Doing what is asked of you is a C?

[Aprilgold]

well then by this logic, a C should also be a 50% score... as that is the average between 0 and 100%... yet it's not... at minimum a C is a 70% score. hell i've seen it as high as 80%

If C is doing what you are told to do, then you should technically be getting a A, since you completed the assignment. B should be for a few fuck ups and then C for several fuck ups. I never understood the grading system. "Teacher, teacher. I completed the assignment EXACTLY like you told me too." 'Oh I'm sorry boy, you didn't link to 9 different completely useless links to show that you spent a extra hour schooling yourself. Heres your C.' Theres a difference between ACTUALLY doing work and just liking to things that did the work for you.

The point of school is to learn something, me? I learned that the grading system in schools is absolutely crazy.

 

[MetalMagpie]

Yep, that's the way it used to be judged at my school too. If you did what was asked of you - only what was asked of you and nothing more - then you got a C (classed as "acceptable"). If you want to be judged as more than just "acceptable", then you need to go further than the bare bones of the brief.

well then by this logic, a C should also be a 50% score... as that is the average between 0 and 100%... yet it's not... at minimum a C is a 70% score. hell i've seen it as high as 80%

More sensibly, it should be the average score that students achieve. So if the test is easy and the average student scores 70%, then a C should be 70%. If a test is very hard and the average student only scores 30%, then a C should be 30%.

 

[Starke]

If you do then you are likely to do well in life later on, your job will almost certainly have you doing things you wouldn't choose to. Putting in extra effort will get you promoted if you push for it too. It's a good habit to get into.

Or get identified by someone your boss sees as a threat to their own position, resulting in no end of misery and finally thrown under a bus in order to keep their own position secure.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the voice of cynicism. Don't listen to it. Yes, that shit can happen, but if you're that kind of person you can either find a way to avoid it and expose that asshole of a boss for what he is, or get kicked out and go on to bigger and better things than serving time in a mediocre, thankless job for the remainder of your working life.

Bosses like that make you look back on the day he fired you as one of the best days of your life.

The other side of this is that this does in fact happen. And while learning to pick out which kind of boss you've got, and filtering personality conflicts with your boss is a critically important skill to develop. Every new employee starts off wanting to show their boss why they were the right choice, but, learning whether your boss is receptive to that is absolutely vital.

It isn't cynicism, it's the truth. Life is too short to work for a boss who shits all over you. I learned that the hard way.

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

-snip-

We don't have the same grading scale here in sweden, but at some of the schools I've gone to, they told us what we needed to do to pass the course and also what we needed to do to get the highest grade. So we could choose to do work to just pass or do more work to try and get a better grade.

 

[loc978]

Hello Escapists, long time no see in the forums.

Anyway, I have a bit of situation I wanted your opinions on.

The new semester just started, and I find myself with a teacher who... Well, I don't like him. The general consensus seems to be he's a self centered jerk, but that's besides the point. What I wanted to ask you guys is if you agree with this statement: "Doing exactly what you're asked is average work, and will be rewarded with a C, an average grade."

Thoughts?

Personally, I don't like it. Maybe that's because my grade is on the line, but still, it just doesn't seem like a good way to grade. If I'm asked to do a certain amount of work, and I do it, I'm really going to be rewarded with a C? I don't know, that seems like a little spit in the face to me.

But again, that's just me. Am I wrong on this one? Please, tell me if I am.

Also, feel free to share stories of teachers you haven't exactly hit it off with. I love reading the silly stuff that teachers can do sometimes.

Vague description is vague.

If there is a subject where one can simply "do what is asked" and not have a grade based upon their performance in or understanding of the subject... then that subject should not carry a letter grade. This sounds like an elementary school "pass or fail" subject... so I guess what I'm asking is "what subject is this douchebag teaching where he can't break it down to a points system graded by which questions/problems you get right or wrong?
...or is he saying 100% is a C, 100% plus a BJ is a B, 110% through extra credit and full intercourse is an A?

