[Extra Point]

[quote author=Extra Point link=topic=14656.msg157497#msg157497 date=1456788482]
[quote author=fullmetal link=topic=14656.msg157494#msg157494 date=1456787955]
There's a bit of sink-or-swim at Stanford too.  Neither school is for the faint of heart or weak of will.

Have you ever been in a class where half of the students flunked? I have!
[/quote]

Sounds like a very poor instructor to me, either in his/her teaching method, establishment of prereqs or both.
[/quote]

The classes are called "weed outs" and they are common at state institutions where they admit pretty much everyone. Doesn't matter who teaches these classes or who enrolls in them. The grading curves are designed to reduce the student body to the number they intend to graduate. Weed outs are generally required during the sophomore and junior year. They don't want to flunk students until they've had a chance to get donations out of their parents.

[Extra Point]

[quote author=Extra Point link=topic=14656.msg157497#msg157497 date=1456788482]
[quote author=fullmetal link=topic=14656.msg157494#msg157494 date=1456787955]
There's a bit of sink-or-swim at Stanford too.  Neither school is for the faint of heart or weak of will.

Have you ever been in a class where half of the students flunked? I have!
[/quote]

Sounds like a very poor instructor to me, either in his/her teaching method, establishment of prereqs or both.
[/quote]

The classes are called "weed outs" and they are common at state institutions where they admit pretty much everyone. Doesn't matter who teaches these classes or who enrolls in them. The grading curves are designed to reduce the student body to the number they intend to graduate. Weed outs are generally required during the sophomore and junior year. They don't want to flunk students until they've had a chance to get donations out of their parents.