When students leave the comfort of high school for the rigor of college, one common concern is the different grading policies in college. Students have reasons to be worried because the college world is significantly different than the world of high school. Grading is one area that changes at the collegiate level and high school students must be aware of the differences.
One big change from high school to college is the reduced number of assignments. High school teachers tend to give students multiple chances to practice work, often scoring assignments on a daily basis. This rarely happens in college. Grades may be based on a few tests and essays, or in some cases, only the mid-term and final exam.
Due to the limited amount of chances, students may be shocked when they get their first grades, according to Southern Methodist University.
The 4.0 Scale is a standard at many colleges. High Schools may indeed have the same scale or there may be variables. According to Petersons College Planner, there are wide differences. Some high schools give plus and minus grades, some dont. Some schools weight courses, some have no system for weighting classes. Basically, high schools often vary, while most colleges stick with the 4.0 Scale, which gives no pluses and minuses and gives students an A, B, C, D, or F.
Though grade inflation has been mentioned as a problem in both high schools and colleges, people still expect college courses to be graded tougher. Often, there are no chances for extra credit in college, with the expectation being you must do well on each assignment. In high school, the teacher spends much more time helping students achieve their grades, while in college, students take on much more responsibility for their grades.
High School grades are important for admittance into college and receiving scholarships. Sometimes the grades arent seen as important as the classes themselves. According to Kelli Gauthiers article Colleges Prefer Tougher Classes to Higher Grades, colleges like the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga place value on challenging coursework such as Advanced Placement tests. Schools may weight these challenging classes differently, rewarding students for their hard work. The value, in some cases, is on a varied and rigorous education, even if a perfect G.P.A. isnt achieved.
After the student enrolls in college, high school grades cease to have much importance. College grades, however, will continue to be important for years. According to David Koeppels article in the New York Times, a students G.P.A. is the best single predictor of job performance in the first few years of employment. In a competitive job market, a high GPA can set people apart from the rest of the applications.
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