Is it smarter to drop a class or to stick with it

[Kathleen in VA]

even when you have a pretty good idea right from the get go that you're in over your head? Or, put another way, does dropping a class look bad on your transcript? Would it look better to just get a so-so grade (or possibly worse) than to drop the class?

Ds22 is looking over the summer schedule and debating about taking a class he isn't sure he can handle, but he's very, very interested in the subject matter.

[Tree House Academy]

Drop it. I made the mistake of NOT dropping and I still have that big shiny "F" on my college record to show for it. :( (I still managed a 3.2 GPA overall, but it would have been so much better if that "F" wasn't there!) Dropping a class doesn't even SHOW on a transcript. Atleast, it never did on mine. And besides, employers look at your overall GPA and try to get a feel for your work ethic and such...not if you dropped a class or two.

[Nicole M]

Sometimes a class can be taken as pass/fail or it can be audited. If the subject matter is very interesting, he could test the water by auditing, and would not run the risk of trashing his GPA with a low grade.

Just a thought.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

even when you have a pretty good idea right from the get go that you're in over your head? Or, put another way, does dropping a class look bad on your transcript? Would it look better to just get a so-so grade (or possibly worse) than to drop the class?

Ds22 is looking over the summer schedule and debating about taking a class he isn't sure he can handle, but he's very, very interested in the subject matter.

I'm sure this is something that varies from college to college. I know that the one class I dropped doesn't appear on my transcript, even as an incomplete.

Auditing is a good idea. He might look into the option of auditing but converting to credit before a certain date.

Is the class a prereq for higher level classes that he wants/needs? That might make a difference in audit vs. pass/fail vs. full credit.

[Gwen in VA]

I'd encourage him to audit it.

He does NOT want a low grade on his transcript if he knows up front that the class is over his head. Even if he manages to swing a "C", it could end up being his ONLY "C" and thus would stand out, especially to law school admissions people or whatever.

[Jean in Wisc]

But there are tons a kids who drop classes because of schedule changes and whatnot. Dropping is not a big deal as long as you drop before the deadline date.

I would not take the lower grade on my transcript unless I really felt I needed/wanted the class and that the grade did not really matter in the stream of real life.

:) Jean

[K-FL]

I got a "W" (withdraw) for a required class then took it over the next semester. Since I didn't go to grad school, I don't know whether how it looks (or not) on my transcript. :o

[ereks mom]

Drop it. I made the mistake of NOT dropping and I still have that big shiny "F" on my college record to show for it. :(

Yep, me too. It was the first quarter of my freshman year, and I got the English professor from you-know-where -- who apparently had it in for anyone who, like me, had taken the placement test and was placed into her higher-level course. I made an F on pretty much every essay, depsite that fact that I'd made A's on everything I'd written in my high school English class, and went on to make A's & B's on everything else I wrote in several other college English courses. :confused:

[Kathleen in VA]

Thanks, everyone. I forgot about the option of auditing. It is not a course required for his degree - he just wants to learn about it (JAVA programming). I appreciate your input!

[Susan in IL]

First semester freshman, calculus class with a prof that was horrible. Only 2 people passed the class and they had had calculus at cc. I didn't know at the time you could drop a class. Eventually, they fired the prof. because so many kids complained.

I do remember getting a W or a WP (withdraw passing) on my transcript for another class I dropped. There may be differences in the way colleges handle them. Their course book should have a section on how they handle drops.

[Susan in IL]

I audited a class once but I still had to pay the full price for the class. Something else to check out.

[Sharon in MD]

I realize that isn't really the point of your question at this time, but if you fail or make a d in a 3 or 4 credit course, it is the very devil to try to revive your GPA. You can't afford to kill a GPA that way. Regarding dropping versus withdrawing, for me the difference was a withdrawn went on the transcript if you withdrew after drop period ended. Again, better to drop than to withdraw, but better to withdraw than risk failing.

I do think it is a really good idea to check out the individual college's policies. I know I will definitely look into this now for ds before he goes off to school next fall.

For your particular situation, sounds like auditing might be perfect, as long as they don't charge full fare for it!

[Liz CA]

Drop it. I made the mistake of NOT dropping and I still have that big shiny "F" on my college record to show for it. :( (I still managed a 3.2 GPA overall, but it would have been so much better if that "F" wasn't there!) Dropping a class doesn't even SHOW on a transcript. Atleast, it never did on mine. And besides, employers look at your overall GPA and try to get a feel for your work ethic and such...not if you dropped a class or two.

Yes! Drop it and if you absolutely need it, attempt it again when you have fulfilled more prerequisites and feel more comfortable or have by some other way gained more knowledge that will make it easier to follow instructions.

DS had to drop a Spanish class once - it just did not click - but he passed another foreign language class with an A.

It does not show on any transcripts if you drop within the time period allowed.
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