<p>I'm a freshman and II was a little foolish with "exploration" and I ended up in a computers science class that is impossible (for me). I made up my mind a week AFTER the add/drop deadline...so I pretty much have to accept a W. But what will this mean for my future? Starting college, I'm really starting to understand the importance of doing things you like... I am not math/science orientated at all and I plan to take less of those classes. </p>
<p>I'm looking heavily towards business or law school. I guess I don't sound ambitious, but I actually want a shot at the top law/business schools. I obviously won't major in computer science... so will it still raise an eyebrow when grad schools take a look at my transcript? History/Poly Sci/Psychology sound like options to me and they sound as far as from computer science as it gets. The course actually has a C+ good faith guarantee which means if I do all the work and bomb the exams... I will still get at least a C+. But that's a really ugly sounding grade to me and it sounds like a GPA wrecker as well. </p>
<p>On the other hand, I'm not sure if I would feel comfortable taking 12 credits a semester. I think I just sound lazy doing that... but I could use the free time to study pre-calculus and be in good shape for Calc I next semester. I think I will have an image issue too... I go to a really small LAC and I don't know any other freshman taking 12 credits. I know I shouldn't take people's judgments to heart so much... but man, I don't know. The other option is to take computer science and try to cram pre-calculus with the little free time I already have.</p>
<p>I think W’s in college are much more common than W’s in high school. Just don’t make a habit of constantly dropping courses.</p>
<p>12 credits is definitely low but it’s just one semester. By the time you apply to Law/Business school you’ll have many more semesters under your belt with a full courseload.</p>
<p>If nothing else, it’ll be a nice first semester for you.</p>
<p>My daughter was faced with such dilemma last year. As a math major she should have taken the art history course as P/F, by the time she realized the difficulty of the course (all upper class art history majors in the class), it was too late for her to do P/F. In speaking with a few people about getting a W, the view was it’s better to get a letter grade (unless she was going to get a horrible grade). She had a respectable GPA going into that semester. She probably spent more time on that art history course than any others. She end up with a B, but her other courses did suffer a little bit. Over all, her GPA came down by .02, not significant.</p>
<p>You have two choices - 1) tough it out and possibly get above C+, great essay later about what a great learning experience (working hard on a course that didn’t come naturally to you, not backing away from adversity), 2) take one W, and explain it away as freshman foolishness (not knowing how to pick a course, and unaware of add/drop syste), if you don’t get another W it probably won’t be so bad.</p>
<p>Wow I’m exactly in the same situation like you, even down to the “Good Faith” C+. </p>
<p>I’m sticking with that class for now, the W-deadline for my college is not until November so I’m gonna push myself through that. Also dropping a class sounds like giving up to me, so I’d rather take the C. But yeah, I’m probably the only person on my Campus thinking like that.</p>
<p>A C+ is better than a W. With a C+ you aren’t giving up. With a W you are giving up. However, it really doesn’t matter if you’re taking slightly less credits during your first term in college. </p>
<p>I’d still recommend sticking it out. The first month is the hardest month in these intro to Computer Science classes. For people who are new to this, the first concepts are the hardest and instructors can seldom explain those concepts in a sweeping way that allows everyone in the class to understand.</p>
<p>It’s a part of problem solving that needs to be developed to be a successful college student and it will probably help you in advanced math more than dedicating a little more time to precalc. I’d suggest getting someone to hold your hand and help teach you the basics that you’re having fundamental difficulties with. Most your class mates had already dabbled in programming so they don’t need to get their hand held again.</p>
<p>For the first month and a half of Computer Science I was more overwhelmed than I had been in any class. It seemed as though prior knowledge of programming was implied. Like all colleges though, there were plenty of ways out there to get my hand held through the rough part and I ended up getting a 4.0 in the class. I vividly remember spending about an hour on “Hello World” because I (logically) thought that the statement was printIn rather than println and the font on most IDEs make a capitalized “I” and lowercase “l” look the same. I ended up having to ask the professor to help and having a massive “doh!” moment.</p>
<p>Since you missed the deadline, you might as well wait until the last possible moment you can change. A C+ is not that bad. Especially a C in a hard class, your first semester in college. As long as its just that semester. I know that grad schools focus more on your junior/senior grads. Not so sure about law school but as long as you knock those out of the park one C is not going to ruin your chances.</p>
<p>If you are going for law school GPA matters most. A C will drop the GPA, but one W first semester freshman year will not hold you back. For business school, you won’t be applying till a few years out of college so first semester freshman grades are going to have little or no influence over admission.</p>
<p>If you are guaranteed a C+ it probably won’t hurt you too much to put forth minimum effort and get the grade. If your CS course takes away from studying for your other courses too much it can be a problem. You’re better off with a W and the rest As rather than a C+ and a string of Bs.</p>