Now many students may feel relieved because midterm examinations are over, however, every semester after final examinations in December, students begin to worry about grades. Students ask one another about each others’ grades. They even try to write emails, call, or visit professors before the grades are finally announced. A Chinese student grumbled not so long ago, "I wasn't absent or late for class. I handed in all of the assignments. However, I only got a C. I have to talk to my professor. “A few days later, she said with a smile, "I got a higher score! Although it is not that high, I realized that I got poor results on my exam due to my lack of ability in Korean."
As we have a period to inquire about and made adjustments to results, it is possible to find not only procedural errors by a professor but also the shortcomings of a student's performance. To be more specific, it is a really good chance for students to become aware of their own inadequacies and to improve their performance. Nevertheless, quite a lot of students just complain about their scores and keep after their professors to change them.
One day, I heard the story of a student who asked his professor to raise his score because he was too poor to continue his education without a scholarship. The professor rejected his appeal, saying that grades are a different matter. Similarly some students seem to have the idea that they can change their results by arguing continuously and persuading professors to understand their circumstances.
If you thought your score was reasonable, based on the professor’s standard, you should accept it. It should be a credible indicator regarding your own academic performance as well as its relation to the performance of your classmates. Han Gyu-seog, professor of the Department of Psychology said, “As for me, if students are too demanding, rather than listening to their entreaty, I lower their scores. I feel that it is preposterous for university students to get their grades by sucking up to teachers. They should try to get their grades through sweat and toil.”
In my opinion, students should deeply reflect on themselves before complaining to their professors because it may affect the grades of others. If they do not know their own defects, they should request, not demand, higher grades. If your marks are low because of your poor performance, you should try to accept it. Students should keep in mind that scores are just numbers. What is the most important is what you have learned from the classes that semester. Please try to take these pieces of advice and change your outlook for your own good.
By Kim Na-yeon, Junior, Dept. of English Education
#302 Student Column
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