FAQ’s re: DROPPING COURSES
If, after making strategic changes in your approach you are not able to improve your academic performance, you have the option of dropping one class with a “W”.
Monday, November 5, is the LAST DAY TO DROP one class or 4 credits with a “W.”
This means you could drop HEBR 111 (6 credits, but one class) or ENGL 212 and KNES 155N (4 credits, but two classes).
WHAT IF I NEED TO DROP MORE THAN 4 CREDITS?
If extenuating personal circumstances are causing difficulty with your academics, please contact me ASAP. There is help available on campus, and academic procedures to be followed, should you need assistance handling the academic consequences of a personal situation. It is better to “strategize” now, while you have options, than to wait and do nothing, hoping the situation will “right” itself.
WHAT IF I AM RECEIVING FINANCIAL AID?
Check with your Financial Aid counselor in the Lee Building NOW if dropping a course would put you below 12 credits. Most aid programs allow this provided you began the semester with 12 or more credits, but there may be a few that do not – and it can be expen$ive to make an incorrect assumption.
HOW DO I KNOW I “SHOULD” DROP A COURSE?
- Is the coursework in the class so heavy, and/or the likelihood of passing it so slim, that it is taking away from other courses? If the answer is “yes,” then it may be a good idea to drop the course. It is usually better to drop a course and earn A’s and B’s in 4 classes than one B, 3 C’s and an F in 5 classes.
- Be honest with yourself. Refer to your course syllabus to get a realistic idea regarding what percentage of your grade is already determined and how much improvement is mathematically possible. Remember that what is “mathematically” possible may not be “realistically” possible.
- Speak to your instructor to get his/her opinion.
- Last, if you are worried about “getting behind” in your credits, remember that you could take a Winter Term or summer school class at a local community college to catch up.
ARE “W’S” BAD?
No, a few W’s over the course of an academic career are not “bad.” There will be no indication on your transcript whether you were failing or passing at the time of the drop, and W’s are not calculated into your GPA.
If, on the other hand, you withdraw from a course EVERY SEMESTER, you could lead an employer or graduate admissions committee to think you weren’t very good at setting reasonable goals for yourself… and this is not a good thing. Expectations are fairly lenient for first- and second-year students; and much less so for upper-level students.
IF I DROP BELOW 12 CREDITS, THAT MAKES ME PART-TIME. IS THAT BAD?
No – at this point in the semester, it won’t affect your residence hall status or your tuition. If you had dropped to part-time during the first 5 days of the semester, it would have changed your tuition bill and your eligibility for housing. At this point, it doesn’t change anything.
RESOURCES:
USUALLY, the MOST IMPORTANT STRATEGY = INCREASE YOUR STUDY TIME:
-- Aim to study at least 2 hours per credit hour carried, e.g., 30 hours a week (or about 4 hours a day) for a 15-credit load.
-- “Study” in this context means: reading, note-taking, library research, tutorial help, group study, writing, self-quizzing, etc.
ACTIVE LEARNING STRATEGIES
...and FREQUENT REVIEW
^ This will help you RETAIN INFORMATION and actually remember what you are learning.
REMEMBER
-- You do not need to do it all at one sitting (cramming is not effective!).
-- You can take “days off” if you put extra hours in on other days (use a planner to manage your time!)
For more information on UMD's drop policy: