<p>A good friend’s D is at Columbia as a pre-med. She graduated as a Val from her high school. She just got her mid term grades back and they were few Cs. She asked her dad (my friend) if he was disappointed. He told her that he was already very proud of her.</p>
<p>The first semester is usually the toughest. D1 was a math/econ major in college. Her first math prelim score was 76 (C), but the mean was 70, so it became a B+. Her worst GPA was from her first semester. It got better each semester. I asked her if it’s because she got smarter or she got better at picking courses. 
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<p>D1 went to see her professors/TAs a lot. She was surprised that so few people showed up for office hours. She said often it was just her and the professor. It was very useful right before an exam because often professors would emphasize certain material which would be on the test. </p>
<p>Sometimes they breakdown and cry in front of you, but then they get over it as soon they get off the phone with you.</p>