<p>I noticed in the Clemson Undergraduate Catalog that grades are categorized according to subjective criteria, as in C is average, B is slightly above average, A is exemplary. Are students actually graded subjectively like this, or are number grades given that average to form a final grade falling under one of the letter grades?</p>
<p>Grades aren’t subjective from my experience in the math, science and engineering departments (maybe more so in liberal arts fields where there are no “right” or “wrong” answers) but if you do average on your course work, you’ll end up getting a C, you gotta work for that A and B. I think the average GPA is introductory Calculus and Chemistry and Engineering classes is somewhere between a 2.0 and 3.0. </p>
<p>A couple of notes, Clemson does not have a +/- system. This means that if you get a 89.4% or a 79.6%, you will both get a B which is a 3.0 on the GPA scale. So every little assignment counts, I learned the hard way when I missed a homework assignment last semester and ended up with a 89.4% for the semester in calculus. Also, it doesn’t seem that there is much scaling of grades for introductory classes. Introductory Chemistry and Engineering class grades were not scaled at all. Your grade is what you get.</p>