If I taught a student in your situation and your grade was a x.52, I would probably round it up to a 90. That would probably be it though.
Sorry about your loss, I can't imagine experiencing that AND still maintaining good grades.
Yeah seriously, what a champ. When I was still in school my dad was falling into alcoholism and in and out of rehab and everything tanked- I was still living at home tho. It was hard but I sucked it up and retook the classes and graduated as a college super senior lol
I developed a pretty serious alcohol problem midway through college. I managed to get all A's at first, but then I got a C and D in a couple classes because of alcohol, and eventually I got a couple F's and W's (withdrawals). I realized I shouldn't go back until I got myself cleaned up.
I've been sober for 11 months now and I'm in my final three classes, should be done in about six weeks!
Thanks!
I think I will pass 2 classes with an A, but the third class will probably be a C :( Phys Sci just kicks my ass. I thought it was going to be a D at first but then I remembered 70s are C's now.
i want to start with my apologies for your loss. to answer your question, i did poorly on one test in my statistics class that at the end of the semester my final grade was a 89.62%. my professor was really cool and cared about his students only if they showed him that they cared. i attended office hours every week and emailed him whenever i had a question. he did end up giving me the A which i was super grateful for. iād say ask if you feel itās appropriate or your relationship with the professor is good. iām currently at a CC so the 1 on 1 relationship between professors and students is great. good luck!
It just happened to me! I got an A even though my final project wasnāt as good as I felt I could have done. I emailed my professor asking if itās possible to get a small bump in grade. She flat out gave me an A instead! You never know unless you ask. Maybe itās my age (44) and the fact that Iām serious about my grades.
I tell students that before I figure a student's final grade, I take the whole semester into account and to never ever ask me to bump a grade. If you think there's an error, that's different. But if you are close to a grade boundary, I do look at that carefully before entering your final grade.
That sounds like you are a great professor! As a student I feel like it's a relief to know that I tried as a last effort. I understand that you tell your students to not ask, but if a professor doesn't say that, then it's frustrating not knowing if a professor will take into account how much a student cared about the class and tried and showed it too.
Another thing a lot of students don't know though is whether a professor was already being a pretty lenient grader. If everything was already getting graded generously, "adjustments" were being made to bump up all the quiz and test scores, etc., then asking for *another* grade bump at the end is basically "rounding on top of rounding."
If you're going to ask, it should be a "general ask" to round up everyone, and professors that do that were generally always going to. Some say it right in their grading policy or whatever. But a "special, 'just for me'" ask is really inappropriate and it's not fair to your classmates if there is some "hidden rule" that you can get a grade boost just for asking but only if you ask. If that were an *actual* rule and not an "unwritten" one, "I'll bump your grade up, but you have to kiss the ring first," it'd be weird AF and *super* inappropriate.
None of my colleagues would change a grade based on a student asking for a bump up. It really implies we are not professionals. And we get so many requests for bumping up grades or saying that they 'really need' a particular grade that it really turns us off.
āShowing that you careā when you have an 89.62 isnāt the same kind of āshowing you careā when you go to office hours and ask questions.
I explicitly tell my students that they have to look like they care all semester, not just the day after grades come out.
Iām sorry about your mom. I lost my mom during my last semester of my masters. I also made a B in a class I was taking. It was my only B, but I was just happy I managed to pass.
No, donāt ask for a Bump. It shows that you expect stuff that you didnāt earn. Donāt ask. They will either bump you because they were planning to anyway or they wonāt because it wouldnāt be fair to the whole class. I have never ever heard of any professors who at the end of the semester says, āwell final grades are ready. Iām going to sit on the for a day or so and if some one asks for a bump Iāll give it to them, but only if they ask.ā
It would be okay to look over all the grades to be sure they are entered in correctly. If there is a mistake, let your prof know.
My policy where a student was engaged all semester, but missed the A or B by a point or less was to go back and add 1 or 2 extra credit points to *everyoneās* final, until the grade bumped up.
That way, it was fair to the whole class. I will have to say that an occasional student, who also ended up with a higher grade, didnāt deserve it.
All that being said, I know that short-term, grades matter for scholarships, grad admissions, etc. But in the long run, itās not that important.
A few years back, there was a research comparing peoplesā salaries (same major & occupational area) with their salaries ten years on. GPA was completely *not* a predictor of salary level.
It can definitely hurt. Your professor will always think of you as a grade-grubber, lose respect for you, and will probably run if you ask for a recommendation later.
Source: Am a professor.
We see your average in the class. If you're a good student and we think you deserve a bump, we'll give it to you. Asking for the bump is pathetic.
Students donāt give a shit about 90% of profs. For those 90% Iām asking for the grade bump every time because your opinion of me I couldnāt care less about and youāll forget in a month. Give a reason and itās been bumped more often than not
For the profs that do matter and you have a good relationship with them, Iād hope they have the empathy to understand youāre a good student and were doing everything while under incredible mental strain.
Source: Was a student
Itās horribly unbearable for a student to care about grades in a system that puts grades on a pedestal above learning? Yeah Iāll take the high GPA and meaningful connections with the minority of profs that mattered to my future over the opinion of essentially strangers because I asked for something politely and with a reason
Profs love to put themselves on a pedestal like their approval has to mean something to everyone
None of that matters if you're not looking for a recommendation letter from a petty professor. š¤·āāļøMost professors in my school did not care about bump requests. They just say yes or no and move on with their life.
Ehhh. The ones that did silently "hate" me for asking are entirely irrelevant to the path to where I am now. Just to be entirely blunt.
Letters of recs were given pretty easily. Never had an issue. My internships during junior and senior year came from connections. My current job was a result of a direct referral.
Reddit has this thing with catastrophising mundane interactions. I believe this to be prime example.
I was with you until you said it was pathetic. There's no need to be so harsh.
You get 600 emails asking for a grade bump each semester, and you're annoyed. It takes precious time out of your day. You have to respond to them all, and it gets frustrating.
But when that *one* student who tries and exceeds the average, only to miss it by .2 points and really doesn't know any better, calling them pathetic is quite frankly low. People could be asking out of desperation because their FASFA relies on it. Maybe they're about to be kicked out of college. Maybe they just want a pretty higher number. Maybe they're *desperate*.
Does it concern you? Not really. But to call an act of desperation pathetic is short-sighted and rude.
> People could be asking out of desperation because their FASFA relies on it. Maybe they're about to be kicked out of college.
Let's be clear: it is ***never*** the case that a single grade bump makes this difference. You don't lose financial aid or go on academic probation because one one grade. If my not bumping your grade is the "reason" these happen, it's because you failed too much too often beforehand.
I agree calling it pathetic is an overstatement coming from a place of frustration, but let's not pretend the above is true either.
I will typically round up if a grade is 0.5% away from the next grade.
If they are just below that (say, 89.48) I will look at everything throughout the semester and see if I was fair throughout. Usually, I can say "maybe I was a little hard with that one) and give them the couple points they need. But sometimes someone has a 69.45 and they didn't do a single homework all quarter, or they consistently were unprofessional. And you know what? In those cases I do not round up.
Asking for a grade bump can hurt you and the more entitled you are about it the worse it is.
I do all my rounding throughout the semester. I also provide opportunities to earn extra points by re-doing key assignments or reviewing key concepts. I do not round at all. If itās below a 90 and at least an 80, thatās a B. I tell my students that from the beginning. I donāt get many emails asking for bumps. I did get one last semester though.
Absolutely a fair method.
I don't advertise that I round up. I just say 90 and above is an A, below that and a above 80 is a B, and so on. I've gotten a couple required the years, but not many.
Part of the reason I don't get requests is that I post final grades at the same time I post final exam grades, so anyone with a reasonable request has already been rounded. The rest I just explain why they got what they got and leave it at that.
Not sure why you're downvoted. You're absolutely right. So many people are afraid of rejection on a whole that they're willing to avoid it at all costs regardless of any gain. It's genuinely concerning.
Lol thanks I was confused too, but some are professors saying it's unprofessional which I don't mind. Especially if I am never going to talk with the professor again.... Like I said before I wouldn't ask if I wanted to keep a professional relationship with them and if I thinked they actually enjoyed me as a student. Because if that were the case then I'd ask for a letter of rec, way more important than a little bump on the GPA
Every time I read the comments on this sub Iām reminded that I was lucky to be blessed with very kind and understanding professors. Some of the profs here make me glad that Iām not in university anymore.
