Grading System

It is worth mentioning the Grading system inside IIT, since it drives the title of the book. It is a little complicated at first, but once you get the hang of it (which you have to, if you are in there), it is fairly straightforward

Credits
Every course, depending on the workload, is assigned a certain number of credits, typically between 3 to 6. In order to get an engineering degree you have to earn 190 credits in four years. Each semeseter you may have around 20-30 credits. You only earn credits if you pass the course, i.e. get a D or better grade.

Grades
For each course, you get a grade from A to F. Each letter represents points, that is 10 points for A, 8 for B, 6 for C, 4 for D, 2 for E and 0 for F.

Next step is to get a GPA, or grade point average – the overall indicator of your performance (or as for the people in the book – underperformance!) in the institute.
This is done by taking the sum of the points for each course, multiplied by the credits in the course, and dividing by the total number of credits. Or a credit-weighted average. (OK, a bit nerdy, but this is IIT ok!).

This is explained by ‘calculating your GPA’ example below for the first semester gradesheet.

 

Calculating your GPA – example

Ryan’s first semester grades are a sample for us.

Course Code	Name	Credits	Grade	Points	Points*Credits
CS110	Computer Sc.	4	D	4	16
CY110	Chemistry	5	D	4	20
EA110	English	5	C	6	30
GS110	Graphic Science	4	D	4	16
MA110	Mathematics	5	C	6	30
PH110	Physics	5	C	6	30
	Total	28			142

Thus, Ryan GPA will tbe the weighted average = 142/28 = 5.07…and yes, that is low.
It would be easy to dismiss Ryan as just a five point something. See if you feel that way after reading the book!