The difference between a B and an A
We all want better grades, but sometimes it’s hard to figure out exactly what you need to do to boost a grade from a B to an A. On the surface, it seems like there should be a simple formula for earning top grades, but earning that elusive A is a more complex process than it at first seems. This is because instructors can use two very different systems to award A’s, and this makes a big difference in how to approach assignments.
Let’s go through them one by one:
First, let’s look at the points system of grading. In this system, an instructor assigns grades based on how well a student scores on a series of criteria, including content, analysis, mechanics, references, and so on. By addressing all of the essay’s requirements and meeting the criteria in the grading rubric, a student can easily earn an A. The difference between a B and an A is the degree to which the student works to meet or exceed the instructor’s grading criteria.
This is a simple system, and as long as you know how you’re graded (the rubric), you have a clear roadmap for how to succeed.
Under this system, every student is graded as an individual. But there is a second system: The curve. This one is trickier to navigate.
In a curve-based grading system, the class is considered as a whole and essays are ranked from best to worst. The best essays are given an A and the worst an F. The rest get assigned grades in between. If there are 17 students in the class, there might be 1 A, 4 B’s, 7 C’s, 4 D’s, and 1 F, so that when the grades are plotted on a graph they form a normal distribution (or bell) curve.
In this system, to earn an A you need to produce an essay that’s better than anybody else’s (view essay samples) because essays are graded against each other instead of against an absolute standard.
Knowing the system you’re up against is key to knowing how to attempt to earn that A.
We all want better grades, but sometimes it’s hard to figure out exactly what you need to do to boost a grade from a B to an A. On the surface, it seems like there should be a simple formula for earning top grades, but earning that elusive A is a more complex process than it at first seems. This is because instructors can use two very different systems to award A’s, and this makes a big difference in how to approach assignments.
Let’s go through them one by one:
First, let’s look at the points system of grading. In this system, an instructor assigns grades based on how well a student scores on a series of criteria, including content, analysis, mechanics, references, and so on. By addressing all of the essay’s requirements and meeting the criteria in the grading rubric, a student can easily earn an A. The difference between a B and an A is the degree to which the student works to meet or exceed the instructor’s grading criteria.
This is a simple system, and as long as you know how you’re graded (the rubric), you have a clear roadmap for how to succeed.
Under this system, every student is graded as an individual. But there is a second system: The curve. This one is trickier to navigate.
In a curve-based grading system, the class is considered as a whole and essays are ranked from best to worst. The best essays are given an A and the worst an F. The rest get assigned grades in between. If there are 17 students in the class, there might be 1 A, 4 B’s, 7 C’s, 4 D’s, and 1 F, so that when the grades are plotted on a graph they form a normal distribution (or bell) curve.
In this system, to earn an A you need to produce an essay that’s better than anybody else’s (view essay samples) because essays are graded against each other instead of against an absolute standard.
Knowing the system you’re up against is key to knowing how to attempt to earn that A.
Here are some of the links to websites i freelance for. something you can benefit from.
