<p>I like JMU’s answer the best. Learning new things, broadening minds and horizons, and acquiring skills. YAY.
JMU, FYI, some of yale’s classes are on-line for free (I believe that they video tape the lecture, but not sure). I believe, but am not positive, that Stanford classes may be on line for free as well.</p>
<p>Hey joeahn, I’m in a similar boat as you. Ended first quarter as Valedictorian and got into my dream school. I’d always told myself that if I got in ED, I’d take it easy last semester. </p>
<p>By “taking it easy” I mean being okay with a few B’s. This doesn’t mean I’m slacking or not taking the same interest in my classes, but the my level of intense studying and stressing over each assignment and test has gone down. </p>
<p>I’m all about having the most fun I can this senior year with my friends. I’m continuing to work hard, but not as hard as in the past. Many people will have different opinions on this, but I feel like I’ve put the work in and deserve to enjoy more time with friends and family and becoming more involved in non-academic interests. </p>
<p>Ultimately, you have to do what’s best for you! Luckily, my mom is totally cool with a few B’s. When I look back in 5-10 years I think relaxing a little will have been the best decision for me.</p>
<p>Don’t think about maintaining the A’s. Think about getting all 5’s on your AP Exams as a goal so that the 4.0 will come with it.</p>
<p>^Not always! At my HS, there were several classes where a C in the class and a 5 on the AP were often one and the same.</p>
<p>Be true to yourself. These are your grades. Live up to your own expectations. Why veer from the path you’ve been on?</p>
<p>Thanks guys. Basically what I’m doing right now is giving my parents the silent treatment until they agree with me.</p>
<p>Ugh. Hate the silent treatment. It’s a form of manipulation. A relationship on your terms only. It’s better to fight and to agree to disagree.</p>
<p>That’s mature. Best of luck in college!</p>
<p>I find it very odd that someone who had a 4.0 through out all of high school is making such a big deal over not getting any B’s. keeping low A’s shouldn’t be that hard.
the silent treatment is just going to make your parents think that they were right and that you’re too immature and naive to understand why you need to keep up your grades. probably the worst way to convince them that you’re right.</p>
<p>Please be a ■■■■■…</p>
<p>I am in the same boat #TheStruggleIsReal</p>
<p>I just don’t want to have to be as stressed this semester. I literally had to work my hardest to keep all A’s</p>
<p>You had to work hard to get all your work done, and do it well?</p>
<p>Welcome to real life.</p>
<p>You can relax a little bit, but don’t slip from a 4.0 to a 2.7. Going from a 4.0 to a 3.7 (or any other relatively small drop - 3.6 to 3.4, 3.3 to 3.1, etc…) will go unnoticed and won’t be a problem at all. That being said, if you still have AP exams to take in May I’d still be sure to pay attention and do all the work because you may need those to get out of requirements or obtain credits.</p>
<p>I think that the one thing that no one has mentioned yet is what happens if and when the bloom falls off the rose? While OP may have been admitted ED to his “dream school”, what happens if this school is not all what s/he though it would be?</p>
<p>Should something happen ($$ is not right, parents can no longer pay for Duke) and Op needs/wants to transfer (especially at the end of freshman year) , OP will have to submit his/her high school transcript. All family dynamics are different. Perhaps parents feel that if they give an inch that OP will take a mile. Perhaps they will not be willing to pay (especially full freight) if OP is going to slack off.</p>
<p>A slide due to senioritis could be the difference between an acceptance and a denial. In addition, there will be some on-campus opportunities for research, jobs that may require the high school transcript (since student will not have any college grades yet). </p>
<p>Keep in mind that best predictor of future behavior is relative past behavior. Don’t have your senioritis simply means that now that you have achieved what you wanted (in the short run), that you feel it is no longer necessary to do your best work.</p>
<p>OP, you are in for a major shock in college. Major</p>
<p>I am repeating part of my post for the OP.
Get “How to be a straight A student” by Cal Newport. It shows you how to study efficiently so that you can spend more time on fun stuff, like socializing. This is an important skill to have in college. You can practice the techniques during HS. If you had to study like crazy for your straight As, then it means that you were not studying efficiently and unfortuately, you are possibly going to have some difficulty when the pace in college is much faster than HS. Try the methods during sr yr so if you don’t do well with them and get a B, then you will learn how to do it better in college.</p>
<p>???</p>
<p>Everyone, please stop freaking the poster out. You are not going to get rescinded for getting a few B’s second semester. Now if we were talking D’s and F’s, that would be another issue. But it’s clear that you are not going to go down that route. Pretty much everyone slacks off second semester senior year. I don’t know one person that hasn’t. And especially if you just want to get a few B’s, you will be just fine. I have never heard of a student getting rescinded getting a couple B’s or even C’s second semester.
As for your parents, I think you should just try explaining this to them. Explain that you may try getting all A’s, but if it doesn’t happen, then warn them in advance that you may get a couple of B’s. Relaxation is key. 
have a great second semester!</p>
<p>No one was trying to freak the poster out. We were just pointing out that his absolute reluctance to keep his A’s seemed silly. And the “silent treatment” was childish and going too far</p>