With finals quickly approaching, you may be counting every point. However, you may be hesitant to contest a grade as a college freshman. Emailing your professor, setting up an appointment, and finding the right words to say don’t seem worth the bother. 

As a teacher, I hesitate to tell you to make a habit of contesting grades, because most students who contest grades do not typically contest them for good reasons. So let me share with you the perspective of a college instructor through a few different stories (using fictional names of course):

Brian is a good student. He regularly attends class, takes notes, and emails the teacher when he has questions. One day Brian emailed me a lengthy explanation how the reasons for which he felt he had earned a higher grade than he received for a presentation. At the end of his email, he included some disclaimer saying something like “I hope you don’t think I’m one of those students who argues for every point.”

Here are my teacher thoughts on Brian’s email:

• This lengthy email should’ve instead been a request for a meeting. Writing out all of the reasons he should get a higher grade may be good way for Brian to organize his thoughts for himself. However, this length of an email comes across differently to a teacher. The tone in which an email is written can be hard to detect, and as a result this email can be easily be interpreted in a whiny tone. His approach and reasoning would probably have been explained better face-to-face.

• When he listed excuse after excuse or reason after reason of why he deserved a grade inevitably what he communicated to his teacher is that he thinks he knows slightly better than him or her. Not every teacher will feel this way, but many may. Saying that others think he did a good job or that he studied a long time may have actually hurt his case more than have helped.

• The caveat at the end of Brian’s email shows that he is kind of being “that student,” and he kind of knows it too. If he had to write a disclaimer, he probably needs to go back and rewrite some sentences to be clearer.

Inevitably this kind of email actually encourages many a teacher to buckle down rather than be understanding or make a grade change.

Jennifer is a type-A personality. She sometimes could come across as a little bit of a know-it-all to her teachers and peers. After receiving a lower-than-expected grade, she asked the teacher if they could meet to talk about her grade. When they met, she referenced how well she had performed compared to everyone else. She commented on how she deserved a higher grade for some of her work.

Here are my teacher thoughts when interacting with Jennifer:

• Jennifer is in a major that requires a lot of work. As a result, she can be hypersensitive about less than perfect grades. What Jennifer didn’t know is that the grade she earned was one of the highest grades in her class, and, while her grade wasn’t perfect, she did exceptionally well. Contesting this high of a grade comes across as petty to a teacher.

• Jennifer’s words show that her focus is in the wrong place. Instead of focusing on learning, growing, and improving, she is concerned about how she compares to others. Contesting this grade for Jennifer is not truly about getting the grade she thinks she deserves. In reality it is more about who she thinks she is in comparison with others. This comparison mindset may actually cause her teacher to dig in more and want to be harder on her in the future.

• Claiming she deserved better only reinforced her know-it-all attitude to the teacher. As a result, her teacher does not desire to build a relationship with her as much as with the other students. The teacher is also less likely to extend assistance to her in the future.

Neither Jennifer or Brian were disrespectful. Their approach to contesting a grade was not completely off in that they approached the teacher one-on-one and set up an appointment. However, neither of these cases were truly situations that warranted contesting a grade.

In both situations, Jennifer and Brian would probably been better to seek an explanation for their grade. Seeking an explanation for the purpose of growing and improving would get them much further with a college professor.

Now that you know when not to contest a grade, when should you contest a grade?

When your grade has been calculated inaccurately

Teachers make mistakes. Sometimes they miscalculate a total. Sometimes they input your grade incorrectly online. Both mistakes are easy to make when a teacher is grading or inputing 50+ assessments.

Rather than assuming that your professor tallied or input your grade incorrectly, you can check for yourself. On your own, tally your points and compare them with the grade online. If the two do not match up, consider respectfully approaching your teacher or TA to ask if a mistake may have been made.

So how could this look or sound like?

• If you write an email, assume that the mistake was an accident saying something like “I may be mistaken but my grade on my rubric does not match my grade online. Would you mind taking a look at the two for me?” If you accuse your teacher or TA of making a mistake, you may burn down some helpful bridges you will need later.

• If you approach him or her after class, be considerate of his or her time. Be direct but kind: “When I received my paper back from you, something seemed slightly off to me. Maybe I’m mistaken, but I think my grade may be higher than what is marked on the paper. Would you mind double-checking this for me?” Offer to leave the paper or meet at another time that works better for him or her.

When your professor’s comments do not match the grade

Sometimes your teacher is in a rush and does not have time to provide the level of feedback he or she would like. As a result, you may feel like your grade doesn’t match the comments you received.

In this kind of situation, you would be wise to do much like what I suggested Jennifer and Brian should have done: focus on growing and learning, not on the grade. Sending a brief email to set up an appointment is probably the best way to connect with your professor initially. If you blindside him or her after a class, your professor may view your comments as argumentative or accusatory.

When you do meet with your teacher, focus on asking questions, not on making requests. By asking questions, you show that you are teachable and flexible. You are also showing you’re not here to make demands or threats. You are here to gain understanding.

When your professor’s instructions were unclear

The nature of being a teacher is realizing that no matter how hard one tries to be clear in his or her instructions, that teacher can always communicate better. When explaining projects or assignments, a teacher can easily explain something confusingly that should be made crystal clear.

If you find yourself at the end of a confusing assignment, consider approaching your professor. This is a tricky situation, because you can easily come across as arrogant or accusatory. Be careful that your words are respectful, kind, and worded in a way that shows you are looking for some clarity. Your goal at this point shouldn’t even necessarily be to earn a better grade but to help the class be better for future students.

Consider setting up a face-to-face meeting to ask some questions like these:

• Would you mind me sharing some questions about the project?

• What were some of the goals you had for this assignment?

• Could I suggest some changes that I think may help students in the future? (This question should only be asked if you already have a very good relationship with your teacher. Otherwise, you will come across as a know-it-all.)

• I seemed to have misunderstood the instructions to this assignment. Could you explain them to me again?

After asking these types of questions, you likely will find an open door to share about some of the ways in which you were confused. Tread carefully, as your goal isn’t to attack or fight with your teacher about grades. Your true goal should be to learn so that next time you know what he or she expects.

Notice that in each situation the best approach is to ask questions, not make requests or share a defense for a higher grade. This is the biggest mistake students make. You will get much further in your discussion with your professor if you focus on learning, because learning is what college is all about.

**As a final note, if you think your professor is genuinely being unfair or you are facing discrimination, consider your next steps carefully. Start by figuring out the proper channel within your college to contest your grade(s). (Each school is different, so check your school’s resources.) Then carefully approach the appropriate individual with a well-worded description of the situation and documented examples (emails and other written information). Your parent(s) are a great resource during this process. Lastly, be careful not to burn down bridges or cause yourself long-term problems in college by bad-mouthing professors or deans.