tell prof about grade mistake

  • Thread starter Thread starter deleted380953
  • Start date Start date
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
D

deleted380953

Members do not see this ad.
I know I'm gonna get flamed for this in some way for asking, but I had an physics exam 2 weeks ago and got a 55/100. My prof usually gives us a redo that gives us 40% of the difference between the redo and the original. I got a 95/100 on the redo, so I should have a 71. However, my gradebook says that I got a 97 after the 40% addition.

I've never been in this position before, and while this 97 would be really helpful now (right before finals), I also feel like it's too big a mistake to keep silent. Should I tell him? No I'm not trolling
 
stigus said:
I know I'm gonna get flamed for this in some way for asking, but I had an physics exam 2 weeks ago and got a 55/100. My prof usually gives us a redo that gives us 40% of the difference between the redo and the original. I got a 95/100 on the redo, so I should have a 71. However, my gradebook says that I got a 97 after the 40% addition.

I've never been in this position before, and while this 97 would be really helpful now (right before finals), I also feel like it's too big a mistake to keep silent. Should I tell him? No I'm not trolling
Click to expand...

Make your own decision! :laugh:
 
Best case: You might get rewarded for coming forth and get to keep the grade....

Worst case: Or you could get punished for not coming forth sooner :meanie:

Either way, in the end its up to you.
 
Nah. I personally wouldn't tell the prof.
 
cman06 said:
Best case: You might get rewarded for coming forth and get to keep the grade....

Worst case: Or you could get punished for not coming forth sooner :meanie:

Either way, in the end its up to you.
Click to expand...

You'd never be punished for not coming forth.
 
My math teacher actually told us, "If I accidentally gave you extra points, don't complain about it!"

But if it's going to eat you up inside and you won't be able to sleep at night, take your 71 like a gent. /shrug
 
Personally, I'd take the 97 like a jolly fat boy in a candy store.
 
stigus said:
I know I'm gonna get flamed for this in some way for asking, but I had an physics exam 2 weeks ago and got a 55/100. My prof usually gives us a redo that gives us 40% of the difference between the redo and the original. I got a 95/100 on the redo, so I should have a 71. However, my gradebook says that I got a 97 after the 40% addition.

I've never been in this position before, and while this 97 would be really helpful now (right before finals), I also feel like it's too big a mistake to keep silent. Should I tell him? No I'm not trolling
Click to expand...

Do you need this grade? Can you still get the grade you want with a 100 on the final?

Since you asked this question, you probably will say something 😀
 
I barely beat the average with all those engineers & pre-meds in my physics class. Scraped by with a B-. For the love of God, do not tell him.
 
obviously, no. fortuna loves you. and that's not a problem.
 
Quaero said:
Do you need this grade? Can you still get the grade you want with a 100 on the final?

Since you asked this question, you probably will say something 😀
Click to expand...

We we haven't been given a grading scale since its a 40 person class, so I don't exactly know what I need for the A. Average was around a 66 for this exam after corrections
 
Are you on crack??? NO you dont tell. The professor probably did it on purpose anyways... I've had a prof add 30 extra points to my exam for no reason other than they liked the fact that I "seemed really interested in calculus." For some reason, the class average was like a 60 and I was always the ONLY student to show up during his office hours.

It also could've been the fact that I told him I was interested in becoming a math professor :meanie:, But I don't wanna get bogged down with the details...

THE POINT IS: Sometimes you're gonna get breaks in life, and other times you're gonna get screwed. You just gotta learn to take the good with the bad and KEEP IT MOVING.
 
Last edited:
Say something. The prof might notice when he/she double checks the gradebook against what's posted online. Not to mention if you have a question about your grade on the final exam.
 
American Shero said:
Are you on crack??? NO you dont tell. The professor probably did it on purpose anyways... I've had a prof add 30 extra points to my exam for no reason other than they liked the fact that I "seemed really interested in calculus." For some reason, the class average was like a 60 and I was always the ONLY student to show up during his office hours.

