<p>Something that’s been a little difficult to find online is Barnard’s grading policy. My mom, who attented 30-ish years ago, constantly reassures me of the 4-8 (her memory is failing her) pass/fail courses I’d be able to take, and how she took all but one of hers senior year. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here with the hunch that this option might not even exist anymore. Can any of you informative Barnard students/parents/alum clarify this? (:</p>
<p>The policy is here:
<a href="http://www.barnard.edu/registrar/POLICIES.HTM#Pass/D/Fail%20Option%5B/url%5D">http://www.barnard.edu/registrar/POLICIES.HTM#Pass/D/Fail%20Option</a></p>
<p>The good thing is that it is fairly late in the semester that you can elect the Pass/D/F option, which gives you plenty of time to get a sense of how you are doing in the class.</p>
<p>My daughter, who tends to stress out a lot about her work at times, elected to do the Pass/D/F option this past semester for a lit class. She had not gotten any grades back from that prof, had only one huge research paper and a final to count. Her major is in neuroscience, so she decided that the better part of valor in this case was to let herself not stress out so much over her paper and spend more time on both of her lab science courses and other work.</p>
<p>As it turns out, she received an A on her paper (without, she felt, really doing her very best), so NOT doing the P/D/F option in this case probably would not have hurt her GPA. It sure helped with her mental health, though!</p>
<p>I noted with interest that Columbia is evidently starting a new P/D/F policy that would allow students to change back to the letter grade when they get it, if they so desire. There was an article in yesterday's Spectator about that. I wonder if Barnard will some day follow suit?</p>
<p>Thank you calmom!
And churchmusicmom, that article was what reminded me to ask this question. (:</p>