since when does 80+% = C?
 
2.0 for what is almost a B? And since when does 80+% = C?

C = Average mastery of the material. If you're about to try and tell me that 78% mastery is "above-average", then I think you're absolutely cracked.

Also, there's no indication here whether or not the prof uses "-" grades. 80% is def. below a 2.5, & would be worth a B- tops.

I'll agree, however, that 98% is an awfully high threshold for "A".
 
OP, is there a curve??

If there is, I can see getting an "A" being completely realistic, however you just need to be top 2% of your class.
 
hmm... a little on the harsh side, but I've definitely had professors who did this. It's not that bad... actually, I think it's ideal in some ways as a C should be average. A 97.9% is a bit high to have it be the cutoff for an A- (I'd expect 98-100%=A+, 94-98=A, 90-93=A-) with a difficulty level high enough to prevent most people from breaking a 90%.
 
I'm in a class similar to that right now. It sucks =\ Although it's not quite that bad :scared:
 
Are the tests super easy? I've had classes where you only needed a 59 to get an A... but the average score was less than 30. But then again that's upper level physics.
 
98% = 4.0 78% = 2.0
94% = 3.6 74% = 1.6
88% = 3.0 68% = 1.0
84% = 2.6 65% = 0.7

I thought an A- was a 3.7, but your prof has it as a 3.6. A B+ is a 3.3 which I guess your prof doesn't believe in. (note: I realize the % are high, but I noticed this and it had yet to be mentioned)
 
C = Average mastery of the material. If you're about to try and tell me that 78% mastery is "above-average", then I think you're absolutely cracked.

Also, there's no indication here whether or not the prof uses "-" grades. 80% is def. below a 2.5, & would be worth a B- tops.

What are you talking about? Many schools don't use - grades (I'm pretty sure the decision isn't left to individual professors). In that case, 80% would be a 3.0. Even if they do use - grades, a B- is usually 2.7, not "def. below a 2.5".
 
what are you some random troll that posts nonsense and then deletes it soon after?

Your post history is amazing.

so many (.)s!!
😱


oh and op thats bs...

unless the average in your class is a 78...
but the averages in my science classes (atleast on tests) are around the low 60s
 
OP, is there a curve??

If there is, I can see getting an "A" being completely realistic, however you just need to be top 2% of your class.

Nope, unfortunately, no curve : /

And the tests arn't "super easy", they are just as difficult as my other classes.

The final is Tuesday, and the quarter ends later this coming week . . . so hopefully I don't bomb it! (bombing it in this class would me like a 70% haha)
 
Wow that's college? My HS had 94%=B+ and 90=B which was completely dumb. I thought all colleges were set to 75%=C+.
 
Wow that's college? My HS had 94%=B+ and 90=B which was completely dumb. I thought all colleges were set to 75%=C+.

At my school, there isn't a set universal grading scale, the teachers come up with their own. The majority of the teachers use the more common 90-93% = A-, 94% + = A, etc. However, some teachers like to be A$%^$%#* and make the grading scale to 98% is an A.
 
There are way too many posts about professors and grading scales. Suck it up, and ace the class.
 
OH wow. I would have dropped out by now if my entire undergrad was graded like that. And here I was complaining that my religious studies prof expected multiple instant orgasms upon reading a paper to grade it an A..... i'd rather have a class where at least the A- is attainable.
 
I had an instructor, actually the whole department, for a freshmen-level class set the grading scale as:
93%-100% A
87%-92% B
80%-86% C
<80% F
Additionally, <80% on the final or <80% on 40% of the exams (regardless of other assignments or exams) or failing any module of the lab practical results in an automatic F
(No Ds and no +/-s)

I just made extra sure to get 98-100% on everything and came out w/ an A but about 2/3 of each class either dropped or failed out every semester.

While some of these scales are a bit extreme, I am glad someone is trying to fight back against grade inflation. I say suck it up and ace the class, I did. We've all had those profs who refuse to give out As. I applaud them. They are what allow us to see a difference at the higher end of the curve, which is a good thing.
 
Last edited:
In the biology department at my school, the official grading scale is similar (although not as harsh). However, to date all bio professors I've taken have found ways around it, either by ultimately curving and using the adjusted score for grades, giving extra credit to bring the maximum to above 100%, or both. Once we didn't even find out about the curve until we looked at our grades after the semester. Bottom line-hang in, do your best, hope for the best, and maybe you'll be pleasantly surprised once your grades come in.
 
I really wish all exam grades were normalized to a 75% median, moved up or down. I think professors that make courses too easy ("Everyone gets A's! Yay!") are doing you a disservice. And, professors that make the grading scale impossible are just asses that hate their jobs.
I had the opposite problem of the OP, taking a course with an 80-year-old Russian molecular geneticist educated under Stalin.
 
90+ = A+
84-89=A
80-83= A-
78-79=B+
73-77=B
70-72=B-

Thats for my chem,bio and calc marks
 
Top