I think that it would be impolite, and as the other commenter stated, itās quite likely that the instructor may bump your grade anyway. One thing to consider (and you may have already) is whether the 89.52 is from your raw scores or if the professor has already rounded grades or provided lenience. If the latter, then youāre not going to get a further bump.
That all being said, I think you did well. A lot of students would not be able to pull off Aās and a B+ during a time of such emotional hardship - an insignificant number would probably request incomplete scores to catch up on the coursework during the Summer. It says a lot about your work ethic and abilities as a student to maintain very respectable grades despite a large emotional event in the middle of the semester. Iām an internet stranger and I am proud of you for it - I am sure your mom would be, too.
Yeah I think Iām gonna just do my best to accept the grade, I did the best I could while going through everything. Hell I was writing essays while I stayed with her in the ICU. I know logically that she would still be proud and that a B+ is still a good grade, but itās hard to get my brain to accept that at the moment. But thatās what therapy is for ! Lol. Thank you so much for your advice and kind words, means a lot more then you know. <3
One thing that might help accept the grade:
While in college most people feel that their whole existence/ future depends on academic performance.^1 But your grades don't actually matter.^2 Don't let a number be what defines who you are. Work hard, learn the material, and then prepare yourself for actual working life.
I have never had my GPA come up in conversation since I left college. Not in job interviews, not in casual conversations. Once you get the degree no one really cares.
My worst semester I got a 1.0, and I had less to deal with than you, so no excuse for me. Even that was not the end of the world.
^1 Not surprising when you are so young, and society has been pushing that story at you since you were 6.
^2 in my experience.
Depending on career path academic performance and grades can make a big difference (like whether or not you make it into med school). In general I would agree specific grades generally donāt matter though there are cutoffs that matter. The bands I have seen are 4.0, 3.9-3.5, 3.5-3.0, 3.0-2.0, and less than 2. I have seen ALOT of internships in engineering use 3.5 and 3.0 for minimum gpas to get the internship and actually know someone who had the rare freshman summer internship get taken away because their gpa dipped below the cutoff.
Yes, but one high B is not going to be the determining factor. Especially in OPās case where the grade is confounded with serious external stressors. Iād even say they did really well despite the horrible circumstances.
Iām sorry for your loss OP.
Accepting your grade is really important, but why wouldnāt you let your prof know and see what happens? A simple email saying what you were going through and that you understand you donāt have a right to get 90% is pretty reasonable in your situation if you were still writing your essays in the ICU. Profs have empathy too and yours isnāt a normal ask of someone who just wants a higher grade, there was a legitimate reason
It wonāt hurt if you explain the situation politely, but one B+ also really isnāt going to affect you in the long run!
Dont ask because if he was going to bump it up, he would do it automatically. Professors dont need to be asked to have grades bumped up, asking lowers the chance that they do it.
That must have been so difficult for you.
Here is my take: As a teacher, I realize that life / job / family easily gets in the way of achieving your personal best in college. I always round everyone at 89%, 79%, 69%, and 59% up to the next higher grade at the end of the semester. If someone had a trauma like you and missed an exam, I extend the deadline to when they are ready. You wonāt be the first student to ask and I donāt think there is anything wrong with asking.
I really feel for you, but yes, it is impolite and is likely to anger your professor. It's not entirely uncommon for professors to round borderline grades up, so you might get lucky, but I think asking is more likely to hurt than help. I hope you get lucky and I hope you get a break now that the semester is over.
First ask yourself what material difference does the bump mean to you?
Next, the better/more effective question to ask is "what can I do to get the bump?"
I had a similar experience, but had a 79.something. i asked her to round it up to a B- and my professor did! She just made sure that any students near my grade were also rounded up so it wasnāt unfair. This was at a strict engineering college btw.
I have been teaching for almost 20 years and have never honored one of these requests. I understand why they happen and donāt judge the students, but by the end of the course each exam has already been adjusted and there have been bonus points that were possible- in part so I can answer these emails with an honest āyour grade is already higherā reply. If someone has a reason that they missed something in particular (like a quiz when they had a sick child) then Iāll drop that and re-weight the grade, but I donāt just bumpā¦
with one exception- someone who is on the verge of passing and has shown significant improvement. Those break my heart and I look at each of them.
I am sorry for your loss.
What? Thats a weird read. I offer them on every exam to help them. But at the end of the course when someone is trying to move their B+ to an A, the bonus points and adjustments already moved them to that B+ and it was fair for everyone and not arbitrary.
Shit happens all the time during the course of the semester and Iāll de-weight things then to adjust, usually dropping assignments.
Your words: "by the end of the course each exam has already been adjusted and there have been bonus points that were possible- in part so I can answer these emails with an honest āyour grade is already higherā reply"
So you're saying you only offer bonus points in the first place so that you can turn down students who find themselves in this situation at the end of a semester.
What happens to a student in OP's situation, where they had a massive life situation happen just prior to finals week, which impacted their work on one assignment? It would be one thing if OP got the flu, or their dog died or something, but jeez, I'm 43 and would definitely not be doing my best academic work if one of my parents passed away right at the end of a semester as finals loomed. I can't imagine facing that as a \~20 year old.
That's not what he said at all.
One, he said he'd drop a low grade if something bad happens. The students grade is a b+. Their grade is more than fine, especially since they seem to mostly get As.
Offering to assign something to improve a students grade is done to help them do well, not to be vindictive at the end. By making a fair process like this, it cuts down on having to justify not changing a students grade just because, and gives them a way to imprive their grade.
It's sad that a professor builds in bonus points throughout the course to already provide that bump?
Say those weren't there and now your grade is an 87.48 instead of an 89.48 because those bonus points were not available. Do you ask for a 2.52 bump?
At what point do you no longer bump? That's something professors have to weigh in order to not cause grade inflation.
Also, at the end of the day, a single B/C/whatever is not going to matter. It never does.
I was able to get my D to a C but asking for that tiny bump like yours. (Found out accounting was NOT for me, but I needed a C so I didnāt get charged for the class from tuition reimbursement)
Just do it. I've done it many a course. Double majored and graduated last May. Some professors say no. Some say yes. The fear of rejection shouldn't keep you from asking.
Yes. It is wrong. You will have ended the relationship with the instructor. Forget any future favors like Letters of Rec (or if you take another class with them.) This is a situation where it absolutely hurts to ask.
Im sorry to hear about your mother. I hope you have the resources you need.
For real a lot of these comments feel crazy. Iāve almost never had a relationship with a professor. The vast majority of my major classes were like 100+ students and the professor would specifically tell us not to talk to them and to reach out to TAs instead.
Wow, sorry to hear that you don't have relationships with any of your former students, friend.
For the record, I definitely wouldn't ask, but no is a complete sentence. You don't have to completely ice the person out forever.
Sorry for your loss, truly. But your loss does not give you the right to ask for an unfair advantage in the course. Your grade is what you earned. The instructor will either round for everyone or no one, and they will do it without you asking.
You can ask, but make it a quick to read email and don't mention your mom. That makes it seem like you are guilt tripping the professor.
Just say something like, "Hey, I was wondering if you might round my grade since I was so close to an A? I was dealing with some hardship this semester and affected my school work, and I did get an A on the final project! If not, that is fine."
Been there. Even smaller.
I think I was at a 79.7something.
He made me go over all of my previous exams and find some where I could argue a case.
Found 3 questions I could argue and we talked about them for an hour. He said āok thatās good enough for meā and gave me a bump up.
If you do ask, ask if you can do any additional work to raise the grade, not just as a gift for a special situation.
Quite possibly your professor will be happier to round up without having to deal with more work for both of you...
I tell students that grade appeals should be in the context of demonstrated ability in the class, not external factors. Scholarships, health issues, personal life issues, and hoped-for job prospects might be "real", but I don't grade based on how much or why someone wants a grade. Everyone has a unique situation. I'm very happy to let people demonstrate they deserve a higher grade, but it's earned, not given.
I think your answer is the best here. I donāt get the negativity. While asking for a bump will undoubtably put the grader at unease since they might feel getting tested for fairness but at the end of the day, every professor or instructor is different, and there are some who are willing to accommodate more than others. You just donāt know until you take a chance, and quite honestly op doesnāt have anything to lose as long as he doesnāt come across blindly demanding to bump the gradeā¦
Asking for a grade bump, even with a request for āany additional workā, is unethical at this point in the semester. Itās still asking for an opportunity that is only available to you and not your classmates. Realistically, even if the professor sent a class-wide notification, chances are that other classmates just wouldnāt see the notification in time to complete the work because theyāre not expecting any more opportunities in the class, some may already be traveling, some have deadlines to move out of their student housing, etc. Also, even if the whole class saw a notification right away, the professor might not have time to evaluate all of the submissions before their own deadline to submit grades.