It also could've been the fact that I told him I was interested in becoming a math professor :meanie:, But I don't wanna get bogged down with the details...

THE POINT IS: Sometimes you're gonna get breaks in life, and other times you're gonna get screwed. You just gotta learn to take the good with the bad and KEEP IT MOVING.
Click to expand...
While the above is true, to play devil's advocate, would you then keep quite if the professor gave you a 70 on an exam you really earned a 98 on? 😀
 
Profs commonly make mistakes when grading/inputing grades. The question is how seriously does your prof take the class. Some professors I have had would tell you take it and run because it helps you out and they will take the points back if you bring it up. Meanwhile others would be extremely grateful and take the points off but it would give you a good reputation with the professor (good letter of rec if needed). It really depends on the professor and by now you hopefully have a good read on him/her. If it is one who knew your name by the end of the first week, I'd probably say bring up the error. If he/she doesn't know who you are after attending office hours repeatidly and you must reintroduce yourself every day, just take the grade.
 
I would tell him; in my short life, everytime I brought something like this up to a professor (gotten more points than I should have), they have let me keep it for being honest. However, in similar cases, my friends did not say anything and they lost points on a audit by the professor. Just sayin...
 
I'd tell him just to clear up my conscience.
 
:slap: You did your job. He did his. I would sleep fine at night - actually I'd sleep even better with the knowledge that I got an A. 🙂 Keep in mind, you didn't cheat. If you need to justify it to yourself, just think "maybe I did such a far and away amazing job, he couldn't help but give me extra credit." But hey, to each their own. If you have a burning desire for a lower grade, inform the professor of the mistake.
 
stigus said:
We we haven't been given a grading scale since its a 40 person class, so I don't exactly know what I need for the A. Average was around a 66 for this exam after corrections
Click to expand...

The average after corrections is a 66, and you had a 55 before, and all of a sudden you have a 97. You are many standard deviations above the mean here.

You don't think the professor will notice?

Take the 71 like an honest man. And who knows, maybe the professor will reward you for your honesty?

I'm old school, so...

Let me know if I misunderstood your comment. I am very, very sleep deprived...
 
Dude keepin track of grades is his responsibility, not yours. Therefore, you can't be blamed for not sayin anything about a mistake that fell in your favor. Seriously guys, this is the real world, and if you have plausible deniability that you were aware of the mistske, and the mistake helped you, why would you say anything. I hate to sound "unethical" or whatever, but this game we are playing is unforgiving, and you have to jump on any advantage you see. You didn't see s$%t.
 
ShoTyme said:
:slap: You did your job. He did his. I would sleep fine at night - actually I'd sleep even better with the knowledge that I got an A. 🙂 Keep in mind, you didn't cheat. If you need to justify it to yourself, just think "maybe I did such a far and away amazing job, he couldn't help but give me extra credit." But hey, to each their own. If you have a burning desire for a lower grade, inform the professor of the mistake.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much
 
American Shero said:
Are you on crack??? NO you dont tell. The professor probably did it on purpose anyways... I've had a prof add 30 extra points to my exam for no reason other than they liked the fact that I "seemed really interested in calculus." For some reason, the class average was like a 60 and I was always the ONLY student to show up during his office hours.

It also could've been the fact that I told him I was interested in becoming a math professor :meanie:, But I don't wanna get bogged down with the details...

THE POINT IS: Sometimes you're gonna get breaks in life, and other times you're gonna get screwed. You just gotta learn to take the good with the bad and KEEP IT MOVING.
Click to expand...
THANK YOU!!!!! Sometimes I wonder whether everyone else on the planet is drunk or something.
 
studmuffin said:
THANK YOU!!!!! Sometimes I wonder whether everyone else on the planet is drunk or something.
Click to expand...

