College Senior: Should I drop a class and take a W?

Question

I am a college senior majoring in U.S. History, and I am having trouble in U.S. History class I'm taking now. I have a 3.96 GPA and will be graduating in the Spring, and I'm probably on track to get a B in my troubled course. If I replace the class in Spring, I can pretty much guarantee an A, and will still graduate on time. Should I drop the class and lower my GPA or take the surefire A in the spring with a W on my transcript?

Answer 1

Will this be your only W? If it's your only W, then drop the class, take the W, and take a new class in the Spring. One W on a transcript isn't a big deal.

Make sure dropping the class doesn't drop you below the right number of credits to keep your full time status.

Answer 2

A withdrawl really doesn't hurt you unless you rack up quite a few. A bad grade factors into your GPA and can take a long time to overcome. A D or an F will stick out much more than a W. If you're not planning on going to grad school, then neither one is a big deal. If you are or want to keep the option open, then I suggest the W over the D or F. In applying to grad school, one or two just won't make that much of an impact, but several will. On the other hand, admissions committees understand that life happens sometimes, so if you can explain them, they're usually forgotten. I had several Ws for several reasons, but I still got where I was going for grad school. And for the record, after applying to grad schools, no one has ever asked or cared what my GPA was. Good luck!

Answer 3

Well you have a high GPA and a B won't really affect your GPA. I believe it is better to get a B than have a W on the transcript. If this will be your first W, I think it won't have a much affect on you. You do what you feel is right.

Answer 4

I am majoring in History in College, maybe I can help? What are you having trouble with?

Answer 5

In the real world, no one cares about one "W".