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<blockquote> <p>finds college work "challenging"...'specially in her best subject, math! </p> </blockquote>
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<p>That seems to be nearly universal. I can only figure that high school calculus moves at such a slow pace that it seems easy for the best students. Then, they get to college and the "power series" calculus brings them back down to earth.</p>
<p>You certainly did not read my post very well did you?</p>
<p>I said "happy to say mine has straight A's... and loves the school" </p>
<p>So if you read this correctly you would see that I said she has straight A's AND loves the school.</p>
<p>And thats how she is doing at school...academically great and socially great. She loves it!</p>
<p>Its very important to her to do well academically in college..and I dont know why you seem to feel doing well academically is just a high school thing.</p>
<p>But if you feel that it is a HS thing to try and achieve in college than thats too bad for you.</p>
<p>Kirmum, that easy to recognize. It's close to local (50 miles) and was D's in-state Safety before she decided not to apply, so I know a fair amount about it. The "Asian majority" and "commuter" were the tip-offs. UCI has the best ballet at college in California, fwiw.</p>
<p>As for your S, I don't know what to suggest: if he's miserable, it's hard to get good grades but he needs good grades to transfer. You might ask Carolyn...she has a good feel for these things.</p>
<p>UCI is a school that I'm wary of recommending up front until I see that it's a "fit" for someone all the way around...too many ways to go nuts there, imo. For being in a huge metro area, it's pretty isolated. UCSB is in the same broad academic band and nobody has ever said that it lacks for social life...quite the opposite in fact. Doing the thought experiment, if I were black, I'd probably be more comfortable at UCSB than a UC in Orange County.</p>
<p>My Frosh is doing well. I can tell when she is unhappy, usually when she isn't busy enough or doesn't get the part she wants, etc. But, so far, she is thrilled with her school, U.C. Berkeley. She tells me all the time that she loves her school. I think that the real positives for her are, in no particular order, 1. great roomate 2. Interesting classes with fabulous professors, make the subject come alive ( Greek Civ prof; BA Cambridge, MA Cambridge, PHD Harvard,full professorship at Harvard, several National award winning research projects in Greece, Head of Ancient Civ dept at Berkeley), 3. doing extremley well in her courses, studying hard but enjoying the process, 4. Getting picked for the Berkeley Mock Trial Team, assigned the role of attorney, doing the opening statements for Defense team at UCLA competition, 5. Internship in student Government 6. Scholarship $$ 7. Cal's awesome football team, which just got screwed out of the Rose Bowl Bid by obnoxious Texas coaches. Go Bears!!</p>
<p>"Dad, grades are bullcrap. I'm not in high school any more."</p>
<p>I thought it would be a discussion on how your frosh is liking it at the college, not how high the GPA is. That is high-school talk.</p>
<p>As a sophomore at UCLA right now, I second both of these. Grades and GPA, which seemed so important in hs, loose a lot of their significance in college. Sure, you still try to get good grades, but now I think the emphasis ought to be on expanding your interests and views and working for your own betterment, not trying to be a 'grade whore' so you and (not meaning disrespect) your parents have something to brag about.
Anyway just my $.02</p>
<p>I agree. I think the goal in college is to expand your horizons, try new things etc. And I think its important to try and get good grades but I think its more important to take tough classes that are interesting etc. ( I thought this in HS also ) </p>
<p>I do think its important to try to do well academically in college. But grades are not the end all in high school or college. </p>
<p>When I said she was getting straight A's - my intent was to convey she is doing well academically..but I could have said she is doing well academically instead..If she was getting lower grades I would be fine with that also..just so long as she was putting forth effort..</p>
<p>Personally I think she goes overboard and have encouraged her to not be as exacting on her work as she is. I would rather see her have fun and get a B..then knock herself out and get an A..</p>
<p>But thats her choice and she is loving it ..so it works!</p>
<p>The last couple of comments confise me. Isn't it more important to get top grades in college than it was in high school as grad school is more important than undergrad institution? I look at what it takes to get into a good law school today. Jesus!</p>
<p>Not every undergrad cares about getting into a good law school!</p>
<p>I immediately thought of Grad school also, when I read the posters downgrading the importance of copllege grades. My D loves her school, loves the campus invironment, her roommates, the Philadelphia area, often raves about the Dining Hall food, and enjoys her classes. She only has a B average this semester, but I'm not yet concerned. She tends to perform more strongly as the year progresses. But I don't guess a 3.0 is anything to really hang your head over. The school she's attending has a reputation for grade deflation. She had grown accustomed to straight As in high school, but is quite frankly feeling pretty good about her Bs at this school. She is, however, quite ready for the holiday break. The academics in college are quite a bit more demanding than those of her public high school.</p>
<p>I haven't really talked about grades with my D. It's part of the "this is now your life, your problem" package. As someone who <em>is</em> entertaining law school as an option, I think she's pushing without a lot of let-up from hs. I admit to being gratified when she let it slip--perhaps deliberately--that she was gunning for Latin Honors. If you're going to do that, might as well take aim from first semester. But I wouldn't be scowling at the tuition checks if she weren't.</p>
<p>She's actually talking of both law school AND a Master's and on that I <em>will</em> stick in my oar and advise law school first for economic reasons.</p>
