<p>Babyontheway - Read my post. My input regarding the transcript was simply common sense. If he is leaving mid-semester, doing everything you can to make sure things are as smooth as possible for your student is smart. Talking to someone to see if a medical w/d (if that is the case) would make a difference in the way the transcript reads is proactive. </p>
<p>While your thought process of a day by day approach may be applicable to some, the OP has already stated that her son is leaving for the semester. His semester is not ending eventually…it is ending now. Some proactive steps on her part may make things easier on him in the long run.</p>
<p>As a biology/chemistry/psychology major who experienced burnout and didn’t do anything about it:</p>
<p>If he says he needs time off, then he NEEDS it. Trust me. I felt too guilty to actually take time off, and I regret it (and so does my GPA).</p>
<p>Let him leave, but have him come home. Don’t let him stay at school. Have him work or do something productive until he is ready to return in the fall. Don’t make him feel guilty, but it is okay to have him eventually reimburse you for the expenses you paid (tuition, room & board, etc.) for this semester. Keep encouraging him until he’s ready to finish.</p>
<p>When a 20 year old with a 3.8 GPA says they just can’t absorb the information then he needs time off. He sounds like a kid who has worked very hard in a difficult major. There is no ammount of money that is worth worrying over. Things work out when a person is happy and with a clear head. As far as W’s are concerned they should not be something to consider at this point. The only thing that matters is whether your son is OK. Is it possible for you to go see him for yourself? The only way you will understand what is going on is to look at your son…believe me we have made those trips just to get a look. Kids who are in the hard sciences go through a burn out point. I almost think that it would be good for most kids to take a semester or a year off. The stress of problem sets and lab time and tough exams could get anyone down. I could not imagine a kid with a 3.8 not feeling burned out. I have three kids in the hard sciences so I could tell you that I saw this in some degree with each of my kids. Just love him, and support his decision to rest his weary brain. I hope you will get to see him this weekend. Goodluck!</p>