Withdraw or Tough it out?

College Life
1

Hi, i’m in my final semester of CC. i’m going to be applying for transfer after this fall semester. I’m taking the spring semester and summer semester off to go do an internship in Alaska. I’m a biology major, focusing in conservation/wildlife/zoology.

I’ve taken 16-18 credits each semester, this semester i’m taking 17. I have a 4.0. This semester I decided to take painting 2 because i’ve been a painter for years, but i’m self taught and would like to gain some professional skills. I was really excited for the class, but after the first day i’m having doubts. I’m not sure if I should withdraw or what.

  1. The campus is an 85 miles away each way. My CC is spread out over a large tricounty area with the capital of my state and is known for it's awful traffic issues. I live in a small farm town west of the city and have to pass through rush hour traffic to get there. Last time it took me 2 hours to and back. I'm used to driving about an hour to get to class since I live in such a small town, but this course wasn't offered at the closest campus so i'm having to drive extra.
  2. The class is LONG. it's 9 AM to 3:30 PM. I'm leaving the house at 6:30 and not getting back till around 5:30, which is honestly a very long day. We only have a 15 minute break. However, it is only on Fridays.
  3. It doesn't work out with my work schedule very well. I work for a daycare and my schedule is 2:30-6:30 M-F.It really puts my coworkers in a pickle on Fridays and I feel bad for not being there, especially because I genuinely love my job.
  4. The professor is a bit arrogant and unpleasant. He forced us to buy very high quality oil paints, paintbrushes, gesso, etc. This annoyed me because I paint in acrylic and have very high quality acrylics and supplies that I have at home, but he told us if we paint in acrylic we will get a grade deduction, even though it's a painting class, not an oil painting class. So I had to go out and buy new, expensive supplies of things I already have at home because they weren't the exact brand he wanted.

I spent a total of 250$ on all the supplies he told us to buy. We also had to pay a 75$ course materials fee, for who knows what since we had to buy all materials ourselves. This costs more than the class tuition! He told us if we don’t buy these same paints he will deduct points from our grade and I can’t afford that, since i’m in my final semester and really want to keep my 4.0. It’s also annoying because I could take a painting class at my local art center for 40$ a month, supplies included.

I’m not too worried about my grade because he told us that if we buy the right supplies and show up to class everytime we will get a 100.

I want to drop it, but the only things holding me back are that 1, i enjoy painting and love doing it, and feel like I would learn a lot, and 2, I don’t want colleges to see that I only took 13 credits my final semester and think that I am getting lazy.

If I did drop it, I would get a 75% tuition refund and could return all of the art supplies, so I’d get around 500$ back, which will be useful since i’m trying to save money for my move to Alaska and to whereever I go to college next.

Basically, what’s your opinion? I have until Monday to decide or else I will get a W on my transcript.

2

Drop the class.

3

Unless you need the credit, I’d drop it and look for an adult-ed painting class closer to home. Nothing about this class sounds like it works well for you. (If you do need the credit, I’d look for another class that fits better with your life.)

4

@happy1 Thanks, I just wasn’t sure if this was what college art classes are like or if this is abnormal

5

I don’t know about college level art classes – but if you are taking a class for fun (and don’t need the credit) and it isn’t fun then find something else to do with your time and money.

6

Drop it, really sounds like more inconvenience than learning experience.

7

“Unless you need the credit, I’d drop it”

I agree completely. It is not worth the cost and the trouble.

“and look for an adult-ed painting class closer to home”

Entirely up to you.

8

@aussielover996 I would drop the class. Take a painting class on your free time or over the summer. Not worth the money and time expenditure.

9

Badly worded on my part but I only suggested adult-ed painting class because it sounded like something the OP wanted to pursue. Of course absolutely no need to do that unless the OP has both the interest and time to do so.

10

@Dad2grls Yeah, I only took the painting class because I have been painting for years, selling my artwork, and I want to develop foundational skills. I didn’t take it because I need an art credit or something.

11

Can you drop it and add something else more convenient? Seems possible since it is the first week of classes.

12

@intparent Nope, our last day of registration was Aug 29th, the day after the first day of classes, which is a bit annoying

13

Too bad. I’d drop it, though.