<p>If this happens a couple times, couldn't you totally work this to your advantage?</p>
<p>By this I mean work hard to get A's in some classes and totally slack on others and just get a "Pass" on it? (probably the ones you don't enjoy or are not pertaining to your major). </p>
<p>What do you guys think about this cheap way out?</p>
<p>Generally, you cannot do that manuever. Most colleges have rules that either limit the number of courses you can take pass fail or require any courses taken toward the major and to meet gen ed requirement be taken for grade, and thus you are quite limited in number of pass fail courses you can take. Some, like MIT, do pass fail for all freshman, but then everything thereafter, is usually for grade. Also, as many discover, those few elective courses you can take pass fail that are outside your major are very often courses you want to take for grade because you can get a good grade and actually raise your GPA.</p>
<p>As Drusba said, most colleges limit the number of pass/fail courses you can take. At most schools you can only do this for one or two non-engineering electives (if you can do it at all).</p>
<p>At my school, you're allowed to take an average of one pass/fail class per quarter. However, you are NOT allowed to take any classes required for your major (this includes your math and physics classes along with the engineering ones) for pass/fail. </p>
<p>And as mentioned before, you want those general education classes to boost your gpa.</p>
<p>Ok, but will employers look down upon pass/fails, given that you only do a minimal number of pass/fails?</p>
<p>probably not, especially if they have nothing to do with math/science...they'll still pay attention to the grades of the non-math/science, but having a P/F wont do any harm most likely, they'll just skip over it</p>