I know it's a crazy thought, but some people have this silly, irrational attribute called pride where they would rather legitimately earn their grades. Others, like yourself, would rather justify/rationalize inaction in order to make yourself feel better. Like I said way up at the beginning of this thread, there are reasonable arguments on both sides here.
 
I've ALWAYS had professors (and even teachers in HS) tell me to never tell them if they accidentally give me extra points. I always hear, "If you notice that I accidentally cheated you out of points you earned, TELL ME!! If I accidentally gave you points you didn't deserve, DON'T!"

There have been times that I've spoken up about being given extra points, however, and I was usually rewarded for my honesty. Your call.
 
theseeker4 said:
While the above is true, to play devil's advocate, would you then keep quite if the professor gave you a 70 on an exam you really earned a 98 on? 😀
Click to expand...

😉 Hmmm... Excellent point grasshopper. In which case, I'd proudly stand up in the back of the class and yell out "AYE YO TEACH!! WHERE DA F**K BE DA REST OF MY GRADE AT?" :attitude: :laugh:
 
It's not your fault the grade was either put in wrong or the test was graded wrong. Don't say anything unless you want your grade to be lower.

There is no way they can penalize you for not doing anything. Worst case is they realize their mistake and change it. Best case is you profit.
 
Let me translate what most people in this thread are saying.

"You lucky bastard! You should definitely tell your prof. so that you can get a lower grade thus making you less competitive for medical school."

Take the grade...
 
Lunasly said:
Let me translate what most people in this thread are saying.

"You lucky bastard! You should definitely tell your prof. so that you can get a lower grade thus making you less competitive for medical school."

Take the grade...
Click to expand...

This. It is not like you lied or somehow manipulated the system. Up to you to decide what is best. 🙂
 
Tell your professor, clear up your conscience, and then ask for a LOR right away :laugh:
 
I like the quote, "Advice is what you seek when you already know the answer, but wish you didn't"

Personally, I'd bring it up. Also, if this class is graded on a curve, then you could be screwing over your classmates who genuinely earned their grades by not being honest and blowing the curve for them.

Karma and all, it may come back to you in a good way down the road... (i.e. like the LOR mentioned above)
 
Last edited:
Keep the grade!! You didn't even get the retake back, so act like you don't know until he hands it back. The worst thing that can happen is he goes up to you and says "Hey, I made a mistake on your retake, why didn't you tell me?" a week later, to which you say "I didn't know how the retake policy worked,".
 
aSagacious said:
I know it's a crazy thought, but some people have this silly, irrational attribute called pride where they would rather legitimately earn their grades. Others, like yourself, would rather justify/rationalize inaction in order to make yourself feel better. Like I said way up at the beginning of this thread, there are reasonable arguments on both sides here.
Click to expand...
My response to this would be regardless of the action taken, the person knows what grade they deserved, and that will be what they base their pride off of. But shooting oneself in the foot is not the way to have pride in your work
 
studmuffin said:
My response to this would be regardless of the action taken, the person knows what grade they deserved, and that will be what they base their pride off of. But shooting oneself in the foot is not the way to have pride in your work
Click to expand...

Keep the grade! No reason to tell and make yourself look like a tool. I hate it when my agents tell me I've given them more credit then they deserve... it takes more work to fix it and it's really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things. If he catches it and changes it, he'll probably not even tell you.
 
Similar thing happened to a girl I know in my masters program. She got awarded a 94 on a histology test that she actually earned a 74 in. We thought the professor would maybe show her some love for being honest but she ended up just giving her the 74.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

N
  • Question Question
Mistake on Primary
Replies
1
Views
557
Goro
Goro
H
Mistake on AMCAS
Replies
6
Views
1K
holajola
H
M
Update for Primary Mistake???
Replies
1
Views
426
chilly_md
chilly_md
T
  • Locked
AMCAS Experience Type Mistake
Replies
3
Views
784
MD_Maker
MD_Maker
T
Mistake on secondary but still received II
Replies
5
Views
946
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
Top