Ratings are everywhere, but do we really know what they mean? What’s the difference between 4 stars and 4.5 stars, 3.6 and 3.7?
I wanted to take this moment to share more about ratings on Collecting EXP and go over what they mean.
I added ratings to share an overall perspective on how much I would recommend an experience. When I rate experiences, I try and think about similar experiences in that category and rate appropriately. So for instance, RAW (a restaurant) is rated against Addiction Aquatic Development (another restaurant), but not so much against Taipei 101.
The ratings should consequently read as a top recommendation list for the area in question.
Ratings should only appear on posts where there’s a particular place that I’m reviewing. For more broad posts like my one about Jiufen, the review is encompassing of everything I wrote about on the page, as opposed to any one restaurant, shop, or exhibit.
As for individual stars…
- 5 Stars = This is an indication that the place wowed me. These are the cream of the crop and places that I would wholly recommend to most friends and family.
- 4.5 to 5 Stars = These locations are amazing. I would look into adding these into your trip itinerary even if you’re slightly interested them.
- 4 to 4.5 Stars = I totally wouldn’t mind going back to these places in the future. They are solid for what they’re known for.
- 3.5 to 4 Stars = Fun places that you should check out if you’re nearby. You don’t need to go if you have very limited time.
- 3 to 3.5 Stars = Neat places but nothing mind-blowing here to see or do. If you’re within walking distance, feel free to drop by.
- 2-3 Stars = Take it or leave it. The experience probably isn’t going to add much to your life.
- 1-2 Stars = This place is most likely overhyped and underwhelming. Feel free to skip it.
- 0-1 Star = I doubt that I would rate anything this low, but if I do, you probably would want to read the post as a strong warning to stay away.
Just for fun, here are the top rated locations by post on Collecting EXP: