Another Cornell death this fall

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. My kid is a sophomore. It’s not faux outrage. My kid just left home this afternoon to go back.

I’m Worried given my kid is stressed about a class.

Median grade in a stem bio prelim was a 69. Just fyi. The median for some of the stem classes is just crazy. Has As in 2 Econ classes so it’s not that.

Yes engineering/STEM classes are brutal, always have been. I can recall (at a T10 school) having a calculus course (calc 4 so not freshman) where the average was 18% (yes you read that right). Top score on a midterm (30 students) was 36, someone else had a 32 and then it dropped to 25 and on the way down. I had a 31 and got an A in the course. But it was frustrating to attend class, study and do the work and sit in a midterm and literally have no clue what you were doing and wheterh you were goign to pass or fail. And I was "at the top of the class", so I have to imagine the stressors for those with 12/15% in the course felt like.

Are these holistic admits that don't understand simple scaling? Why does it matter what the score is if there's a curve? Does a 55 F feel better than a 12 F? Anyone failing a class probably shouldn't be at that school to begin with.

Umm...in the above example the 36 became the "100%" and the curve/grading went from there. the 18% ended up being a B or B- range. So sure you know it will be curved, but it's beyond frustrating to take exams where you have no clue how you did, despite being very prepared.
When the average is an 18%, that shows the prof either didn't teach the material or has created an exam that is not testing anything related to what was taught in the course.

The philosophy of some professors is to make the test extremely hard so that: 1) There is no perfect score; 2) They can see which kids actually understand the material and how they go about solving complex problems that have multiple methods; and 3) Make people earn their grades so that they know the material. There is a fourth thing, which is you can't expect a teacher to dumb down a class because a certain crop of kids aren't as smart as usual. And every once in a while there'll come along that kid(s) who will score that 90%+ and I'm sure the professor wants to identify him/her from the crowd.

Bottom line, suck it up and study. An A is an A. Each 1% gain in test score is extremely significant.

This is not real life. In the business world you collaborate to find solutions and nobody would accept anything less than 100% accuracy for say building a bridge or a high rise. You can test knowledge without having the average be a 18%. This was at a school of high performers (current top 10). People are smart and know how to critically think. But a random test over things that are not taught even remotely in the course is not the way to do that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just googled another high pressure school nearby, it looks like no nearly as common. Maybe weather is a big factor.

Anyone can google anything, that doesn’t make a random person’s internet search conclusive of anything in this situation. Stop it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. My kid is a sophomore. It’s not faux outrage. My kid just left home this afternoon to go back.

I’m Worried given my kid is stressed about a class.

Median grade in a stem bio prelim was a 69. Just fyi. The median for some of the stem classes is just crazy. Has As in 2 Econ classes so it’s not that.

Yes engineering/STEM classes are brutal, always have been. I can recall (at a T10 school) having a calculus course (calc 4 so not freshman) where the average was 18% (yes you read that right). Top score on a midterm (30 students) was 36, someone else had a 32 and then it dropped to 25 and on the way down. I had a 31 and got an A in the course. But it was frustrating to attend class, study and do the work and sit in a midterm and literally have no clue what you were doing and wheterh you were goign to pass or fail. And I was "at the top of the class", so I have to imagine the stressors for those with 12/15% in the course felt like.

Are these holistic admits that don't understand simple scaling? Why does it matter what the score is if there's a curve? Does a 55 F feel better than a 12 F? Anyone failing a class probably shouldn't be at that school to begin with.

Umm...in the above example the 36 became the "100%" and the curve/grading went from there. the 18% ended up being a B or B- range. So sure you know it will be curved, but it's beyond frustrating to take exams where you have no clue how you did, despite being very prepared.
When the average is an 18%, that shows the prof either didn't teach the material or has created an exam that is not testing anything related to what was taught in the course.

The philosophy of some professors is to make the test extremely hard so that: 1) There is no perfect score; 2) They can see which kids actually understand the material and how they go about solving complex problems that have multiple methods; and 3) Make people earn their grades so that they know the material. There is a fourth thing, which is you can't expect a teacher to dumb down a class because a certain crop of kids aren't as smart as usual. And every once in a while there'll come along that kid(s) who will score that 90%+ and I'm sure the professor wants to identify him/her from the crowd.

Bottom line, suck it up and study. An A is an A. Each 1% gain in test score is extremely significant.

This is not real life. In the business world you collaborate to find solutions and nobody would accept anything less than 100% accuracy for say building a bridge or a high rise. You can test knowledge without having the average be a 18%. This was at a school of high performers (current top 10). People are smart and know how to critically think. But a random test over things that are not taught even remotely in the course is not the way to do that.

School is not supposed to be real life. It's to prepare you for that. For the future projects you're saying, kids should be forced to earn their grade. Again a 90/100 and a 30/100 are not any different if the questions you got correct are the exact same. The latter case just reinforces that there's a lot more to be learned. It'd be a different story if you were complaining that nobody gets an A and the highest grade is a C.

If you're actually in that 1% of business and consulting projects that require actually difficult problem solving ability with an added time crunch, then I'm pretty sure companies want the employees that have the requisite mettle forged from rigorous courses.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m the OP. My kid is a sophomore. It’s not faux outrage. My kid just left home this afternoon to go back.

I’m Worried given my kid is stressed about a class.

Median grade in a stem bio prelim was a 69. Just fyi. The median for some of the stem classes is just crazy. Has As in 2 Econ classes so it’s not that.

Yes engineering/STEM classes are brutal, always have been. I can recall (at a T10 school) having a calculus course (calc 4 so not freshman) where the average was 18% (yes you read that right). Top score on a midterm (30 students) was 36, someone else had a 32 and then it dropped to 25 and on the way down. I had a 31 and got an A in the course. But it was frustrating to attend class, study and do the work and sit in a midterm and literally have no clue what you were doing and wheterh you were goign to pass or fail. And I was "at the top of the class", so I have to imagine the stressors for those with 12/15% in the course felt like.

Are these holistic admits that don't understand simple scaling? Why does it matter what the score is if there's a curve? Does a 55 F feel better than a 12 F? Anyone failing a class probably shouldn't be at that school to begin with.

Umm...in the above example the 36 became the "100%" and the curve/grading went from there. the 18% ended up being a B or B- range. So sure you know it will be curved, but it's beyond frustrating to take exams where you have no clue how you did, despite being very prepared.
When the average is an 18%, that shows the prof either didn't teach the material or has created an exam that is not testing anything related to what was taught in the course.

The philosophy of some professors is to make the test extremely hard so that: 1) There is no perfect score; 2) They can see which kids actually understand the material and how they go about solving complex problems that have multiple methods; and 3) Make people earn their grades so that they know the material. There is a fourth thing, which is you can't expect a teacher to dumb down a class because a certain crop of kids aren't as smart as usual. And every once in a while there'll come along that kid(s) who will score that 90%+ and I'm sure the professor wants to identify him/her from the crowd.

Bottom line, suck it up and study. An A is an A. Each 1% gain in test score is extremely significant.

This is not real life. In the business world you collaborate to find solutions and nobody would accept anything less than 100% accuracy for say building a bridge or a high rise. You can test knowledge without having the average be a 18%. This was at a school of high performers (current top 10). People are smart and know how to critically think. But a random test over things that are not taught even remotely in the course is not the way to do that.

School is not supposed to be real life. It's to prepare you for that. For the future projects you're saying, kids should be forced to earn their grade. Again a 90/100 and a 30/100 are not any different if the questions you got correct are the exact same. The latter case just reinforces that there's a lot more to be learned. It'd be a different story if you were complaining that nobody gets an A and the highest grade is a C.

If you're actually in that 1% of business and consulting projects that require actually difficult problem solving ability with an added time crunch, then I'm pretty sure companies want the employees that have the requisite mettle forged from rigorous courses.

You are missing the point!

You can have rigorous courses and give exams where the students at least feel like they have a clue (that's when the average is 60%ish or more. But in a calc class, (first two years of college calc) you either know the material or not---th ere is absolutely no reason to give exams where the average is an 8% and top scores a 36.

[Anonymous]

Another one:
CS grad student who went to Princeton undergrad.

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/cornell-bowers-graduate-student-dies-on-sunday

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another one:
CS grad student who went to Princeton undergrad.

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/cornell-bowers-graduate-student-dies-on-sunday

Another Asian CS kid. There's a type for this.

[Anonymous]

So sad. Is it 3rd one for Cornell?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Another one:
CS grad student who went to Princeton undergrad.

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/cornell-bowers-graduate-student-dies-on-sunday

This is awful! So many incidents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe the overcast skies affect students' moods. Causes or increases depression.

This is one reason why I prefer attending school in the South. Depression is a non-issue & students are happy & active outdoors. Very social.

I have substantial experience in upstate New York. Depression, depression,depression.

Ludicrous over-generalization. I grew up in a southern state and I assure you that a person can be depressed while living in one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another one:
CS grad student who went to Princeton undergrad.

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/cornell-bowers-graduate-student-dies-on-sunday

This is awful! So many incidents.

Definitely an issue at many top schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another one:
CS grad student who went to Princeton undergrad.

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/cornell-bowers-graduate-student-dies-on-sunday

Another Asian CS kid. There's a type for this.

Please stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So sad. Is it 3rd one for Cornell?

Looks like 4th this year (2025). Sad....
https://news.cornell.edu/content/cornell-remembers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another one:
CS grad student who went to Princeton undergrad.

https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2025/10/cornell-bowers-graduate-student-dies-on-sunday

Another Asian CS kid. There's a type for this.

The other two students who died are - Joselyn Guadalupe Garcia ’29
Thaddeus Lucentini ’29

There is no type.

[Anonymous]

Why do you assume these student deaths are suicide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why do you assume these student deaths are suicide?

One of them died of alcohol poisoning per DC