Low class averages (under 40%), not being bellcurved?

[medigeek]

So just found out a mid term class average was in the low 30s for a course. To cut to the point, apparently my school pretty much never bell curves? I was wondering if this is possible at all to leave a mid term worth 20% in the low 30s (while the 1st mid term was like in the 50s).

 

Highest average so far after 10 mid terms has been 69, with most averages being in the 50s. Should I expect a change for any marks by end of the semester? (after exam time)

[medigeek]

Change your major. THose averages are dismal and they will not get better. Are you in arts or hard science like physics or engineering? Are you at UofT? If so, you should put a big change to both of those things ASAP.

 

No I'm at UOIT (I always lol when people say its easy at uoit), and doing a biology degree. My lowest mid term was 77 (second biology mid term, mid 50s class average), everything else has been good (not much below 85).

[medigeek]

I'd still get out.

 

what else could i possibly go into? and isn't the typical census that people improve after 1st year ? (I've already made lots of noob mistakes that have cost me marks with labs, etc.)

 

Health sciences are the only easier option but I'm planning on applying to tons of schools in the US (both MD and DO) to guarantee admission... and all those schools require physics....organic chem... etc etc and it's very difficult to take those classes without being a science student here... (basically impossible to have all).

[Diceroll2011]

Seems like you're doing fine. Averages are averages, nothing more.

[medigeek]

Seems like you're doing fine. Averages are averages, nothing more.

 

Well I'm just curious how often class averages that are that low get left as they are. I always thought anything under 60-65 was probably going to get adjusted...

[Diceroll2011]

I think it's unfair to assume all classes will be bell curved. I've taken courses where midterm averages stayed in the 50's, people genrally did better on assignments and the final marks were around a C

[medigeek]

I think it's unfair to assume all classes will be bell curved. I've taken courses where midterm averages stayed in the 50's, people genrally did better on assignments and the final marks were around a C

 

Well apparently at my school they "never" (or very rarely) bell curve.

 

Linear adjustments were done to a physics mid term because 2 out of 3 sections had a low 50s avg and one section had a high 30s average... so prof added a few marks to even it out.

 

But I see what youre saying, it's basically based on what the final result is.

[Let'sGo1990]

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56350

 

Nuff' said.

 

Oh yeah. It's that guy.

[futurepediatric]

LOL you guys are cruel

I think he' had enough from past threads

[medigeek]

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56350

 

Nuff' said.

 

25th of september, I took people's word in that thread that it will get harder. And I never said it's hard for me right now.... I asked about class avgs.

[UBCStudent128]

25th of september, I took people's word in that thread that it will get harder. And I never said it's hard for me right now.... I asked about class avgs.

 

Students who go to uoit will probably have received lower marks in HS, hence lower class averages than harder programs in other uni. It doesn't make sense that you scale the averages to match theirs.

[medigeek]

Students who go to uoit will probably have received lower marks in HS, hence lower class averages then harder programs in other uni. That doesn't make sense that you scale the averages to match theirs.

 

This years entering average for science was 80 (rounded) and for engineering it was 82 I believe. What do you mean scale the average to match theirs?

[aaronjw]

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56350

 

Nuff' said.

 

 

This *never* gets old

[axialpac]

http://www.premed101.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56350

 

Nuff' said.

 

LOL you guys are cruel

I think he' had enough from past threads

 

LOL my thoughts exactly!

[rmorelan]

ahh this forum has a long memory

[frozenarbitor]

lol. I think the OP has learnt his lesson. No need to rub it in anymore. I would talk to the prof teaching that class and discuss with the prof about the low class average and see if the prof is planning to curve it or not. Also ask about the grading scheme. What is the percentage you need to get to get an A in that class? I'm pretty sure the prof has to allow some people to get an A (or at least an A- for those really nasty profs), or the department may have a problem with your prof.

 

PS: if this is a norm in your school (class avg being around 50 or low), get out like others have said.

[ArchEnemy]

Well I'm just curious how often class averages that are that low get left as they are. I always thought anything under 60-65 was probably going to get adjusted...

 

Even at UofT, class averages can be left at D+ as long as the professor is willing to justify (to the Dean of A&S) why he/she doesn't feel the need for adjustment.

[medigeek]

lol. I think the OP has learnt his lesson. No need to rub it in anymore. I would talk to the prof teaching that class and discuss with the prof about the low class average and see if the prof is planning to curve it or not. Also ask about the grading scheme. What is the percentage you need to get to get an A in that class? I'm pretty sure the prof has to allow some people to get an A (or at least an A- for those really nasty profs), or the department may have a problem with your prof.

 

PS: if this is a norm in your school (class avg being around 50 or low), get out like others have said.

