| what were the C's in? If math or engineering or a "tough" subject, then maybe not too bad. But if a soft subject like the humanities, that's not good. |
This. |
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Make sure the C grades aren't in required or major-component courses, because grades below B-minus often don't satisfy those types of requirements. Had those C grades been B-minuses, that would have been a highly respectable freshman year performance, so this is not necessarily any disaster.
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C's get degrees. |
Not necessarily. Many colleges have required grade levels in the declared major that are higher. Not sure about W&M, but a C does not satisfy required core course requirements, and does not count towards a major, at at least 2 Ivies. |
| BS I do not think a couple of c's will keep you from graduating. And by the way, I doubt any classes you take first semester of your freshman year are core major courses. Those classes come after freshman year. The grades are fine but encourage your kid to see the Prof at office hours and work a little harder. |
| W&M requires 2.O to graduate. |
Try getting a C at an Ivy. It's nigh impossible. Although some are cracking down on the proliferation of As. Princeton, for example, has a limit on the number of As professors can hand out. William and Mary is known as a school that requires a lot of work. Many of DD's public school friends struggled there freshman year. They are all from one HS, though. The kids from DD's private did much better. I wouldn't be too worried. First semester freshman year are usually a students lowest grades of their post-secondary career. |
| My parents never asked/knew my grades in college. If I pay for college, I pay for college - the outcome, hopefully successful, is up to them. |
Every single job I've had after college has hinged on my undergrad GPA (no grad degree here). Many employers set a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement. |
...and this student has about 7 more semesters to go, so he/she has plenty of time to excel and end up with a GPA way above what it is now... |
No single job I've had since I graduated 20+ years ago ever hinged (or even asked) my undergrad GPA or grad GPA (but that would be worthless anyways since really the lowest you are really going to be able to get is a 3.0 and still get the degree) |
A "B" at an Ivy is a "C" or a "D" anywhere else. Ivies have terrible grade inflation. |
| It depends why they are getting these grades. Is is an adjustment to more challenging classes or because they are partying too much. For a freshman at college it can go either way. |
I was premed 8 years ago and a C constitutes retaking the course if it was Biology, Chemistry, Organic Chemistry. My dad attended the same school for electrical engineering and said the same thing about his math courses. He actually dropped out after his first year, spent 8 years in the military (Vietnam era) and went back and got his bachelors and masters from the same school and had a 3.8. Some kids just aren't ready for college or aren't ready for their program. |