Forgotten Final Exam Questions: Venting Frustration and Seeking Guidance

[morphism]

I had a final exam yesterday. It went alright -- there was just one part out of 18 that I couldn't do, but at least I had an attempt written down. I was pretty content with everything. That is until a short while ago when, for some unknown reason, I decided to pull out the exam paper and scan the questions again. That's when I noticed the second question, and I remembered that I hadn't written down my answers for parts (b) and (c) on my answer sheet! I solved them on the scrap paper that was provided, ticked them off, and quickly moved on, forgetting to officially write my solutions down!

Then I guess I was trying too hard to solve the remaining problem that I ran out of time to double-check my work, and notice that I was missing 2 full parts in my answer sheet. Sad thing is, they weren't hard at all, but they're worth about 9% of my final course grade! (The exam was structured in a way that 1 mark on the exam corresponds to 1% of your course grade.)

I was nailing the course coming into the final too. I was really expecting to end up with a high 90, but now there's no chance in hell I'll end up in the 90s, which is quite bad as this is a very important and detrimental course.

I'm soooo ****ing bummed out now. Should I go speak with the prof tomorrow? (I have my scrap paper with me still.) Although he probably can't do a thing.

Dammit all.

Sorry for the rant. I just needed to vent.

 

[Moonbear]

Unfortunately, he probably can't do much for you. It's, sadly, too common of an excuse used by the less honest students who then go home and solve the problem and bring it back on the scrap paper. It's one reason I don't think you should be given "scrap" paper on an exam. If the students have to turn in everything, no matter how scribbled on it is, then they don't have to worry about something like this happening, because the prof has all your work to see you really did it if you called the next day and pointed out you forgot to transfer the official answer.

Then again, it really never hurts to ask. Perhaps he'd agree to give you a few points back if it's going to make or break a full letter grade if you can answer a few more similar questions in his office, or orally, etc. The important thing is to let him know right off that you realize it was your mistake, and understand if he can't do anything for you. That way, he knows you're not just trying to grub for points (well, you are, but not in such a negative way), and aren't trying to cheat to get them. If you were doing really well leading into the exam, he might take that into consideration.

 

[Loren Booda]

Sounds like a bad dream. Let it be a "learning experience" as your love of the subject make this debacle a thing of the past.

I was used to getting straight As in high school; the first courses I ever failed were in my major (physics) as an undergraduate. I eventually straightened out my life and went on to breeze through my Masters program, an opportunity to correct myself and pursue the beauty of the field.

 

[radou]

I guess something like that happens to everyone at least once. I second Moonbear's advice from the second paragraph, unless your professor is a grumpy person or something like that.

 

[morphism]

It turns out the professor already handed in the grades and left town. Ah well.

I still can't believe I did this though. Usually we have to write our answers on the exams themselves, so an error as blatant as this would get caught. I don't know why they decided to give us two answer booklets for this exam.

Life goes on I guess.

 

[mathwonk]

next time go to him right away, tell him the story, say you don't expect any exceptional treatment, but you wanted him to know what happened. in that setting most profs will do at least something for you. just showing him the scrap paper and not begging for any points, but just leaving it up to him makes it believable. some old guys who are tired of all the BS as i am becoming, will even give you credit for the missing work, but young guys who are very strict and competitive, as i used to be, will not. time however is of the essence in correcting all mistakes in life. if you lose your phone at the gym go back immediately, etc...

this time just take it as a lesson in reminding yourself to double check everything. youll be ok. it is better to know the stuff and get a few points off than vice versa.

im sorry this happened though.