![\"My](\"https:\/\/carpecollege.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/Fire-Truck-extended.jpg\")
<\/a>My Great-Grandfather Murray down this particular “homestretch” with a horse-drawn fire engine.<\/p><\/div>\n
As you head into the homestretch before final exams (or mid-terms for that matter), it\u2019s important to know EXACTLY<\/i> where you stand in ALL<\/i> of your classes.\u00a0 I often poll my students during this homestretch, and I\u2019m amazed at how many of them are unsure of their current grades.\u00a0 They\u2019re not keeping tabs, and they\u2019re not checking in with professors. (Or their profs are slow to update the grades, and the students are waiting passively by.)<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t assume you \u2018think\u2019 you know where you stand.\u00a0 Your perception (and math) may be quite different from your professors and, even though grading policies are all laid out on the syllabus, it\u2019s always good to double check.\u00a0 I\u2019ve heard of cases where professors decided to drop the lowest test score or exempt students from their final exam if they were carrying an \u2018A\u2019 average.\u00a0 I also heard of a student who THOUGHT she was doing poorly in a class, but the professors grading scale had her at a \u2018B\u2019 grade within striking distance of an \u2018A\u2019.\u00a0 She dropped the class before checking in with the professor!<\/p>\n
There is a better way.<\/p>\n
Fire off a simple email to each professor to ensure you\u2019re both on the same page.\u00a0 Here\u2019s a sample, and you can fill in your own content based on each course:<\/p>\n
Dear [Professor Plum]:<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\nI’m getting ready for the homestretch before finals, and I was hoping to run my game plan by you.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\nMy records indicate that I have a –% grade in our class currently, and my hope is to do the following between now and finals: \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\n1).\u00a0 Review [A, B,and C] with particular attention to [blah, blah and blah].<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\n2).\u00a0 Finish strong with the [FILL IN THE BLANK] project.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\n3).\u00a0 Work with my study partners on [LIST IMPORTANT CONCEPTS]. <\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\n4). Attend all the review sessions. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\nDo you think this is a good plan? \u00a0Do you have any further advice? \u00a0Would it be okay if I came in to chat about this? \u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\nThanks so much.<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\n[YOUR NAME HERE}<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\n[YOUR CLASS TIME\/DATE\/SECTION # HERE]<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/address>\nNOTE:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0 If your professor is sitting on a stack of papers or tests, trying to wade her way through it, and if your paper is near the bottom of that stack, you could wait and wait and wait.\u00a0 But if you\u2019re the one who sends the email or stops in to her office to see where you stand, she just might move yours to the top of the stack and give you the quick answer you\u2019ve been hoping for.\u00a0 Why not act?!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As you head into the homestretch before final exams (or mid-terms for that matter), it\u2019s important to know EXACTLY where you stand in ALL of your classes.\u00a0 I often poll my students during this homestretch, and I\u2019m amazed at how many of them are unsure of their current grades.\u00a0 They\u2019re not keeping tabs, and they\u2019re not checking in with … Continue Reading