tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759844.post2180681520508964711..comments2024-03-21T14:59:20.729-04:00Comments on NT Blog: Grade inflationMark Goodacrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05115370166754797529noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5759844.post-57905809271420286972007-02-08T01:25:00.000-05:002007-02-08T01:25:00.000-05:00Thanks for sharing this story. This is an issue th...Thanks for sharing this story. This is an issue that bothers me a great deal and I don't see any easy answer. As a masters student who hopes to do doctoral work, I have to be concerned about my grades. As a person who desires to get the most out of my education, I don't want to be concerned about my grades.<BR/><BR/>If some professors choose to take on this problem on their own, what happens is they become known as notoriously difficult graders. The same effort that would get me an "A" with an "easier" grading professor might get me a "B+" in the difficult grader's class. I didn't necessarily learn more, or grow more as a scholar, in one class or the other. But how is a graduate school admissions department going to tell the difference?<BR/><BR/>Also, it's more than just the professor's decision. We are often at the mercy of TA's. I have had two separate professors with whom I've had two classes with two different TA's. Both of these professors had one easier grader and one harder grader.<BR/><BR/>For one, I think the whole grading system is nonsense. Grades mean nothing to me personally, but I know that they will matter for people who judge how I look on paper. It's a big mess and I don't think there is any way to fix it. The uber-competitive schools need a way to narrow down their selection process. No doubt they're getting smart people, but they're also probably getting a lot of people who are just playing the grading game.Patrick G. McCulloughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10407715419414104172noreply@blogger.com