The registrar requires that I invent midterm grades for COS 109, as a kind of guess about your final grade if you continue on your present trajectory. These can serve as an early warning for people who may be having trouble.

I've tried to do this objectively, by extrapolating your problem set grades to the 20% they account for, the lab grades to the 20% they account for, and the midterm from 20% to 60% on the theory that the final is much like the midterm. This has been converted into a letter grade. I have also added some corrections: if your midterm grade is less than 40 out of 90, that's an ominous sign, and I'm reporting a D even if your other work is good. And if you have failed to turn in some labs or problem sets, I have reported an F, since that's what you'll get if significant amounts of required work have not been completed. I have also adjusted grades downward in cases where class attendance is infrequent. A significant amount of course material is discussed only in class, so people who cut often are more likely to miss out and thus have trouble on the final.

The midterm grade is a guess, not a guarantee. Don't read much into differences between A and A- or the various flavors of B, since your work between now and the end of the semester can definitely move these upward or downward. If you just had a bad day for the midterm and understand where you went wrong, don't worry too much but keep alert. You ought to be concerned about C, however, and truly concerned about D or F. The sense of those grades is that you're not in command of the material.

I would be happy to talk to you about anything any time, especially if I can help you to figure out something confusing or get past some difficulty.

Brian