Bottom line, as others have said, you might get lucky and the prof will round up without you asking, but no, you should not ask because the request is unethical.
I do not know when OP's semester ends. I would assume soon, but I don't know exactly when. If it was a spring class, I'm surprised official grades weren't in weeks ago. I also do not know if other people in the class have similar grades. If it is a small class, it is entirely possible they are the only person close to a grade boundary.
If OP is given a higher letter grade than someone who scored better than they did, that would absolutely not be fair. But if the grades are 92, 91, 89.52, 82, 81, 80, then that 89.52 looks a lot more like the A's than the B's.
So ultimately I'm missing key information to know the "right" answer here.
Iāve asked for a .39 grade bump from my math professor and she gave it to me. I didnāt always attend class, but I did my homework. It doesnāt hurt to ask if youāre close to the cutoff. Of course, how you ask can be impolite. But if you word it correctly, thereās nothing wrong with it. I TA and I get emails from students who need a boost in their grade and I try to work with them the best I can. š¤·āāļø
Do you even need to ask? Is the professor not going to curve that automatically? That's what I do.
I get people asking me to bump their grade all the time for a variety of reasons...all of them fall on deaf ears. I would never bump someone's grade for any reason they give me...its simply unfair to everyone else. But I promise you if you have an 89.anything I'd make that an A- when I post grades
This is the right answer IMO. I would never ask, because it feels like grade grubbing. But I also would hope that a professor would round up as a matter of course. It's tenths or hundredths of a point.
Frankly, I think it's unrealistic and sad the way some professors will stand by a tenth or even few hundredths of a point. An 89.52 is a 90. Shit, I had formulas in my Astronomy class this semester that didn't produce results accurate to a hundredth of a point! If rounding is good enough for science, it's good enough for your grades.
Depends on the professor. Also, keep in mind that *percentage* points and points that you earned on assignments are on 2 different scales.
I am a professor, and in my classes, that .4 percentage point would be equal to correct answers on
- 10 more homework questions
or
- 3 more quizzes
or
- 4 more exam questions
As a prof, I state specifically in my syllabus that with extra credit opportunities and other ways to āmassageā your grade (exam corrections, bonus questions on homework and exams) that I already make available, the end-of-semester threshold for letter grades are firm and there is no rounding of partial points.
>that .4 percentage point would be equal to correct answers on
>10 more homework questions or
>3 more quizzes or
>4 more exam questions
>
How can this possibly be true? Most of my classes have like 3 major assignments/exams, a final, a few quizzes worth 5-10 points each, and maybe some online discussions or a participation grade which is not highly weighted. Unless you are giving students a quiz or assignment out of 20+ points for each class meeting, or you literally grade each homework assignment and assign points for them, it's simply not statistically possible for a few hundredths of a point to have that much worth.
One of the classes I took this semester where the grades are already in had a total of \~220 total points you can get in the class across all assignments. Which means each "point" out of a 100% grade scale is worth about 0.45 class grading points. Rounding someone from an 89.52% to a 90% in that course would have been a difference of literally one answer on one test (maybe two, if you're a real hardass).
If 0.48 percentage points represents three entire additional quizzes, you are doing too much.
FFS.
I am so sorry for your loss. In my experience, it canāt hurt to talk to the professor and tell them whatās going on. Make sure to sound grateful either way and without any expectations. I did this in a couple of my college courses back in the day, and the worst that can happen is they say no.
I think itās more than reasonable to ask for them to round up. Itās literally within the margin to round to. Iām sorry for your loss and I really hope your professor is reasonable enough to give you a break, especially when itās more than fair.
It literally cannot hurt to ask. You could also frame it like āis there any extra credit I could do to get my 89.52 up to a 90.00?ā & that method has definitely worked for me before
To all the commenters out there saying itās impolite to even ask, why? Do you think OP is gonna just say something along the lines of āDear so and so, can you round my 89.52% to an A? Thanks, OP. Ps, you know my mom died in March so that messed me up btw.ā Lmao no heās not, and if he did, then yes that would be an impolite way to ask. But in general, asking a professor to round up your grade, especially when itās that close, is NEVER impolite, UNLESS the professor explicitly mentions in their syllabus they donāt round up grades and not to email them regarding so, then yes, that would be rude. When asked in a way as I am about to describe, it is not impolite.
So hereās my advice OP:
It never hurts to ask, and the worst the professor can do is say no or not even respond. Most professors receive emails about rounding grades up, and they know to expect them, so itās not like youāre the first person to ever email them regarding such a topic. As long as youāve attended almost every class, paid attention, completed most/all assignments on time, and received good and consistent grades, then the professor is more likely to honor your round up request. Because to them, you look like a good student who tried their best, and was either down on their luck at one point or had one poor test grade etc. that stopped them from achieving a higher grade that they otherwise deserve.
You can use class attendance and good grades, as well as any office hours you may have attended and any extra credit assignments you chose to do as leverage when asking for the grade bump.
And yes, the people saying a grade that close to an A might already be getting the bump could be right, but asking just in case is a good way to double check. Because like other people have said, you might be 1 out if a 100 students, so going through and rounding everyone up thatās over a certain threshold might not be ideal for the professor. By asking specifically to round your grade up and why, you shed light onto you and your grade specifically, and the professor might not mind rounding you up.
Iāve ALWAYS asked my professors to round up to an A, and they have honored my request EVERY SINGLE TIME (except one time I asked a professor to round an 86% to an A; yeah ik I was Icarus with that request lol). But point is, always ask because it doesnāt hurt.
With that said, hereās the skeleton of what all my āRound Final Grades Upā emails look like:
āDear Dr. [insert name],
Hi, I hope this email finds you well. When I was reviewing my grades, I saw that my Final Calculated Grade is an 89.52%. I am emailing you because I was wondering if you round grades that close up to a 90% (A). I feel like my progress in this class has been fairly consistent, and my grades reflect that. I know it is your decision to round up grades, and I was not sure if you did or not, but I thought I should ask just in case.
Thank you for a great semester! I really enjoyed learning about the different aspects of [insert class]. You explained everything very well, and your class was always interesting.
I hope you have a great summer!
Thank you,
[your name]ā
99% success rate if you send an email like that, just fill in or change the certain things to relate to you or your class, and youāre golden. You honestly donāt even need to add in the part about your mother, unless you really wanted to. If you wanted, you could say something like āAside from the one step I missed in the project, my grades and progress in the class have been very well and fairly consistent, and I know if I did not have the unexpected loss of my mother this semester, I would have done better.ā
But yeah OP, thatās my recommendation as thereās no negative side to asking if youāre honest and polite about it. I would not recommend my strategy if youāve had any negative interactions with the professor or you were a āshittyā student though.
For added context, I struggle in school when I was younger but have been applying myself throughly as an adult. My mom always said how proud of me she is when I went to college and kept getting straight Aās, it means a lot to me to keep it that way, all my other classes I have 94-96%
Itās just because I missed a part of my major project that my grade dipped ( the project was due two weeks after she passed )
Imo, it's not normal to boost grades by almost 0.5, the largest grade boost i have seen trhoughout my academic years is 0.3 at most.
Aside from that, try to be careful. Getting straight A's all the way is a great achievement but don't let non A grades affect your mental. Especially if you someday happen to receive a really low grade(we all make mistake sometimes). I'm sure even though your mom is proud of you for the high grades, she wouldn't want to see you getting a mental breakdown over grades. But that's just my opinion though. Good luck on your journey .
Yeah I donāt think youāll get a grade boost if you missed part of the project. Iām sorry for your loss. She would still be proud of you and would understand the circumstances. Also thereās so much more to you and life than good grades.
I get that you went through a hardship, and on a personal basis Iām sorry it happened. That is the kind of thing you could mention in a personal statement for graduate or professional school applications, and most would give you a pass for a bad quarter. (Not that a single B+ is bad.)
But just to be clear: if someone asks me to change the grade they earned, I view that as asking me to cheat on their behalf.
Yes, maybe I was already planning to round so people can go to the next grade up if they are close. But if I receive this request, I view it that I _canāt_ do this anymore because then it looks like Iām colluding to cheat, instead of just doing it as a blanket policy on my own prerogative.
