The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 So...my professor has informed me that I have a D in the upper level stats class I took over winter. I need a stats class to graduate in May. This particular stats class has nothing to do with my major, but it was the only one available during winter term, so I had to take it. I'm taking 5 classes next semester, so I'm not sure I can fit in another class since I am working as well, and I'm in my last semester, so my classes have to be upper level (300-on). Thinking quickly, I asked him for an Incomplete grade - The mark of “I” is an exceptional mark that is an instructor option. It is given only to a student whose work in a course has been qualitatively satisfactory, when, because of illness or other circumstances beyond the student’s control, he or she has been unable to complete some small portion of the work par for the course. He just responded, and I can tell that he wants to help me, but I think he is worried about the dean of his dept since he is a grad student. He said he couldnt give me an incomplete because I had completed all the work in the class, and he didnt think it would be fair to give me extra treatment....but he then went on to ask if I have any other suggestions. Judging by the grades, it looks like I only need 10 points to get to C- level. So, my question is this...since I know we have some professors on this board; what can I try and suggest to him that would work? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 what stats class was this toaster? was this econ321? stat400 was another choice u can take. I usually looked at pickaprof for grade distribution of grades because i enrolled. let me look on testudo and remember which ones were easy to take Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 yeah, econ321. I cant take stat400 because it isnt in the behavioral science school. This is the 3rd time I've taken a stats class (once in community college, now twice at the university)...every time a D. I just cant do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 wow I took econ321 but our professor was a joke. I should have gotten a D in the class. everything was on a heavy curve. this class we had to do some many proofs i remember. was it some chinese guy? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 wow I took econ321 but our professor was a joke. I should have gotten a D in the class. everything was on a heavy curve. this class we had to do some many proofs i remember. was it some chinese guy? No, I had a German guy...it was packed full of proofs and I have to memorize them for the exam and rewrite them explaining my steps. I got that all right....its the regression equations, probability functions, etc that I just sucked at. that, and there were a **** ton of kids cheating on the exam too, so that pushed the class average up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Pay him. Ask how much for a "C". Seriously doesn't he have any suggestions ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 If you've been absent from a bunch of stats classes because of work, illness, etc., the you can succesfully argue for an incomplete. However, if you've been to the majority of classes and completed all the work, then the professor will have to give you a grade based on your overall performance in the class. I wouldn't recommend asking for an extra credit assignment, because they always view that as an act of favoritism since they aren't offering it to all of the students. Now, if you've missed a couple classes and there was an assignment on one of those days, you might be able to convince him that because of work, illness, whatever, you couldn't make it, hence he can exclude that day(s) from your grade, which may raise you up to C-. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 No, I had a German guy...it was packed full of proofs and I have to memorize them for the exam and rewrite them explaining my steps. I got that all right....its the regression equations, probability functions, etc that I just sucked at.that, and there were a **** ton of kids cheating on the exam too, so that pushed the class average up. oh yeah tons of cheating in my class too. i had the 4th best grade in the class and my overall grade was a 32!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 oh yeah tons of cheating in my class too.i had the 4th best grade in the class and my overall grade was a 32!!! Nothing like programming a stats formula under the programs menu of your graphing calculator Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 If you've been absent from a bunch of stats classes because of work, illness, etc., the you can succesfully argue for an incomplete.However, if you've been to the majority of classes and completed all the work, then the professor will have to give you a grade based on your overall performance in the class.. I never missed a class or an assignment My boss did die 2 days before the midterm, so I had to spend Wednesday at work trying to figure out what my duties were going to be instead of studying for the midterm, so that accounted for a bad grade Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDoyler23 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Can you ask to have a grade as Pass/Fail? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 Nothing like programming a stats formula under the programs menu of your graphing calculator actually, they were doing it differently: one kid left the room about 15 times - I know without a doubt he was using his iPhone to look online for the answers since part of the exam was coming from homework problems and the homework solutions were posted online by the professor. another kid had flashcards he stuffed into his exam booklet and was using that for the exam. since I can see everyone's grade for the class without seeing names - I saw a kid who did worse than me on the midterm get a grade on the final better than the majority of the class. I also saw another kid's grades that were just a couple points better than mine on the midterm get the 2nd best grade on the final. Hmmmmm. Coincidence? I think not. ---------- Post added January-22nd-2011 at 08:44 PM ---------- Can you ask to have a grade as Pass/Fail? It has to be on A-C scale for it to count since its a requirement, and the date to switch to pass-fail had passed before the final. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinfan2k Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Nothing like programming a stats formula under the programs menu of your graphing calculator well my test were open notes but no calculators. the teacher made it damn near impossible for people to cheat. the best people could do is search the textbook for similar proofs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renaissance Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I'm gonna be honest I don't know how anyone gets below a C+ if they really put in the right amount of effort and time for a class. I hate econ. I don't understand one bit of it, and I've now taken 4 econ classes (undergrad, the graduate school, and micro and macro in real grad school). I got a B in undergrad and at the graduate school, and an A in both grad classes. However, I would never have gotten that first had had I not spent 3+ hours every week working with the TAs and study group to learn the homework. There were weeks when I literally cried bc I had no idea how to do some of the homework problems, so I went to the TAs for help and stayed there until I figured it out. I actually ended up doing so well in that class that I could have failed the final and still gotten a B in the