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Competition is a motivator, indeed.
The first classes of my major were in large lecture halls filled with 200+ students,
and it was definitely a weed-out process.
Exams for the each class were staggered
so students could be spaced apart to prevent cheating.
But that didn't always stop it. One fellow was observed cheating,
and afterward the students around him got together for a "friendly discussion" with him.
That episode lead to a 12-student study group for the next 2 years.
In our group, we soon realized who were our better students,
and the competition took different forms, razzing and chiding,
and the "ill-prepared" were responsible for snacks at our next session.
Not only was there the competition within the group, but we usually nailed the top grades of the class.
And it was not just the grades. I believe we really knew the material.
I went on to grad school and of the those that were Pre-Med, most were accepted into Med/Dental School.
My point to all this is that we knew we were not all among the brightest in those classes,
but the competition within that study group made a major difference in study habits and motivation.
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