TA gave me horrible eval for ochem

[adamsonoflevi]

So I did really bad in ochem lab this year, and I feel like I have a hard time with most of the concepts. I didn't do well at all on the lab final either but should have ended up with a B. Anyways, I look at my TA eval tonight and it shows up as a 66%, which might bring me down to a C. I specifically emailed the TA to ask about my grade because I knew they could help students on the border. He never emailed me back. He's helped me with lab during "office hours" which he technically didn't have. Out of 150 people in that lab, I was the only person to get less than a 75 on the TA eval. I feel attacked. I just asked for help, and although I also got help from him in lab, I felt like I grew. I feel like I'm being bullied, and I'm wondering if there's anything I can do?

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[samsamani]

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[AlbinoHawk DO]

Tread carefully. Professors will side with their TAs over you almost all of the time. Your best bet is to tell the professor you earned a B and ask for it not to be compromised by the evaluation.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

Report to your professor, if he didn't help go to the dean. If he didn't help either email the president of the school himself.

This is bad advice. Anyone that does this will be squashed by the school's hierarchy. If you go to the dean, he'll complain to the professor about why his time is being wasted and the professor will go down hard on the student and so on. Begging for mercy is the only tool students have in universities. It's interesting how we created an environment where we pay these people's salaries and yet they lord over you as if you are scum.

 

[adamsonoflevi]

This is bad advice. Anyone that does this will be squashed by the school's hierarchy. If you go to the dean, he'll complain to the professor about why his time is being wasted and the professor will go down hard on the student and so on. Begging for mercy is the only tool students have in universities. It's interesting how we created an environment where we pay these people's salaries and yet they lord over you as if you are scum.

I agree. I've had issues with administration before. Hopefully I'll get a B and won't have to deal with any of this. I don't think he's worth the energy.

 

[samsamani]

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[AlbinoHawk DO]

If he feels that he's being discriminated then he must stand up for his rights. The school will not tolerate such action and will prevent future discrimination from the same TA. You gotta learn how to face your fears and stand up for your rights brother.

In your fantasy world, I'm sure he can give the guy a pepsi and get an A. In the real world, you tread carefully when someone else has all the power and you have nothing.

 

[IslandStyle808]

If he feels that he's being discriminated then he must stand up for his rights. The school will not tolerate such action and will prevent future discrimination from the same TA. You gotta learn how to face your fears and stand up for your rights brother.

But how would you know you are being discriminated against, since you cannot quantify an evaluation? The TA can use whatever BS reason he wants. If you want to stand up for your that is fine, but don't believe for a second that schools have a moral sense of justice. As a person who has been a TA, I have spoken with multiple people about their time in academia. Around 20-25% of the professors or graduates students at the time were discriminated against during their graduate education. These were situations far worse than the one mentioned by OP. Most of the time the person that caused the harm went unpunished (i.e. PhDs) and in only in some of the cases were they removed from the lab of that faculty member. More harm than good came from going to the graduate chair or dean, but they knew their situation would have gotten even worse if they didn't complain. OPs situation is no where near this level.

 

[adamsonoflevi]

But how would you know you are being discriminated against, since you cannot quantify an evaluation? The TA can use whatever BS reason he wants. If you want to stand up for your that is fine, but don't believe for a second that schools have a moral sense of justice. As a person who has been a TA, I have spoken with multiple people about their time in academia. Around 20-25% of the professors or graduates students at the time were discriminated against during their graduate education. These were situations far worse than the one mentioned by OP. Most of the time the person that caused the harm went unpunished (i.e. PhDs) and in only in some of the cases were they removed from the lab of that faculty member. More harm than good came from going to the graduate chair or dean, but they knew their situation would have gotten even worse if they didn't complain. OPs situation is no where near this level.

But the fact that he gave me a grade 10% less than all of the other students (OVER 150!) just because I asked for help is clear discrimination. TAs should be willing to help their students, and I should not be penalized for reaching out for help.

 

[adamsonoflevi]

And I know for sure there were other students who were far less prepared and even did worse on the final than me. It's not like I'm incompetent or something. I'm not sure what he is trying to prove, but it's not okay.

 

[IslandStyle808]

But the fact that he gave me a grade 10% less than all of the other students (OVER 150!) just because I asked for help is clear discrimination. TAs should be willing to help their students, and I should not be penalized for reaching out for help.

Reaching out to the TA is fine, but going over his head won't do much good.