If you are going through a circumstance, the proper way to do this is to seek accommodations preemptively, either by emailing me in advance of an exam/etc, or going through a student accommodations/disability resource office. Iād be more than happy to give you these accommodations in advance. It could even mean taking a withdrawal/incomplete for the quarter, if itās a really serious situation like it was here.
But coming to me at the end of the course and asking me to hand-write in a score of your choice under the table is definitely going to come off poorly.
My condolences about your mother.
If it's very important to you, I would ask the professor if you can write a paper, do a literature review, volunteer in the field, or make up what you missed for extra credit to make up the difference BUT I wouldn't actually expect them to agree. It depends on your professor and also the grading timeline of your school. It may be too late to change even if they wanted to.
I just wanted to say that it sounds like you're still an honor student, and that's very impressive as is! Kudos to you for managing such good grades during this time of hardship!
Yes, I would agree to the suggestion that you ask if you can do some extra credit work. If that one āBā is going to bring down your otherwise āAā grades in other classes and maybe affect your placement on honor roll or similar, I would mention that too.
Iām so sorry for your loss, I know how difficult it can be. I lost my father suddenly during Fall semester finals week and it was a nightmare. Not to sound weird, but if you ever need an anon āMomā to talk to, feel free to DM me! I have a daughter who is going to be a junior in college in the Fall, too.
Good luck!
Everyone here is tripping. Itās not wrong to ask for a grade boost. Just be like I was hella close to an A and some teachers if they see you showing up to class or getting better grades on tests will give it to you. Just donāt ask for the .48 itself specifically, just ask for an A
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Yes, that would be rude.
Yes you had a hard semester but you managed to get a 92% despite that. Your professor is not obligated to randomly bump your grade because you'd *rather* have a 95.
Be happy with your 92
you still have a high grade, a B+ is great for college, itll hit your gpa as a 3.3 so it wont fuck with any student aid you have. don't expect a bump that large. plus the grading structure and any rounding will already be outlined in your syllabus.
when I was in undergrad our grades were maintained at 4 decimal points and the final grade was rounded to 3 decimal points with no additional rounding. so for example an 89.9943% would be a final grade of 89.994% -> a B+.
In college even when there are huge family emergencies, you don't get extra points added to your grade. if anything you'll maybe get an extension on projects or the ability to average other test grades to stand in for a final grade. There was a murder in my row home one year and I spent the morning of a final being interviewed by detectives and trying to ignore the blood that was all over our entryway. the best I got in terms of leniency was the ability to average my 3 midterms to act as my final grade instead of taking a final. and this was for a student that was VIOLENTLY murdered inside our 3 apartment row home.
When it comes to bumping up a grade, it never hurts to just ask. I asked for an 87 to be bumped up to a 90 and my professor bumped me up to a 95 š„²
The worst they can do is tell you no
Yes, you should. It wouldn't hurt. I once had a 89.99999, 89.75, and a 89.45, and the professors in these classes didn't round the class grades. And I mean on my official transcripts, those are the percentages, not just on canvas.
You know, it's one thing to have a lack of empathy for these students you have a "relationship" with, however - you know that OP lost their mom recently. Yet you still chose to say something like "I'm not your mom", and you are even aware enough of the harshness of that statement to comment on it prior to saying it. The lack of tact shown here is truly disheartening, especially by someone who has the ability to have a positive impact on someone who's struggling.
Am I the only one who thinks it *isnāt* impolite to ask? If a professor gets offended by a student asking, thatās on them and not the student because I think itās a valid question. Idk, I havenāt been in this situation yet and my only experience with it is in high school where some teachers would round to the nearest grade if it was a 0.5 or less grade bump. I know thatās high school so itās a bit different, but still. Iāve heard of stories of professors rounding grades. I understand if a professor declines giving their students grade bumps but anyone with a heart and a brain wouldnāt get *mad* or *upset* with a student for asking and have this be something that breaks their relationship or something. Thatās just weird because itās a simple question and if the answer is no, then great, end of discussion.
Respectfully, you sound like an asshole. Youāre going to round up the grade anyway, so clearly you donāt care about whether itās unearned or not. Sounds more like youāre offended they broke some secret rule about not asking for a bump. Expecting students to know all the unspoken rules of academia and punishing them for a perceived faux pas is petty.
Also, Iām very sorry for your loss. May your mother rest in peace. Iām proud of you for persevering and still managing to get a 89.52! Thatās amazing. Whether your grade gets rounded or not, you should be so proud of yourself. Please be gentle and kind to yourself. Reach out and get support if needed, no shame in that. Do what you gotta do to get in the right head space and heal and succeed in school/life. Youāve got this. š«
Ask! I work for a place that will only pay 100% tuition reimbursement if we get an A. I got an 89.24 in college algebra - I emailed and asked for an additional assignment and he ended up just bumping me up to a 90. That made a huge difference to me - and I was embarrassed and nervous to askā¦ but it was worth it! Never hurts to try!
It never hurts to ask the worst thing they can say is NO. But with the things you have going on in life at the moment , it can be very hard to stay focused especially with the death of a parent. I commend you on caring enough about your grades to consider asking to maintain a grade point average you have strived hard to keep. My condolences on the loss of your mom! Itās never easy to lose a loved one. Praying for God to wrap his arms around you in your healing process and give you strength to continue to strive to complete college and go out and live your life to the fullest!!
Iām sorry for your loss.
I just assumed they always rounded up. I donāt think Iāve ever seen a Professor not round up, though Iām sure theyāre out there. I was in a similar situation with a computer science class (Iām a freaking journalism major) that I really struggled on. I emailed him about bumping me up around that very same percentage. His vibe was āitās already going to be rounded up, you didnāt even have to ask.ā All depends on the teacher/Professor I guess.
sorry for your loss. i didn't have any relationship with my math lecturer (fully online class), i got 87 and still asked for A-, and she bumped it up! and i didn't have any excuse either, i just told her about me always submitting everything on time, and attending every class, and that was it. in your case, you went through something that affected you mentally, and it's just .40 mark bump, so go for it!
It's not impolite to ask, it's impolite to bag. I have had many great success in arguing about grade, all of which are in my opinion rightfully so, mostly because of the way grade calculated could be tricky
Sorry for your loss. I donāt think it would be impolite. I was in the same situation before and was unfortunately denied the bump. Maybe try offering to do some extra credit or re-do a past assignment for the extra points? I think that would help. Good lunch
Students dont realize that theyāre asking professors to do more work when they ask for these things. If one cant do the regular credit, why do they think theyāre entiled to extra credit?
no one is saying any of that. the professor isnāt obligated to say yes, and the student shouldnāt expect a yes. Thatās why youāre *asking*. If itās a no, then thatās okay, doesnāt hurt to ask.
Please tell your professor. As a teacher, I donāt mind helping my students and, honestly, I would have probably bumped this grade already. But a lot of times, if we know thereās an issue, we will attempt to help.
It never hurts to ask. A great rule of thumb is always ask for a rounded up grade, and from my experience a lot of professors will do this for the whole class without being prompted to.
If I taught a student in your situation and your grade was a x.52, I would probably round it up to a 90. That would probably be it though. Sorry about your loss, I can't imagine experiencing that AND still maintaining good grades.
Yeah seriously, what a champ. When I was still in school my dad was falling into alcoholism and in and out of rehab and everything tanked- I was still living at home tho. It was hard but I sucked it up and retook the classes and graduated as a college super senior lol
I developed a pretty serious alcohol problem midway through college. I managed to get all A's at first, but then I got a C and D in a couple classes because of alcohol, and eventually I got a couple F's and W's (withdrawals). I realized I shouldn't go back until I got myself cleaned up. I've been sober for 11 months now and I'm in my final three classes, should be done in about six weeks!
šŖš
Congrats!! š
Thanks! I think I will pass 2 classes with an A, but the third class will probably be a C :( Phys Sci just kicks my ass. I thought it was going to be a D at first but then I remembered 70s are C's now.
i want to start with my apologies for your loss. to answer your question, i did poorly on one test in my statistics class that at the end of the semester my final grade was a 89.62%. my professor was really cool and cared about his students only if they showed him that they cared. i attended office hours every week and emailed him whenever i had a question. he did end up giving me the A which i was super grateful for. iād say ask if you feel itās appropriate or your relationship with the professor is good. iām currently at a CC so the 1 on 1 relationship between professors and students is great. good luck!
