Should you drop your class?

Seven reasons to drop it like it’s hot (and seven reasons to stick it out)!

*updated August 10, 2021 with 2021/2022 deadlines

Drop It

1. You’re just not jiving with the prof.

Profs are people too, and people have different styles of teaching and communicating. If this prof isn’t meshing with how you roll take a different class or try again but with a different prof (this is especially true for the intro courses that have multiple sections).

2. You’re two weeks in and you’ve already skipped four classes.

Hmm… are you really going to change your habits now? If not, call it, and drop the course.

3. It isn’t what you thought it would be.

Calendar description and reality not lining up? Sometimes that can be awesome (read: the course is way cooler than you thought it would be), and sometimes it’s not. In that case, it is okay to jump ship and find a course that lines up better with your needs.

4. This is the fifth course to have all the midterms and finals land all at the same time.

At first it didn’t seem like a big deal, but now you realize that having all this work pile up at the same time is not going to be good for your stress levels. Cut yourself some slack, go ahead and drop a course.

5. You got some crap going on in your life outside of school and you need to scale back your academic demands.

Real life doesn’t start after university. Real life is now. And that can sometimes mean needing to make adjustments. If that means taking one or two fewer courses in a term to deal with the non-academic stuff going on in your world, that is okay.

6. This is a 100-level course and you’re over your junior-level course allotment.

Thought it would be fun to take another intro course? It can be, but just be aware that if you are over the maximum junior courses you can take (that’s *48 by the way), you’ll need to declare one of those courses as “extra to your degree”, and then still make up *3 to get to your total *120. So it’s all good, but if you don’t want any ‘extra’ courses then drop it.

7. You’re failing and you’re likely going to get an F for a final mark (or maybe you’re a straight A student and you’re at a solid D right now).

This is something you’re likely going to be thinking about more so towards the end of term. On your transcript a “W” is always better than an “F”. That’s because an “F” is averaged into your GPA and a “W” is not. Similarly, if you’ve got straight A’s otherwise, you might want to consider withdrawing from a course where a bad grade will really pull down your GPA.

Stick It Out

1. You need to take the course as part of your degree requirements.

Enough said.

2. You need it to maintain full-time status.

Full-time status is *9 in each fall and winter term. Maintaining full-time status (or not) can impact your ability to receive financial aid, awards, scholarships or study visas.

3. You need it to maintain a certain course-load as part of your specific program.

If you are in any program other than the Bachelor of Arts (BA), talk to an advisor to make sure dropping a course won’t cause problems.

4. The course is only offered once a year (or maybe even once every two years).

If you don’t know this and you drop it, it could really mess with your plans for next term or next year.

5. It’s a prerequisite to another course(s).

Same issue as number 4.

6. It isn’t what you thought it would be.

This point was on the other list too. Sometimes not being what you expected can be uncomfortable at first, but it can also provide you some cool ways to grow and learn. Consider staying in the class and getting out of your comfort zone.

7. You don’t like it, but you can do it.

This is definitely the adulting part of university. Time to pull up your socks, buckle down and just get it done. And don’t worry, you’re not the only one to feel this way!

Add/drop deadline is September 15, 2021 (Fall) & January 18, 2022 (Winter) — Drop a class before this and you’re not charged for anything, and nothing is noted on your transcript (it’s like it never happened).

50% fee refund deadline is October 4, 2021 (Fall) & February 4, 2022 (Winter)— Drop a class between Sept. 16 — Oct. 4 or Jan. 19 — and Feb. 4 and a “W” appears on your transcript and you only pay 50% of the tuition for that class.

Withdrawal deadline is November 30, 2021 (Fall) & April 1, 2022 (Winter) — This is your last day to withdraw from class. Drop a class Oct. 5— Nov. 30 or Feb. 5 — April 1 and a “W” appears on your transcript and you pay 100% of the tuition costs for that class.