Category: Business

I remember being a senior in high school and wondering how different college would be from high school. Often, I wondered how much more difficult it would be, what the classes would be like, and how the grading system would work for each class. It was terrifying to come to college because I did not know what to expect. I was especially nervous about the academics. After the first day of classes my freshman year, I was much more confident and comfortable about how I would perform academically because there were no major shocks or surprises about what homework and tests would look like in my classes.

Based on my own experience in Marketing classes, the college grading system is not much different than in high school. On the first day of class, each professor will hand out a syllabus that breaks down every point and how your grade will be impacted by different assignments and exams. Typically, the grading systems in the classes that I have taken have been divided up based on a points system. For example, many professors score their entire courses out of 1,000 points, and the syllabus breaks down where every point comes from.

Usually there are two exams – a midterm and a final – but some classes may have three or even four exams. I have never taken a class that had more than four total exams. Exams are usually the biggest chunk of your grade. Most exams that I have taken were worth about 15-25% of my total grade. Besides exams, a large amount of points typically come from group/individual projects. Marketing courses tend to be heavy on group work. Many classes have quizzes once or even twice a week. If you are lucky, occasionally a class will give participation points. Participation points can be a huge help to your grade because they are fairly easy points, as long as you have good attendance and are active in class discussions. One other large chunk of your grade usually comes from papers, with most classes assigning at least one paper. Extra credit is pretty rare, but occasionally a professor offers bonus points for an extra assignment or guest lecture attendance.

Very few classes that I have taken have offered any kind of points for homework, but some classes do assign homework and reward you with points if you complete it. Overall, the college grading system is nothing to worry about and it is quite similar to high school. The important thing to remember is to try your hardest on every assignment.

As a Business major, there is a heavy load on individual and group projects and presentations. Most classes have at least one project and many classes have several projects each semester. As a senior Marketing major, I recently have been reflecting on the different projects that I have worked on while at Grove City College. It is important to be comfortable with giving presentations as a Business major.  Some projects I enjoyed more than others, but every project teaches you something. With every presentation you give, you get better and better at public speaking. Plus, it makes you more confident. From the time when I was a freshman until now I have grown so much in my confidence, especially with public speaking. I used to be very nervous to deliver a presentation to a class, but now that I have done it so much, I feel much more confident and I am not nearly as nervous. My favorite project that I ever worked on (and later presented) was in Risk Management and Insurance, which is taught by Dr. Wayne Biddle. Before the class, I had no idea what risk management was and knew very little about insurance. As the course went on, I learned more and more and by the end of the course I not only mastered the material, but my interest in the subject grew. We had a big project for the class where we had to take photos of “risks” that we found outside of the classroom and then do an analysis of the risks. This project was one of my favorites because it really made me think beyond the scope of the hour and fifteen minute class. The material was so applicable that the project was actually a lot of fun. By the time I finished the project and presented to the class, I felt like I learned the material that I learned in class so much better now that I was able to apply it to real life. Projects and presentations are all about what you make them to be. The more work and effort you put into them, the more you will benefit from them and learn new skills. My suggestion is that you take advantage of projects because there is an opportunity to learn so much.