class. Compare that to a regional demographic analysis class I took the next semester. Again, I understood not one bit of what we were doing in there. However, unlike with econ, I spent 0 time outside of lab and group work trying to get help with learning the material. It didn't help that we never had hw, just a couple lab assignments and 2 tests, but that's no excuse. Anyway, skip to the final and I realized I needed to do really well in order to pass the class. So I looked over the study guide and went to the prof to basically learn how to do everything. I got a B+ on the final, and ended up with a C in the class. I e-mailed the prof after to see if there was anything else I could do to up my grade and he said no, that would be unfair to everyone else. I was pissed considering how much I'd studied/prepared to do well on the final, but looking back, if I'd just done that all semester I could have easily gotten a B in the class. Moral of the story, put in the extra work all semester, and there's no reason you should get below a C+. And you definitely don't deserve an Incomplete, as those are reserved for people who could not actually finish certain assignments for serious health or personal reasons. I wouldn't worry too much though, a D in stats is not going to keep you out of grad school. Aren't you a history major anyway?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forehead Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 So, my question is this...since I know we have some professors on this board; what can I try and suggest to him that would work? How comfortably can you fit under a desk, and did you bring any scope? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 I'm gonna be honest I don't know how anyone gets below a C+ if they really put in the right amount of effort and time for a class.I wouldn't worry too much though, a D in stats is not going to keep you out of grad school. Aren't you a history major anyway?? I did put in the effort, that's why he's willing to work with me. My class ended at 530, but I was there multiple times in his office hours until 8 going over homework problems and how to solve them. This was an accelerated class, so its harder to grasp such difficult concepts, especially for me since I just dont get math. I'm a criminal justice major/middle east studies (history) minor...not much math is involved in those areas of study :pfft: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 well Toaster, you can't argue for an incomplete then because you attended most of the classes and did all of the work. the only thing left that I can think, which I don't think you are going to like because it is a bit shady, is to go over your professor's head. If the class was graded on a curve, you have to let the higher-up know that the curve is skewed because of cheaters and because of poor policies your professor had during test time that allowed them to cheat. Seriosuly, no professor could explain why they allowed a kid to leave the classroom multipl times during a test and be justified. Se how badly cheating was going on and how your professor was completely unaware of it, or at the least did nothing to stop it, and that since you stayed honest it was a detriment to you not to cheat at that point. and if the higher-up gives you the run around (which I've heard they do since they have a full plate already), go to the dean in charge of that area and plead your case there. I know from the stories I heard in college that if you complain loud and high enough, and can make your case legitimate, that you can get a grade changed, it's not easy, but it is possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zCommander Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Write a statical essay on Mormon girls. You already have the material for your research. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 I hate to say it, but you did this to yourself. Less time stalking the Mormons and looking for chicks and more time studying for the subject that you know you suck at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 well Toaster, you can't argue for an incomplete then because you attended most of the classes and did all of the work. . I think I'm going to ask him to reconsider the Incomplete to give me time for an academic decathlon spanning all of the things I learned in the class; if I fail it, I get a D. If I beat the class average, I get the C (and Veronica Vaughn...so hot, want to touch the hiney). ---------- Post added January-22nd-2011 at 09:06 PM ---------- Less time stalking the Mormons and looking for chicks and more time studying for the subject that you know you suck at. Look at my recent activity, I think I've been pretty absent from ES for the past two weeks since this is a winter session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 But you said this is the third time taking this type of class. With pitiful results. You just have to focus more on that crap and get done with it. Unless you are going to need stats for your major. But that is a different topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Brave Little Toaster Oven Posted January 23, 2011 Author Share Posted January 23, 2011 But you said this is the third time taking this type of class. With pitiful results. You just have to focus more on that crap and get done with it. Unless you are going to need stats for your major. But that is a different topic. The first time, yes, but it didnt matter in community college, a D counted for my associates degree. The second time - I had a 68% in the class and the ******* professor wouldnt round up even though I had a B on the midterm because I couldnt go do one of his psychology surveys since I had class at times they were available. The third time - I worked my ass off, this class was harder than all the rest because it was upper level and the department prides itself on its high failure rate - see what 2k said earlier in this thread about the class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burgold Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Explain the boss thing and how you think that impacted performance. There's a reality to that. Then ask if he could accept an extra assignment that would nudge you over the top. Maybe you could write an essay explaining how a research paper used statistical tests properly or improperly or which test would have been better or create a mock experiment gather a little data and show whether your results are significant using statistical analysis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ixcuincle Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Get a female tutor OR get one of them Statistics for Dummies books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkabong82 Posted January 23, 2011 Share Posted January 23, 2011 Toaster, the only other thing I can think of is if you can come up with a legitimate medical reason which may have impacted your performance in order to argue for an incomplete, but even then it's going to be an uphill battle. but I think you're going to have to bite the bullet and find a way to re-take the course. I would recommend taking the same class with the same professor, because repitition and a professor who knows you can be your allies. the other option is summer school. push the stats class you need off until the summer semester. you can still participate in graduation that way because you'll be just 1 class shy, and then you'll only have 1 class to focus on. plus, you might even be allowed to take a lower level class at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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