The Student Room Group
University College London, University of London
University College London
London

Can you argue for a higher grade at UCL?

Just got my grade back which is lower than I expected. In my feedback, I've got three paragraphs of positive comments and two sentences about what I lacked. I read past papers and the rubric several times and am still confused about why I got this grade. So I wanted to argue for a higher grade or at least a more detailed explanation of what I did wrong.

However, I found the academic appeals procedure that our professor emailed us which doesn't accept 'disagreement with academic judgement'. Also I was thinking about like a chill email to my professor, asking for a revision of my assignment instead of making it as serious as some appeals procedure.

My question is: what should I do now? Is it appropriate to email my professor asking for a grade revision? This is what I would do at my undergrad uni but I don't know if it still works here, since it is my first year studying in the UK.

Thanks in advance!
---
P.S. Here's the link to the appeals procedure: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/chapters/chapter-6-student-casework-framework/section-7-academic-appeals-procedure#2
(edited 1 year ago)
Original post by cookiepiepie
Just got my grade back which is lower than I expected. In my feedback, I've got three paragraphs of positive comments and two sentences about what I lacked. I read past papers and the rubric several times and am still confused about why I got this grade. So I wanted to argue for a higher grade or at least a more detailed explanation of what I did wrong.

However, I found the academic appeals procedure that our professor emailed us which doesn't accept 'disagreement with academic judgement'. Also I was thinking about like a chill email to my professor, asking for a revision of my assignment instead of making it as serious as some appeals procedure.

My question is: what should I do now? Is it appropriate to email my professor asking for a grade revision? This is what I would do at my undergrad uni but I don't know if it still works here, since it is my first year studying in the UK.

Thanks in advance!
---
P.S. Here's the link to the appeals procedure: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/academic-manual/chapters/chapter-6-student-casework-framework/section-7-academic-appeals-procedure#2

You need to read up on "Grade Grubbing", much hated by anyone in the marking business.

https://marktomforde.com/academic/undergraduates/GradeGrubbing.html

Save it until it really matters AND you have a clear procedural error to flag up, not just "I think I deserve more".
University College London, University of London
University College London
London
Original post by Mr Wednesday
You need to read up on "Grade Grubbing", much hated by anyone in the marking business.

https://marktomforde.com/academic/undergraduates/GradeGrubbing.html

Save it until it really matters AND you have a clear procedural error to flag up, not just "I think I deserve more".

Well I guess I'll ask them why I lost these points. Based on sample essays they've given, the essays that got the same grade are like significantly under word count or have referencing problems
Original post by cookiepiepie
Well I guess I'll ask them why I lost these points. Based on sample essays they've given, the essays that got the same grade are like significantly under word count or have referencing problems


You say that I've got three paragraphs of positive comments and two sentences about what I lacked”. Before you ask for more, read the feedback, don’t skim it, read and think about every point it makes, and use that to re-visit your essay with a really critcal pair of eyes. Nothing more annoying that a student asking “why didn’t I get a better mark” when you have already written it down for them.
Original post by Mr Wednesday
You say that I've got three paragraphs of positive comments and two sentences about what I lacked”. Before you ask for more, read the feedback, don’t skim it, read and think about every point it makes, and use that to re-visit your essay with a really critcal pair of eyes. Nothing more annoying that a student asking “why didn’t I get a better mark” when you have already written it down for them.


Why is it soo taboo in the UK though? I've attended universities in Aussie and the Netherlands, most professors are very chill and welcome students to ask questions about their grades
Original post by cookiepiepie
Why is it soo taboo in the UK though? I've attended universities in Aussie and the Netherlands, most professors are very chill and welcome students to ask questions about their grades

Its not taboo to ask how to improve once you have digested the feedback properly, but it just comes across as lazy to ask for "more" when you have not worked through all the writen feedback already given, particulary if the Prof has a class of a few 100 students to look after.

It is definitly taboo to ask for a grade "uplift" without actually finding a real mistake in the marking, e.g. a section not added up correctly. If you could make that call, then you should have marked all the other scripts for a few years yourself to get properly calibrated. Thats what your marker is likely using as a quality metric.
(edited 1 year ago)

Quick Reply

Latest

Trending

Trending