I have never really been a fan of grading on a curve. It has always seemed to me that a student’s relationship to the subject matter rather than his rank among his classmates should define his grade. Although grading based on a curve may encourage study by creating competition between students, it also sends the message that quality and competence are relative when they are not. An incompetent surgeon is an incompetent surgeon irrespective of whether or not he’s at the top of his class.
One of the more common dreams people have involves being late or unprepared for a test or class. These dreams indicate that we are not learning something we need to be learning in life. They also show that there are expectations placed on each of us by our soul and God. Life is a classroom and there are specific things we are meant to learn while we are here. What those things are may vary from person to person.
Too often we approach life taking our cues from those around us rather than from our own soul. Our values and beliefs about morality and what is important in life may be gathered from society rather than from thoughtful reflection on our life experiences, dreams, signs and the like. We become more concerned with fitting in and keeping up than on discovering and courageously living our true calling and deepest values. In the classroom of life, God doesn’t grade by the curve, but by your nerve.