<p>What constitutes an easy and hard class?
If the class is easy, the curve between an A and C would be relatively small, making the class difficult to get an A in.
While a hard class, is well difficult to get an A because of the content being taught.
When do they stop curving? This doesn’t make much sense!</p>
<p>not sure if I really understand your question. in my college, humanities and arts classes are rarely curved, so what distinguishes easy vs hard in those subjecs is probably the professor; an easy english prof might give an A on a paper that would get a B- from a more demanding prof</p>
<p>in sciences, I’d say difficulty depends on both content and curving. My principles of bio (general bio) class freshmen year was curved so half the class got C+ or less, and a third of the class didn’t qualify to continue with bio after that - a weedout class for sci majors. My pchem class I just took was much harder content-wise, but curved so half the class got B’s or higher; pretty good. I would say the bio class was “harder” because I worked harder for a lower grade. The curve in Calc II was also a lot more generous than in Calc I, but i’d say II was still harder content wise</p>
<p>it’s also subjective because some people are better at certain subjects.
If the class is so easy that the average grade is around an B or so, then no curve would be necessary.</p>
<p>none of my classes first semester were curved at Clemson and I’m an engineer major</p>
<p>Personally, I rate the difficulty of the class by the amount of time and effort I have to put in (and since this is college, we will assume that none of it is busy work). If I have to work 15 hours a week to stay on top of the material and do my homework, it’s a hard class. 2 hours a week is an easy class. You get the idea. </p>
<p>All of my science classes (from freshmen intro to first-year PhD level) have been curved in some way because the percentages barely ever make sense to be converted into letter grades the standard way.</p>
<p>I don’t see a need for a “curve” in an easy class. A class should only be curved if it is exceptionally difficult to earn ninety or higher on the exams (e.g. the highest grade on the second midterm was a 57 out of 100).</p>
<p>You’d be surprised to see how many “easy” classes are curved. My Communications 101 (yes, 101!) course was ALWAYS curved. The averages were always in the mid-high C range, and all the tests were multiple choice (based on notes HE gave us as well as the text book) and we only had to write two 2-paged, five paragraph papers. But it was also a large class of over 400 hundred students.</p>
<p>Generally, harder classes get curves (i.e. the engineering courses) as well as larger classes. But rarely ever for small and/or easy courses. But that’s just my personal observation-it probably isn’t true for all cases.</p>
<p>
I have had quite the opposite experience. All of my small classes (upper-level classes in my major or minor) have been curved because the averages were so low. The exams in these classes tend to test how well we can apply the concepts we learned in class to new problems (not problems we have already seen with different numbers). They are meant to be challenging and sometimes 70% is quite an accomplishment.</p>
<p>It’s interesting how much grading and exam practices vary between departments and colleges.</p>
<p>But they were upper-level courses, right? I said larger and/or harder classes. An upper-level course has the tendency to be smaller, but upper-level courses are typically harder, hence why they get curves. But generally, a small, easy course like Spanish 101 isn’t typically going to get a curve, <em>unless</em> it is a large class.</p>
<p>I concur if you meant small AND easy. I read your initial post as small OR easy.</p>
<p>Re #6</p>
<p>Point taken. “Easy” classes can be associated with surprisingly low average GPAs when too many students dismiss it as not worth their time.</p>
<p>Curving can go both ways (sometimes in the form of bonus points, sometimes in the form of making an 85% a C+). In my accounting classes, it is required for the average GPA to be between 2.3-2.7, so they are hard classes and the classes curve the wrong way.</p>