<p>BicoastalMama don’t dispair. Give it some time. All the freshmen work like dogs (the workload is really heavy), and it can be overwhelming in the beginning. There is lots of support from other students and tutors, etc. And not all the students there went to super math and science magnet schools. My son didn’t. There is a reason that first semester is pass/fail. It gives the students time to find their way. And there is no grade inflation, so what may seem like a low grade to someone used to getting high marks all the time, turns out to be an ok grade at Harvey Mudd. (The joke I heard was “D is for done.”)</p>