Asking for a change of grade

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Hi everyone. i am about to make a bold move and ask the director of the biology department that i need a change of grade for my anatomy course. i also have to ask my professor if he would allow me as well. i am pretty sure i am getting an F. i posted another thread about this situation. I am very upset and i need advice. i want to convinve my professor to allow me to retake his final. i have no excuse but that it was difficult when i took the class to grasp all that information. I dont know how to convince him and i will do anything so i can get that big fat F turned away. should i do this? i wont see him until next semester should i email him? should i speak with the director first? if you have any helpful advice i would really appreciate it. Thank you

Specializes in School Nursing.

I'm not sure that someone's 'sense of entitlement' is a generational thing.. I think it's part maturity and part parenting. The baby boomers were once considered an 'entitled' bunch as were us gen x and y'ers. Most of the time we learn the lesson as we grow older, wiser and more mature. :)

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Ok, ok. I inserted the confused emoticon because I am not sure it's a generational thing. Where I live, it very much is so.

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Well my opinion differs from everyone else here. I would go for it. First, because it won't hurt to try. Second, because there is a saying that says, and I'm kind of translating here cause I don't know this saying in English, but it basically says that Baby that doesn't cry won't get feed...so you have to fight for the things you want. It won't hurt you to ask him to change your grade. What's the worst case scenario? That he'll say NO! well...you will stay with the same grade that you already have. However, in case you have to repeat the class, I do consider that since you did not so good in this one, besides of study harder, you might want to consider taking another professor. I just finished A&P1 and I got an A. I can tell you that it was an easy A. Even though the subject is kind of hard I just had to study like 4 days to a week before each test. We had like 3 chapters per test and my prof gave us what we had to study for. So my advice is to check out the bests professors in your school and take them. Many times the profs can make the class seems really easy, and some other a real nightmare. So be picky when it comes to your professors. Choosing the right one can make a real difference in how you perceive the level of difficulty of the class. So having said that I wish you the best. Let me know what you decided. :)

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Specializes in School Nursing.
Well my opinion differs from everyone else here. I would go for it. First, because it won't hurt to try. Second, because there is a saying that says, and I'm kind of translating here cause I don't know this saying in English, but it basically says that Baby that doesn't cry won't get feed...so you have to fight for the things you want. It won't hurt you to ask him to change your grade.

Fighting for the things you want means working hard for them in the first place. It can't hurt to ask? I guess not, if you're okay with asking for things you don't deserve. Asking for help would have been the solution to this particular problem.. asking for a grossly unethical favor from an instructor or department head, imho, is completely inappropriate.

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Specializes in Emergency/Cath Lab.
Well my opinion differs from everyone else here. I would go for it. First, because it won't hurt to try. Second, because there is a saying that says, and I'm kind of translating here cause I don't know this saying in English, but it basically says that Baby that doesn't cry won't get feed...so you have to fight for the things you want. It won't hurt you to ask him to change your grade. What's the worst case scenario? That he'll say NO! well...you will stay with the same grade that you already have.

Do people not understand that grades are what you EARN, not what you feel you deserve? I felt like i should have got a better grade in my last class but my tests and paperwork dictated otherwise. I have no issue with people asking or even fighting for a better grade when it is deserved, but this person wants a hand me down. under her own admissions, she said it was hard and that was the only reason she did not get an better than an F. An F means you did not grasp anywhere near what was required to pass.

And yes you have to fight for the things you want but in this case the "fight" is learning the content and doing well on the tests assignments and what not. I would be insulted as an instructor if someone in this situation asked for what is being asked here.

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Guys! Everyone is entitle to an opinion, and this is mine. I know she did not do good, ok! I understand that, but there is a possibility that she didn't pass for a few points. I guess that if she felt like asking just to re take the final test there might be a possibility for her to pass.

I'm not saying that the prof should give her a free ride or anything, but I'm not aware of her whole situation so I'm just leaving space for some other option. She's not even completely sure that she got an F.

This semester I got a B in one of my class and I talked to my prof because I kept an A the whole period, and because of the final I ended up with a B+. So to make the story short I asked him if there was anything I could do, maybe an extra credit or something. Guess what! he agreed and I finished with an A. I know it's not the same compared to an F, but if hadn't asked I would've gotten a B. Same happened to my husband and he got his A, and in another class the prof gave him a C even though he had a D overall just because he asked. So my point is that sometimes you need to ask for something in order to receive it. If the professor sees that you care he might be able to help you out. I prefer to ask for a second chance and not to get a BIG F in my degree audit. Like I said before it won't hurt her or the prof.

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Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

I can't imagine any professor allowing a student to retake a final because "it was difficult when I took the class to grasp that information". "Why would somebody fight to raise their grade to a "D" which messes your GPA up?? That looks horrible especially with as fundamental a class as anatomy. If someone wants to be a nurse it's all about knowing the information, not looking for loopholes and ways to game the system.

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I would never, EVER, ask a professor to change a grade.

Retake the class and take everyones advice. Somethings that will lead to a better grade: Get a study partner, read the chapters BEFORE class, record the lectures and listen to them outside of class whenever you get a chance, take your book with you everywhere and read whenever you can, look up outside resources on-line, talk to the professor after the first test and ask for ideas to improve your grade for the subsequent tests. I don't think it's unreasonable to put in 15+ hours a week of study time outside of class....basically do whatever it is you need to do to EARN good grades.

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Specializes in future OB/L&D nurse(I hope) or hospice.

Wow, I am really shocked! I also failed A&P I, but I just re-took it and got a B. The way I see it is this- I NEEDED to retake the class!! I NEED to know the material in order to do well in NS. Failing the class didn't just happen with the final exam, which means you do not know all you need to know to pass NS. If you do succeed in retaking the final, you will only be setting yourself up for failure in NS. I feel your pain, it was very hard to accept the reality. But, I learned so much more the 2nd time around and I am so happy I did. A&P is very hard. But you need to just retake the class as it is the right thing to do. Just my 2 cents.

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i started AP 1 TWICE!!...both times i had to withdraw cause of personal reasons,i knew i didnt have the time to put into the class that i needed..so instead i withdrew...up til the time i withdrew i had B's but i could see that B slippin....

IF i would of had the time I would of been in the student help center as much as i could to make sure i passed this beast of a class.....now that things have settled down here on the home front i am thinkin of taking it again...that or micro....not sure...i am only doing class by class....got the pre-reqs out of the way....now i want to get all the co-reqs done before i apply to NS....which will only be 3 semesters cause i plan on testing out of nursing 1...OR..i may decide not to go back at all and stay a LPN....not sure as of yet....somedays i think i am to old(48)...

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Specializes in LTC.

This may work with you now but in nursing school there is NO asking for anything. You get what you earn. At our CC you must have a 75 to pass the class. If you have a 74.99999999999999999999 you FAIL ! no if and or buts. Mine as well get used to it now.

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Specializes in Infusion.

NurseLoveJoy88 is 100% correct. Even receiving a D in A&P isn't enough to get you into our nursing program. You must earn a C or better. And in nursing school, a C grade is 75% or above. As a former patient, I want you to fully understand human anatomy and physiology. I don't want a D student caring for me or my family members. This is about a foundation of learning and safety, not your GPA. I go to a school where I believe the instructors would not only laugh at me for asking for a grade change, they would discuss it with all the staff members of their department and they would all get a good laugh.

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