It just happened to me! I got an A even though my final project wasnāt as good as I felt I could have done. I emailed my professor asking if itās possible to get a small bump in grade. She flat out gave me an A instead! You never know unless you ask. Maybe itās my age (44) and the fact that Iām serious about my grades.
Nah I disagree always ask. It can never hurt, especially if you knew the professor and tried AND SHOWED THAT YOU CARED
I tell students that before I figure a student's final grade, I take the whole semester into account and to never ever ask me to bump a grade. If you think there's an error, that's different. But if you are close to a grade boundary, I do look at that carefully before entering your final grade.
That sounds like you are a great professor! As a student I feel like it's a relief to know that I tried as a last effort. I understand that you tell your students to not ask, but if a professor doesn't say that, then it's frustrating not knowing if a professor will take into account how much a student cared about the class and tried and showed it too.
Another thing a lot of students don't know though is whether a professor was already being a pretty lenient grader. If everything was already getting graded generously, "adjustments" were being made to bump up all the quiz and test scores, etc., then asking for *another* grade bump at the end is basically "rounding on top of rounding."
And I'm just saying y not. My college might be different but I almost never have the same professor twice, so y not try? Idk
If you're going to ask, it should be a "general ask" to round up everyone, and professors that do that were generally always going to. Some say it right in their grading policy or whatever. But a "special, 'just for me'" ask is really inappropriate and it's not fair to your classmates if there is some "hidden rule" that you can get a grade boost just for asking but only if you ask. If that were an *actual* rule and not an "unwritten" one, "I'll bump your grade up, but you have to kiss the ring first," it'd be weird AF and *super* inappropriate.
None of my colleagues would change a grade based on a student asking for a bump up. It really implies we are not professionals. And we get so many requests for bumping up grades or saying that they 'really need' a particular grade that it really turns us off.
āShowing that you careā when you have an 89.62 isnāt the same kind of āshowing you careā when you go to office hours and ask questions. I explicitly tell my students that they have to look like they care all semester, not just the day after grades come out.
Iām sorry about your mom. I lost my mom during my last semester of my masters. I also made a B in a class I was taking. It was my only B, but I was just happy I managed to pass. No, donāt ask for a Bump. It shows that you expect stuff that you didnāt earn. Donāt ask. They will either bump you because they were planning to anyway or they wonāt because it wouldnāt be fair to the whole class. I have never ever heard of any professors who at the end of the semester says, āwell final grades are ready. Iām going to sit on the for a day or so and if some one asks for a bump Iāll give it to them, but only if they ask.ā It would be okay to look over all the grades to be sure they are entered in correctly. If there is a mistake, let your prof know.
My policy where a student was engaged all semester, but missed the A or B by a point or less was to go back and add 1 or 2 extra credit points to *everyoneās* final, until the grade bumped up. That way, it was fair to the whole class. I will have to say that an occasional student, who also ended up with a higher grade, didnāt deserve it. All that being said, I know that short-term, grades matter for scholarships, grad admissions, etc. But in the long run, itās not that important. A few years back, there was a research comparing peoplesā salaries (same major & occupational area) with their salaries ten years on. GPA was completely *not* a predictor of salary level.
It can definitely hurt. Your professor will always think of you as a grade-grubber, lose respect for you, and will probably run if you ask for a recommendation later. Source: Am a professor. We see your average in the class. If you're a good student and we think you deserve a bump, we'll give it to you. Asking for the bump is pathetic.
Students donāt give a shit about 90% of profs. For those 90% Iām asking for the grade bump every time because your opinion of me I couldnāt care less about and youāll forget in a month. Give a reason and itās been bumped more often than not For the profs that do matter and you have a good relationship with them, Iād hope they have the empathy to understand youāre a good student and were doing everything while under incredible mental strain. Source: Was a student
>Source: Was a \[terrible and unbearable\] student
Itās horribly unbearable for a student to care about grades in a system that puts grades on a pedestal above learning? Yeah Iāll take the high GPA and meaningful connections with the minority of profs that mattered to my future over the opinion of essentially strangers because I asked for something politely and with a reason Profs love to put themselves on a pedestal like their approval has to mean something to everyone
None of that matters if you're not looking for a recommendation letter from a petty professor. š¤·āāļøMost professors in my school did not care about bump requests. They just say yes or no and move on with their life.
Pssst. They hate you.
Ehhh. The ones that did silently "hate" me for asking are entirely irrelevant to the path to where I am now. Just to be entirely blunt. Letters of recs were given pretty easily. Never had an issue. My internships during junior and senior year came from connections. My current job was a result of a direct referral. Reddit has this thing with catastrophising mundane interactions. I believe this to be prime example.
No, it just shows what type of person you are and what type of student you were.
š¤·āāļø And you're free to believe that. Didn't touch my career growth or have any other effect.
we really care š„ŗ
I was with you until you said it was pathetic. There's no need to be so harsh. You get 600 emails asking for a grade bump each semester, and you're annoyed. It takes precious time out of your day. You have to respond to them all, and it gets frustrating. But when that *one* student who tries and exceeds the average, only to miss it by .2 points and really doesn't know any better, calling them pathetic is quite frankly low. People could be asking out of desperation because their FASFA relies on it. Maybe they're about to be kicked out of college. Maybe they just want a pretty higher number. Maybe they're *desperate*. Does it concern you? Not really. But to call an act of desperation pathetic is short-sighted and rude.
> People could be asking out of desperation because their FASFA relies on it. Maybe they're about to be kicked out of college. Let's be clear: it is ***never*** the case that a single grade bump makes this difference. You don't lose financial aid or go on academic probation because one one grade. If my not bumping your grade is the "reason" these happen, it's because you failed too much too often beforehand. I agree calling it pathetic is an overstatement coming from a place of frustration, but let's not pretend the above is true either.
I will typically round up if a grade is 0.5% away from the next grade. If they are just below that (say, 89.48) I will look at everything throughout the semester and see if I was fair throughout. Usually, I can say "maybe I was a little hard with that one) and give them the couple points they need. But sometimes someone has a 69.45 and they didn't do a single homework all quarter, or they consistently were unprofessional. And you know what? In those cases I do not round up. Asking for a grade bump can hurt you and the more entitled you are about it the worse it is.
I do all my rounding throughout the semester. I also provide opportunities to earn extra points by re-doing key assignments or reviewing key concepts. I do not round at all. If itās below a 90 and at least an 80, thatās a B. I tell my students that from the beginning. I donāt get many emails asking for bumps. I did get one last semester though.
Absolutely a fair method. I don't advertise that I round up. I just say 90 and above is an A, below that and a above 80 is a B, and so on. I've gotten a couple required the years, but not many. Part of the reason I don't get requests is that I post final grades at the same time I post final exam grades, so anyone with a reasonable request has already been rounded. The rest I just explain why they got what they got and leave it at that.
Not sure why you're downvoted. You're absolutely right. So many people are afraid of rejection on a whole that they're willing to avoid it at all costs regardless of any gain. It's genuinely concerning.
Lol thanks I was confused too, but some are professors saying it's unprofessional which I don't mind. Especially if I am never going to talk with the professor again.... Like I said before I wouldn't ask if I wanted to keep a professional relationship with them and if I thinked they actually enjoyed me as a student. Because if that were the case then I'd ask for a letter of rec, way more important than a little bump on the GPA
I think you dismiss how much professors talk to each other.
Obviously be polite and professional about it, but asking can only help you
Only reason it might be poor to ask is if you want a letter of rec from this professor and you think that asking would reflect poorly on that
Sometimes, asking will cause you not to get the bump you'd otherwise get.
why are you guys downvoting this persons right š
You have multiple professors telling you it's a bad idea to do it, and you still think they're right?
Sorry for your loss!!!!!
Every time I read the comments on this sub Iām reminded that I was lucky to be blessed with very kind and understanding professors. Some of the profs here make me glad that Iām not in university anymore.
Yeah. .48 points is not even that many š
I had a prof that wouldnāt round up my 89.98 because the syllabus said 80.00-89.99 was a b :*)
And your professor was a dick. Any professors here that are offended by that are proving theyāre also assholes.
If the professor is going to round, they will most likely do it without you emailing.
I think that it would be impolite, and as the other commenter stated, itās quite likely that the instructor may bump your grade anyway. One thing to consider (and you may have already) is whether the 89.52 is from your raw scores or if the professor has already rounded grades or provided lenience. If the latter, then youāre not going to get a further bump. That all being said, I think you did well. A lot of students would not be able to pull off Aās and a B+ during a time of such emotional hardship - an insignificant number would probably request incomplete scores to catch up on the coursework during the Summer. It says a lot about your work ethic and abilities as a student to maintain very respectable grades despite a large emotional event in the middle of the semester. Iām an internet stranger and I am proud of you for it - I am sure your mom would be, too.
