"weed-out" classes

[PMHNP10]

what class at your school is generally considered the most difficult (I know, with so many to choose from, why limit it to 1)? why is it so difficult?

[Bree124, BSN, RN]

I'm a little bit confused... Are you asking about the graduate portion, or undergrad stuff?

I'm assuming you're speaking graduate level, since this is a grad student forum. From my experience, "weed-out" classes are those huge, undegraduate bio and chem classes with 300 students and a professor who doesn't give a darn if anyone passes. In grad school, part of their ranking is based on how many students start compared to how many matriculate. They don't want to weed you out, it reflects poorly on the school. Of course the classes aren't easy, but I have felt (at least at my school) that help is available if I need it, and the faculty really want all of us to graduate.

[PMHNP10]

I'm assuming you're speaking graduate level, since this is a grad student forum. From my experience, "weed-out" classes are those huge, undegraduate bio and chem classes with 300 students and a professor who doesn't give a darn if anyone passes. In grad school, part of their ranking is based on how many students start compared to how many matriculate. They don't want to weed you out, it reflects poorly on the school. Of course the classes aren't easy, but I have felt (at least at my school) that help is available if I need it, and the faculty really want all of us to graduate.

Your assumption is correct. So maybe "weed out" isn't the correct terminology. I used the term because I've heard the PE/DD course at the school I'll be attending described as such and figured this was not uncommon. I think the feeling that the class is a "weed out" is based upon the fact that every semester they have 2 or 3 sections for the lab and the section reserved for 2nd timers is larger (i.e., has more enrollees) than the section for 1st timers