I have noticed GPA calculation "bug" in our University, what should I do? University X offers course Y with Z credits. The course is mandatory, and very important. It lasts for more than one semester with heavy workload. The University awards Z credits for the course Y, but it only includes Z/2 credits in the GPA calculation. 

This is where the story gets a bit personal. I assume the University includes only Z/2 credits in GPA calculation because the majority of the students do very bad in this course. But, that is not the case for me. If I have the Z amount of credits calculated for my GPA, it is increased for 0,3, which I believe can make the difference at some point.

I asked the officials at the examination regulation department about this situation, they said: "that was the case from the day when the program you study was established". Not convinced at all.

What should I do? Should I complain somewhere, should I ask for a specific GPA calculation for myself. In the end of the day it should be in the interest of the University to have students with good GPAs, hence I believe they do all this calculation "trick". And I believe I would not be asking for something "illegal".

What is the clever thing to do when one finds such regulations in own University which can be used on one's own good?!?



In case of need GPA calculation is done as follows:

(sum over all (number of credits for the given course x grade)) / number of credits used in calculation

example:

((course with 4 credits x grade) + (course with 6 credits x grade) + (course with 12 credits x grade)) / 22 (4 + 6 + 12 this case)

Note: From the comments it seems as my intention is to get in a battle of changing regulations at my University. That is not the case at all. I am just trying to find a nice way of using this situation on my benefit, by having some convincing discussions with the officials.

Additional Note: After digging through some documentation, I found an examinations regulations document which states clearly how the GPA is calculated, but does not give a reason for this type of calculation. I am also surprised to learn that minor subjects are not included in the GPA calculation. I also learned that the Final Thesis awards M credits, but in GPA calculations is weights ~2M credits. What bugs me at the moment is, why the University officials hide this information in all the other publicly available presentations. And their answers are not convincing to me.
What is the clever thing to do when one finds such regulations in own University which can be used on one's own good?!?


I'm so glad you asked.  The clever thing would be to realize that the best way to raise your GPA is to do excellent work in all your courses.  Aside from being the optimal strategy GPA-wise, this has the fringe benefit that it is the only strategy with inherent rewards beyond the GPA game.

Look, I don't know where you're enrolled, but your university has taken a step down a dark road by playing with weighting GPA's differently than the number of credits or course hours (which is the weighting which corresponds to the actual instructional time and, ideally, to the workload of the course).  You're contemplating a further step down this dark road by trying to play games with their game.  It is up to them how they compute the GPA.  I disapprove of their strange weighting system, but do you know what's even worse than a globally enforced strange weighting system?  A student who asks for "a specific GPA calculation for myself".

Just rise above.  See if you can recapture the quaint idea that your goal is to learn the course material rather than attain a certain number at the end.  Or, if you feel that the world has moved on and that number that you get at the end is too important to your future to so naively dismiss, then respond by GETTING BETTER GRADES.  Merciful Minerva, we live in strange days.