Drop a class and get a W?

Student Lounge College Life
1

<p>I know this is asked a lot, but every situation is different. </p>

<p>I took Chem 130 (General Chemistry) because I thought it would be interesting and because at some point, I considered some majors with chem as a prerequisite. It has become a very time consuming class and I have an 18 credit schedule with 5 classes so it is very stressful. I currently have a high B+ in the class ( I got a C on the first exam but I have a high B on quizzes and 100% on hw, plus the scale for the final class grade will be curved so a B- is a B+), however, the class has become a weeder for pre-med students and the exams (70% of my grad) are very hard and unpredictable even though I study and practice extensively. I don't need to take this class for any requirement for my current major so should I drop it? I will get a W...my grade is not an A but it's not bad (It will affect my 4.0 GPA though), but I am not sure if it is worth staying in the course especially because it takes a lot of effort that may be wasted because I don't need to take it and it may affect my other courses. I'm just afraid that if I have a W, grad schools/ employers will think that I dropped because I had a D or an F, which is not the case. My schedule is just very demanding right now, and I don't know if I will be able to keep up in chem. There is a chance I'll get an A-, but I could also end up with a B-...or C+ :(.</p>

2

<p>Basically, is it ok to drop a class (for a W) that is taking up a lot of time and that I don't need even though I don't have a very bad grade?</p>

3

<p>It is very unlikely that employers will look at/care about your transcript. </p>

<p>As long as there isn't a pattern of "W's" for the rest of your college career, you're fine.</p>

4

<p>What about grad schools? Some of the grad schools I may apply to are very competitive, but they're not necessarily related to chemistry. (one is Harvard's program in Sustainable Architecture).</p>