I do want to add that the point that pre-med and science majors are well advised to retake their courses at college is good advice, as many have noted. However, a lot of the kids I hear of getting in trouble are just solid students who, since they were hot stuff in high school, sign up for a really rigorous schedule first semester. These students didn’t NEED to be in chemistry or biology. For those students who CAN do so, it’s better to take these courses through AP, DE, or any time but first semester.
My son came in with 34 DE hours from Ole Miss plus a bunch of AP credits, so he had the luxury of taking a couple of easy courses. Any parents out there who have the opportunity to send their kids to a flagship summer program after their junior year in high school should do so. Nothing prepares kids for college classes so much as actually taking a couple. In my opinion, taking the classes at community college isn’t the same.
My son is happy with his fraternity decision, but the pledging process is time consuming, including some late nights. He made a 4.0 his freshman semester, but only because one of his teachers didn’t deduct a grade-point for absences as he said he would. So, blind luck.