What to Consider Before Dropping a Course
Dropping a class can be intimidating and, frankly, quite terrifying. Many students get worried about how it will look on their transcript. However, it is important to think through the reasons as to why you’re dropping the class before doing so.
Whether it is because you are no longer interested in the class, you’re worried about failing it, or you’ve just taken on way too much, it’s good to get all your facts straight so you know whether it is the right move for you. Here are a few questions to ask yourself before dropping that class!
1. Do you need the class to graduate?
This is one of the most important questions to ask yourself. Even if you’re taking it as an elective, many universities require that you take classes from other subjects as a requirement to graduate. While you may think you don’t need it because it’s not directly correlated to your major, it may still be necessary to graduate.
There’s nothing worse than getting to your final year and realizing you haven’t taken a science class and now you’re stuck in first-year astronomy. If you’re struggling to figure out if you need the class or not, you can always check your Student Success Center or make an appointment with a faculty counselor.
2. Would you be able to retake the class either next year or in the summer?
Many classes are prerequisites for later classes to take. If you find yourself struggling in a class that is a prerequisite for you to graduate, think about how dropping the class will derail your schedule.
Some classes fill up fast and if it’s a required class, it might be more difficult to attempt to retake it later. The worse thing would be finding out you’re a credit short before graduation because it’s not being offered when you need it.
3. When is the add/drop date?
Knowing the add/drop deadline for your classes is important when debating on whether to drop a course. Debating on what day you decide to drop the class, the add/drop deadline will determine how it looks on your transcript. If you decide to drop the class before the deadline, chances are there will be no consequences and you can freely add a new class.
However, if you drop the class after the deadline, it could either show up on your transcript as a "fail" or as a withdrawal. It’s important to know what both of these mean for your future. Making an appointment with a faculty counselor is the best way to determine what the best course of action is.
4. Are you struggling with your current class load?
Even though it’s hard, it’s important to ask yourself the hard questions. Really think about your current situation and the grades you have. While there may be a class you’re super excited for, sometimes it might be too much to handle. Taking on too much is an issue many of us know very well.
However, it’s important that you’re not spreading yourself too thin and really enjoying the content you’re learning. If you’re struggling with too many classes or one class is taking up too much of your time that you’re ignoring other responsibilities, maybe it’s time to take a step back and see if dropping that class will be a benefit to you.
5. Are you going to fail this class?
This is a situation in which dropping a class may be a good thing. Although it may not be what you hoped for, failing a class is nothing to be ashamed about. Sometimes life gets in the way and even though we hope it doesn’t affect our academic lives, it does. In this case, dropping a class and receiving a withdrawal on your transcript looks better than a bad grade or a potential failure.
Dropping a class could actually end up raising your GPA because it will allow you to focus on your other classes and assignments. If you’re really struggling with your class, dropping it could also improve your anxiety levels because you’ll be less stressed.
At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for you and failing a class usually looks worse than dropping it. However, if it’s just one bad test grade, it doesn’t hurt to ask the professor how to improve before making any drastic decisions.
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