WWYD? Should I challenge my grade?

[Jengerbread88]

I've had a few issues with a new professor at our school. A lot of students are having problems with her, but honestly, I'm starting to wonder if I need to challenge my grade in the class.

Here's what I see from my side:

-Toolbox: We had to put together what would be in a visual merchandising toolbox, which was a pretty easy task. We needed to price it out and explain it. I did a very simple 5 column layout: Item, Product features, Store purchased from, Price (including shipping), and customer rating. Now, mind you, when I have gone to purchase a large item, I make a spreadsheet like this to compare brands, and include customer ratings for my own reference.
I got 2 points counted off, but no notice as to why I had lost points. Mind you, 2 points is minor. But when I asked about it, she told me I got counted off "for having a customer rating column." Um. You counted me off for an extra column? Really? Seriously? She said "It looked cluttered." Now, keep in mind... this column was about one inch wide. It wasn't even that wide, actually.
I'm also frustrated because when I asked her about it, and asked why I lost two points, she looked at it and said "Umm... (pause for 15 seconds), I think it was because of this column here." If she would have known, it would make sense. But her pause made me think she counted me off without even being certain of WHY she counted me off.

But I quickly got over it, whatever... it's 2 points.

-Hallmark Write Up: We visited the Hallmark headquarters and had to write a 2 page paper. I got a 72%. This would be a "C" grade. I would understand if I were counted off on content, or even serious grammatic or spelling errors. However, I was counted off because she would have divided my paper into different paragraphs than I did.
That was literally the ONLY thing she counted me off for. Because we had different opinions on how to divide my paragraphs, I got a C on a paper. Is it just me, or is that starting to get nit-picky?

But, I let that one slide, too. Despite the fact that I used to be an English major and I know how to write, and despite the fact that I met all of the content requirements, I just... let it go.

-Midterm exam: First, you need a little background on this. I am a very fast typist. That's not tooting my own horn; I have just practiced typing a lot, and can keep up very well with notes in class. When I type notes, I type everything on the slideshow word for word, and then fill in with whatever she happens to be saying out loud, so I get all of the main slideshow notes, PLUS any "extra" information she gives us. I also save my notes. She went over the descriptions of different stores, and defined "Big Box" versus "boutique" versus "Discount," etc. I still have all of these notes. Before the midterm, I studied them. And somehow, I lost points on the section of the midterm where we used these definitions. Um, how? Well, today, she decided to go over the parts of the midterm a lot of people lost points on.
Every definition she gave was drastically different from the original definition she gave before the midterm. In other words, she was counting me off for studying the information SHE gave me, because it wasn't the information she presented AFTER the midterm. What the heck?!


Should I let it slide and take the grade that I have? (It's a 92.6%, so still an A, but compared to my 100% and my 98.76%, it's a disappointing A). Or, should I go to my advisor and complain?

I feel like the expectations are a little bit ridiculous. How can we know something on the midterm isn't what you want, when it's the information you gave us? If I turn in a paper the next time and divide the paragraphs the way you changed the first paper, will I get graded off because it's still not how you want it? And heaven forbid I add a COLUMN to a spreadsheet.

I just need an outside opinion on this one. I've had a few people tell me "You have an A, so who cares?" and I have had others tell me "If you think the grading is unfair, if you think you deserve a higher grade, no matter how minor the points are, say something."

It does bother me because most of the time she gives you a grade, but no information about why you got that grade (unless you specifically ask). When you do ask, she isn't always sure why she graded you off.

I will say that I did get frustrated at first because high-quality products that would be an A to everyone other professor at this school, is B or C quality to her. However, it would be unfair to grade her based on what other professors would do. I would need to grade her on what she personally did.

Anyway, sorry for the long post. I just need some advice on what to do. :/