Comments on: Can Bad Grades and Graduate School Go Together? http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/ A group blog on a wide variety of topics realted to anthropology Fri, 30 Dec 2011 16:34:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tony http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/comment-page-1/#comment-6332 Tony Tue, 10 May 2011 00:10:35 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/#comment-6332 Janice, You might check out gradeinfation.com where the gpas for your classes may be posted. My guess is that they are keeping the "curve" arbitrarily low in the sad belief that insulting students with grades stimulates some kind of excellence. The sciences do this more than other fields. As for advice, all I hope is that when you teach in the future that you will not entertain the dubious idea that "they did it to me and I'm good, so I'd better do it to my own students!" Good luck, and take solace in the fact that only small minds delight in grading grad students harder than undergrads! Janice,
You might check out gradeinfation.com where the gpas for your classes may be posted. My guess is that they are keeping the “curve” arbitrarily low in the sad belief that insulting students with grades stimulates some kind of excellence. The sciences do this more than other fields.

As for advice, all I hope is that when you teach in the future that you will not entertain the dubious idea that “they did it to me and I’m good, so I’d better do it to my own students!”

Good luck, and take solace in the fact that only small minds delight in grading grad students harder than undergrads!

]]> By: Janice http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/comment-page-1/#comment-6331 Janice Mon, 09 May 2011 20:28:09 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/#comment-6331 I entered a Top graduate PhD program in Biology last fall with an overall GPA of 3.56. At the end of my first year I am struggling with a less than stellar gpa of 2.79. I keep asking myself what the hell is going on!? NEVER in my academic career have I sustained a gpa less that 3.30 and now b/c of this I am going through bouts of depression. I know there is more to life than this and I do admit it has made me more humble. Nonetheless, it's a hard blow to my self-esteem and it is making me question if I want to constinue down the PhD path in Science. I entered a Top graduate PhD program in Biology last fall with an overall GPA of 3.56. At the end of my first year I am struggling with a less than stellar gpa of 2.79. I keep asking myself what the hell is going on!? NEVER in my academic career have I sustained a gpa less that 3.30 and now b/c of this I am going through bouts of depression. I know there is more to life than this and I do admit it has made me more humble. Nonetheless, it’s a hard blow to my self-esteem and it is making me question if I want to constinue down the PhD path in Science.

]]> By: Leo Harley III http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/comment-page-1/#comment-6307 Leo Harley III Wed, 23 Feb 2011 07:39:57 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/#comment-6307 Hello Tony, Thank you! From a fellow teacher and C student. Hello Tony,

Thank you! From a fellow teacher and C student.

]]> By: Tony Waters http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/comment-page-1/#comment-1606 Tony Waters Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:38:25 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/#comment-1606 Grades are really only a snapshot of what you do at one point, one place, and with one person in life. Thankfully, there is much more to life that that! Tony Grades are really only a snapshot of what you do at one point, one place, and with one person in life. Thankfully, there is much more to life that that!

Tony

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/comment-page-1/#comment-1604 Stephanie Wed, 17 Jun 2009 01:13:32 +0000 http://www.ethnography.com/2007/10/can-bad-grades-and-graduate-school-go-together/#comment-1604 14 years post humbilitorian, and I'm gaining the courage to apply against all odds as a graduate student. I really appreciate your insight and the human element of grades in life. 14 years post humbilitorian, and I’m gaining the courage to apply against all odds as a graduate student. I really appreciate your insight and the human element of grades in life.

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