Dreading Second Semester

Parents of straight-A high school students have to adjust their expectations, just as their Cal kids have to do. Cal is an extremely rigorous school, especially for pre-med/STEM students. My sophomore D never got a B in her life until she got to this school - now she has 3 (2 she was fine with, 1 she was borderline B+/A-, and it just didn’t happen, so much sadness). The world did not end, she did not explode, and her GPA is still really great. BTW, the first B was in Chem1A - she wound up with an A- in Chem3A (I asked her why the difference - “I learned to study for that subject” and “better lecturer”).

You also have to get over not getting 90’s on everything - there is the Berkeley curve for a reason.

See if you can sign up for a study group at the SLC - really forces you to spend extra time on a subject you may be struggling with. D swears by them.

Check out the URAP program for undergrad research opportunities in L&S. The weekly commitment is not overwhelming, and you get credits for it. I think it’s more geared for sophomore’s and beyond (they might need your first-year’s grades).

Boyfriends can be a huge time drain - don’t spend too much energy on this. If it happens, it happens. If not, you are not alone, trust me.