Feb 16 2009
When should you drop a class?
If a student is failing a course by the middle of the term, they need to make some tough decisions about withdrawing from the class. Too many students drop a class without thinking things through. Consider these points before you make up your mind.
Course withdrawal considerations:
- What are the deadlines? Be clear on all your paperwork deadlines. So many students make up their minds to drop a class, and stop doing the work. Then they realize too late that they missed the deadline. Since they can’t go back and make up additional missed work, they end up failing anyway. It’s terrible to make such a mistake because it was completely avoidable.
- How badly are you failing? Look at the syllabus and do the math. If you need to make perfect scores on every future assignment just to pass, it’s just not realistic to expect that of yourself.
- Is there any chance the instructor will take late work or give extra credit? If you missed a major assignment recently, and know you can make it up, discuss it with the instructor. Sometimes a key assignment can get you back in the game. However, not every instructor accepts late work or extra credit. So do not assume that they do. And do not assume it will be worth a major number of points.
- How does dropping a course impact financial aid? Ask your advisor and financial aid counselor about the impact of changing your schedule in the middle of the term. You don’t want to get slapped with a huge bill just because you didn’t know about some rule.
- What advice does your advisor have for you? Make sure you know all your options by speaking with your advisor. Be informed and take control of your education.
Remember, it’s not the end of the world when you withdraw from a class. I know few students who haven’t had to withdraw at least once in their school careers. Assess what you will do differently the next term to avoid repeating errors, and simply push forward with a better strategy the next time around. Most of the time, it’s a time management issue. You just might be too busy to take so many classes. Consider your options about a reduced course load as well. Good luck!
