Should I drop with a W or get a D? Calculus I

College Search & Selection Community Colleges
1

<p>I was a psychology major before and I decided to change it to psychobiology. I know they may seem interchangeable, but psychobiology requires upper level chemistry, math, physics... you get the idea. Anyways, up until this semester, I was taking Psychology courses, English, Philosophy, etc. and now is my first semester taking science based courses and although I'm acing chemistry and biology, calculus is killing me. I just got my first exam back and I got 68/100 and for my quiz I got 5/10. I have my second exam on Wednesday and I'm trying to convince myself to just keep pushing, but at this point, I know that if I stay in the class I won't learn anything. I might be able to pull off a C or even a B, but I would just be getting by. I wouldn't actually be learning anything, which will kill me in the long run because I have to go up to Calculus III. I'm going to talk to my adviser, but I still want some advice from actual students. </p>

<p>Should I drop the course with a W? Or should I stay and get a D so I can retake it later and get a better grade?
I'm so disappointed in myself because I thought I was going to be able to pull this off, but it's so much harder than I thought. I feel like I'm just taking the easy way out, but I really feel that I won't be able to catch up and actually gain anything from it. Also, dropping it would backtrack me almost a year so there's that. My dream school is UCLA, but do you think one W (because I am set on never getting one again, if I do take that option) will affect my chances of getting in as a psychobiology major? I've never had a W before and I already got a C in a prerequisite for introductory chemistry. I feel like crap. Please help me and offer me some solid advice, I would REALLY appreciate it.
Thanks in advance. </p>

2

<p>What happens if you withdraw and take Calc later? At most schools, while the ‘W’ still appears on your transcript, the new grade will appear for the class from which you withdrew. Likewise, if you earn a ‘D’ grade, it will probably stay on your transcript, but will be replaced in your GPA by the new grade when you retake Calc.</p>

<p>My opinion is that a ‘W’ looks better than a ‘D’, PROVIDED that you haven’t withdrawn from other classes as well. Several admissions counselors have told met that a number of 'W’s on a transcript is a major red flag, while a single ‘W’ doesn’t mean anything.</p>

3

<p>If you are receiving financial aid, you should always check with the financial aid office before you withdraw, since there can be implications for the current and future semesters.</p>