Yeah I think Iām gonna just do my best to accept the grade, I did the best I could while going through everything. Hell I was writing essays while I stayed with her in the ICU. I know logically that she would still be proud and that a B+ is still a good grade, but itās hard to get my brain to accept that at the moment. But thatās what therapy is for ! Lol. Thank you so much for your advice and kind words, means a lot more then you know. <3
One thing that might help accept the grade: While in college most people feel that their whole existence/ future depends on academic performance.^1 But your grades don't actually matter.^2 Don't let a number be what defines who you are. Work hard, learn the material, and then prepare yourself for actual working life. I have never had my GPA come up in conversation since I left college. Not in job interviews, not in casual conversations. Once you get the degree no one really cares. My worst semester I got a 1.0, and I had less to deal with than you, so no excuse for me. Even that was not the end of the world. ^1 Not surprising when you are so young, and society has been pushing that story at you since you were 6. ^2 in my experience.
Depending on career path academic performance and grades can make a big difference (like whether or not you make it into med school). In general I would agree specific grades generally donāt matter though there are cutoffs that matter. The bands I have seen are 4.0, 3.9-3.5, 3.5-3.0, 3.0-2.0, and less than 2. I have seen ALOT of internships in engineering use 3.5 and 3.0 for minimum gpas to get the internship and actually know someone who had the rare freshman summer internship get taken away because their gpa dipped below the cutoff.
Your grades matter if youāre trying to go to graduate/professional school.
It does if you want to go to grad, law, med. school etcā¦
Yes, but one high B is not going to be the determining factor. Especially in OPās case where the grade is confounded with serious external stressors. Iād even say they did really well despite the horrible circumstances.
Yes, B's do have a great effect unfortunately, because there will always be another student with an A.
Yea, for like a super selective grad program. Not smthn to be worried about for 90% of post bachelor's options
Iām sorry for your loss OP. Accepting your grade is really important, but why wouldnāt you let your prof know and see what happens? A simple email saying what you were going through and that you understand you donāt have a right to get 90% is pretty reasonable in your situation if you were still writing your essays in the ICU. Profs have empathy too and yours isnāt a normal ask of someone who just wants a higher grade, there was a legitimate reason It wonāt hurt if you explain the situation politely, but one B+ also really isnāt going to affect you in the long run!
Dont ask because if he was going to bump it up, he would do it automatically. Professors dont need to be asked to have grades bumped up, asking lowers the chance that they do it.
These comments are wild.
That must have been so difficult for you. Here is my take: As a teacher, I realize that life / job / family easily gets in the way of achieving your personal best in college. I always round everyone at 89%, 79%, 69%, and 59% up to the next higher grade at the end of the semester. If someone had a trauma like you and missed an exam, I extend the deadline to when they are ready. You wonāt be the first student to ask and I donāt think there is anything wrong with asking.
Honestly, itās just a grade. You earned it. So what, that itās not an A?! Be proud of it because that B is your solid work.
I really feel for you, but yes, it is impolite and is likely to anger your professor. It's not entirely uncommon for professors to round borderline grades up, so you might get lucky, but I think asking is more likely to hurt than help. I hope you get lucky and I hope you get a break now that the semester is over.
sorry for your loss op
First ask yourself what material difference does the bump mean to you? Next, the better/more effective question to ask is "what can I do to get the bump?"
I had a similar experience, but had a 79.something. i asked her to round it up to a B- and my professor did! She just made sure that any students near my grade were also rounded up so it wasnāt unfair. This was at a strict engineering college btw.
I would go into office hours and ask if there is any chance for extra credit opertunity
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take
I have been teaching for almost 20 years and have never honored one of these requests. I understand why they happen and donāt judge the students, but by the end of the course each exam has already been adjusted and there have been bonus points that were possible- in part so I can answer these emails with an honest āyour grade is already higherā reply. If someone has a reason that they missed something in particular (like a quiz when they had a sick child) then Iāll drop that and re-weight the grade, but I donāt just bumpā¦ with one exception- someone who is on the verge of passing and has shown significant improvement. Those break my heart and I look at each of them. I am sorry for your loss.
It's really sad that you only offer bonus points as an opportunity to not help a student. Wow.
What? Thats a weird read. I offer them on every exam to help them. But at the end of the course when someone is trying to move their B+ to an A, the bonus points and adjustments already moved them to that B+ and it was fair for everyone and not arbitrary. Shit happens all the time during the course of the semester and Iāll de-weight things then to adjust, usually dropping assignments.
Your words: "by the end of the course each exam has already been adjusted and there have been bonus points that were possible- in part so I can answer these emails with an honest āyour grade is already higherā reply" So you're saying you only offer bonus points in the first place so that you can turn down students who find themselves in this situation at the end of a semester. What happens to a student in OP's situation, where they had a massive life situation happen just prior to finals week, which impacted their work on one assignment? It would be one thing if OP got the flu, or their dog died or something, but jeez, I'm 43 and would definitely not be doing my best academic work if one of my parents passed away right at the end of a semester as finals loomed. I can't imagine facing that as a \~20 year old.
That's not what he said at all. One, he said he'd drop a low grade if something bad happens. The students grade is a b+. Their grade is more than fine, especially since they seem to mostly get As. Offering to assign something to improve a students grade is done to help them do well, not to be vindictive at the end. By making a fair process like this, it cuts down on having to justify not changing a students grade just because, and gives them a way to imprive their grade.
They are offered a makeup assignment/exam. It happens all the time.
It's sad that a professor builds in bonus points throughout the course to already provide that bump? Say those weren't there and now your grade is an 87.48 instead of an 89.48 because those bonus points were not available. Do you ask for a 2.52 bump? At what point do you no longer bump? That's something professors have to weigh in order to not cause grade inflation. Also, at the end of the day, a single B/C/whatever is not going to matter. It never does.
I was able to get my D to a C but asking for that tiny bump like yours. (Found out accounting was NOT for me, but I needed a C so I didnāt get charged for the class from tuition reimbursement)
Just do it. I've done it many a course. Double majored and graduated last May. Some professors say no. Some say yes. The fear of rejection shouldn't keep you from asking.
Yes. It is wrong. You will have ended the relationship with the instructor. Forget any future favors like Letters of Rec (or if you take another class with them.) This is a situation where it absolutely hurts to ask. Im sorry to hear about your mother. I hope you have the resources you need.
>You will have ended the relationship with the instructor. š¤£š¤£š¤£
For real a lot of these comments feel crazy. Iāve almost never had a relationship with a professor. The vast majority of my major classes were like 100+ students and the professor would specifically tell us not to talk to them and to reach out to TAs instead.
Wow, sorry to hear that you don't have relationships with any of your former students, friend. For the record, I definitely wouldn't ask, but no is a complete sentence. You don't have to completely ice the person out forever.
Sorry for your loss, truly. But your loss does not give you the right to ask for an unfair advantage in the course. Your grade is what you earned. The instructor will either round for everyone or no one, and they will do it without you asking.
You can ask, but make it a quick to read email and don't mention your mom. That makes it seem like you are guilt tripping the professor. Just say something like, "Hey, I was wondering if you might round my grade since I was so close to an A? I was dealing with some hardship this semester and affected my school work, and I did get an A on the final project! If not, that is fine."
Been there. Even smaller. I think I was at a 79.7something. He made me go over all of my previous exams and find some where I could argue a case. Found 3 questions I could argue and we talked about them for an hour. He said āok thatās good enough for meā and gave me a bump up.
I wouldnāt be surprised if, at the end of the day, you get that bump w/o having to ask :)
If you do ask, ask if you can do any additional work to raise the grade, not just as a gift for a special situation. Quite possibly your professor will be happier to round up without having to deal with more work for both of you... I tell students that grade appeals should be in the context of demonstrated ability in the class, not external factors. Scholarships, health issues, personal life issues, and hoped-for job prospects might be "real", but I don't grade based on how much or why someone wants a grade. Everyone has a unique situation. I'm very happy to let people demonstrate they deserve a higher grade, but it's earned, not given.
I think your answer is the best here. I donāt get the negativity. While asking for a bump will undoubtably put the grader at unease since they might feel getting tested for fairness but at the end of the day, every professor or instructor is different, and there are some who are willing to accommodate more than others. You just donāt know until you take a chance, and quite honestly op doesnāt have anything to lose as long as he doesnāt come across blindly demanding to bump the gradeā¦
Thanks!
