Yesterday, while we were waiting for class to start (with me diligently working on my knit scarf), we were talking about grades we got, or would get when he passed back the exam.
The fellow to my forwards right got a 38/50, and was pleased. He figured that the curve would help him out a lot. The lady behind me got a 32/50 and was less pleased. The guy on her left got a 39/50, and got some dirty looks.
I, of course, had not checked the online grade posting - for me, once the test is turned in, the grade is going to be the same, so I have no hurry to figure out what it is.
I was sort of worried, though - the test had been a lot harder than I expected - I had little to no trouble with the practice exam from the fall semester, but the exam this time had a lot of questions about elasticity, which I hadn't studied very well for. (Actually, I hadn't studied much at all - only skimmed the textbook, etc. But I didn't know it very well, at any rate.)
He started passing out exams. The guy behind me got a 22/50. I was worried.
I got a 44/50. I was impressed. I figured that I would get around a 39/50, being smart and all that. I was sort of worried, though - the class is graded on a curve, after all, and so the higher my score, the more true reason people have to be unhappy/jealous.
And then once all the papers had been passed out, Dr. Wang was going to write the top and lowest scores on the board.
Wang: "Wilford, what did you get on the exam?"
Me: "44?"
Wang (to class): "The highest score was 44, the lowest was something like 16 or 18."
Me: *blushes*
So yeah. Apparently I didn't just do okay, I actually set the curve.
First time I've ever done that. Mixed feelings between pride and superiority, and embarassment and cringing. The other students weren't that mad, but they did give me dirty looks occasionally.
We went over the exam in class, and they argued some of the questions. I was pondering helping them argue for the questions - Lowering my grade to be more on par with the other high-scoring students would not hurt me at all, and would help everybody else. Eventually I didn't, though - the professor's policy was that people could talk to him privately about it if they cared about points.
I missed two questions, each -2 points, and I got 3/5s credit on one of the essay questions. I could have easily argued the essay question, but... what's the point. Setting the curve is an odd situation to be in, apparently.
Anyway, this might lead to the first time I get a A+ in a college class. I've always been a A-/B+ student, traditionally.
Go me?
Yes go you! There's nothing wrong with setting the curve. Don't settle for less to help out other people with their grades. Grades are individual and such. So, be glad of your success! Yay!
ReplyDeleteGo you, lover. *hugs*
ReplyDeleteAlso, argue for the essay question if it's not too late. If you have the right answer, you should get the question marked accordingly. If you score too close to everybody else, the curve has no meaning (whether it's a traditional bell curve or just the added points). They (and you) need the encouragement to study more.
Yeah, it sucks.
But really, you're all about fairness. Let them have their grades and learn something from it. And maybe you should study more, too, eh? :P
But congrats. That's great. ^.^
Oh, I'm not going to say that I'm right in it, just that its arguable. You were supposed to explain how a farmer would utilize the equi-marginal principle, and provide a way to test it. My test, however, was pretty much part of the definition of the principle - if he had an extra fraction of a dollar, it should be equally needed for any option. But using part of the definition/method for testing is sort of iffy.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I think part of my winning formula was not reading the book - the teacher teaches differently than the book, and his word goes in class. I didn't read the book because I felt it would confuse me.
Not sure if this is true for the final.
Setting the curve is always fun. I remember at one point setting the curve in a class. Got like 105% on the midterm and it was so funny because that was the only test in the bunch that ended up being above 85% and it was rather cool. ^_^
ReplyDeleteAnd it's always good policy to not read the book if the teacher teaches against it, because it's really never good to disagree with your teacher because they're the law in the class.
I disagreed with the teacher only once, because he was WRONG. He kept insisting that Selkies were only female but no, that's totally not true, there are male Selkies and I ended up having to pull out my mythology book to prove it...
Anyway, later!
~ Tabbers
Well, I think there is a difference between the teacher teaching from experience and knowledge, and teaching from an outside source.
ReplyDeleteIf my econ professor was teaching from the book, and said something that differed from the book, I could point it out and prove that, by his standards, he is wrong.
This is different than using the book as an additional reading, teaching stuff that he knows to be better than the normal stuff.
Ning is pretty cutting-edge. I don't think there is a book out there that matches him. Maybe he should write one.
Actually, given his English, maybe he should have someone write it for him. >.>
Snrk at the "someone write it for him" comment....
ReplyDeleteI set the curve once for a calculus midterm. I got 48/50. The next highest grade was something like 41/50. So actually the next highest score set the curve and I got 114% because the teacher didn't want to "curve" it off mine.
Also, you need to post more here. Is there nothing happy in your life?