How can i get a professor to change my final grade?

I recently took a class and received a poor grade. The class was based on 3 tests, and I performed well on 1 and 3, and extremely poorly on test 2. The reason I did so badly on 2 was that a friend of mine was in a very serious car accident shortly before the test, and as a result I spent the weekend before glued to the phone and, and during the test was emotionally distraught and unable to concentrate. However, I had not spoken to my professor about this before, and thought that if I spoke to him after, when I knew I did poorly, it would look like I was just making excuses for my performance.



I calculated the possible grades I could get based on the third test and knew I could end up with a B if I performed well. Luckily, my friend will be fine, and I studied hard for the next test and got a grade that should have landed me a B. Unfortunately, the professor changed the grading scale at the end of the class and I ended up with a B- instead. I was willing to accept a B, as I strongly believe in personal responsibility and feel I should have told my professor before the test or not at all, but this grade I am not willing to accept. However, I do not know how to email my professor without it sounding like I am making excuses, and I do not know what to ask for. Am I asking him to reconsider my grade, drop the second test, etc? Email is the only way, as I am abroad and he has gone back home. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.How can i get a professor to change my final grade?
If your final grade has already been reported (i.e. it's already officially on your transcript) you will probably have to go through a higher administrative office to get it changed. (At my school, you have to go through the Dean of Students and then an academic standing committee.) Your professor probably cannot ask to have the grade changed himself unless he made a mistake in grading. You should consult your school's student handbook to find out the specifics on how and whether grades can be changed.



That said, if your school is anything like mine, they will probably not grant your request because you did have the opportunity to discuss your situation with your professor beforehand and chose not to. My school only offers changes if there were extenuating circumstances that really made it impossible for you to work it out with your prof: i.e if you were unable to discuss it with your professor because of a bad relationship, confidentiality issues, or time constraints at the end of a term.



Glad your friend will be okay, and hope this works out for you. College is so bureaucratic sometimes.How can i get a professor to change my final grade?
Reality is, you made a choice. You CHOSE to wait by the phone and not study for test #2. Not saying it was a bad choice or the wrong choice, but it was your choice. You will take personal responsibility for your choice whether you want to or not - you may not be willing to *accept* your grade, but your prof will not change it.



If it's any consolation, telling him/her about your predicament would not have changed anything. Most universities have a VERY strict policy that only cases involving immediate family members would be considered- and even then, the prof would have had to give you a make-up test, or an entirely different test.



Think about it - what you're asking would be completely unfair to all the other students. You want special considerations that will help your grade that no one else got. You want special disposition. Regardless of the circumstances, it won't happen. It can't happen.



If you don't understand the logic, go ahead and email the prof if it makes you feel better. And when nothing happens, take solace in the fact that you are not going to be defined by one bad grade, nor does a grade reflect what you actually learned, and that when you had to choose between your grade and your friend, you chose your friend.