Many new international students are surprised at the large number of graded assignments their professors give throughout the semester. In your previous school your entire grade may have been determined by one final exam. That will probably not be the case in any of your Ohio State courses—expect to have weekly readings, writing assignments, quizzes, class presentations, and other assessments. You can expect to be very busy, but the advantage is that you will have a good idea of how you are doing in the class all throughout the term, even before the final exam or paper.
As a rule of thumb, every assignment counts—even what your professor calls a “quiz” could account for a significant portion of your overall grade. For this reason it is important not to fall behind on your work or skip class, as there could be a graded assignment you’d miss.
You may be given types of assignments with names you’re not familiar with—you may wonder, “what exactly is a ‘reflection paper’?” “What is the difference between a quiz, a test, and an exam?” Whenever you’re uncertain of what an instructor expects of you, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.
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