Meet Alex, a first-year engineering student at the University of Waterloo, hailing from a small town where academic achievement came easily. Driven and competitive, Alex is used to being at the top of their class and struggles to adjust to the rigorous standards of university life. After experiencing their first midterm, they’re bewildered by the reality that a 43% seems to be a common score, leading them to voice their frustrations on Reddit in disbelief.