 

Well some people got >90 on this 2nd mid term. The marks are pretty standard...

but you'd think at somewhere like UOIT the class averages would be in the 80s

 

80-84= A-

85-90= A

90+ = A+

 

So yeah definitely some people getting As... I'm not sure about it being the norm, comparing sample posted mid terms I'd say our mid terms this year have been a lot harder than last years. so it seems that things are getting harder year by year.

 

there's also 2 profs for this course, and the class average is from all sections combined (with an even average approx from each section).

[frozenarbitor]

Well some people got >90 on this 2nd mid term. The marks are pretty standard...

but you'd think at somewhere like UOIT the class averages would be in the 80s

 

80-84= A-

85-90= A

90+ = A+

 

So yeah definitely some people getting As... I'm not sure about it being the norm, comparing sample posted mid terms I'd say our mid terms this year have been a lot harder than last years. so it seems that things are getting harder year by year.

 

there's also 2 profs for this course, and the class average is from all sections combined (with an even average approx from each section).

 

No harm in talking with the prof about your concerns. Just do it gently in a non-accusing way. I don't live in ontario so I don't have a biased oppinion about the difficulty of UOIT. But from the look of it, if someone can get >90, and the cut off for A is 85, it seems pretty normal to me.

[PhoenixFlare500]

At my undergrad most people failed out of the intro chem course, at least first semester's, don't know about second. The class average was probably around 50 to 60%, and the prof has no obligation to curve it. About half the class typically drops after the first midterm, but it's still possible to get an A+.

[McMarauder]

It's first year, the weed-out year. 30's does seem ridiculous though. Just to point out, just because they won't "bell curve" doesn't mean they won't adjust the marks by another method such as linear adjustment. The adjustment will probably come once everyone has completed the course.

[medigeek]

At my undergrad most people failed out of the intro chem course, at least first semester's, don't know about second. The class average was probably around 50 to 60%, and the prof has no obligation to curve it. About half the class typically drops after the first midterm, but it's still possible to get an A+.

Chem is actually an easier course at my school (low 60s class average ), and I find it one of my easier 90s. VERY few people dropped out of physics (which is the biggest weeder course here) after the 1st mid term which had a low 50s class average.

 

It's first year, the weed-out year. 30's does seem ridiculous though. Just to point out, just because they won't "bell curve" doesn't mean they won't adjust the marks by another method such as linear adjustment. The adjustment will probably come once everyone has completed the course.

 

Ya that's what I was thinking too....

[Wayward son]

At my undergrad most people failed out of the intro chem course, at least first semester's, don't know about second. The class average was probably around 50 to 60%, and the prof has no obligation to curve it. About half the class typically drops after the first midterm, but it's still possible to get an A+.

 

Yes this certainly can happen. Really early in my first year, I dropped of the tough first year calculus course at my school and enrolled in the easier one. A lot of people stayed assuming that it would be belled. I was told (but obviously have no way of knowing for sure) by two students who stayed in the class that by the end of the year almost 60% of the class had dropped, and of the 40% who remained slightly better than half still failed. So 20% of the students who enrolled passed the class, there was no belling, and, yes, at least one student got an A+.

[UBCStudent128]

This years entering average for science was 80 (rounded) and for engineering it was 82 I believe. What do you mean scale the average to match theirs?

 

That's so low. UBC science cut-off was 92%. Our 1st year science courses are low 60's to mid 60's in average. So why would UOIT's 1st year science averages be same as UBC when clearly our student pool is not same as uoit's?

[apache]

my intro english class had a class average of 1.8/4.0, and me the other two people i knew in the class got a's (the girl got an a+ in every course but one, smart *****, and she went into conservation ecology (somewhere in europe now) i think?)

 

so yeah, a class average can be that low.

 

-------

 

also, math is notorious for not bell curving:

 

http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2010/12/31/alberta-prof-asked-to-resign-over-grades-dispute/

 

which is why i never took calculus, and did linear algebra in the summer with a grad student and only 9 students, when no one at the top really cares (he gave everyone a b+ or higher)

 

----

 

i had a seminar class of 15-20 people where the class average was 3.8/4.0 (it's on your transcript), the instructor had been a prof there for 20 years or something, so she just said yeah, this class was particularly exceptional (i worked for her and asked her about it once), and they let it by... when a course has been taught by a long time with the same instructor and there are fairly typically similar grades year by year, and there's an aberration from the norm, a prof often has discretion to curve down or up usually

 

3 posts in one, good for the environment...

 

So just found out a mid term class average was in the low 30s for a course. To cut to the point, apparently my school pretty much never bell curves? I was wondering if this is possible at all to leave a mid term worth 20% in the low 30s (while the 1st mid term was like in the 50s).

 

Highest average so far after 10 mid terms has been 69, with most averages being in the 50s. Should I expect a change for any marks by end of the semester? (after exam time)