<p>Currently, I have no Ws on my transcript but I am doing terribly in one course. If I drop it I would be down to 3 courses this term (I am also working part time). I know people say that 1 W is no big deal, but it is my senior year and in a required course for my major (so I would retake it later and get a better grade). I am worried the W will look bad in this case, even if it is just one. </p>
<p>Also, I feel I would get better grades in my other courses if I drop this one rough course... my final exam schedule is awful and dropping this course means I will have time to focus on the others at the end of the term. I should mention that my grades have been much better this year (all A's) and I will likely continue the upward trend if I drop the course, but not if I keep it.</p>
<p>Do you think a W would hurt me with employers or grad school applications even if it means my grades will look better?</p>
<p>If it's a core class, or one required for your major, it's difficult to say. I have a high GPA but 4 W's now on my transcript. They are all non-major courses, and 3 of them are classes I never even got a chance to attend because they were withdrawn due to scheduling changes, not poor performance. </p>
<p>Most people, in major classes, take the C or whatever, and move on. A W will draw suspicion I would suspect. Anyways, it's only February, you have plenty of time to improve your grade.</p>
<p>I doubt one W would do any major harm. Employers would probably just think that you overloaded yourself that semester, or something happened in your life. Several W's, on the other hand, do look suspicious.</p>
<p>One W is not that bad. Multiple W's do look suspicious, but few companies will know about them. Most people don't ask for a transcript until after the offer has been made.</p>
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I have a high GPA but 4 W's now on my transcript. They are all non-major courses, and 3 of them are classes I never even got a chance to attend because they were withdrawn due to scheduling changes, not poor performance.
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<p>I would protest those grades. If they changed the course schedule after you registered, it's not your fault that you were withdrawn. Hopefully you were fully refunded if those W's pushed you below full-time.</p>
<p>If I do keep the course, I am worried about how well I will be able to do on the final since I have 4 final exams in the 1st 4 days of exams (out of 17 days). Studying for them all at once will be a nightmare.</p>
<p>Anyone with more advice, please let me hear from you. Has anyone ever dropped a required course late in their undergrad career?</p>
<p>I have to take all of my finals in one week. You have a 17-day finals period???</p>
<p>If taking the course now allows you to graduate on time and postponing it would mean graduating late, I strongly suggest you suck it up and take the course.</p>
<p>Yeah, we have ~2.5 weeks and I will be writing exams prepared for people who generally have finals spread across 2.5 weeks, not 4 days. So in terms of my exam load versus the average one at my school, I will be at a big disadvantage during finals.</p>
<p>I still have another semester regardless of whether I drop the course or not.
The main issue I'm faced with is the W on my transcript and better grades, or no W and worse grades.</p>
<p>Thanks again, any more advice is appreciated.</p>
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I will be writing exams prepared for people who generally have finals spread across 2.5 weeks, not 4 days.
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<p>I don't think you'll find much of a difference. I've taken finals that were over just a week, and some that were over two weeks. The finals tend to be similar. The difference is that when finals are bunched together in a week, the professors generally ease up on assignments and new material the week before finals to give time to study.</p>