Senseless competition and selfishness is counter-productive in the academic world. During my limited time in the corporate world, I have worked both for companies where people worked as a team and companies where people worked as a band of individuals. I can say that teamwork through reciprocity not only makes a company more efficient, but individual rewards come back to the giver when he or she expects them least and needs them the most. Your payback does not come from the person you gave it to, but from someone whom you did not give to. As the saying goes, What goes around, comes around.
Reciprocity requires a willingness to help, and a willingness to be helped.
Reciprocity involves dialogue and communication among two persons or groups. These skills are entirely fitting not only for students, but for any professional situation.