 

[Headdrivehardscrew]

As long as there's still a not too cryptic or improbable way of achieving an A, it's actually close to perfect. Most assignments, be they in schools, universities or jobs, will allow you to scrape by by just doing what's asked of you. And hardly anyone will tell you what to do to excel. However, if this is all new to you and your buddies, it would be nice to know what your teacher expects you to do to achieve that much craved for 'excellent' rating.

 

[funguy2121]

Hello Escapists, long time no see in the forums.

Anyway, I have a bit of situation I wanted your opinions on.

The new semester just started, and I find myself with a teacher who... Well, I don't like him. The general consensus seems to be he's a self centered jerk, but that's besides the point. What I wanted to ask you guys is if you agree with this statement: "Doing exactly what you're asked is average work, and will be rewarded with a C, an average grade."

Thoughts?

Personally, I don't like it. Maybe that's because my grade is on the line, but still, it just doesn't seem like a good way to grade. If I'm asked to do a certain amount of work, and I do it, I'm really going to be rewarded with a C? I don't know, that seems like a little spit in the face to me.

But again, that's just me. Am I wrong on this one? Please, tell me if I am.

Also, feel free to share stories of teachers you haven't exactly hit it off with. I love reading the silly stuff that teachers can do sometimes.

I wouldn't consider a "C" average. Perhaps a "B." Either way, he's challenging you to do better. What's wrong with that?

 

[yundex]

Hello Escapists, long time no see in the forums.

Anyway, I have a bit of situation I wanted your opinions on.

The new semester just started, and I find myself with a teacher who... Well, I don't like him. The general consensus seems to be he's a self centered jerk, but that's besides the point. What I wanted to ask you guys is if you agree with this statement: "Doing exactly what you're asked is average work, and will be rewarded with a C, an average grade."

Thoughts?

Personally, I don't like it. Maybe that's because my grade is on the line, but still, it just doesn't seem like a good way to grade. If I'm asked to do a certain amount of work, and I do it, I'm really going to be rewarded with a C? I don't know, that seems like a little spit in the face to me.

But again, that's just me. Am I wrong on this one? Please, tell me if I am.

Also, feel free to share stories of teachers you haven't exactly hit it off with. I love reading the silly stuff that teachers can do sometimes.

I wouldn't consider a "C" average. Perhaps a "B." Either way, he's challenging you to do better. What's wrong with that?

How are you supposed to do better? Can you give an example? I own my own business, so I never went to college. But from what i'm sensing in this thread, you don't even need college; just open a book and read because that's all they seem to tell you to do. Glad I didn't waste 4 years of my life.

 

[ace_of_something]

Personally, I don't like it. Maybe that's because my grade is on the line, but still, it just doesn't seem like a good way to grade. If I'm asked to do a certain amount of work, and I do it, I'm really going to be rewarded with a C? I don't know, that seems like a little spit in the face to me.

But again, that's just me. Am I wrong on this one? Please, tell me if I am.

Also, feel free to share stories of teachers you haven't exactly hit it off with. I love reading the silly stuff that teachers can do sometimes.

I'm a freshly minted professor (sociology/criminal justice) and when I went through my training the policy was exactly what you described. if they don't put extra effort they get a C. (our's is in 8% increments so anything below a 76% is a D anything below a 68% is failing) It was the same when I went to (two different) college(s) except both of them did it in 7% increments.

Just be glad, I've a buddy in law school who is graded on a BELL CURVE. He got a 93% on a paper and got a C+

Rough.

 

[n00beffect]

Hmm, well it seems in the secluded-from-reality world of most universities, a 'C' is something of the standard. Sort of like an 'A', in Middle School. Anything above that is considered 'above average' or 'outstanding', i.e. A+ or something of the sort. I don't know, but here where I study, my first grade was 63%, sort of like a B-, and I was disappointed with it, but everyone seemed so fucking excited they got a 50-59%, which is sort of like a C, which made me think that this was actually a good grade (or, alternatively, everyone of my classmates is a retard, but what the hey). But, still, it seems rather condescending to phrase it like so.

