<p>I don’t think weeder classes are deliberately constructed to weed out students. A class need not be designed as a weeder to have that effect. My brother-in-law teaches freshman chemistry at a university where many of his students want to go into the pharmacy program. It’s hard to be lenient to students when asking, “would I want this person to be dispensing medicine to my children?” Providing honest feedback to students early on is in the students’ best interest. They are either able to prove their interest and aptitude in the area they wish to major or to find a different major more to their liking before they get too far along.</p>