Something like this happened to me my Freshman year, in my Engineering Physics class. Prof said, "Look to your left...not look to your right. Two of you will be gone by the end of the year."
He was off a little. We started with +/-140 students in EE, and graduated 38. Nearly all of them were weeded out in Freshman Physics and Calc. A handful got nailed in soft of the sophomore EE classes (I got a 'C' in Solid State Physics and declared victory....).
However .... when he gave this little speech, there were no shouts of disbelief. Might be the difference between students who earned their way through High School, and students who aged their way through High School?
The tell is this...there’s only about 1/2 the number of chem 102 class sections the second semester. The rest of the kids are in the business school, some ‘studies’ department, or the education department by then...
soft = some. #@%$@#$ speel chckr.
It’s widely known that most ‘scientifically’ inclined kids are told to either be a doctor or an engineer. Few of them, however, really have the horsepower for either of those careers. Most every freshman boy you meet is either a premed major or an engineering major. Very few of the seniors you meet are premed or engineering.
Same deal with me... just as an ME. One professor failed all the kids in his class, save 3 (out of 40-50)... I managed to be one of the 3... he was an excellent teacher... I only wish I had him for more courses.