{"id":47706,"date":"2019-12-17T07:11:50","date_gmt":"2019-12-17T14:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2019\/12\/withdrawing-from-a-college-course\/"},"modified":"2019-12-17T07:11:50","modified_gmt":"2019-12-17T14:11:50","slug":"withdrawing-from-a-college-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/withdrawing-from-a-college-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Withdrawing From a College Course"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret: college is stressful. You\u2019ve got essays stacking up, exams around the corner, extracurricular commitments eating away at your study time, and of course, somewhere in between all that, you\u2019d like to have a social life. We get it; it\u2019s enough to make your head spin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re feeling overworked, overcommitted, or as if you\u2019re in over your head with your current coursework, you might find yourself asking the dreaded question every college student has faced at one point or another: should I withdraw from a course?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Withdrawing from a course can be a scary concept. The \u201cW\u201d it marks on your transcript can leave a pit of dread in the stomachs of even the most reasonable of college students. But never fear; we\u2019re here to help.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll tell you everything you need to know about withdrawing from a course, and we\u2019ll help you to figure out when taking the \u201cW\u201d is better than sticking with a course.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does it mean to withdraw from a class?<\/h2>\n

Most universities provide students with a \u201cdrop-add period\u201d during which students can sign up for classes, drop out of classes, or switch classes with no repercussions on their transcripts or student records. The length of this period varies between institutions, but it typically lasts between one week and one month, with three weeks being about average. During this period, you can get a sense for how engaging a course or professor will be, how difficult the workload appears, and whether you can balance your semester\u2019s course load successfully. However, oftentimes, one doesn\u2019t know whether they can successfully handle their work until the first batch of exams rolls around, and that\u2019s typically well after the drop-add free-for-all has ended.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what do you do when you think you want to drop a class, but the option no longer exists?\u00a0 You can take another route: <\/span>withdraw from the class.<\/b><\/p>\n

What happens when you withdraw from a class?<\/h2>\n

Withdrawing from class means exiting the course with a \u201cW\u201d on your transcript. This \u201cW\u201d does not factor into your GPA, but it can be readily seen by anyone reviewing your transcript in the future. Depending on the college, students can withdraw from classes up to a certain point in the semester (usually mid-to-late semester, but a deadline does exist.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to withdraw from a class<\/h2>\n

Before choosing to withdraw from a class, speak with your academic advisor about your reasoning. Below, we\u2019ve compiled a checklist of possible reasons to withdraw from a course, and we\u2019ve included our thoughts on when these reasons stack up to a compelling withdrawal decision. However, every student\u2019s course load and commitments are different, so don\u2019t be afraid to seek the advice of mentors whose job it is to see you succeed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note that simply not showing up for a class does not count as a withdrawal (that would likely end up with a \u201cF\u201d on your transcript, which is inarguably far worse than a \u201cW.\u201d) To withdraw, you need to file a withdrawal with your academic registrar, which can likely be done from the comfort of your laptop screen.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve found yourself in the position of questioning whether withdrawing from a course is right for you, take a look at our rationale below:<\/span><\/p>\n

Reasons to withdraw from a class<\/h2>\n

There are plenty of good reasons to withdraw from a college class.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re overcommitted.\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Perhaps you\u2019ve been overambitious this semester and chose to take five, instead of the usual four, courses. After the first cycle of midterms and essays rolled through, you didn\u2019t perform as well as you\u2019d like in some of your courses. You feel that if you only had four classes on your plate, you could focus on delivering stronger performance and maintain a stronger GPA.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This is typically the best-case scenario from withdrawing. Your transcript will show that you took on more courses than necessary from the start, and that you adjusted accordingly. In this case, the \u201cW\u201d marked beside the fifth course could very well stand for \u201cwisdom.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Too many extracurriculars. Perhaps your course load is pretty standard, but you don\u2019t have time to commit to studying for your courses because you\u2019re overbooked outside the classroom. It\u2019s common for ambitious students to invest in extracurricular activities, and depending on the activity, it might be perfectly fine to withdraw from a course to focus your energy elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this scenario, we advise you to take a hard look at your extracurriculars. Before choosing to withdraw from a course, could you instead take a semester\"Caltech-Beckman-Auditorium\"\u2019s break from an extracurricular activity? Think about what will make you the most compelling applicant to jobs or grad programs after college \u2013 if your extracurricular involvement is more meaningful than this one bothersome course, it could be okay to withdraw.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The course wasn\u2019t what you expected.<\/span><\/h3>\n

Maybe you took a \u201cfun\u201d elective only to learn that it wasn\u2019t fun at all. Turns out, it\u2019s the hardest, most demanding course on your roster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If an elective is detracting from your in-major required coursework, you shouldn\u2019t feel bad about withdrawing from it. Anyone reviewing your transcript will be able to tell that the \u201cW\u201d corresponds to a course outside your wheelhouse. They\u2019ll assume \u201cInterpretive Dance\u201d just wasn\u2019t for you!\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A required course is being offered again. Perhaps you don\u2019t jive with a certain professor, or maybe the time-slot is causing you to miss too many class sessions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So long as you take the course again and do well in it, anyone reviewing your transcript will see that a \u201cW\u201d this term resulted in a \u201cA\u201d next term, and they\u2019ll be hard-pressed to hold that withdrawal against you.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Is withdrawing from a class bad?<\/h2>\n

As you can see from the rationale above, withdrawing from a course often isn\u2019t nearly as scary as it might seem. More times than not, there are great reasons for withdrawing from a course. That said, here are some further considerations to help you decide if withdrawing from a class is a bad move:<\/span><\/p>\n

Year in college<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re a freshman, the stakes are lower. Employers and graduate schools look at your trajectory throughout your college career. A mess-up freshman year won\u2019t count as harshly as one in your senior fall, for example.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Number of withdrawals<\/span><\/h3>\n

Two withdrawals in all four years? No big deal. A withdrawal every term? Consider sticking it out. You don\u2019t want to look like the kind of person who consistently can\u2019t deliver on what they set out to do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Elective course or in your major?\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

If it\u2019s an elective, don\u2019t stress as much about withdrawing. If it\u2019s a required course for your major, you\u2019ll need to get through it before graduation anyway, so unless there\u2019s a solid reason you think you could do better re-taking the course next term, it might behoove you to finish it now.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

GPA impact<\/span><\/h3>\n

This is a big one: How badly would your GPA be affected by sticking out the course? If you think you can finish with a B and you need the course, should you really withdraw? If you know you\u2019ll get an F and that it will tank your GPA, better to take the W and try again next term.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n

In short, every decision to withdraw from a class is unique to the course load, commitments, and rationale of the student. The main takeaway should be: if you absolutely HAVE to drop a class, don\u2019t stress out. Instead, make sure that the STORY your transcript and extracurricular activities you\u2019re telling throughout your college career is own of growth and self-improvement. Learn from the slew of factors that caused you to need to withdraw from this course, and do you best to correct for them in the future!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

====<\/p>\n

***Admissionado Products and Services!<\/a>***<\/p>\n

Now, read up and get smart:<\/p>\n