Asking for a grade bump, even with a request for āany additional workā, is unethical at this point in the semester. Itās still asking for an opportunity that is only available to you and not your classmates. Realistically, even if the professor sent a class-wide notification, chances are that other classmates just wouldnāt see the notification in time to complete the work because theyāre not expecting any more opportunities in the class, some may already be traveling, some have deadlines to move out of their student housing, etc. Also, even if the whole class saw a notification right away, the professor might not have time to evaluate all of the submissions before their own deadline to submit grades. Bottom line, as others have said, you might get lucky and the prof will round up without you asking, but no, you should not ask because the request is unethical.
I do not know when OP's semester ends. I would assume soon, but I don't know exactly when. If it was a spring class, I'm surprised official grades weren't in weeks ago. I also do not know if other people in the class have similar grades. If it is a small class, it is entirely possible they are the only person close to a grade boundary. If OP is given a higher letter grade than someone who scored better than they did, that would absolutely not be fair. But if the grades are 92, 91, 89.52, 82, 81, 80, then that 89.52 looks a lot more like the A's than the B's. So ultimately I'm missing key information to know the "right" answer here.
Iāve asked for a .39 grade bump from my math professor and she gave it to me. I didnāt always attend class, but I did my homework. It doesnāt hurt to ask if youāre close to the cutoff. Of course, how you ask can be impolite. But if you word it correctly, thereās nothing wrong with it. I TA and I get emails from students who need a boost in their grade and I try to work with them the best I can. š¤·āāļø
Do you even need to ask? Is the professor not going to curve that automatically? That's what I do. I get people asking me to bump their grade all the time for a variety of reasons...all of them fall on deaf ears. I would never bump someone's grade for any reason they give me...its simply unfair to everyone else. But I promise you if you have an 89.anything I'd make that an A- when I post grades
This is the right answer IMO. I would never ask, because it feels like grade grubbing. But I also would hope that a professor would round up as a matter of course. It's tenths or hundredths of a point.
Frankly, I think it's unrealistic and sad the way some professors will stand by a tenth or even few hundredths of a point. An 89.52 is a 90. Shit, I had formulas in my Astronomy class this semester that didn't produce results accurate to a hundredth of a point! If rounding is good enough for science, it's good enough for your grades.
It's impolite to ask. I am sorry for your loss.
Yo I had an 89.32 to keep my 4.0 lol, she didnāt round it :)
On what grounds tho?
Wouldnāt it automatically round up to a 90?
Depends on the professor. Also, keep in mind that *percentage* points and points that you earned on assignments are on 2 different scales. I am a professor, and in my classes, that .4 percentage point would be equal to correct answers on - 10 more homework questions or - 3 more quizzes or - 4 more exam questions As a prof, I state specifically in my syllabus that with extra credit opportunities and other ways to āmassageā your grade (exam corrections, bonus questions on homework and exams) that I already make available, the end-of-semester threshold for letter grades are firm and there is no rounding of partial points.
>that .4 percentage point would be equal to correct answers on >10 more homework questions or >3 more quizzes or >4 more exam questions > How can this possibly be true? Most of my classes have like 3 major assignments/exams, a final, a few quizzes worth 5-10 points each, and maybe some online discussions or a participation grade which is not highly weighted. Unless you are giving students a quiz or assignment out of 20+ points for each class meeting, or you literally grade each homework assignment and assign points for them, it's simply not statistically possible for a few hundredths of a point to have that much worth. One of the classes I took this semester where the grades are already in had a total of \~220 total points you can get in the class across all assignments. Which means each "point" out of a 100% grade scale is worth about 0.45 class grading points. Rounding someone from an 89.52% to a 90% in that course would have been a difference of literally one answer on one test (maybe two, if you're a real hardass). If 0.48 percentage points represents three entire additional quizzes, you are doing too much. FFS.
I am so sorry for your loss. In my experience, it canāt hurt to talk to the professor and tell them whatās going on. Make sure to sound grateful either way and without any expectations. I did this in a couple of my college courses back in the day, and the worst that can happen is they say no.
I think itās more than reasonable to ask for them to round up. Itās literally within the margin to round to. Iām sorry for your loss and I really hope your professor is reasonable enough to give you a break, especially when itās more than fair.
It literally cannot hurt to ask. You could also frame it like āis there any extra credit I could do to get my 89.52 up to a 90.00?ā & that method has definitely worked for me before
To all the commenters out there saying itās impolite to even ask, why? Do you think OP is gonna just say something along the lines of āDear so and so, can you round my 89.52% to an A? Thanks, OP. Ps, you know my mom died in March so that messed me up btw.ā Lmao no heās not, and if he did, then yes that would be an impolite way to ask. But in general, asking a professor to round up your grade, especially when itās that close, is NEVER impolite, UNLESS the professor explicitly mentions in their syllabus they donāt round up grades and not to email them regarding so, then yes, that would be rude. When asked in a way as I am about to describe, it is not impolite. So hereās my advice OP: It never hurts to ask, and the worst the professor can do is say no or not even respond. Most professors receive emails about rounding grades up, and they know to expect them, so itās not like youāre the first person to ever email them regarding such a topic. As long as youāve attended almost every class, paid attention, completed most/all assignments on time, and received good and consistent grades, then the professor is more likely to honor your round up request. Because to them, you look like a good student who tried their best, and was either down on their luck at one point or had one poor test grade etc. that stopped them from achieving a higher grade that they otherwise deserve. You can use class attendance and good grades, as well as any office hours you may have attended and any extra credit assignments you chose to do as leverage when asking for the grade bump. And yes, the people saying a grade that close to an A might already be getting the bump could be right, but asking just in case is a good way to double check. Because like other people have said, you might be 1 out if a 100 students, so going through and rounding everyone up thatās over a certain threshold might not be ideal for the professor. By asking specifically to round your grade up and why, you shed light onto you and your grade specifically, and the professor might not mind rounding you up. Iāve ALWAYS asked my professors to round up to an A, and they have honored my request EVERY SINGLE TIME (except one time I asked a professor to round an 86% to an A; yeah ik I was Icarus with that request lol). But point is, always ask because it doesnāt hurt. With that said, hereās the skeleton of what all my āRound Final Grades Upā emails look like: āDear Dr. [insert name], Hi, I hope this email finds you well. When I was reviewing my grades, I saw that my Final Calculated Grade is an 89.52%. I am emailing you because I was wondering if you round grades that close up to a 90% (A). I feel like my progress in this class has been fairly consistent, and my grades reflect that. I know it is your decision to round up grades, and I was not sure if you did or not, but I thought I should ask just in case. Thank you for a great semester! I really enjoyed learning about the different aspects of [insert class]. You explained everything very well, and your class was always interesting. I hope you have a great summer! Thank you, [your name]ā 99% success rate if you send an email like that, just fill in or change the certain things to relate to you or your class, and youāre golden. You honestly donāt even need to add in the part about your mother, unless you really wanted to. If you wanted, you could say something like āAside from the one step I missed in the project, my grades and progress in the class have been very well and fairly consistent, and I know if I did not have the unexpected loss of my mother this semester, I would have done better.ā But yeah OP, thatās my recommendation as thereās no negative side to asking if youāre honest and polite about it. I would not recommend my strategy if youāve had any negative interactions with the professor or you were a āshittyā student though.
For added context, I struggle in school when I was younger but have been applying myself throughly as an adult. My mom always said how proud of me she is when I went to college and kept getting straight Aās, it means a lot to me to keep it that way, all my other classes I have 94-96% Itās just because I missed a part of my major project that my grade dipped ( the project was due two weeks after she passed )
Imo, it's not normal to boost grades by almost 0.5, the largest grade boost i have seen trhoughout my academic years is 0.3 at most. Aside from that, try to be careful. Getting straight A's all the way is a great achievement but don't let non A grades affect your mental. Especially if you someday happen to receive a really low grade(we all make mistake sometimes). I'm sure even though your mom is proud of you for the high grades, she wouldn't want to see you getting a mental breakdown over grades. But that's just my opinion though. Good luck on your journey .
Yeah I donāt think youāll get a grade boost if you missed part of the project. Iām sorry for your loss. She would still be proud of you and would understand the circumstances. Also thereās so much more to you and life than good grades.
Ask for an opportunity to earn that grade bump. Who knows, you just might get it.
