I have to vent here...I almost walked out of my class yesterday and told my professor to shove it.
Background: Our entire class is graded on a curve against the best performing student in the class (right now, it's me)....so if the best student has a final average of 100 and you get a 60, you pass, if the best student has a final average of 90, and you get a 50, you pass.
On Friday, we had a major exam. Another professor gave us the exam b/c ours was out to a conference. I am always the last to finish, and actually, usually take an additional 30 minutes to finish my exam because they are so long and detailed. The exam has about 20 points worth of fill in the blank questions and the rest are Chemistry calculations.
Well, on Friday, at the end of class, 4 of us needed more time, and the person proctering the test said that they could not stay, and we would be allowed to finish the exam in Lab on Monday. I COULD have stayed, but I didn't have a choice...I turned in my paper.
This is our third exam in the class, and the same thing happened with the first exam but not with the second. The rule was that we could FINISH anything that wasn't complete, but we could not go back and make any CHANGES....we were told this before we turned in the test...copies were made to ensure this was adhered to.
Well, on Monday, during Lab..we were told if we had not finished the fill-in-the-blank portion of the test....we were NOT permitted to go back and complete that portion. :angryfire As a matter of practice...these are always the most difficult questions for me...so I always save them for last.
I raised my hand and said, "That isn't what we did with the first exam, we weren't allowed to go back and make changes, but there was no restriction on what portions we were allowed to go back and finish."
I also reminded him that I COULD have stayed to finish my exam, but I was told that the proctor could not stay.
I was TOTALLY expecting him to remember what he did with the first exam, and allow us to finish...but that isn't what happened.
His answer to me? "Life isn't fair...and since you have the highest grade in the class, you really don't need the points."
Ok..so I am being PENALIZED for being successful? He went on to say that I, "Should have completed that portion first anyway."...Since when does a professor get to dictate the ORDER in which you complete your exam?
This is what I think is happening: This professor has a history of people not doing well in his class....it is heavily weeded out at the end. About half the class is in serious danger of not passing the class because I have got 100's on the last two exams and perfect scores on all of my homework and quizes..so the curve is not helping anyone..I think he is using this opportunity to deliberately bring my score down so other students will pass. I mean, in the LARGER scale? It doesn't matter now...but we still have TWO exams and a final...what if I need those points myself? I may not do as well on those.
