PhD GPA?

[ChondroitinSulfate]

I know this topic has been thrown out there a lot, but when I look at the threads, I keep seeing a blend of MA and PhD students from diverse subjects of study, so I'm not sure how relevant all of it is to me. So here's the gist of things. I'm a first year bio PhD student, I've been sick a lot this semester on top of focusing on a rotation in a lab that I really, really like. I've pulled a 3.5ish GPA with 2 As, 2 B+s, and 1 B (in a class where I scored above the median for all but two assignments). I've seen the posts float around that that's a very mediocre GPA, and that Bs are subpar in graduate school, so I'm a little worried that I'm not doing so hot, even though it didn't really seem like I was doing badly at the time. When I asked my faculty adviser, he pretty much said my grades don't matter as long as I pass (above 3.0 overall), so the discrepancy is somewhat confusing. I'm most worried about this knocking me out of the loop for fellowships that I'm considering applying for, though funding is actually not an issue in my program.

 

Basically, I want to have some idea of how well or meh I did (I know it's not bad), and whether I should be concerned about anything. Also, I'm kinda wondering how to approach the prof that gave me a B, because he'll be teaching another class I'm taking next semester, and I really don't want to bust my butt and wind up with a B again. I was considering just asking him at the beginning of the class what his expectations were, since I don't want to make a bad impression and come off as a grademonger by asking now, but any opinions would be welcome.

[ladyling]

My attitude is not grades don't matter, but rather you're not taking Ph.D. level courses for the grades--you're taking them to learn. In this vein, you should talk to your professor sooner rather than later, but the tone of that conversation should have more to do with what you can do to improve your scholarship than with why you got a B in the first place. You should use the conversation as an opportunity to get honest, concrete, critical feedback about what you need to do to improve.

Your adviser should be able to give you more concrete advice about applying for fellowships in particular, and you should ask him those questions. Fellowships are highly competitive generally, but grades aren't the only aspect to a successful fellowship application. So the question isn't "will my grades disqualify me?" but "do my grades point to some way in which I'm ill-prepared to carry out the type of scholarship these fellowships fund?"

I hope that helps.

[ChondroitinSulfate]

Thanks for the reply - I am taking the courses to learn, but given the research-oriented nature of graduate school, the general feeling around the program is that classes are a thing you pass to get on with research (and this comes from the faculty, not just from the students). I don't mind the classes; I just don't like sinking in five hours a week on a single class and getting a B after scoring above average for so much of it. I suspect he doesn't curve, since my raw score alone was in the mid to high B range.

 

I wasn't intending to ask in any tone other than "what can I do to improve"; it's just that I do want to know if his Bs mean subpar work or expected work, since he is known for his tough grading. I fear if I talk to him sooner, there's no way it won't come off as grade-mongering, because I can't do it by any other venue than email, and conveying tone through text is challenging.

 

The fellowship is kind of a nonconcern in some ways, because I'm pretty set on a lab that has reasonably stable funding, and I doubt I'll be out sick half as often next semester, having caught at least one variant of every common viral infection this past semester. I've asked my adviser, but he's rather laid back about it all and says I'm worrying over nothing.

Edited December 23, 2012 by ChondroitinSulfate

[Conscia Fati]

At my school, it's pretty difficult for graduate students to earn As -- they certainly aren't doled out, even to the most talented students. If you have some friends in your program, you might want to chat with them about your concerns. I thought my first semester GPA was mediocre, until I disclosed my concerns to my colleagues. They had the same grade worries, and later we all went out for drinks.

[lilgreycells]

I completely agree with Andromache 2012 about talking with people in your program. I just went through my first semester of my PhD at a much more rigorous program than my Master's (where an A- could be seen as a C in some classes) and was not sure what my first semester gpa said about me (am I average? am I failing?). I went and met with some of the older students in my cohort who helped me to understand the culture of grading within my department and helped me to feel more secure in my grades.

Oh and in your second post you mention being concerned with talking to the prof because he may think that you're asking for a grade change. I remember seeing the recommendation to send something like "I'm concerned that this grade suggests that I'm not performing up to standard/expectations. Could I meet with you to discuss what to do in order to improve for the future?" from The Adventures of Notorious Ph.D., Girl Scholar (http://girlscholar.blogspot.com/2011/04/grades-in-grad-school.html). Since it puts future in it, this might help to distance your request from the grade-mongering you were concerned about.