What to do about this assigment grade?

[AnUnhappyStudent]

I am at university, in my third year and recently had two assignments and an examination all due to the same day. I worked equally hard on all three and over the three years my grades have been between 68-83. For my exam I got 88, one assignment 70 and the last one 56. Although I am obviously happy that I passed and over the moon with the 88, I am still disappointed with the 56 and I am struggling to let this go. I am also struggling because the lecturer I had for this module appeared not like me and seemed to have her favourites in the group and despite the university saying that marking is anonymous, as we have to use our student number, it isn't really.

In addition I picked the question I was doing back in September and bought a number of books on the topic and this topic was detailed in the module handbook as being covered in lectures, only it wasn't! By the time we were told we would not be having a session on the topic I was quite some way down the line with my reading and had spent a not inconsiderable amount on books.

So my question is AIBU to feel that something may be amiss here and what on earth, if anything, can I do about it. I know that I can arrange to speak to her for feedback but should I say anything about how I am feeling and why?

I think the best thing is to try and let it go. I've been in this position a couple of times at uni- once got a failing mark for an essay that was actually very good (I was told!) because the tutor had failed to be clear about what the topic was meant to be (well, we all did badly) and I was very angry for a long time because it was genuinely a case of a completely out-of-her-depth lecturer messing things up for everybody. Turns out that having some experience as a school governor is not the only thing you need when running a course on education...

As it turned out, the mark didn't change my overall degree classification thankfully so I didn't try to pursue it. Not sure how I could have anyway as my opinion of her is pretty subjective really. So, if you add up your marks so far and find it'll make no difference just rant in private :) However, if you think it is likely to bring you down a class, speak to your personal tutor as they will want you to do as well as possible to bolster their own reputation and that of the University.

Even though you use your student number it is anonymous. I cannot imagine any of my colleagues being any more inclined to look up student numbers than I am (which is not at all). Marking takes up enough time as it is.

If you look at you university regulations, you might find that they drop the lowest grade entirely when calculating your degree classification.

Do speak to the lecturer if you're not happy though. I'd much rather a student came to me than just decided to (say) complain on the NSS or similar. Having a talk with her will probably help set your mind at ease.

If you're not happy, have it remarked if that's an option.

I did a degree on the OU and had a similar situation. I asked for the assignment to be re-marked by a different tutor, and got back a mark of 15% higher! I ended up with a first and had I not have challenged that particular assignment, probably would not have done so.

I would definitely get it second marked. During my postgrad I got 60s and 70s, but for one essay I got 57. This meant that I got a pass and not a merit overall for the course . I still think about that bastarding 57 to this day!!!

I feel your pain. I took an academic qualification in a profession I was already in. Did really well in exams but my project was deemed not to answer the question asked. Got a remark but still came in at barely a pass.

Apparently because I was over-familiar with the subject I didn't approach it correctly (despite my boss, an expert in the field, giving it a read and saying it was written at a level far above that qualification) Annoyingly because it was a dissertation equivalent it took me down from a 2.1 to a pass mark overall, such was the weighting. It really really upset me at the time although now I can look back and accept that I answered it like a professional (i.e. With a commercial view not an academic one) so I do understand.

I think the most important thing is finding a way to put it past you so you don't sabotage the rest of your course. I'd go to the feedback with an open mind, see what she says, and then take the useful bits and disregard the rest. You have to find a way to get past this. Even if your way of doing that is making a voodoo doll of the marker, saying they're evil and wrong and refusing to let them bring you down! Whatever gets you through the course for now. Sounds like you're doing really fantastically - now's the time to prove you've got the resilience as well as the knowledge. You can do this

It's probably not as simple as getting it remarked because your department most likely already has a quality assurance of assessment policy which ensures that work is moderated and double marked where appropriate. You also can't appeal an academic judgment.

What you can appeal is procedural irregularity (like not being taught the material) or undisclosed circumstances (like you had dyslexia and didn't tell anyone). But even then you probably can't appeal until the mark is confirmed in the summer by your board of examiners.

That's how it would work at my institution anyway- yours might be different.

I got 60-80 in every degree examination and 70+ for every Maaters level assignment. I've never failed an exam in my life. But one tutor gave me a 52 for one assignment...and I was gutted. And yet, it's their prerogative to mark me down. Clearly she was unconvinced by my argument. That's life, isn't it?

*Masters

In most universities you cannot ask to have your mark remarked. You can appeal on procedural grounds but not because you don't agree with an academic's judgement.

In any case the class sample will have been moderated, so the lecturer's marks will have been agreed by another member of staff.

Talk to a lecturer becausd you think there's been an issue with not covering a topic that was outlined in the handbook and you'd like clarification. Don't go in demanding a remark because you don't agree with your mark.