Hey
Do my 1st semester grades just need to have as many or more A’s than I did last year, to show that I’m not slacking off and that I have an upward trend?
There is no all-encompassing answer. They need to not have a D or an F. Will one grade that drops to a B make a difference? Doubtful. Is anybody here going to go through all that possible permutations and combinations? No. They basically should be in the same ballpark.
You don’t want to show a downward trend, like if all your As suddenly became Bs or Cs or worse. But a dip in one or two classes, especially if they are hard classes, should make a minimal difference.
You need to earn the best grades you can. It would be very difficult to decide upon grades and then earn them. It is no more difficult to earn your best grades.