Dropping an online AP class?

I am a senior in high school and in January I added an online AP Psychology class. I am almost halfway through the class but am considering dropping it. Here are my reasons for dropping.

  • I am taking all honors and AP classes and need more time to focus on those
  • I have really lost interest in the subject
  • I am way behind schedule on my lessons
  • I have 3 AP tests in a row and dropping this one would help alleviate stress during test week
  • I plan to major in computer science so this class is not at all important to my major.

I should add that I still have an A in the class, but the only reason for that is I have been taking a really long time to study for the unit tests because there is no set date I have to take them by (part of the reason I am so far behind). However, I can’t continue at this slow pace and finish the class before the AP test. I think I’m just not cut out for online classes, but I realized this a little too late in the year.

Any suggestions? Would it look bad to colleges that I dropped an AP class this late in the year? Should I just stick it out and take the AP test? Is it even worth keeping the class if I don’t take the AP test? I think if I’m going to keep the class I should at least attempt to take the AP test even if I don’t do well.

Hey @JT4815 ! I would talk to your guidance counselor on this one. I had a similar problem earlier in the year to consider dropping an online course. I was taking it though FLVS, and their policy is that a course is incomplete if you drop it within two weeks of starting. You might want to look into your specific program’s details. From there, my counselor said that if I decided to drop it, she wouldn’t record it on my transcript (which was great, but I decided to finish the course anyways.) This normally doesn’t happen, but I guess that my school is a little less strict. It truly depends on the type of online program you are using and your school.

If it does show as incomplete, then you might want to consider finishing the course and not taking the exam. If you are required to take the exam, and it is truly making you unhappy, then you might just want to drop it. It does show a lack of dedication to a degree, but worrying about your academic life over your mental health isn’t always the best way to go. Colleges also look at what you do outside of school. If you’re working, volunteering, or in extra-circulars a large portion of your time, some colleges understand the need to drop courses. It all depends on where you’re considering applying.

I hope this helped!