Saturday, November 17, 2007

Grading woes (yet again!)

It happened again! I shouldn't be surprised, really, it happens all of the time. Yet, every time it does, I feel like I've been wacked with a huge fist of injustice. It isn't really anyone's fault (if any one's, it is mine) but I still feel picked on when it happens.

So, now you are wondering what I am talking about. It's silly really...I missed another "A" by mere points. Practically every "B" (except in Prosthodontics!) I have received in dental school has been an 88.5% or a 99% "B". This isn't a rare event, either, it happens multiple times a semester. It is so frustrating to think that despite all of the hardwork you put in over the period, a few points on a test categorized you with the 80.4% "B" or even sometimes the 75% "B." I don't need to be put on a pedestal with the "A" crowd, but whatever happened to the "B+"!? I'm not even asking for the 4.0, I probably don't deserve a 4.0, but a 3.5 would sure be nice!

Now, no one will ever know I missed only one or two more questions on our one test than anyone else. In the past I have missed the last key points because I forgot to bubble in the last circle on the test, or because I misread a question. I always think, "If I would have known that I would have gotten a B anyway, I would have had a lot more fun instead of worrying so much!" I could have had more time socializing or cleaning or running or buying groceries or anything else I run out of time for and still yield the same results. And maybe I would have clean clothes or food to eat, too. Yeah, yeah, there is always learning...


And now you are just thinking I am a gunner. To my defense, I am fine with a "B" if I feel it represents what I learned. But when you just had a hard time meshing with a new professors testing style or misread a question or misunderstood one concept, it feels so wrong. Even the medical school gets "near honors" marks... Then again, I've always thought that was somewhat degrading. "Sorry, buddy, you were almost smart!" And, at least I don't have to redo my whole second year because I missed one point on one question in my only class for the year like Abe's friend.

I guess it boils down to one thing: I just hope I don't hear anyone say to me, "Sorry, Erin, you were almost an oral surgeon!"

2 comments:

brenna said...

Oh man, i'm sorry-- i hate when that happens. Hurray for getting a blog!

Erin said...

Well, I broke the mold. This time I got my lowest dental school grade ever, but by a long shot! But at least it makes me a little upset but not frustrated.