Should I Drop a Course?

Question

I'm in my first year of university and instead of taking the normal 5 course load, I'm taking 6. Now I love all my courses, but I'm taking a language elective. I'm torn between dropping it or not. I have no idea how the rest of my term will turn out to be (really hard or easy) because it's my first shot at uni. Every time I step towards the advisor's office, I turn around and think, "It's not that much work."

I'm afraid it will be too much work, but it seems as if this will be my only chance to take it--in other years I'll get too bogged down by my double major requirements!

Help, please.

Answer 1

Just relax--you make it sound so life and death! There is really no way to predict what your schedule or workload will be like years from now. If you feel like the course is too much work now, then drop it. Why are you beating yourself up so much over it?

Answer 2

Yes and no. There should be a lot of factors before deciding either way about dropping one course. The average amount of time spent on studying for the course is on average 2-3 for every hour in class.

First, have you gone over the syllabus for how many projects or papers due for each course? Are there times when several papers overlap in the same week? Filling out a calendar would point this out.

Second, how much of a social life do you want on campus? If you enjoy socializing or joining clubs, this could make it very hard to have a decent social life.

Third, are you working during the semester or not? This could be a huge problem with taking 6 courses a semester when major projects become due at the same time.

Fourth, it is hard to judge a course within the first week or two of the course even with an outline. Some instructors just do a brief outline of the course during the syllabus and then hand out the various assignment details later.

Fifth, it should be dependent upon your course load. Almost all of them are introductory courses which could make a six course schedule possible. But then again, syllabuses can be misleading when it comes to how difficult of a grader the instructor will be over time.

Finally, the exams tend to be a bit more difficult than high school. Many instructors rely on both the textbook and classroom notes to create an exam.

With it being your first semester, you might be wiser to drop a course and bring it down to five courses for the semester. If you were an experienced college student and wanted to try it, I would probably say yes.

Answer 3

Bravo! First of all, kudos to you for taking such a solid courseload. Many freshmen want to take it easy their first year but it seems you don't have that problem. Beware that you don't get burnt out so early in the game. But also, don't waste your college time, especially with your double major goals. You can always take it easier during your senior year, as a reward for your four years of hard work.

My advice to you is to take note of the last Drop Day for this semester or quarter and mark it very prominently on your calendar. You can drop the class as a last resort. But the fact that you love all your courses is a good reason to stick with them all and take it on a weekly watch-and-see basis. Your workload will certainly increase as the semester progresses, and it will require you to be more disciplined and organized in the way you study and handle upcoming deadlines such as projects and exams. Unless you are like some of the brainiacs that I went to school with who could still get straight A's with a minimum of studying, you may also have to sacrifice play time with your friends and study harder. Mind you, managing to the last Drop Day is a decision you'll have to make now because you need to find that elusive tipping point where it becomes either better to cut your losses and run or, because you've already invested so much time and effort, to just follow through and finish the course. Only you can determine that tipping point.

Having said that, I encourage you to stick with the language elective. Learning a new language is never a waste as it helps you understand other cultures, history, other languages and it will help you enjoy your foreign travel more later on.

It will be up to you to balance how much time to devote to each class and to make sure your performance in any one class is not hurt by spending too much time on another. I found that I spent more time, naturally, on the classes I really enjoyed. Only you can make that call.

Best of luck!!!

Answer 4

My first semester it was recommended to me to only take 4 courses so I don't become overwhelmed with coursework. It turned out that it was very easy for me to take on the 4 courses, so the next semester I took 6 to make up for the one I lost. BIG mistake. You never know how the courses are going to be set up, and as it should happen four of those courses had exams and papers due around the same time throughout the semester. Imagine writing four 10 pg papers that are all due the same day. Start with 5 courses, and if you are comfortable with the workload, take 6 next semester.

Answer 5

Its really personal oppinion, ive taken 16 credit hours, but ive also taken 12. It really depends on your life outside of class. and im a double major also, so i know how the school can push you to take more. The best advice is that if you think you can handle it try it for a semester. Your learn from your mistakes. And if you pass all of your classes then keep taking it. Dont let your advisor tell you what to do. You are the one who is paying for the classes!

Answer 6

school is a LOT of work. first year courses are generally easier,but I know that I sure got a shock when I saw my course outlines for those first classes! I'd write down when all of your reading/ projects/ etc are due in a calendar. That will give you a concrete pov - ie, if your work is evenly spread out, you should be able to handle it if you are organized. But if you have 3 projects due the same week, look out! Also, languages can be HARD if you don't have any experience with them.... good luck!

Answer 7

Go with your first thought, don't drop it. Work really hard this term and then reward yourself by taking only 4/5 courses next term. If you think you can handle it than you probably can. Just stay focused and use your time wisely and everything should be fine. Good luck to you.

Answer 8

Why don't you talk to the instructor and find out more info on the upcoming class projects and use that to determine whether or not you should drop it. At least now you can get a full refund if you drop it. I'm sure you can do it this one semester though and knock it out then decide if you will "never do that again". If you are concerned about maintaining a high gpa then you should drop it, because it will hinder your performance at the least.

Answer 9

well, i think it all depends on what you really want to do career wise. why six? do you need the six? i'm thinking it might be a little too much.

i have heard that at this stage of education, there is a lot of work to be done. do speak to the advisor, and also think about whether or not you really need the courses. you must know what you want to do. if they all relate to what career you would like to have in the future and you can handle it, then keep them all. if not, drop something you know you won't need.

Answer 10

If this is your one and only time and you really can't handle the extra load. I wouldn't recommend making a habit out of it or it will really hurt you. If you can tuff it out though do it, get as much as you can out of the way now! I couldn't take more than 4 classes in a week. But if you can take 4+ more power to you! Best wishes!