<p>The only class I’ve taken where grade deflation was a problem was ECON 1. I will never stop being bitter about the midterm I got a 95% on that was worth a B+. Otherwise, most classes grade on a curve that’s fair and usually helps you rather than hurts you. </p>
<p>As for the competitiveness of students- my experience has been exactly the opposite. I’ve actually been impressed by how willing to collaborate students are. In a lot of classes, people will set up facebook groups or google docs to share notes and do the study guide for exams together, and among my friends, I’ve always had people willing to exchange notes, proofread papers, explain concepts I didn’t understand, and generally work to improve each other’s grade in the class, and I’ve been willing to do the same for them. I’m speaking from experience as a polisci major who has taken classes predominantly in the social sciences, so take that into account, but I’ve found that to be the case even in the computer engineering and biology classes I’ve taken.</p>