In high school, teachers often assign numerous assignments with which they can track a student's progress throughout the semester or school year. These assignments include tests, quizzes, essays, papers, in-class essays, readings, extra credit assignments and regular homework assignments. Participation is also calculated in the grade. Each semester ends with a final assignment, project or exam. With this many assignments, a student can easily improve throughout the semester. For example, when two low grades are calculated with seven high grades, the student's average will be fairly high, despite having failed two assignments.
The difference between high school and college in terms of progress is that while in high school, students can improve their grades due to the high amount of assignments, in college, students are responsible for the grades they get. In college, assignments are sparse throughout a semester, and usually include just a midterm exam and a final exam. There may be a paper along the way or an additional assignment. Students are responsible for keeping up with readings and doing well on cumulative exams. The problem is that a bad grade on one of these exams leaves no room for the student to improve.
While in high school, a student's grades are monitored by teachers, guidance counselors and parents. Report cards are either sent directly to the parent or require a parental signature. In college, students are the ones who receive their grades, and they are not required to show them to anyone else. Their progress in a program may be monitored by a dean or guidance counselor, but usually just during freshman year. In high school, students are told constantly about the assignments that are due and what is expected of them grade-wise, but in college, these expectations become solely their own. They themselves know what grades they need to achieve in order to succeed.
How well students do in high school is significant because grades are the most important factor taken into consideration when applying to college. Colleges usually give preference to students with higher high school grades since this shows their ability to study hard and to succeed at the collegiate level. In college, grades are important as well in order to successfully complete a degree, graduate, go on to graduate school and start a chosen carer. Although college grades lose their importance after the student graduates, they may be considered during a job interview as a prediction of how this person will perform this job.
Depending on the high school, different grading systems may be used. Some high schools use the 1 to 100 scale for assignments, and the A through F scale for final grades and papers. Some use both scales; some use one or the other. "A" is the best grade, while "F" is a failing grade. High schools also use minuses and pluses added to grades. Grades are calculated using a 4.0 scale to find the grade point average, known as the GPA, with "A" being equal to 4.0. In college, the A through F scale is used and the GPA is also calculated using a 4.0 scale. There is no "A+" grade, or "D-" grade.