Beyond the bell curve — why university teaching should feel like an apprenticeship, not an obstacle course in blindfolds

“We are not here to weed out the unworthy. We are here to cultivate the capable.”

Every semester, I meet students in the crowded, dimly lit hallways and cafeterias whispering about how impossible their Chemistry, Biology, Computer Science, or Humanities classes feel. At some universities, some of these courses — as well as the Professors who teach them — have become the stuff of legend. Students trade stories about how only a handful ever manage to do well in these courses and frankly how tired some of the professors are.

Before committing to some of these courses— especially the required ones, many students actually do research — they scroll through professor rating sites, trying to find out who the “hard graders” are — or which classes are “birdie courses” they might actually survive. And I do not blame them. Its their — and their parent's investments. So they are researching that investment. Makes sense?

Education has become one of the most expensive investments this generation will ever make. Parents are taking out second mortgages, taking student loans, students are working multiple jobs — all to pay for a system that too often feels more like a pressure cooker than a pathway. Instead of…