Graduate School Grading Is Subjective

Remember back in High School when we are so grade-conscious, that we constantly calculate point-by-point all our test scores and homework to get our GPA's? There was a huge amount of pressure, since getting good grades is tantamount to getting into a good college. And getting into a good college is good training to get good jobs. (I apologize if this train of thought is not always the case, but I was just raised to think this way.)

Back in the Philippines, each university gives individual college entrance exams and students study separately for each. Here in the US, there is just the SAT - and your SAT grade gives you an idea if you are qualified for an Ivy League, or a CC.

In graduate school (at least in the US), the only grade that you should work really hard for is your GMAT (or your GRE). Get a high score, and you are most likely to be accepted in a top-tier university. Get a low score... uhm, well, you can just take it again.

In the classroom, however, the race to get the highest grade is almost always irrelevant. The grade you get most of the time does not reflect how much you learned about the course. Also, most of the time, grades are dependent on the professor's teaching and grading style.

I am about to embark on a 19 Chapter hardcore review weekend for an upcoming test on Monday. And this test is only 10 points. Multiple choice. Can you believe that?! 10 Multiple choice questions! 19 Chapters! If you miss one, that's 90%. If you miss 3, that's 70%. Easily an F! This test accounts for only 10% of my final grade, it's not a lot... but still?!? It's so un-cool.

Anyway, of course there are those really cool professors who are all about learning and practical application. And they grade based on how you express your understanding of the notes through discussion - and you get an A applying it in real life. Now that's cool.

Ed. Note. I am downplaying how graduate school is, of course. There are many other things you have to excel in to make it with flying colors. Writing skills are essential, for example. In the business world, you have to know how to condense a 20-page case into 2 pages, use the right business terms (you don't say "Pam, you got your sh!t going!", you say "Pam, you are highly qualified for the project."), and know when to write there, their or they're. There's also Critical Thinking and Financial Analysis. What does it mean if a number on this test cell is slightly higher than the one beside it? Is it statistically significant to warrant a $30 Million business decision? Stuff like that...