Is this the appropriate forum for mentioning that my son just achieved a 4.0 during his final semester, bringing his total GPA over four years for his Simultaneous Baccalaureate in Spanish (with a minor in translation) and Philosophy to 3.5?
I considered IMHO, but then, it isn’t opinion, it’s fact. He rocks! In two languages, so far. Of course he is going to Beijing in a few months to begin his post graduate studies, in East Asian Studies, and teach English as a second language, so he will be essentially trilingual after that.
I could have tried ATMB, because he is a poster here, but he doesn’t like me mentioning him by handle. Too bad. No point in bringing it up in GD, ‘cause who could possibly debate it, the boy is become a man, and done it well! An “A” average, two degrees, and, by the way, before China, he is invited back to the Univ. of Salamanca for annother semester abroad (his third). What’s to debate? He defines “to rock.”
Did I mention that he is a kind and decent man, gentle and given to wry wit, and a keen sense of the ridiculous? Should I bring up the fact that he accomplished the above educational excellence on his own? I didn’t send him, he went. This accomplishment is all his. I just get to gloat.
Tris
Hot Damn!
Absofreakinglutely. We need more good news in the world and this is fabulous news. You have a right to be proud, and let me congratulate you on having such outstanding offspring.
I’m impressed. It’s all I can do to be intelligible in ONE language, much less multiple ones. And Philosophy is no slouch major, either.
I only get credit for the genes, and only half of those.
Ah, what the hell, Yeah! Boy don’t I parent, down where it counts.
All this, and he has no outstanding wants or warrents!
Tris.
Way to go TriskaKid. And Trisk, ya done good. They don’t accomplish so much unless they have the right motivations.
Jim
WTG, Triskadecamus & Son!!
Thanks, Rufus, and Jim!
And thanks for the excuse to elevate this thread back to the visible pages!
Tris
You should have put it in “Comments on Cecil’s Columns” because obviously, TrisKid is brilliant. He must be Cecil!
Seriously, Congrats! To both of y’all.
Does he need a haggard and wizzened old girlfriend by any chance???
Seriously, congrats to your boy, and to you Tris as well! You can gloat as much as you like, because you obviously had a big hand in his success.
(BTW, What IS the grading system in the US, and how does it work?)
Dayum. Where can I get me some of dem brains?
Yay!
I’m with kambuckta though - I’ve heard that 4.0 is very good, but what exactly does it mean?
Ah, my parochialism is showing.
Grades are given a numerical value, F (failing) = 0; D (unsatisfactory) = 1; C (average) = 2; B (superior) = 3; and A (superlative) = 4.
All the grades over a student‘s career are totaled and averaged, and the resultant figure is their Grade Point Average. (in some cases there are various statistical niggles reflected in the process to account for one hour courses versus five hour courses, but the intent remains the same)
That means my son, during the last quarter got the highest possible grade in all five of his classes, and the result raised his entire career average to three and a half, which rounds off to four, an A average for his entire college career. (I will mention that lots of people in the world do better than that, but I do not wish to hear anything further on that subject in this thread :))
So, basically, he done real good in college.
Tris
Congrats to your son. I’m sure people will be beating down the door to get him to work for them. 
The system at my Uni is a lot more complicated and we don’t get that juicy rounding off. 
<only if you’re interested>
First Class Honours = 80-100
Second Class Honours A = 75-59
Second Class Honours B = 70-74
Third Class Honours = 65-69
Pass = 60-64
</only if you’re interested>
Out of curiosity, are the grades given on a bell curve? Sorry about these questions, but I’ve always wondered.
There is not generally a fixed criterion for all grades. Individual professors grade by different schemes, and, of course, those who deviate from the norm in stringency by the most get a reputation fairly fast.
Now that you mention it, my son was pleasantly surprised this semester, because all his classes were fairly tough, and three of them were with professors with rather tough reputations. So, if I may point it out again, He rocks!
Tris
PS Thanks for the bump excuse, too!
Congratulations, Thirteen, but I fear that somewhere your son is thinking:
Dad :rolleyes:!!
at least on the outside. On the inside, he is probably thinking:
Woot! I got a perfect GPA!! Yeehaw! 
BTW, are you allowed to out him on his username? And which school?
That’s some quality parenting there, all right! Congratulations to both of you.
Congrats. He might find Chinese a slightly bigger challenge, but I’m sure he’ll get going in it pretty quickly.
I’m in Shanghai or I’d give you contact details. Sure he’ll be fine in Beijing though.
Wasn’t that cryptic?
There was another post there, I swear, where I said clever things about my son’s modesty, and all.
But then, what the heck, this gives me yet another bump.
Tris
Well, AFAIK, he has a great deal to be proud of for his own accomplishments – one of which was picking you for a father.
And I for one would like it very much if he’d “out” himself as your son – because it gives me pleasure when I can know whole families, rather than just individuals, of good people like yourself and him.
If he’s reading this (and I’ll bet he is!), I’d like to second Polycarp’s thought. Before this thread, Tris, I had no idea that you had any kin that were on the boards. (I haven’t been able to convince anyone I know - family or friends - to sign up here. Not even my wife, fercryinoutloud, and she reads plenty about you guys over my shoulder.)