<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I got an A- for a class I thought I would have an A on. I calculated my scores and it should be an A. However, I don't know my class participation grades because the professor didn't put it online. Should I email her about the grade or is it too less of a difference to matter? I don't want to come off as ungrateful because she is a really nice professor.
I wanted to have an A because I'm trying to raise my GPA grade.</p>
<p>It doesn’t hurt to ask. Just be polite about it. E.g., ask her to explain the grade; don’t ask her to change it. She’ll know what you’re really up to, and if there’s a problem, she’ll probably behave the same as if you had asked her outright for a change.</p>
<p>People always say “it doesn’t hurt to ask,” but it actually could. You could get a reputation as a whiner or a difficult person in the department, which could have long term effects if you ever need a letter of recommendation or something. Think carefully before you open that door…and congrats on your A-!</p>
<p>Unless you are absolutely positive you should have an A, I wouldn’t ask. Like you said, maybe participation was taken into account. It’s difficult for professors to make grade changes after they have been submitted. </p>
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<p>Unless your department is REALLY small or this class is REALLY small or your particularly snobby/rude/annoying about it, I wouldn’t worry about this. When I was a TA, people asked me for grade changes all of the time, and I don’t even remember their names, let alone do I care enough to give them a bad reputation. If you’re in a really, really tiny department, this may be something to think about, but if you’re polite about it, you’re not going to get a reputation as a whiner. Professors have better things to do than gossip about students in their class, unless you’re a particularly unusual story (because of something you say, for instance). Unless the students at your school are particularly complacent or uncaring about their grades, I promise this is not an unusual situation.</p>
<p>Mistakes happen, but don’t assume that she’s in the wrong here. Just ask if she can get an explanation for your grade because you thought you did better than the grade you received. Thank her for her time. Be nice. It’ll be fine.</p>