Friday, August 21, 2020
Should I Drop My Class
Should I Drop My Class Youâre nearly halfway through your first semester of college, and youâre feeling stuck. Whether you keep skipping the class because a midday nap seems so much better, or you just canât award the brain space to this Econ class right now, all you know is youâre not doing well. As I write this, it is October 4th, aka two weeks away from Illinoiss drop deadline. And while it may be scary, dropping a class may be the way to go. But dropping a class means Iâm a bad student! First off, no. Thatâs a lie we tend to tell ourselves because we feel bad about finding ourselves in a difficult situation. There isnât a perfect list of reasons why you should or should not drop a class. In the end, it comes down to a handful of things: what can you do to improve your class performance, and how would keeping/dropping this class affect you. What can you do to improve? If youâre already skipping this class continuously, if youâre not doing the homework, if you havenât opened the book since September 1st, these could all contribute to a bad grade in one of your courses. If you arenât putting the effort in, it becomes that much harder to get a good grade out of it. In these cases, perhaps you just need to get motivated. Get up for the 9 a.m., go to the office hours even though it seems super awkward, donât start your homework at 11:00 p.m. if its due at 11:59 p.m. If you can do better, try that before you drop the class. That said, if youâre doing what youâre supposed to be doing, itâs suddenly a different case. Sometimes your professor just doesnât explain concepts well, or the book doesnât make sense. If youâve read the book and done the homework and youâre still feeling lost, maybe itâs time to consider dropping. It sucks sometimes when things just donât click, but it should be noted that just because you donât get it now doesnât mean a new teacher and a new perspective might not help. How would keeping/dropping this class affect you? While it is okay to drop classes, you have to understand what that means. Dropping a class could mean going below a certain credit requirement for a scholarship or leave you under the university requirement of twelve credits per semester. If the class is required for your major, you may have to retake this class no matter what, and this course may be a prerequisite for the next class for your major. Dropping a class doesnât make you a bad person and it wonât ruin your academic career, but it isnât something that should be taken lightly. But again, there are no perfect reasons to drop a class. If keeping a class you arenât doing well in is really straining your well-being, maybe youâd be better off dropping. If you canât stand your teacher and feel like theyâre the reason youâre not learning, maybe taking it next semester with a new professor will help things. If you know youâll never be able to get up at 7 a.m. for that Anthro class, maybe consider retaking the class next year but at 11 a.m. If this class is an elective and you really donât need it, drop it. Is there anything else I can do to avoid dropping? There are a few different options if you really donât want to drop a class. Credit/No Credit Course Along with the drop deadline, October 18th is also the Credit/No Credit deadline. Denoting a course as Credit/No Credit means that as long as you get a C- or higher in the class, you pass. What makes this unique is the grade for class will not affect your GPA. Youâll simply get the credits. This is good for if youâre scared a C will ruin your 4.0 but know youâll definitely pass the class. This method, however, canât be used on courses required for your major. So no Credit/No Credit for JOUR 200 if youâre a Journalism major. However, this shouldnât be something you go to whenever times get rough. Grad schools are more likely to pick applicants with fewer C/NC classes than with a bunch, and if you end up getting no credit, some schools automatically count that class as an F because they donât know if you got a D+ or an F-. Pick Up an 8-week Course If youâre worried about not having enough credits or getting behind on getting through your Gen Eds, then an 8-week course might be right up your alley! A lot of them are online and they come in a variety of different majors and concentrations. While it will be a faster learning style because you only have half a semester to get through it, it will keep you from getting behind if you already have a plan for what classes youâre taking in the semesters to come. Things to Remember Youâre not a bad person for dropping a class. Youâre not disappointing anyone and this isnât because youâre stupid. Sometimes situations arise that donât make for the best learning environment, and the best move might be to take a break. But dropping a class doesnât mean you canât take it again or take something similar. Itâs not quittingâ"itâs recalculating to find the best route for your academic future. Jada Class of 2022 I'm a journalism major with an interest in film and television. In my spare time I blow bubbles on the Quad, write blogs and reviews for various websites, and douse myself in glitter to dance at obscure music festivals. That last one's not for attention, I just like glitter.
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