College offers a chance to change and mature. Providing a path to the future; picking a major, an apartment or dorm, roommates or no roommates and when to drop a class and when to add courses.
With so much going on in your day-to-day life it can become difficult to choose right from wrong. Everything can blur together, leaving your mind racing with big questions and concerns. How do I pick a major? What roommate(s) do I get along with? And the most important question of all, should you drop that class? With so many questions and uncertainty, it is important to think about the pros and cons of each choice.
When confronting the question of keeping, dropping and adding courses, it is important to consider all options. There are upsides to dropping classes, but how can you know you are making the right choice?
A student’s main fear is failing a class. The repercussions can affect your GPA and may mean having to retake the class. When dropping a class, this is a chance to eliminate the fear altogether, because your GPA will not be affected.
“GPAs are important while in college. They determine graduation and getting into a grad school,” Ali Bretthauer, project director for Aspiring Teacher Leadership and Success, said.
Pushing back a student’s graduation date can be concerning not only for the individual but for parents as well.
“Specific classes and courses are not offered every semester,” Bretthauer said.
Dropping a class can and will affect a student’s class schedule in the future. With this in mind, students often think about the repercussions of dropping a class, before committing to a choice.
“They may feel like they cannot be successful in the class,” Bretthauer said.
However, there are benefits to dropping a class, contrary to popular belief.
Bretthauer said a student could drop a class that they do not need, since each choice is very personal to the situation and student.
When concerns about GPAs are raised, students take pride and want assurance on their grade point average.
Lastly, dropping classes can affect a student’s financial aid, loans, scholarships and state aid. Dropping a class may result in the loss of full-time student status. Financial aid covers half-time, three-quarter time and full-time students.
“12-18 credits is considered full time, 15 credits for on track for a four year program,” Ruth Ryan, Academic Success and Career Advisor associate director, said.
If a student drops below 12 credits, they will likely still be eligible for aid. However, grant money will be given in proportion to the level of enrollment.
“I encourage students to check with SFS, or their scholarship provider and with their adviser if they are considering dropping or withdrawing from classes. Sometimes dropping or withdrawing is the best choice, but asking questions allows for students to be fully informed of the impact, both financially and academically,” Ryan said.
Financial aid services are in the French Administration Building on campus.
Sometimes dropping a class is inevitable. Other times, there is a chance to seek out resources on campus to better a student’s chance of passing a class and achieving a high grade. There are always people on campus that want to help, like academic advisers, professors, the access center, tutoring, the writing center and so much more.