<p>I’m not sure if this is the right place to post this. </p>
<p>My brother and I have always been rather competitive. All of our lives we’ve gotten identical scores on standardized tests, our SATs, etc. We think differently, but I’m sure we’re on similar intellectual levels. </p>
<p>I love my brother, but he is a bit of a druggie. I know he is almost always on something when I talk to him. He’s a sophomore at UCSC and has maintained a 4.0. I am a senior at W.P. Carey (I went to ASU because I was supposed to marry someone there). I’ve gone through a lot of personal problems since starting here (notice I said WAS going to marry). I get mostly As with a few Bs and I’ve had 2 C+s. My lower division grades were almost entirely As.</p>
<p>Is it easier to get straight As at UCSC than at W.P. Carey? All I ever hear about is my brother’s straight As! I admit that I never study, but I still think my classes are more difficult than those my brother is taking.</p>
<p>where the hell is WP Carey located? sorry but im gona judge i’m sure UCSC is academically more difficult than WPC.
So you don’t study and you wonder why you dont get 4.0s. Hmm.</p>
<p>I’m sure all the personal stuff youve gone through probably has impacted you.</p>
<p>You’re comparing the combination of upper-division and lower-division grades with only lower-division grades as well as nearly four years of work to nearly two years of work. Unit load when these grades were earned should also be taken into account as well as non-academic commitments. Was the bare minimum taken? What about excess units? Which classes were graded on a subjective scale?</p>
<p>Like most schools, there are varying levels of instructors. Many of the lower-division classes at UCSC could be considered “easy” for the motivated student (just because your brother supposedly does drugs does not mean that his performance is impacted). However, I’ve experienced lower-division classes where the work load exceeded my upper-division classes.</p>
<p>This is for an upper-division class, but I currently have a class where if you get lower than 60% on one assignment or exam (even if you receive 100% on everything else), then you will fail the course. The class is considered to be one of the most difficult within its department and many do not pass it. Considering the class is only offered every other year, this prevents students from easily retaking it for grade replacement.</p>
<p>So no, As are not easy at UCSC as a rule. One could get lucky and find that rare instructor who offers significant amounts of extra credit or is simply an easy grader. There are several students on these boards who have admitted to seeking out those “easy instructors” so that they could maintain a high GPA.</p>
<p>To be honest, your post comes off as bitter and as if you are looking for some sort of justification for why your brother’s GPA is higher than yours. You claim to love your brother, but you’re willing to make an assumption that a research university (one that you would have learned about in at least your biology class because UCSC is responsible for the Human Genome project as well as having contracts with NASA) simply hands out As to its students. Add to this the personal problems you mentioned. Does it not seem logical to you that your personal problems had an impact on your performance? Or how about the fact that you also admit you never study?</p>
<p>If you truly want to be competitive with your brother at a college level, you need to compare similar classes and not a sophomore GPA with a senior GPA. Or better yet: don’t be competitive with him. You go to entirely different schools, take different classes, and have different life experiences. Deal with your own personal issues and stop trying to downplay play your brother’s success in an effort to boost your own sense of self-worth. Perhaps also put in more efficient study time. You might see an improvement if you put more effort into your school work.</p>
<p>I didn’t mean to insult the education at UCSC. I know it is a good school. I got into UCSC as well as other UCs. I am proud of my brother’s academic success. He brags constantly about his grades which just rubs me a little since I’m the one that has had to come home to take care of ill family members and I’ve had to work. He has had the luxury of traveling and partying. I won’t name the various drugs he does, but it’s safe to say he is not sober more than half (if not all) of the nights of the week. I don’t know how much he studies. He mentioned the other day that his dealer has a 4.0 which is what made me wonder about his grade comparisons. </p>
<p>I absolutely know that my personal problems have hurt my performance in school. I don’t just “claim” to love my brother, I love my brother very much. As jdong said, WPC is the business school at ASU. I know that UCSC is ranked slightly above ASU, but WPC has different requirements and is fairly well respected. Also, I was making an inquiry not an assumption. My brother is the one constantly comparing our grades and I simply wondered if he was comparing apples to apples.</p>
<p>In 2010 I suffered the loss of a very serious relationship which has impacted me not only emotionally, but financially as well. I took care of a an ill family member. I was hospitalized for my own medical problems. I have also had to work full time while taking full time upper division courses. I take more than the minimum course load and I’m going for a BS in Econ so it is not as if I’m not taking school seriously. I am just tired of hearing non stop about my brother’s 4.0 when he taking a smaller course load of lower division courses and has nothing else to worry about. I would prefer that we not talk about our grades, but he and my parents bring them up incessantly.</p>