<p>I was curious to know how competitive within the classrooms, and how deep does the professor go in terms of course breadth in the sciences? </p>
<p>For instance, I believe the Biochemistry major is what I am interested in. Would maintaining a high GPA (3.75+) at Rice with a Biochem major require you to give up other social aspects of the college?</p>
<p>Also, can someone comment about the grade inflation/deflation? Being as a Biochem major, would some classes be capped for 'A's? Like, if a professor caps out his grade distribution by 15% A's, 45% B's, etc. For instance, if you have a 94, (but somehow in the top 20%, not 15%), you would not get the 'A'?</p>
<p>okay. to be fair, I’m not a Biochem major, but I’m premed, which has a lot of crossover with Bioc.</p>
<p>I’ll leave it to someone else to answer the more grade-specific questions but I think part of what you’re asking has to do with the general attitude on campus regarding academics, grades, competitiveness, etc. I’ve found that overall, Rice students seem to be extremely well-balanced in terms of maintaining high academic standards in addition to a healthy life outside of academics. Something that helps is that everyone is similarly “into” their coursework, so you don’t feel weird for spending Friday nights here and there studying. Around midterms and finals everyone is similarly stressed so it’s not like you will be some sort of outcast or something. Also, the residential college system helps A LOT. It’s easy to form study groups and find tutors because among the 300+ people in your college, there will certainly be many people in your same major. The college system definitely fosters a sense of cooperation that’s incredibly helpful when you want to study with a group/partner, or just keep your friends on their toes in terms of keeping up with coursework. </p>
<p>In general, your ability to balance school/social life is pretty dependent on how you choose to manage your time. I know many Biocs who are really well-integrated into the college community. However, there are likely some (who I don’t know) who choose to spend more time studying. It’s really up to you and what you feel like your priorities are. People will never ostracize you for studying or being committed to your major. Unlike high school, being passionate about/dedicated to something really makes you well-respected, not a “nerd.”</p>