<p>Oh man, you guys scare me :P. It is a lot of busy work like highschool or is it actual learning thats tough?</p>
<p>cant wait for the new semester, gonna work my tail off. Fresh start. i Love it.</p>
<p>Not all schools have the same grading policies and workload. It varies from school to school and from class to class and prof to prof...and from year to year. Some schools are wicked tough the first year to get you in the groove of taking college seriously...others believe its better not to overwhelm kids and to ease into it....and some are really tough to get into but more like a country club once you get there.....there is no real consistency on what kids experience. Being "challenged" itself is subjective because some kids are thoroughly challenged with the material itself and even if the prof is a dud or boring, the material is so exciting it lights up their fire. Other kids need a lot of excitment in class and need a high energy prof. Some kids like writing papers and exams are just a chance to show what they know, for other kids its a stress factor. </p>
<p>Some schools say that great work deserves an A and others say that only exceptional work....brilliant work deserves an A. </p>
<p>So, its important to keep it all in perspective and as relative to the school you are at as possible. If your friends come home with a handful of C's from a school known for grade deflation (and there are a bunch of them) it doesnt mean they are stupid or lazy or did poor quality work. Conversely, coming home with a 4.0 from a school that is known for grade inflation (and there are plenty of them, including some Ivy League schools...but not all of them) does not mean that kid is more brilliant than every one else at their school, or even you. Just as an SAT score is a blunt instrument and not necessarily an indicator of superior intelligence....its a skillset really. </p>
<p>The point I was making is that Fordham is an academic school and you will write a lot of papers, particularly during the core requirement years. Many profs at Fordham are tough graders and definitely use the C+ curve.</p>
<p>Thus, if you have friends with 4.0 gpas at schools with grade inflation, you smile and congratulate them, but don't get down on yourself. Fordham does have grade deflation, though it varies from class to class.</p>
<p>The thing is, you dont want to be a senior with a gpa below 2.5. That will make it difficult to find a decent job. Not everyone can be Phi Beta Kappa 3.7 gpa and up. You do your best and look in the mirror and be honest. </p>
<p>As for learning experiences, that depends a lot on the individual. If you have a passion for learning then it will generally always be that way. Some kids are more extroverted and people oriented. Book learning is often not their favorite activity. If you are a good student and participate in class, generally your professors will respond to you and your experience will be enhanced immensely. Though that is not necessarily going to equate into a higher grade. Some kids are quiet like church mice but can write papers like no tomorrow and write exams with perfection. That is just the way it is.</p>
<p>So don't be scared, Hyun. But come prepared to work and that in some classes you will have to really work hard to get that A. And know that for some professors who expect perfection, the standard is almost unreachable...so you do your level best and be content with what you learned and knowing you worked really hard. My best teachers and professors throughout my life have also been the toughest graders. So no, its not "busy work". Its real work.</p>