The Merits of Class Rankings

At the end of every term in ECE, each student receives an email that tells them how their term average ranks relative to the other students in the class. I’ve never really understood the reasons and merits behind rankings, but I’ve tried to come up with arguments both for and against them.

Arguments for rankings:

I: It can help the student and the professor learn/teach better

Individually, professors can use the rankings to determine which students may need additional help. When dealing with the class as a whole, they can adjust their pacing and curriculum in order to suit the class better. Students, on the other hand, can use this as a measure to determine individuals that can help them.

II: Some students may find it motivational to do well academically

There are several levels of understanding course material. At the most basic level, being competent enough at the material is sufficient for some students. Others choose to extend their learning and practice until they can demonstrate a higher understanding of the material. Being able to master a topic is a common way for people to find their edge.

III: Graduate studies and other opportunities

When applying for graduate studies, rankings can be justified because the degrees earned from these programs are more prestigious than the BASc degree earned as an undergraduate. As a result, these programs demand greater knowledge in the field of study.

On the undergraduate side, studying abroad via the exchange program also requires relatively decent grades. The requirements for doing so is less strict than applying for grad school, but still requires you to be in the top half of your class (if you’re in ECE) and have a minimum overall average of 70%. The justification here in my opinion is that you need to demonstrate that you can handle yourself.

Arguments against rankings:

I: There’s little reward from being top of the class

The top ranked student each term gets a small amount of money as a reward for their accomplishments. While any money is better than none, it’s not really a good reason to compete.

Furthermore, Waterloo Engineering has two Honours Lists for students that do well academically. The Term Dean’s Honours List (TDHL) recognizes the top students each term, while the Graduation Dean’s Honours List recognizes students that have performed sufficiently well during the previous six academic terms. In the end though, having high marks simply adds an additional line to your diploma such as “graduated with distinction”.

II: Academics aren’t directly correlated with work experience

In the business world competition is generally viewed as a good thing. By always aiming to do better than their competitors, companies can deliver better products and services. The customer receives something that they can enjoy, and the company receives money. However, I feel that this analogy doesn’t work when it comes to academic performance. A higher performing student isn’t necessarily a better candidate for a job than a student that doesn’t perform as well. From my experiences, employers typically don’t look at marks when interviewing candidates. In the earlier years it may give you a slight advantage since you have less work experience, but later on your work experiences are worth far more. Competition for jobs has merit, but not if it’s done using academics as a baseline.

III: Competition can be unhealthy

While rankings can spur students to perform better, it can at the same time be harmful. If students are excessively focused on their grades, it can cause them to try to get ahead instead of learning the material. Students who don’t rank highly may find it discouraging as they may believe that they’re inferior to other students.

Personally, I don’t check my rank as I feel it makes me compare myself to others, which in my opinion is counterintuitive to growth as an individual. Trying to emulate another person’s model of success isn’t necessarily the best approach since one’s methods may not apply to another. My grades have never been great, but I feel better if I’m doing well enough to pass each term. And that reassurance might be enough for me.