Email A Professor About a Grade?

[bme123abc]

This was my first semester in an engineering PhD program, and I think I screwed up.  I had to take a grad level math class which is curved so 60% of the class gets C's, and another core course in my department (BME).  I have no idea what my grade will end up being in this math class, but I've resigned myself that it probably won't be an A.  My issue is the core BME course.

     So the average in this BME course is about a 72%, and my average is a 67%.  I have no idea how the professor curves, or what I received on the last homework assignment and final project (cumulatively about 28% of my grade).  Should I email the professor and explain that I  underestimated that class and ask if I can redo assignments for partial credit?  I don't want to ask for free points or a grade boost just because I'm a grad student, but I'm really freaking out and I figure it never hurts to ask for the chance to work for an improvement.

     I have been to talk with the professor a couple times, and participated in class more than any other person over the course of the semester.  Our final grades aren't due for another couple days, and she is a notoriously slow grader.

     Basically, I'm 5 points below average in a class, and want to know if respectfully emailing the professor would hurt or help my case.

[VioletAyame]

Were you not aware that the homework assignment and final project are worth 28% of your grade? Was the info not on the syllabus? If yes then I don't think your professor can allow you to redo it without giving the rest of your class the same opportunity, or else it would be unfair for them. Perhaps you can ask if there's any extra credit you can do, but again, it should be an opportunity available for everyone in your class. Either way, you should ask her about the actual assignment and project first, gauge how well you did in these assignments and in the class overall, and show your interest in learning in material instead of focusing on your grades and how to improve them, especially this late in the semester.

[Guest Gnome Chomsky]

Is the BME class a grad class? If you're below the class average in an undergrad class, that's definitely not a good sign. Also, I find it hard to believe that a grad math class gives C's to 60% of the class. Aren't C's realllllllllly bad in grad school? I doubt they'd ruin the futures of 60% of their students just for the heck of it. 

 

Also, what are you gonna say? You "underestimated" the class and would like to re-do assignments? Isn't that basically admitting that you didn't put your full effort into the class? Otherwise, if you didn't underestimate it to begin with, you wouldn't need to re-do assignments. That's not a good sign for a first-semester PhD student. Also, if you admit defeat before she's even graded the things, that's an even worse sign. Maybe you ended up doing really well, then she receives a panicked email from you and it confuses her. 

[ANDS!]

60% seems ridiculously capricious and the kind of thing up their own asses instructors like to do because they can.  I believe in getting the grade you earned.  If a Prof wants to curve down that's fine too.  Never should one students performance be pegged NEGATIVELY to another's though.