How would you handle this instructor?

I am taking an abnormal psychology class and had a 8-10 page research paper due on Sunday. I turned mine in on Saturday. It was on Adult ADHD if you are curious... Now my beef....

She took 5 points off my paper for APA crap. Now I am not saying I know everything that pertains to APA well shall I say remember it all the time

One of her comments as to why I lost points was in the middle of a citation about sticking to one phrase as the citation used both Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and ADHD in the same sentence.

So I sent her an email asking her to please clarify this for me as I was under the impression that was citing a source word for word you write exactly what they do. Her reply was yes that is correct but HER PREFERENCE is to use one term consistently! Now how the HELL I am suppose to know this? No where in the rules for the paper did it state this...

What would you do? I feel like she took points off for something that should not have been taken off because I complied with APA rules just not her own personal preference. I thought by emailing me her and asking for clarification would be enough to make her change my grade back...

Nope... Thoughts?

 

I don't usually argue on those issues. It seems like every prof you get wants things a little different. My first paper in a class is usually a test paper to see where they will nail me on points. After that first paper, I jump through all their hoops, make the noises they want to hear and usually can pull a good grade and land an "A" in the class.

If you lost 4 points on a scale of 100, it's not that bad of a thing. Probably will not hurt you. If it is driving you nuts, you could email the prof again and tell her. It probably will not do you any good and might cause more trouble. If you do complain,be extremely nice about it and make sure you don't sound petulant or sarcastic at all. Give her your respect. Brown noses earn an "A". Email can often be a bad way to resolve issues because kindness and goodwill are often difficult to detect and people usually assume the worst when you don't mean it that way.

 

OH and I should add this is a DL instructor which is why I asking here.

 

What class is that in?

 

MO I do the same thing but to knock me on her personal preference when in reality I should have done exactly what I did is just plain wrong IMO. That s why I am asking the board because it seems like just 5 points but my grades mean a lot to me...

To be clear what she knocked me on was using two different terms in a citation that I copied word for word and cited properly.

 

What I mean is, was it a class at clovis?

 

I think she was right to take off 5 points for APA issues on a psychology paper for a class beyond the introductory level. Buy the manual. Study it. Take advantage of your school's writing lab or hire a reviewer proficient in APA.

My advice is to take your lumps and be happy you didn't lose more points.

 

Nope Its at my main college

 

I would agree with you IF I had done something wrong in APA. I have the manual and re-read the specific parts yesterday when I got my feedback. See above as I was correct in my APA format just not in her person preference.

 

Also, following 100% APA style can be a bear! There are so many little details and an exact procedure for everything you do. I really dislike a number of the the aspects of APA style because it sometimes cramps my writing style. And let me tell you, NCU rakes you over the coals on every little detail of APA.

 

I'd let it go but make a note for future papers. If you make a stink, you won't get those 5 points back anyways and it's likely you'll lose more then you would have normally in the future.

 

I see what you mean. You have got to decide if it's a battle worth fighting. Some battles are not worth it and it's better just to move on. Only you can decide that for yourself. Sorry for your frustration! I know how you feel.

 

I would let it go. If she is petty enough to do that to you, then if you press the issue there is no telling what she would do then. The good thing about the summer is that it’s short!

 

Thankfully this class is over on Saturday so I will not have to write anymore papers for her. I am waiting on a reply from my previous email and in both of them I have been super nice and basically making it out like I just want to make sure I know what the heck in doing in APA hoping she will see she is wrong...

 

Or, you could find out where she lives and bomb her house. That's always a good option.

 

LMAO! That is always a backup....lol

 

I think when they say APA style- they mean APA style. Psychology is one of those subjects where APA style is going to be in every paper.
As to her preference, well, I don't know the style well enough to know if there is an absolute rule. You should check. IF there is an absolute rule, the rule trumps her preference and yours.

If there is no such rule, you could ask her how to handle it in the future for papers she will be grading. I know in the past, I have quoted something with a spelling error, and in that case, you include [sic] to show that you are intentionally misspelling the word. Perhaps you could ask her if there is a similar notation you should use?

Lastly, wayyy back when, I got great advice here for APA software. It's on your computer and you use your regular word processor, but then you run the program and it formats/hits your document into proper style. I don't recall the price, but not more than $50.

For what it's worth, I just finished a class and ended up with 90.25% but my teacher came up with 89.4% Now, in this class, that was the difference between an A and a B. (I've been a community college teacher for 17 years- I felt strongly that she calculated my grade incorrectly- I'm pretty good at it lol) She emailed me back telling me I was wrong, and why. We went back and forth for 5 (!) emails. Then, still convinced she was wrong, I sent her a final email today telling her that I'd go over her head if necessary. I got a phone call from her today, and she gave me the A. Now- I didn't get a bump or ask for a favor, I was pointing out her error- and I think there's a difference. So, my point to you is, if you are right- then FIGHT for it. It may take more than 1 email to get her to understand. Now, if you are not right, just suck it up. My 2 cents!

 

I would say, “I respectfully request you reinstate the points lost due to your personal preference. I was following the APA standards and was not aware of your preference on these citations superseded APA” I tend to get a little more nasty about these things and hold my ground. I guess you have to pick your battles.

 

I agree with Randell. It's not like you have any more assignments due for her that she can deduct more points as retribution.

I would be clear with her specifically and ask directly "how many points did I lose due to using both phrases in a direct quotation?" If the answer is anything more than zero I'd press the issue.

Of course, if the 2-3 points doesn't impact your final grade any (and I mean ANY...big difference between B+ and A-) then I'd drop it.