<p>So...what's up with Berkeley and its students? Is one of the downsides of Berkeley the rumor/fact that its students are such grade whores? And if so, how bad exactly is it?</p>
<p>Depends on the majors and colleges; the humanities majors for the most part are rather lenient, whereas the engineering students, or at least some I know, will be totally obsessed to get the absolute best grades possible, and the competition is very intense (a girl on my floor considered transferring out of the College of Chemistry after she got a 86% on her first Chem midterm, whereas another friend got a 56% on the same midterm, but is still sticking with it). In a lot of introductory/mid-level science classes such as Physics (7A), it will be incredibly difficult with a class quota of As set at 20%, yet when over 25% of the students get As on the midterm, it turns into attrition. See what I mean here: <a href="http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/%7Ephy7a/exams/MT1_Lec2Stat.pdf%5B/url%5D">http://ist-socrates.berkeley.edu/~phy7a/exams/MT1_Lec2Stat.pdf</a></p>
<p>All majors have grade whores, incluiding the humanities.</p>
<p>Well Strykur, I'm not sure if that's entirely accurate. I think some students, like pre-med and pre-haas, are indeed trying to get the best grade possible. But as for engineering students, I think many are just trying to get sufficient grades so they don't flunk out.</p>
<p>But yeah, I would say every major has its share of grade whores, and in fact every university has its share of grade whores. I don't think it's true that Berkeley students as a whole tend to be grade whores.</p>
<p>wouldn't you want the best grade possible? i don't see what's wrong with trying to get a good grade. why would you care as long as those "grade whores" don't sabotage your lab/work in hopes of bringing down the curve?</p>
<p>I was in that physics class that had that curve, and the problem is not that people are trying to get good grades, its that the university has a policy of limiting the number of A's it gets out, consequently, people who fully understand the material but make little errors like not showing units in work, get bad grades. In that class, I have heard that an A is 98% or above. Thats basically perfect. I think anyone who got above 75% on that test fully understand the material, but those people will end up getting D's and F's.</p>
<p>Expect the next exam to be very difficult. The final curve will be done by the total points, and the cutoff for an A in the 7 series usually ends up around 80% overall (after the final exam).</p>
<p>what professor is that? Or is it not really the prof, but the whole department?</p>
<p>I got screwed over by this girl who promised to share notes (THAT I ALSO TOOK), she lied that she didn't have the notes over the phone. I went over to Moffitt and saw her studying at those notes.</p>
<p>There's more to this story than that. But I don't want to elaborate.</p>
<p>That's why I don't share notes. I attend every class and take my own notes.</p>
<p>this was zettle for 7a.</p>
<p>Actually, it wasn't really notes. I only said notes to make the story simpler.</p>
<p>I don't share anything academics-related with other students precisely for that reason...how's that? :)</p>
<p>It involved a promise, a lie, and getting caught red handed lying. That's what got it. Just tell me straight up in the first place, but instead she decided to smooth talk a lie and I happened to find out about it. I confronted her and she acted all innocent and dumb.</p>
<p>Smack that bag-of-ho silly.</p>
<p>
[QUOTE]
I got screwed over by this girl who promised to share notes (THAT I ALSO TOOK), she lied that she didn't have the notes over the phone. I went over to Moffitt and saw her studying at those notes.</p>
<p>There's more to this story than that. But I don't want to elaborate.
[/QUOTE]
</p>
<p>I didn't think Cal students could be so selfish. I guess it comes with the competition. The things one is willing to do to get the best grades possible. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>
[quote]
I didn't think Cal students could be so selfish. I guess it comes with the competition. The things one is willing to do to get the best grades possible.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Yeah, like at other schools, Cal students are indeed people. Generally, this bothers me, but like most people, sometimes they're tolerable. :)</p>
<p>You just got to find the right person...</p>
<p>The laptop which I use to take notes crashed so I asked someone who seemed friendly to send them to me...and he did, the entire semester's worth.</p>
<p>i find the term "grade whore" to be paradoxical for a college student. why would you want to get lower grades? and what's so selfish about wanting good grades? just because one person gets better grades than you because he or she studied, he/she's selfish? </p>
<p>i guess aiming for a top med/grad/law/business school is also selfish... in an ideal world, intelligent/diligent students should yield to others by getting low grades once in a while, thus allowing every student a fair chance to get As</p>
<p>I don't mind grade whores; it's only when they reach the point that they have to screw over other people to achieve what they need to.</p>