<p>I promise I don’t mean to offend, but I wouldn’t leave a ? by a certain problem and just move on. If that’s how your teacher grades, then still try to do the problem. Just attempt it and still put that ? So you remember that it gave you heck! Or, go in before or after school for help! Also, for projects, if your teacher changes how a project is to be done the day it’s due, then I would think you had a legitimate gripe! Go to the teacher with the original instructions on what was required for that certain project. Handle it in a nice way, and you should be fine 
Maybe you are being taught to be more assertive Questioning isn’t a bad thing.</p>
<p>It really depends on your school. Some schools have very difficult grading, while others are much easier. That’s why colleges like seeing AP classes and comparing your grades in that class and your score on the AP test.</p>
<p>They work their butts off.</p>
<p>HPFan- Oh of course I tried it. I think I’ve only not actually attempted it once or twice and those were because they were optional/ extra problems we didn’t have to learn. I make a good effort, & I get where your coming from. I’ve also always approached my teachers with projects. Twice they gave me an extension and once they gave me until the end of the day to rewrite it. Numerous times though the issue has been emailed to the school, because teachers wouldn’t budge-even though I had the sheet they handed out with requirements. Sorry If I sounded Whiny! My point was more or less sometimes you have to fight for the grades you earned and even then sometimes its more of knowing how to approach these issues, but I didn’t make that clear-Sorry. I was a little upset grade-wise when I wrote my last post. (: I most definitely agree you should always try to do the work.</p>
<p>Please have your parents talk to your teachers when you suspect they artificially lower your grade. That will definately help in the future. :)</p>
<p>I’m very sorry 
I didn’t realize you had approached the teacher! It sure doesn’t seem fair then that the projects are changed when they are!!! I would so freak out!!! I promise I know how hard it is to try to juggle everything!!! You sound like you are doing a good job at trying to figure all of this out! Keep on keepin’ on You will be fine!!!</p>
<p>Please also understand that the students in this forum are in no way typical of students in general.</p>
<p>Thanks guys…this makes me feel better.</p>
<p>@laur-that stuff happens all the time, you just gotta go talk to the teacher, and if theyre not responsive, the guidance counselor. But to tell you the truth, giving you 4 points for hw every day is pretty nice of a math teacher…in my school, math rades are purely based on tests, but points are subtracted if you don’t do homework.</p>
<p>But I have a question. I’m in a senior physics class, (I’m a junior), and no one cares. The teacher told me just for fun, our final will consist of three random questions from physics, because no one cares if they fail or not. He expects everyone to. What should I do about this? I can’t fail the final…</p>
<p>@treehugga - Oh I don’t usually complain too much about it being for 4 points, It is nice because it takes a little pressure off but I guess I’d rather get more projects, quizzes test and all that stuff rather than HW-I’m more into those long term school projects.
@HPFan13 - No, I definitely get what you meant! I wasn’t very clear in my first post-looking back my post was very confusing.
A side note: As far as the unfair grading we have an online system to view grades and my parents make sure to contact the school if somethings not right, usually through an email sent to both the teacher & Guidance counselor. Its always a hassle but most of the time something is worked out. (: Sorry for the ranting post earlier!<br>
@treehugga- could you ask the teacher what you should be reviewing? He might give you topics of the 3 questions, & like others suggested to me-you could always go directly to him or through your school system!</p>
<p>Your school is very similar to mines. Not even the valedictorian would have a 4.0 (more like a 3.8 or something). She and the number 3 person of my class are at Yale now. Go figure. But yeah, many APs are hard enough or graded tough enough for the highest grade to be roughly a B+. I’ve experienced much less grade inflation in HS social science courses than even here (though the quality of my work is indeed better than HS, I often don’t think I’m doing A work for a top school, even though my grade will often say otherwise). Some of the science APs and honors at my school were willing to put failing grades on the whole class’s report card if those were the grades earned. However, my fellow peers at Emory many who went to “top” public schools and privates, so they had curves where grades always go really high and it was rare for anyone to get below a B+ for APs. Needless to say, many of the intro. courses here were culture shock where they may have gotten their first non-A grade and maybe even B- or lower. To me, the rigor/grading standards was no surprised and I was used to it.</p>
<p>As for funny grading. I remember AP Chem where we had a heavy hw load, but she would grade really hard (in Ga. they make hw at least 10%, and in her class it was like 20%, and hw averages were like in the 50s. She went to Georgia Tech so that’s probably where she got it from) and tended not to grade all of the problems (we would be told to do 1-25 a-f, and she’d choose many and only grade, say, a and d), and tended to grade the ones that most missed. This how about 50-60% of the class would get below a passing grade the first quarter. Plus her exams were brutal.</p>
<p>The crazy/tough grading may seem painful now, but when you get to college, you’ll adjust a lot easier. Most students here believe they deserve an A for very mediocre and minimal work (as in their high school where they may have been graded based upon completion or the grades had huge curves), but many teachers, especially in the sciences think otherwise. Nothing you in college will be a shock, you’ll know that the standards are high from the get go (it’s actually possible you may go to a university easier than your HS), and be able to meet them. You’ll also be able to gauge whether you’ve done quality work much easier than your peers.</p>
<p>Thanks LaurKey13 :)</p>
<p>Treehugga, my science teacher gave two quizzes (I know, not as bad as a test) at the end of the year. One was over the first half of the book, and the next over the last. Yes, I freaked. We were told it would help us study for our AP test Well, I literally read over each page and used sticky notes to help me remember things. Maybe you can do that? I think LaurKey13 gave great advice also! Ask your teacher if there is specifically something you should be looking for. Good luck!!!</p>
<p>Our total grade point in my school is out of a 100. I get A+ in all subjects and 95-98% on my reports. Just by cramming the books, and doing projects and researches etc…</p>
<p>My high school’s GPA is out of 4.0 (only unweighted). In my opinion, a 4.0 comes from at least average intelligence, hard work, and A LOT of luck. But no matter what happens, make sure to stay grounded and never let your grades affect your integrity. It’s more important to be a good person and have good relationships than to whine and complain about your grades.</p>
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<p>That’s not really an “odd” grading system, it’s pretty common- many schools give 90-95 an A-, but count that as 4.0.</p>
<p>As for the original poster, it sounds like your school has really severe grade inflation. Most schools have the opposite (The average SAT score for a valedictorian is only around 1900, an interesting tidbit I thought I’d throw out) and it is really easy to get A’s. Some schools, like mine, make it hard but not impossible to get A’s. I think it’s stupid that not a single person gets an A, I mean what is the point of an A then? If your counselor explains this, maybe colleges would understand. Perhaps they already know that your school is extremely hard, so focus on your rank instead so that you comparatively do well. Then your grades won’t look that bad. Your counselors should change this system, though, it doesn’t sound fair.</p>
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<p>This is definitely artificial lowering of grades, more than grade deflation. I don’t understand how a teacher can just lower your grade even if you actually earned an A. You should go directly to the principal if your guidance counselor doesn’t have enough power to do this, and ask them to change this ridiculous policy. Get other students to go with you, because I’m sure other kids are mad as well.</p>
<p>I won’t argue that it’s artificial lowering of grades or anything :X I wrote what I did before the OP came forth with that information.</p>
<p>How is…? Wow. I’m sorry your teachers think lowering your grade like that is justified. I know I only have a 4.0 because I pull a lot of crap out of my butt and BS, but I do test really well and grasp concepts and remember things without too much effort, so…</p>
<p>I definitely agree with the above poster - go to your principal about it, because that sort of policy is just ridiculous. This is your future they hold in your hands, and they want to screw you over? That’s not what teaching is.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the input. there is an atrificial lowering of grades, and it gets annoying. i worked out the issue in that one class with a guidance counselor, and i got a 95 for that marking period.</p>
<p>but the problem is, no one in my school gets into top schools, so the system obviously isn’t working. we send maybe one or two kids to a top school out of 400, and the rest go to regional/state schools. ive tried my best, but sometimes it seems as im destined to go to a regional uni like everyone else :(</p>
<p>I believe part of the reason a lot of people have 4.0s is because of teachers. At some schools the teachers can be easier than at other schools. For example, there are a couple junior year teachers in my school who are notorious for having hard classes; however, at other schools, those same classes with different teachers are considered ‘joke’ classes or average difficulty classes. Ivies get so many applicants with 4.0, but it’s unreliable for them to compare gpas from one school to another. That’s why class rank/SAT are important.</p>
<p>My mom was second in her class of around 650. She took many honors and AP courses, and got one B. She lost to some regular student taking regular classes who got all A’s, because her school ranked with a non-weighted GPA system.</p>