<p>Based on my D’s 4 year experiences at UD my perspective would be that most courses at UD are rigorous and challenging. In the freshman year there are some large courses (usually tied to general ed requirements) but as one progresses in one’s major the courses become progressively smaller. At all colleges there are courses that are identified by students as being “easy”, but I think these are relatively few and far between at UD. I have visited the campus many times, including weekend days and some evenings. In the bookstore cafe and in many of the eateries I always observed students doing some type of schoolwork. My observations would lead me to believe that most students at UD are very serious about their studies. One of the main purposes of the “Commitment to Delawarians” is to try and advise Delaware HS students about the rigor of courses at UD and make sure they are taking the appropriate level of HS courses to prepare them as best as possible to be able to succeed at UD. There are a number of very smart Delaware students at UD. I don’t believe that UD tones down its courses because of possible academic deficiencies in any sub-population. As far as what is expected by UD of its students; I feel UD expects its students to act as the young adults they are and behave both academically and socially in a responsible manner (granted some are more mature than others) but this is not HS. You should not have to require students to attend class (even though many professors do require this). Hopefully as parents we can instill the importance of getting as much as possible out of going to college and if they choose not to attend courses where they are not “required” to attend they really are just cheating themselves and wasting money. Unfortunately UD will have its share of students (a very small percentage) that can’t adapt and end up having to leave, but I doubt the percentage is higher than any other comparable high quality university. It was my experience that UD provides an excellent path for students to follow, but it is ultimately up to the students to “walk the walk”. Thankfully most of the students are able to do this. Just my perspective.</p>