How to Figure a Grade: Step-by-Step Guide

[Bradracer18]

Hey guys. I'm wondering how to figure a grade. And if you can show me steps, so I can always be up to date on figuring it.


Ok, he says this...3 exams at 22% each, final at 22% and classwork at 12%


On exam 1 I got a 78/100pts.

On homework, I've gotten 156/156pts.

This is how I figued it...not sure it is right though.

78/100 * .22 = .1716
.1716 * 100 = 17.16pts out of 22 pts.

156 * .12 = 18.72pts

35.88pts out of a total of 40.72 pts.

Is this correct? I'm confused!

 

[mathwonk]

the best way to get a good grade is let the professor know you will try anything they throw at you, that you want to learn as much as possible and are willing to work to do so. Then actually do whatever they ask. Such a student hardly ever gets less than an A, or maybe a B if they are really in over their head.

 

[symbolipoint]

Bradracer18,

Your use of proportion seems fine; I did not check your work in detail. Your main concern would be fitting your results to the grading scale. All you could do until the end of the course is to compare what you have earned to what amount of credit has been offered.

Mathwonk,

He seems to be asking about how to calculate credit within the course and determine his grade. Whether he succeeds in the course or not really depends on how much effort he gives to the course and whether he is ready/qualified for the current course. Some people need much more study time than is possible to use during a single term (quarter or semester); and may need to study the course for, maybe 7 months instead of just 3.5 months. What I mean is that some people just cannot learn as fast as others, but if they give maximum effort long enough, they can learn well.

symbolipoint

 

[Bradracer18]

Yeah, I just took the first exam, and have done homework up until now, and just wanted to figure my "current" grade...based on those values, and his "weighted%" values.

I think I'm right, just wasn't sure.

I'm considering a tutor, is why I'm trying to figure this. I want/need a good grade in this class, even if the tutor takes me from a B to an A. What do you guys think of tutors? They are cheap here($7/hr for 1 on 1 and $4/hr for a group of 3).

 

[mgiddy911]

They can be useful, but I would consider study groups before you pay for a tutor, try studying with a group of 3 on a regular schedule and doing as many problems as you can before paying for a tutor group of 3

 

[^_^physicist]

Posted by Bradracer18:
What do you guys think of tutors? They are cheap here($7/hr for 1 on 1 and $4/hr for a group of 3).

First I want you to walk over to the tutor that is only charging 7$ and hour for 1 on 1 and smack him for me, he is going to ruin my business. :tongue:

But in all honesty, tutoring is great for some people, and a dead end for others. I see it when I tutor, i'll have one student that took the time to attempt the material, and come with questions, and then there will be the student that comes with no ground work laid down. If the ground work is there, i.e. if you are prepairing yourself for tests and you are still find yourself struggling, than it is time to get a tutor, just to have the 1 on 1 attention.

If you study with others on a regular basis, but are finding that you can't understand the others in your group; make sure you try studying on your own before you get there, that way you are as much use to the group as the group is to you. If the whole group is running around in circles, its time to get a group tutor and ask him/her to either teach a lesson to you about the material from a different perspective than that of the instuctor, have a Q&A session, or if the tutor knows what a "workshop" style is have them do that for the group (workshops are sometimes provided by schools (I do both traditional tutoring and workshop lessons) as a means to give the students an idea of more challenging forms of the material).

Those are my suggestions for your tutoring situtation.

Also, in terms of a curve/weighted grade...ask your professor. The grading systems vary from professor to professor (I had one that pretty much couldn't come up with grading formats by the end of the term and just ended up giving everyone either an A or a B (and there was 1 C in there) according to a not clearly defined scale).

 

[mr_coffee]

They make you pay for tutoring? Tutors at penn state get paid through work study 7 an hour, but its totally free to the students to use them during their office hours, they arnt' much help though to upper level math classes because they are in the classes with u.

 

[Bradracer18]

Yeah, we have TA's who will gladly help during their office hours. This particular class, doesn't have a TA. I would just like things to be explained more in detail. I can get the problem(and I would prior to session) to a certain point, and need that extra little "push" to finish it. As most problems build on themselves as the semester goes on, I figure its best to get help before I fall behind. Dunno...I'm going to look into it though. I appreciate all of your suggestions. I'm going to take them all into consideration, and come prepared if I do get one.

 

[mattmns]

Don't pay for tutoring, at least not yet. Talk to your professors, they should have office hours, also as someone suggested look at joining/forming a study group, and look for free on-campus tutoring (which many schools have). I can't believe tutors would accept such low pay, when I tutored I got $10 an hour.

 

[mathwonk]

i thinik i get it. but still, the way to compute your rgade is to ask yourself whether you have done whatever the prof asks. if not, it aint an A.

perhaps i am not taking the question seriously but that is absed on my exp[erience.

as an undergrad i also went to class when convenient, did S MUCH AS i could given my social schedule, and worried about B- or C+ or D+ or C-, etc,...


then I became serious, and behaved as I recommended above. After that I have a 4.0. I never had to worry about it or even ask what i was getting , it was always an A, and I was also presidents fellow, creative research medalist, NSF postdoc, whatever you want. so at some point if you are serious, get on the freeway as ed curtis put it, and get off the feeder roads. grades are then not a problem.