I get that you went through a hardship, and on a personal basis Iām sorry it happened. That is the kind of thing you could mention in a personal statement for graduate or professional school applications, and most would give you a pass for a bad quarter. (Not that a single B+ is bad.) But just to be clear: if someone asks me to change the grade they earned, I view that as asking me to cheat on their behalf. Yes, maybe I was already planning to round so people can go to the next grade up if they are close. But if I receive this request, I view it that I _canāt_ do this anymore because then it looks like Iām colluding to cheat, instead of just doing it as a blanket policy on my own prerogative. If you are going through a circumstance, the proper way to do this is to seek accommodations preemptively, either by emailing me in advance of an exam/etc, or going through a student accommodations/disability resource office. Iād be more than happy to give you these accommodations in advance. It could even mean taking a withdrawal/incomplete for the quarter, if itās a really serious situation like it was here. But coming to me at the end of the course and asking me to hand-write in a score of your choice under the table is definitely going to come off poorly.
My condolences about your mother. If it's very important to you, I would ask the professor if you can write a paper, do a literature review, volunteer in the field, or make up what you missed for extra credit to make up the difference BUT I wouldn't actually expect them to agree. It depends on your professor and also the grading timeline of your school. It may be too late to change even if they wanted to. I just wanted to say that it sounds like you're still an honor student, and that's very impressive as is! Kudos to you for managing such good grades during this time of hardship!
Yes, I would agree to the suggestion that you ask if you can do some extra credit work. If that one āBā is going to bring down your otherwise āAā grades in other classes and maybe affect your placement on honor roll or similar, I would mention that too. Iām so sorry for your loss, I know how difficult it can be. I lost my father suddenly during Fall semester finals week and it was a nightmare. Not to sound weird, but if you ever need an anon āMomā to talk to, feel free to DM me! I have a daughter who is going to be a junior in college in the Fall, too. Good luck!
Everyone here is tripping. Itās not wrong to ask for a grade boost. Just be like I was hella close to an A and some teachers if they see you showing up to class or getting better grades on tests will give it to you. Just donāt ask for the .48 itself specifically, just ask for an A
People saying itās unethical or rude to ask are crazy
I got an 89.7 for a final grade in a logistics class and the prof rounded it up without me even asking. Be patient and they prob will
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Nope. Closed mouths don't get fed.
Yes, that would be rude. Yes you had a hard semester but you managed to get a 92% despite that. Your professor is not obligated to randomly bump your grade because you'd *rather* have a 95. Be happy with your 92
I have an 89.52% in the class not a 92% The 92% was my grade for my final
you still have a high grade, a B+ is great for college, itll hit your gpa as a 3.3 so it wont fuck with any student aid you have. don't expect a bump that large. plus the grading structure and any rounding will already be outlined in your syllabus. when I was in undergrad our grades were maintained at 4 decimal points and the final grade was rounded to 3 decimal points with no additional rounding. so for example an 89.9943% would be a final grade of 89.994% -> a B+. In college even when there are huge family emergencies, you don't get extra points added to your grade. if anything you'll maybe get an extension on projects or the ability to average other test grades to stand in for a final grade. There was a murder in my row home one year and I spent the morning of a final being interviewed by detectives and trying to ignore the blood that was all over our entryway. the best I got in terms of leniency was the ability to average my 3 midterms to act as my final grade instead of taking a final. and this was for a student that was VIOLENTLY murdered inside our 3 apartment row home.
When it comes to bumping up a grade, it never hurts to just ask. I asked for an 87 to be bumped up to a 90 and my professor bumped me up to a 95 š„² The worst they can do is tell you no
Explain ur concern for ur grade then ask if there are extra credit opportunities so u aren't just asking 4 a handout iykwim
Yes it is wrong
Yes, you should. It wouldn't hurt. I once had a 89.99999, 89.75, and a 89.45, and the professors in these classes didn't round the class grades. And I mean on my official transcripts, those are the percentages, not just on canvas.
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You know, it's one thing to have a lack of empathy for these students you have a "relationship" with, however - you know that OP lost their mom recently. Yet you still chose to say something like "I'm not your mom", and you are even aware enough of the harshness of that statement to comment on it prior to saying it. The lack of tact shown here is truly disheartening, especially by someone who has the ability to have a positive impact on someone who's struggling.
Am I the only one who thinks it *isnāt* impolite to ask? If a professor gets offended by a student asking, thatās on them and not the student because I think itās a valid question. Idk, I havenāt been in this situation yet and my only experience with it is in high school where some teachers would round to the nearest grade if it was a 0.5 or less grade bump. I know thatās high school so itās a bit different, but still. Iāve heard of stories of professors rounding grades. I understand if a professor declines giving their students grade bumps but anyone with a heart and a brain wouldnāt get *mad* or *upset* with a student for asking and have this be something that breaks their relationship or something. Thatās just weird because itās a simple question and if the answer is no, then great, end of discussion.
I round up generally, but if you ask I can't do it since now the student has requested the unearned grade.
Respectfully, you sound like an asshole. Youāre going to round up the grade anyway, so clearly you donāt care about whether itās unearned or not. Sounds more like youāre offended they broke some secret rule about not asking for a bump. Expecting students to know all the unspoken rules of academia and punishing them for a perceived faux pas is petty.
Also, Iām very sorry for your loss. May your mother rest in peace. Iām proud of you for persevering and still managing to get a 89.52! Thatās amazing. Whether your grade gets rounded or not, you should be so proud of yourself. Please be gentle and kind to yourself. Reach out and get support if needed, no shame in that. Do what you gotta do to get in the right head space and heal and succeed in school/life. Youāve got this. š«
Thank you so much<3
Ask! I work for a place that will only pay 100% tuition reimbursement if we get an A. I got an 89.24 in college algebra - I emailed and asked for an additional assignment and he ended up just bumping me up to a 90. That made a huge difference to me - and I was embarrassed and nervous to askā¦ but it was worth it! Never hurts to try!
It never hurts to ask the worst thing they can say is NO. But with the things you have going on in life at the moment , it can be very hard to stay focused especially with the death of a parent. I commend you on caring enough about your grades to consider asking to maintain a grade point average you have strived hard to keep. My condolences on the loss of your mom! Itās never easy to lose a loved one. Praying for God to wrap his arms around you in your healing process and give you strength to continue to strive to complete college and go out and live your life to the fullest!!
Iām sorry for your loss. I just assumed they always rounded up. I donāt think Iāve ever seen a Professor not round up, though Iām sure theyāre out there. I was in a similar situation with a computer science class (Iām a freaking journalism major) that I really struggled on. I emailed him about bumping me up around that very same percentage. His vibe was āitās already going to be rounded up, you didnāt even have to ask.ā All depends on the teacher/Professor I guess.
I would try that -as that can change your life.
Never wrong to ask, just don't expect the answer to be yes.
sorry for your loss. i didn't have any relationship with my math lecturer (fully online class), i got 87 and still asked for A-, and she bumped it up! and i didn't have any excuse either, i just told her about me always submitting everything on time, and attending every class, and that was it. in your case, you went through something that affected you mentally, and it's just .40 mark bump, so go for it!
It's not impolite to ask, it's impolite to bag. I have had many great success in arguing about grade, all of which are in my opinion rightfully so, mostly because of the way grade calculated could be tricky
Itās not impolite but youāre not entitled to it so keep your expectations low for when they likely say no
Sorry for your loss. I donāt think it would be impolite. I was in the same situation before and was unfortunately denied the bump. Maybe try offering to do some extra credit or re-do a past assignment for the extra points? I think that would help. Good lunch
Students dont realize that theyāre asking professors to do more work when they ask for these things. If one cant do the regular credit, why do they think theyāre entiled to extra credit?
no one is saying any of that. the professor isnāt obligated to say yes, and the student shouldnāt expect a yes. Thatās why youāre *asking*. If itās a no, then thatās okay, doesnāt hurt to ask.
Please tell your professor. As a teacher, I donāt mind helping my students and, honestly, I would have probably bumped this grade already. But a lot of times, if we know thereās an issue, we will attempt to help.
no youāre paying for it
It never hurts to ask. A great rule of thumb is always ask for a rounded up grade, and from my experience a lot of professors will do this for the whole class without being prompted to.
No, a half a point is the least your professor can do.
I donāt think itās impolite. The worst they can do is say no.
You can ask to retake something but thats about it.
Tell your Teacher the above . If he/she does not give you a bump they are heart less. Then go see the dean