Should you drop your Computer Science Course?
If you are getting a D or an F at mid-term, you should consider dropping the course by the drop deadline.
Here are some arguments students like to make not to drop a course:
But I will start studying much harder now.
- Good intentions are admirable, but consider that the bulk of the work in the course is at the end, and you are already behind. Your chances of catching up are poor at best. Be realistic – think of the chance you are taking. If you get a D or F in the course your grade point average will suffer forever, and you will need to repeat the course in any case if you remain a CS major. If you decide later to change to another major, the bad grade in this course may prevent you from having the GPA necessary to get into your new major.
It doesn’t matter if I get a bad grade because I can always Repeat/Delete.
- First of all, nothing actually gets “deleted” from your transcript, even under the new policy. While CSU may take the effect of a bad grade out of your GPA calculation (and this doesn’t happen automatically), the course and grade remain on your transcript forever. There are also a number of restrictions on the use of the “repeat/delete” policy that may cause you to reconsider whether it is wise or not to use this option. More information on this policy may be obtained from the Records Office at 100 Administration Annex.
If I drop the course I will lose my financial aid.
- Not necessarily. W-dropping a course may or may not have financial aid consequences. It is most likely to have consequences if W dropping the course means eliminating more than 25% of your schedule (or causes you to exceed the 75% completion rule for completing all your courses), or drops you below 12 hours. If you have questions concerning the impact dropping a course may have on your financial aid, contact a Student Financial Services representative in 103 Administration Annex or by calling 491-6321 (press 3).
If I drop the course I’ll be kicked out of the dorms.
- Probably not. The University Residence Halls only require students to be enrolled in 6 credits. Dropping one course from a full time schedule should not affect your status with Student Housing. Even students who drop below 6 hours can petition to stay in the residence halls.
If I drop the course I can’t graduate on time.
- Not necessarily. While you may need to take a few additional credits in later semesters or in summer, you can usually make up for dropping one course. Receiving a D or F is going to have a much greater impact on your degree prospects.
If I drop the course my parents will be angry.
- Think of how angry they would be if you were on probation or flunked out of school. Parents can be quite understanding, especially when they consider the alternatives.
""If I drop now I’ll get a W grade. Doesn’t a “W” on my transcript look bad?""
- No. Getting a handful of W’s on your college transcript is normal. No one thinks anything of it. It has no effect on your GPA. If you were to accumulate two or three W’s every semester, it might show a pattern of not being able to complete what you start, but a few of them over a college career means nothing to anyone. In any case, a W on your transcript is a whole lot better than a D or F.
How do I drop a course?
- The same way you enrolled in the first place, by using RamWeb to drop instead of add.