<p>You never know where you'll end up 5 years after graduation from college. Even though you have no plans on attending grad, med or law school EVER after you graduated from college, sometimes you change your mind. Having good grades can keep your options open as to which school you'll attend.</p>
<p>Socal, while Dr Griffiths is a good prof, you greatly exaggerate his qualifications.</p>
<p>First semester is a hugh wake up call for many students. I know my first grade report back in the day was sub 2.0 with calc, chem and physics to deal with!! Exited frosh year with a 2.6 or so and cruised with 3.2+'s from then on. With grade inflation, we can add on .2 or so to the ole GPA. But first semester is nothing to get too stressed about.</p>
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<blockquote> <p>Having good grades can keep your options open as to which school you'll attend.</p> </blockquote>
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<p>I don't think too many of our kids are trying to get bad grades!</p>
<p>However, for the most part, kids of the parents in this forum are enrolled at some pretty challenging schools. For example, I have read that only four people in the history of my daughter's school have graduated with a 4.0 average. Do I realistically think she will be one of the four smartest, most hard-working kids in her school's history? That's a pretty tall order.</p>
<p>Do I think that she will grow by leaps and bounds intellectually from her immersion in that environment? Absolutely. I have already seen it. So, in the big picture, I'm not terribly concerned about "getting all A's". She picked the wrong school for that. For example, the prof posted the grade distribution on her first calc test. The highest grade was a B and there was just one of those.</p>
<p>I can't believe the great grades your kids are getting in collge... and I understand most are going to selective schools. That just amazes me! As far as mine go, I am getting those phone calls letting me know how much work they have with final projects and tests and I tell them, "I am so glad you have so much work, that's what I'm paying for!"</p>
<p>All in all, they are working hard, are satisfied with their grades and have made great friends. </p>
<p>Just as an added note, I agree with angstridden - the grades are important... but at this point the responsibility lays on their shoulders. If they want grad school then it is up to them to get their grades where they should be, I did my best to guide them in high school, now it is up to them to find the way. If it is too difficult or they let things slide they only have to answer to themselves.</p>
<p>The mean GPA at S's school is 3.2, so he's pleased he's above that. Even though first 2 terms are P/F anyway, the measure is his feeling like he fits in. Its harder than he expected.
The real shocker was talking to friends at other schools, eg honors program in state school. That friend studies so little, with near perfect GPA. Getting accepted at an elite school means 4 years of dedication. Who is to know what is better--being in top 25% of a college, or being with one's true peers (and @ the mean)?</p>
<p>I'm interested to hear of my son meeting people from around the world (and across the country) next fall. I hope his roommate is someone very different from him, from whom he can learn a lot. </p>
<p>I wonder if any of your children are pledging frats and sororities. A couple of friends of mine with freshman kids have <em>suspected</em> that their kids are in the process, though they have't shared with their parents.</p>
<p>My son has been home since Friday. He really does enjoy school, and we are hearing things little by little. So as to avoid the flames, he is doing well academically and he'll finish up his core reqs and have enough for a minor at the end of next semester. He really likes his academic advisor. His roommate is not coming back next semester.</p>
<p>This week he went back to his old h.s. and thanked his Calc teacher for helping him place out of his math req. (He's Liberal Arts all the way)</p>
<p>Momsdream: my son's school does not let freshmen rush. He went in thinking he would never go Greek, and now he says that there <em>might</em> be one frat he'd look into.</p>
<p>As far as grades, he seems to be doing ok. At his school, it seems like it's hard to do bad, but also hard to get A's. I know he's working hard and enjoying it--that's what counts. I think the comments about grades not being the point didn't mean that students weren't striving to do well, but that grades weren't something to talk about much. </p>
<p>At my D's first school, I know she got a 4.0 the first semester, and I know she spent the first part of the break crying about how miserable she was there, and the second part researching and visiting schools to transfer to.</p>
<p>So this time around, I was way more concerned with happiness level, rather than grades. Don't misunderstand me--of course I want my S to do well, but the other stuff seems at least equally important to me.</p>
<p>And from that standpoint, he's had a very successful first semester. His floormates have bonded very tightly; they do everything together. He joined the marching band. He loves living in the city. His writing and thinking levels were challenged like they've never been before, and he's thriving on that. </p>
<p>On the emotional side, it's been very tough--as I've mentioned, his grandfather died right before the semester started, and his favorite aunt (more like best friend) was killed in a car accident last month. I know this is all taking up a lot of his inner reserves, and I've been really proud of how he's been able to stay focused throughout.</p>
<p>Angstridden: it's just that you began this thread with "How's your frosh doing in high school? I'll start: straight As and loving it." Reminded me of certain h.s. parents, hyper-involved in the college app process, who love to boast about their kids report cards. Sure, grades matter, though at many colleges As are the norm, while at others they are a wake up call: "you're not in high school any more." It's just that there's so much more to starting college...</p>