So this semester I bit off more than I could chew with my course schedule by adding an honors physics course for really no reason. I did not drop it by the add/drop because I was being overly confident and now I am in a bit of a predicament.
My advisor told me it would not be a huge deal to drop the Physics course and the lab if they were affecting my other classes since I am only a freshman, but also encouraged me to try to stay in as long as possible to make sure dropping is right or not.
What is the general opinion on W’s or your take on this situation? I am planning on trying to stay with it, but if my grades start slipping too much (Cs or lower) I may consider dropping. The reason I am so concerned about not getting a C is because after this year I will only have 4 graded courses due to taking the Residential college’s language program pass/fail as they require.
Stay with it until you either have a general idea of what your grade will be, or the course is taking away valuable time from other classes you could succeed in and your concentration depends on… A ‘W’ taken the day after drop/add ends is the same ‘W’ seen on the transcript of someone who dropped the course on the deadline to drop a class.
Too many students panic after a 60% (or worse) on the first exam and just drop the class, when really just a little more prep would get them into a good place to do pretty well in the class. I also know of professors who will make the first exam slightly more difficult than the rest as an effort to make those not committed to learning the material to drop, and encourage (force) the rest to prepare more for future exams.
Make sure to check out the syllabus too, and see what the grading criteria is exactly. I’ve heard of humanities professors at my school (granted, community college) who have like 40% of the students grade just be showing up (“participation”)! Not at all likely in a physics class, but worth a look.
Lastly, talk to the professor directly. Explain what’s up in a professional manner, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they give you resources (tutors, past year’s exams, etc.) to help you. Those who seek help will usually find it.
If it comes down to it though, between a grade you don’t want to look at on your college transcript and taking the W, take the W. No shame in that.
-Side bar-
Probably not applicable to you, being in four classes, but always ALWAYS check with financial aid before dropping a class, if you receive financial aid… There are thresholds that must be maintained to receive whatever aid you receive, usually it’s being a full time student. Nothing worse than dropping a course you aren’t doing hot in, only to get a bill in the mail to follow it.
Take the W and stop torturing yourself. Concentrate on getting good grades in your other classes. It’s no big deal and you have enough to worry about being a freshman. UMich is a little different than high school, isn’t it?
As @mjr2013 pointed out, make sure that taking a W would not affect your full-time status. If taking a W would cause you to drop below full-time, you may have to forfeit financial aid. Definitely check with the appropriate people (probably advisors, financial aid, etc.) to make sure that dropping a class would not negatively impact your financial aid situation.
Considering how early it is in the semester, you can probably still get at least a B in the class. A B will look better on a transcript than W.
However, if you do end up dropping the class, don’t beat yourself up about it. Dropping a class is not the end of the world. Just try not to make a habit of dropping classes after the deadline.
@baldeagle1017
Why do you “hate” kids like the original poster? What did he/she ever do to you? How is he/she dropping a class having any impact on you? Also, just because he/she drops the class does not mean that he/she is not prepared for college.
Thank you for the feedback! I am still on the fence but depending how I am able to handle my other courses I may end up dropping to preserve my grades. Also, thank you for the feedback that this is not an extremely severe situation. I was worried that my overconfidence had caused a serious issue for me.