Some of you may have a few questions or may have a little anxiety about making the decision to drop a class. Hopefully the information below will help you make the best decision for you and your situation.
Student: Dropping a class sounds serious.
If I have to drop a class, I must not be cut out to be a (insert major here).
- Making the decision to drop a class can be stressful, but sometimes it can be a really good decision.
- If you have a class that there is no mathematical way you can pass, it is better to drop it than to fail it.
- If you are spending all of your time trying to pull off a D in a class, it is likely that your other grades are suffering because you are not studying enough for the other classes. It may be better to drop it.
- When you drop a class, it shows on your transcript with a grade of W (withdraw). It will not affect your GPA.
- Do not feel that you are the only person dropping a class; I assure you that you are not. Most students drop at least one class sometime in their academic career….many drop multiple classes.
- There are definitely some key classes that could determine success or lack of success in a certain major. But, I encourage you not to make a decision about your aptitude for a career path based on one class. If you are questioning your major, that would be a great reason to have a chat with your advisor.
Student: I am not sure if I should drop or not.
You have some options to help you make that decision.
- Talk to your instructor-- The faculty are here to help you. Are you sure you have an accurate assessment of how you are doing in the class? Sometimes you can get so overwhelmed by one bad assignment or test that you lose sight of the big picture. Your teacher can give you an assessment of how you are doing. I know that it can be scary and a little embarrassing to talk with a teacher when you aren't doing well in his or her class. Don't let that stop you!
- Talk to your advisor-- Your advisor can give you advice about whether it would be good to drop the class, but another important thing that your advisor can tell you is how dropping the class will affect your schedule in future quarters. MSOE curriculums have many prerequisites built into them. Depending on what class you drop, it could cause your graduation to be delayed. Be informed about how dropping a class will affect your college career. Another thing your advisor can tell you is how many other classes build on the class in which you are struggling. Sometimes earning a D means that you don’t have a strong enough foundation for future classes and sometimes D is for done; your advisor can help you make those types of assessments. I know it can be scary and a little embarrassing to talk with your advisor when you aren’t doing well. Don’t let that stop you!
- Talk to someone in the Financial Aid Office—We encourage all students who are dropping a class and who are receiving financial aid to touch base with someone in the Financial Aid Office prior to dropping. If you are receiving financial aid,here is a federal regulation that requires you to successfully complete a certain percentage of the credits that you attempt. I encourage you to review theand contact the Financial Aid Office if you believe dropping the course(s) may put you in danger of being put on financial aid warning or financial aid suspension.
- Use Midterm Progress Reports-- Midterm progress reports are a great tool to get feedback from an instructor. MSOE does not record midterm grades. However, you have the option to receive feedback from your instructor using the Midterm Progress Report Form.
Student: I “dropped” the class. I stopped going a few weeks ago. I don’t have to do paperwork, right?
- Wrong. If the course is not officially dropped from your schedule, then you didn’t drop…you just stopped attending. Your faculty have the option to drop you, but they are not required to do so. You should never assume that just because you stopped going to class, your instructor dropped you. Ultimately, you are responsible for the classes on your schedule. Fill out the paperwork or there is a very good chance that you will earn a grade of F in the class.
Student: I can't drop below full-time status.
When I hear students say that, my question is "Are you sure?" As a reminder, you are a full-time student if you have 12 credits or more. If you believe that dropping below full-time will cause issues, I strongly encourage you to talk to the appropriate staff member to make sure you have accurate information before making the decision to stay in the class and earn the F on your record. Often "I will lose my financial aid" is the reason given. If that is the reason you believe you cannot drop it, and if you have not talked with a person in the Financial Aid Office, you need to do that before making the decision to keep the class to ensure an accurate assessment of the situation.
Student: I am still stressed.
Stress is not always a bad thing! It means that you are taking your education seriously. The important thing is to assess why you need to drop this class so that you can learn from this experience and have a more successful winter term. Now is a good time to do a little soul searching on things like:
- Did I study enough to expect success? (The rule of thumb is a minimum of two hours of work outside of class for every hour in class.)
- Should I have set up tutoring for this class earlier in the term? (And if you didn’t seek out a tutor, why didn’t you?)
- Did I take advantage of my faculty member’s office hours?
- Do I have good study skills? (If not, Counseling Services or the Raider Center for Academic Success can give you tips on effective study skills.)
- How was my class attendance?
- Did I do all of the homework assigned even if it wasn't collected?
Student: I decided to drop the class. Now what do I do?
- You must fill out Dropping a Class Form. Students can only drop classes via myMSOE through Friday of the first week of the term.
- The completed form must be submitted to the Registrar's Office before the deadline--Monday of the 8th week of classes at 6:00 pm.
Feel free to email me or stop by our office if you have questions. Have a great day!
Mary Nielsen
Office: CC365
Phone: 414-277-7216
Email: nielsen@msoe.edu