 

[brew]

OP, how do you know you got the lowest grade and everyone else got at least 10% higher than you? Is there a grade distribution? How big of a impact does this evaluation have on your overall grade?

 

[adamsonoflevi]

OP, how do you know you got the lowest grade and everyone else got at least 10% higher than you? Is there a grade distribution? How big of a impact does this evaluation have on your overall grade?

Yes, we are able to look at the grade distribution on our online portal. The average is an 87 as well. There are two TA evaluations and if he gives me the same grade for both I will end up with a C. This is the first B I would have gotten in over a year, so it's not a common occurrence. But a C for petty reasons is ridiculous.

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

If he feels that he's being discriminated then he must stand up for his rights. The school will not tolerate such action and will prevent future discrimination from the same TA. You gotta learn how to face your fears and stand up for your rights brother.

You go try this and tell us how it all turns out. The TA can give any excuse he wants for the eval and no one will bat an eye. The bolded literally made me LOL. The university doesn't give two craps about you, to them you are just tuition dollars that are easily replaceable.

 

[123456ers]

I got screwed be a lab TA once too.. it happens. I guess you can reach out to the prof but I know in my case, they said their hands were tied.

Ironically, I became a TA for that same lab the next year and there were so many complaints about that one guy that they changed the whole grading scale, lol.

Life's unfair sometimes man. It happens.

 

[Brawndo2016]

I was talking to one of the other T'A's for ochem lab and he asked me who my TA was. I told him and he looked at me with a sad expression and said "You poor bastard." Turns out he was vastly understating the situation.

 

[adamsonoflevi]

I got screwed be a lab TA once too.. it happens. I guess you can reach out to the prof but I know in my case, they said their hands were tied.

Ironically, I became a TA for that same lab the next year and there were so many complaints about that one guy that they changed the whole grading scale, lol.

Life's unfair sometimes man. It happens.

I have a learning disability due to anxiety issues. I have vastly improved, and obviously feel as though I've made enough progress to get through medical school. I feel as if this is an attack on my mental illness, which makes it even worse.

 

[123456ers]

I have a learning disability due to anxiety issues. I have vastly improved, and obviously feel as though I've made enough progress to get through medical school. I feel as if this is an attack on my mental illness, which makes it even worse.

Again, you should go talk to the professor and see if there is any option here. I'm not trying to be critical of you please do not take it that way.. I'm simply saying life kicks you in the pants like this sometimes and chances are something like this will happen again in your path to becoming a physician and they in your career.

 

[Goro]

I have a learning disability due to anxiety issues. I have vastly improved, and obviously feel as though I've made enough progress to get through medical school. I feel as if this is an attack on my mental illness, which makes it even worse.

This type of attitude is NOT healthy. Paranoid, even.

 

[adamsonoflevi]

This type of attitude is NOT healthy. Paranoid, even.

You're right. Playing the victim isn't going to help the situation. It definitely feels like targeting in some way though.

 

[Goro]

You're right. Playing the victim isn't going to help the situation. It definitely feels like targeting in some way though.

And the TAs know you have mental health issues exactly how???

 

[adamsonoflevi]

And the TAs know you have mental health issues exactly how???

Targeting as in "I don't like this person and they annoy me by asking for help too much / I feel like they didn't do enough work on their own". If he didn't want to offer me help, he should have told me.

 

[Goro]

Targeting as in "I don't like this person and they annoy me by asking for help too much / I feel like they didn't do enough work on their own". If he didn't want to offer me help, he should have told me.

That's not targeting you for having mental health issues. But we digress.

 

[ciestar]

In my opinion, reach out to your TA. The only time you should reach out to the professor is if the TA refuses to meet with you after you initiate contact. Just politely explain you got a poor eval and want to know why, but haven't been able to get in contact with your TA and ask what he/she suggests. Do nothing more over the TA's head, though.

 

[Anicetus]

You're right. Playing the victim isn't going to help the situation. It definitely feels like targeting in some way though.

I was in a similar situation. Had to get the highest grade on the final and landed an A out of sheer impressing the professor even though it wasn't possible mathematically.

As for the freaking out, you're in for a world of hurt in medicine if this is bothering you. I went to a grand rounds last week where physicians discussed screening applicants on the basis of psychological health now similar to the army/piloting due to the oddly high incidence of anxiety/depression and suicide amongst medical students and residents.