Seriously?!?!?!

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN]

I just got word that the school I just graduated from is changing the grading scale. This new scale would turn 3 of my C's to B's and one of my B's to an A. So frustrating. Before anyone says it doesn't matter because you graduated, further education does look at your GPA and they don't look at the specialzed grading scale most nursing programs have. We don't have + or - in my school. So it's either a 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0. So my 84% is a 2.0 my BSN school doesn't know that it was an 84% they just see the 2.0 and it transfers as a C. Even though they are on a 10 point scale so it would be a B in their school. With the new grading scale my previous school is switching too, it would be a B for them now too.

GRRRRRR, anyway, just venting. Nothing can be done about it now and I am done, but it's still frustrating none the less.

[Moogie]

I don't like the changes in your grading scale, not only because they impact you but because they're not good for the nursing program. They smack of grade inflation, IMHO, and don't really help the incoming students. Grade inflation dilutes the meaning of grades, sort of like the idea that everyone should get a prize simply for participating.

FWIW, your ADN grades are not going to significantly impact your chances for grad school. Grad schools are competitive but most will put more consideration into your BSN grades. Give it your all during the RN-BSN program (as I know you will) and I think you're going to be fine.

But yeah, it's a disappointment, isn't it? I still remember when I took one of my sciences during a summer session in my ADN program. The instructor was completely wacky with his grading and graded us on a bell curve. I ended up getting a B in the class in spite of having 96%. That one torqued me. My mental health instructor told us all at the beginning of the course that she didn't believe in giving As. Even though I had As in all my exams and my work surpassed the work of some of my friends who had different instructors, I got a B. However, I'm still in touch with some of my classmates and we still laugh about what a horrible instructor she was.

[~Mi Vida Loca~RN, ASN, RN]

BTW I have to totally laugh at my title choice. Today my 4 year old daughter was carrying something to the trash and dropped something. She goes "Ugh, Seriously?" I laughed and didn't even think about it. So then we were at lunch today with one of my girl friends and she was listening to us talk, I said something and she goes "Seriously, mom???" I looked at her and was like WHERE THE HECK ARE YOU GETTING THIS FROM. Hmmmmm geee I wonder!

[Trilldayz,RN BSN]

I don't like the changes in your grading scale, not only because they impact you but because they're not good for the nursing program. They smack of grade inflation, IMHO, and don't really help the incoming students. Grade inflation dilutes the meaning of grades, sort of like the idea that everyone should get a prize simply for participating.

FWIW, your ADN grades are not going to significantly impact your chances for grad school. Grad schools are competitive but most will put more consideration into your BSN grades. Give it your all during the RN-BSN program (as I know you will) and I think you're going to be fine.

But yeah, it's a disappointment, isn't it? I still remember when I took one of my sciences during a summer session in my ADN program. The instructor was completely wacky with his grading and graded us on a bell curve. I ended up getting a B in the class in spite of having 96%. That one torqued me. My mental health instructor told us all at the beginning of the course that she didn't believe in giving As. Even though I had As in all my exams and my work surpassed the work of some of my friends who had different instructors, I got a B. However, I'm still in touch with some of my classmates and we still laugh about what a horrible instructor she was.

What if your BSN program participates in high grade madness and you want to get int grad school? Our school doesn't put + or - in calculating GPA. It's strictly 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0. An A here is a 93 (and these teachers make that impossible to get in all honesty), Bs are 84-92 and Cs are 75-84. So if I get an 83, that's an automatic 2.0 calculation on a transcript!!! I have gotten mostly All Bs (high 80s and low 90s) and the 2 Cs that I got were low 80s. How am I going to compete with another grad school applicant whose 90 is an A but my 92 shows a B? I think it puts me at an automatic disadvantage. Are grad schools going to stop and think "you know, her grading scale is high, let's give her a chance, since their school has higher standards"? NO! An A is not an B in their eyes, and it really makes me upset. Even though yes, our school "cares" about raising standards (and they don't...they give those who fail TONS of points to help them maintain Cs but if you are a borderline A they rarely give YOU points to give you that A.)...but it will eventually bite me in the butt, come grad school. It's this grading craziness that should make grades in nursing school somewhat irrelevent, because my school was both hard and unfair in giving out grades, while I have a cousin in another program that was "easier" and is graduating with a 4.0... and I was definetly way more prepared for HESI, had ACLS, PALS certs and TNCC & NRP training thoughout school... and eachtime, she will forever trump me, when it comes time for grad school. Sorry I'm babbling, but it really ticks me off! Should I send the prospective schools our insane grading scale, so they can be aware that really my GPA is higher that what it looks?