The lab report, the quiz and the assignment

My third entry for the day... And a lot more to come very soon....

We have a lab this sem. A single credit lab, with some 10 experiments. I'm not sure about the percentage of marks for the experiments, but let's say it's 50%. That makes it 5 marks for each experiment, i.e. for each report. Usually, very good reports get a 8.5 or 9 out of ten while give up reports get around 5-6. The difference is at max 4 marks, and just 2 marks in the total weightage for the course. This is some background info...

Almost 50% of the people in the class copy someone else's report. The need to copy a report arises only when you're afraid you're not going to score good marks and u'll end up putting a bad grade ( since it's a lab, the worst may be a C). So, it just means, there are a lot of students here who are scared of losing two marks- who would do any damn thing, almost beg their friends to give their report, just for two marks. And being a friend or a batchmate or a hostel mate or whatever, people, out of courtesy hand over their reports when asked.

So then, in one of the best institutes in the country, there are people who are scared to death for just 2 marks, who are too lazy to write it in the week's time between the experiment and report submission and who really don't mind begging their friends to do a favor, just to get a good grade. And everyone expects these "bright minds" to help develop the country. Bullshit.

The same in an exam. In the worst case, that guy's going to cup in the exam. And when it comes to assignments, everyone knows it's just 2-3 people who do it and everyone else just copies. What's the whole point in having quizzes, assignments and lab reports? Can't a guy clever enough to clear the JEE write a simple lab report- he knows what he did, he just needs to explain that. A small effort before the exam can get him a good grade..

Now the bigger question- Why do junta join IITs? There are too many people who hate going to classes and who learn a topic just because they have to pass the course. The pride that a guy took when he cleared the JEE to come to an IIT, what's it all about? Just clearing an exam? When he always wanted to get the best education in the country, why's he running away from it when he's got the chance? I belong to one of the worst batches at IITM... in this semester, 3 out of 4 professors in our department said our batch is the worst, hopeless... Why is it that a guy who took n pain to clear the JEE doesn't even care to do what he wanted to do? May be some questions aren't supposed to be asked.........