A lot of professors can't add. My midterm was worth 35% of my grade once. My final was worth 40%, and two papers were 10% each. But that final 5% of my grade made sure I came to class and participated every single day, or I would have failed.
If 5% of your grade was really based on class participation, then wouldn't it be fun to ace the class, moon your teacher, and still walk out with an A? Cause if they print that formula on the syllabus, they're stuck with it, right?
Ever look back at a midterm during finals and wish you could take it again? "It was so easy," you think. "How the hell did I get a C?," you wonder. "I bet I'd get an A if I took it again today," you suppose. Of course you would, jackass. Your midterm is just the first half of the test you're expected to ace tomorrow.
My girlfriend has three finals in a 27-hour period. Of course, if you have three finals in a 24-hour period, you can get one rescheduled, but she's not allowed. Cause that extra three hours of studying is really going to make the difference between being really stressed an acing all of them.
When you write a test where the average is failing, you have obviously not taught the material well. I'd love to be able to write a paper that my professor and TAs can only understand half of, and then have them curve up my grade accordingly. I think if a professor doesn't give enough "A"s, then they should have to re-teach a remedial version of the class over the summer.
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