UCR Class Difficulty....really that different?

<p>Hey guys, I finished my first year at UCR last year and I've just been enjoying my summer, and well catching up with old friends. What bugged me is, since they come from all the other UC campuses except Merced and Santa Cruz, they totally look down on my GPA. I slacked off in high school, and decided to change my ways. I looked at UCR as a new and last chance for success. As a result, I ended the year with a 3.966--but to them, it's still a joke. So, my question is: is the grading standard really THAT different from other UCs like Irvine, Santa Barbara, David, etc. ? Is the material really that different? I mean they're all UCs so their should be similarities, right? [I understand if it's different for the top tier ones like Berkley, SD, and LA].</p>

<p>Also, on a side note. What does GPA Variance mean? I saw it on the unofficial transcript, and I've been wondering.</p>

<p>The first year totally changed my view on the school though. I came in all depressed and such, but it's been a good experience.</p>

<p>so they think ucr must be hella easy?
they’re really insinuating that you’re stupid, which is kind of messed up.
UCR is a great school, its a UC school, U.S. News and World Report called UCR one of the top ten “up and coming” schools in America, a lot of business students choose it over all the other UCs except Berkeley cause its one of only three UCs with good business programs, and has a better business program than irvine, and yeah, its a really good school. the uc rejects rep is way outdated, its just stuck with so many people cause they assume all the other ucs are better. stupid.</p>

<p>It’s not that the classes are harder or the professors are different, it’s that the people that make up the classes mostly determine the grading curves. Since a large proportion of UCR’s students are obviously sub-par compared to those in higher tier UC schools, the grading curve will be lower, making it easier for certain students to achieve higher grades…</p>

<p>This is mostly in the general ed and introductory classes, once you get into higher lvl ones the students too immature to take academics seriously are usually weeded out.</p>

<p>It might also depend on your major - This might be somewhat biased but I definitely consider CHASS classes to be really easy compared to CNAS ones</p>

<p>Depends on your major. I don’t take high GPA’s from CHASS majors seriously, but that GPA in an engineering or science major would be outstanding.</p>

<p>Whiteclock - Well said in regards to the immature people students getting weeded out. I had that experience, I always got a bunch of “not so smart” people in the lower division courses, but as I progressed into the upper division courses, Many did not follow.</p>

<p>ahuynh91 - Don’t feel bad about your friends being a-holes about your GPA, you’ve made an improvement and changed your ways. Although it may be true that it’s easier to be ahead of the “curve” in a class filled with less academically serious students. An A is an A. One day you’re come into the “real world” and realize that your colleagues are from all walks of life, whether they graduated from Berkley or a small college in Louisiana. At some point we all have to stop being attached to where our education was from.</p>

<p>Can you imagine a 32 year old demanding for a raise over his co-workers because he graduated from UCLA and the other guy was an UCR alumni, etc? That was what happened once at my work. In my department of 11 people, we are diverse in terms of education, some are self taught computer geniuses, some of us are various UC graduates, others, unheard of colleges in other states. After the UCLA a-hole was laid-off during this economic downfall 3 years ago. My boss told us that he used his UCLA “status” 10 years after he graduated in hopes of getting a fatter raise over some of us. He didn’t get it because he was always effing up. Eventually one of his mistakes affected the CEO directly and cost him his job.</p>

<p>Sorry this was so long (and probably full of grammatical errors and whatnot). All I’m trying to say is, just because someone can read and follow a text book better than you doesn’t necessarily mean they will do better than you in life, all it means is that they are better at being a student. I’m sorry, but there’s more to life than being in school. Some people were never cut out for the corporate office world. I know a Johns Hopkin’s graduate that still doesn’t have a job (he graduated 7 years ago) you know what his problem is? he doesn’t have a resume because he’s never worked. When interviewer says “Do you have any questions for use” he says “Does this job pay six figures?” Book Smart does not always equal success.</p>

<p>@x8equalsDtilde: Yeah man, I’m getting really tired of that UC rejects title. :/</p>

<p>@Whiteclock and arcadefire1027: I forgot to say I was a biology major, haha. I really took a beating from my courses last year and I’m ready for an even more intense session now.</p>

<p>@sapipa177: THANK YOU! That was a lot of encouragement. I guess it really is about personality, work perspectives, and practical ability too.</p>

<p>Thank you guys for your responses :)</p>