What do you think about students asking for a higher grade?

HeartsOpenWide, RN · May 22, 2010

Unless the person was in a situation like 80% was a B and the person had a 79.6 and asked the teacher to round up...no, you have to earn your grades.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 22, 2010

I think a student can ASK for nearly anything, but that doesn't mean they will get it and it may put them in an unfavorable light in the teacher's eyes.

The result of the request is usually what I keep my eyes on. Is the instructor willing to bend the rules for students? Why does that happen? Does that mean that the instructor will automatically change the grade of everyone with an equivalent or lower percentage difference, even if those students haven't asked?

In other words, I think a changed grade reflects more on the instructor than the student.

ETA: I was only 2 test questions away from an A in one of my classes. I even remembered two of the questions that I should have gotten right on the final, but I totally brain-farted on them. That B ruined my 4.0. I didn't request a change, though. I would like to think it was because I was "honest," but it was really because I didn't want the request to reflect badly on me in my teacher's eyes. The fact was that I missed two questions that I shouldn't have missed!

Trauma Columnist · May 22, 2010

I'm in a (a second) post-MSN certificate program. Took two classes this semester, barely got a B in both of them.

No, I would not ask for a grade change. As a student, you have to learn that you get what put into it. I know that my effort was not much so I was lucky to get B's.

EmmyBee · May 22, 2010

I was wondering what everyone else thought about this...I know of a student who received a C in two of his three nursing classes by just points. He contacted the professor of the one class and asked for a B since he was just a few points away, and the instructor gave it to him. He was thinking about contacting the other professor to see if he could get his grade bumped up in that class as well. What are your opinions on this? I'm of the mindset that you either earn the grade or you don't. I don't think I would have the nerve to ask for points I didn't earn, even if I was just 1 point away from a higher grade.

I don't think the instructor should have changed the grade, simply because this student was "close" to the next higher grade. I have been mere points away from an A on a couple of occasions. But I wouldn't be so bold as to ask an instructor to give me something I didn't earn. I wouldn't even be proud of my GPA, if it wasn't genuine.

There are point/grade ranges for a reason. If people went around making up their own grades just for the heck of it, what type of standards would be maintained? I could understand if the instructor used a curve or threw a question or two out from an exam, and EVERYONE had the opportunity to benefit from it, if there was some discrepancy in the way the questions were presented. But other than that, I say you get what you earn.

DolceVita, ADN, BSN, RN · May 22, 2010

There has to be a cut off somewhere. That being said a person can always ask. The instructor should have said no.

caliotter3 · May 22, 2010

Cheeky of the student to ask for a higher grade, but it worked in at least one of the cases. I had a relative who would get into knock down, drag outs with instructors if they attempted to give her an A- instead of her self-reported, well-deserved A or A+. She would argue and argue until she got what she wanted, whether it was a paper or the final course grade. I am certain that at least half of her grades were obtained because of her obnoxious arguing with the instructors and she must have had a reputation in her department at the school. Fifteen years later, someone looking at the transcripts would have no way of knowing how the grades were obtained. They would assume the grades were earned, so in that respect, it is to the advantage of someone to wear down an instructor to give them an undeserved grade. That behavior correlates to the person who negotiates a higher wage when they are hired. The rest of us blindly take what the employer offers, just thankful to have a job offer. The person who talks themselves into a higher wage doesn't feel sorry for the sheep who are paid less.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 22, 2010

Cheeky of the student to ask for a higher grade, but it worked in at least one of the cases. I had a relative who would get into knock down, drag outs with instructors if they attempted to give her an A- instead of her self-reported, well-deserved A or A+. She would argue and argue until she got what she wanted, whether it was a paper or the final course grade. I am certain that at least half of her grades were obtained because of her obnoxious arguing with the instructors and she must have had a reputation in her department at the school. Fifteen years later, someone looking at the transcripts would have no way of knowing how the grades were obtained. They would assume the grades were earned, so in that respect, it is to the advantage of someone to wear down an instructor to give them an undeserved grade. That behavior correlates to the person who negotiates a higher wage when they are hired. The rest of us blindly take what the employer offers, just thankful to have a job offer. The person who talks themselves into a higher wage doesn't feel sorry for the sheep who are paid less.

Good point. The ones who are obnoxious, aggressive, and just generally annoying usually do get what they want in all walks of life.

Maybe I need to change my way of doing things instead of working so damn hard! :lol2:

caliotter3 · May 22, 2010

I spoke up twice recently about wages, guess what? They still looked me right in the eye and ignored what I said.

dudette10, MSN, RN · May 22, 2010

Ok, you spoke up, but were you obnoxious, aggressive, and just generally annoying? There's a difference!

whichone'spink, BSN, RN · May 22, 2010

I was hoping one of my grades would be rounded up this semester but it wasn't. Big whoop. It was something.48, but my instructor did not count the hundredths digit. Oh well. It's not worth pushing. I will just do better next semester.

K nurse-one-day · May 22, 2010

If it were me, and I desperately need a point or 2 to get me to a higher grade, I would ask if there was something I could do to earn it. Maybe some kind of extra credit, an extra project, wash the professors car lol. I don't think I would just ask to be given points I didnt earn. An this would be only in a situation where I needed the points to pass. I dont think I would ask if I already had a B.

That having been said, would it really be fair to give one student and opportunity to earn extra points and not the other students, simply b/c they didnt ask?