Anyway, regarding the 'tutors I didn't really hit it off with', there was this guy in one of my acting classes, who was like a second tutor, and was supposed to be teaching us in the second semester, but he rarely showed-up in our classes during the first semester, and at the end of the year, when we were getting our evaluations and stuff, he called a PDA (Personal Development something...), basically a one-on-one session with your tutors. And there they were, both of them sitting in front of me, one who was our regular tutor and was teaching our class, and the other one who barely showed up in any of our classes. So, he starts lecturing me, on how I am supposed to be more 'thrilled' and 'enthusiastic' about being in this course, and how I should really make an effort to show up more for class, even though I had like maybe one or two abscent sessions, and it really pissed me off. He was gobbing on about my technique, and how I was 'doing it wrong', even though he never even saw my 'technique'. I was this close to telling him off. And the worse part was, that the other guy, who was laeading our class didn't even open his mouth throughout the whole session. His was the opinion I was after, and yet he just sat there, silent, like a bloody idiot. Man, was I pissed. Oh, and tell me this, I am on a full-time course, and yet I have only 8-10h classes a week... is that normal?! If it is, then I can't imagine what the part-time course would be.... Maybe a half an hour a week? So stupid...

 

[spartan231490]

Sounds like bullshit to me honestly. I suppose I can see the argument, but it still seems kinda bullshit.

 

[ReinWeisserRitter]

Doing only what's expected should always be a C, in every aspect of life, barring things that aren't open to interpretation, of course; one shouldn't expect a unique take on two times two, for example.

Elsewise, you're being encouraged to be creative, to add your own take and outlook on things. You should be grateful for that.

 

[DarkRyter]

I don't understand. What more can be done than everything that is asked?

If you take a math exam, and answer every question correctly, fulfilling every requirement, how is that not an A? Is there some imaginary requirement? Some sort of invisible math problem that can only be seen by the select chosen?

 

[Palademon]

Once in primary school we were given homework that had a minimum requirement.
I got told off for doing the minimum requirement.

 

[Erana]

For me, I don't find that unreasonable. On an undergrad level, I'd consider a C to be fulfilling basic requirements, B to involve some extra matters that the professor can give good hints on how to achieve, and an A should involve really overachieving.

Honestly, I think grade inflation is quite disappointing, and its so saddening to see professors who mean well come off as jerks because they believe people should really work for their grades. But the world tends to screw people who stand by their scruples, ya know?

 

[DEAD34345]

If it's an effort grade, then C seems perfectly reasonable. If it's attainment or a more general grade, then that would be pretty stupid assuming this is a normal academic subject. You can't answer more than the given number of maths questions, for example.

If it is effort though I don't see a problem. You don't have to do extra work, and I personally wouldn't choose to. If a C represents doing the given work and no more, then that's what I would want.

 

[The Funslinger]

I have liked all of my teachers. Every single one. Even the casually racist wood-shop instructor that supervised me in the eighth grade. Now, now, saying we agree on things is a completely different story. You know the cliché "I got a bad mark because my teacher doesn't like me" excuse? Well, one of my teachers just. doesn't. like. me. At all. She's a the new English teacher, filling in for two recently-retired people from the same position. Her job sucks. The school isn't too large (<1000), but she has half of the English classes' work to correct. That's L1, L2 and L3 high-school students. I can't really say I envy her. My peeve regarding her revolves around her correcting. The large work-load is an obvious pusher for her robotic method of grading. She looks for the same, boring, points the majority of the other students have made in their essays, and excludes anything else. This includes practically everything I write. Any creative analogies, outside references or jokes aren't shallow enough for her to find competent in any way. Her defiance to even correct any of my essays is ridiculous. You can't refuse to grade something. I'm eccentric, she's serious and we're both very, very stubborn. Denying me a grade does more to instigate than deter. I've become aggressively immature and sarcastic, and she's becoming increasing intolerant. Cold war: English 3200.

I had an english teacher in secondary school who bantered with his students a fair bit (me, quite a lot as I was the only one in the whole damn school who wasn't terrified of him) and I once called him Sheila. He took it out on my next coursework assignment. Pretty much coated in ticks and "very good" "excellent quote" and all that jazz, as per usual. On the back? Big fat D. Needless to say, I redrafted and got an A.

I'm great with coursework, but if I'm honest, I coasted on my GCSE exams. I'm trying to not do that in Sixth Form...