Indeed, the course may not have been as simple as some had expected. Several students confirmed that classmates left the exam room during the midterm in March to look for answers to identification questions on their cell phones.

Liebmann declined to comment on the affair, but Holuba, who took the course, said that the final examination incorporated changes to avoid further cheating. Students could not receive the essay portion of the test until they had turned in the identification section, he said, nor could they bring cell phones to the restroom.

“I think that students’ concern about their transcript has increased over time,” said Dingman, citing economic uncertainty and pressures coming into college as potential causes for the shift. “I go back to my own experience—people were less concerned with what they would do at the end of it.”

The student with knowledge of the list of easy classes said he thinks a “minority” of students create an entire schedule based on Q scores and difficulty rating. But he acknowledged that there is a tendency to prioritize the final grade over the learning experience.

“I think the culture is that kids would rather get an A and not do a whole lot than actually challenge themselves,” he said. “The pressure gets to you.”

—Staff writer David P. Freed can be reached at davidfreed@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @CrimsonDPFreed.

—Staff writer Steven R. Watros can be reached at watros@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @SteveWatros.