Quiz: How this whole “don’t turn in a quiz” thing works to my favor!
So, on the first day of class, when I explained to you the whole “quizzes are optional” thing, I may have confused you. For
sure, it’s an alien idea; however, I want you to understand why1 I do this!
Let’s recap how I calculate your grade in my classes. It’s actually pretty straightforward: you add up all the point you’ve
earned, and then divide that by the total amount of available points. Here’s an example (we’ll keep it simple for now): Suppose
you’ve taken 5 quizzes (each worth 10 points) and scored 7, 9, 10, 10, and 8 on them. What would your grade be?
your points
7 + 9 + 10 + 10 + 8
44
possible points = 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 = 50 = 88%
There you go! Now you try some!
1. (2 points) Suppose you’re working on a sixth 10 – point quiz. You have NO idea if you’re doing it correctly. As best as
you can figure, you might get a score of 1 on it. What would your course average be in this case (using the five scores
from above and the new score of “1”)?
2. (2 points) Ouch! Now, what would your average be if you had just not turned in that quiz at all? Hint: it’s sort of a
trick questions, I guess. Well, “tricky” in that it’s already been answered on this quiz. 
Now let’s suppose that you did, indeed turn in that quiz #6. And you did, indeed, get a “1” on it. I have these little things
called “Rainy Day Coupons” that allow you do – overs on certain assessments. For quizzes, they allow you to take your lowest quiz
score and redo do it so that it’s a perfect 10 (we’ll talk more about hos this works later in the term!).
3. (2 points) Now suppose you have 6 quizzes (the 5 scores mentioned above, plus the perfect 10 that you’ve earned by
doing the Rainy Day Coupon). What’s your average now?
Another thing that sometimes bothers students is, early in the term, if they don’t do so great on one of the first few
quizzes. For example, suppose someone gets a 5 and a 7 on the first two quizzes they take.
4. (2 points) Assuming those are the only two components of this students’ grade, what’s their average based only on
those two quizzes?
5. (2 points) Yikes! Now, assume that these two quiz grades (the 5 and the 7) happen later in the term, after the student
has amassed a grand total of 223 out of 240 possible points (not counting that 5 and 7). Without the 5 and 7 on those
two quizzes, I get an average of about 93%. Recalculate their grade now with the 5 and 7 included!
Not so bad!
So you see, I try to design a grading system that allows you some choices to protect your
grade. Think of quizzes as Choose Your Own Adventure stories!
Things to remember!
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1
Grades can be somewhat volatile at first until the term gets going (as you saw in #4 and
#5 up there). Don’t worry!
The “Choose Your Own Adventure” label applies only to quizzes and warm-ups (although
almost no one chooses not to do the daily warm-ups). Make sure to do the projects and
exams!
You have to do 10 quizzes by the end of the term! That works out to an average of 1 per
week.
Yes, this one counts as one of those ten. 
Dedicated to Lisa Mathis. Also, get used to footnotes; I use them a lot.