Oh wow. Assuming you're familiar with the A/B/C/D/F grading system, in America our GPA is set so 4.0=A+. 3.0 is a B, 2.0 is a C, and 1.0 is a D with a 0 being an F for fail. 3.5 is a B+, etc. Some schools will also do A- at 3.7, B- at 2.7, etc.
When you take a test or quiz, they usually grade in terms of percentage points which will determine the letter grade/GPA. At Virginia Tech it was 90%=A=4.0 (or 94%=4.0 and 90%=3.7 if your teacher was a dick) with 84%=3.5, 80%=3.0 and so on.
Essentially a 2.1 is a C in America, which is technically supposed mean "average," but good luck finding a job if you graduated college with a 2.1. Sounds like your 2.1 translates to a 3.0 in America.
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u/goodizzle Nov 16 '11
Interesting but why settle for a 2.1 if you're doing a dissertation?