Advice on dropping a summer class..

[Texafornia]

Hello everyone,

I wanted some advice about a summer class that I am taking. I am currently in a 5 credit, five week long pre-calculus course at a community college and I am failing. I've only got three more weeks to go, but I just don't think that I can pass this class let alone make a decent letter grade, or actually absorb enough of the material to be able to utilize it in physics and calculus this fall, and because of this I am considering dropping it. I know that if I took this class in fall I could certainly make an A in it, granted I had a different professor.
The whole reason behind me asking for advice on this is because I don't have a perfect transcript. For the first few years of college I failed and dropped classes right and left because of depression and some other personal problems. Anyways, because my gpa will only be around a 3.2 when I apply to podiatry school, does it make sense to have yet another W on my transcript and save my GPA(this would be my 7th, I think, but haven't dropped or failed a class since 2012) or run the risk of not passing this course/barely sliding by with a C? Since my stint of being academically irresponsible, I have had at least a 3.90 for three semesters, but I can't help but feel that I've just ruined any chance at ever getting in to podiatry school and I really don't know what to do.

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[heybrother]

If you are going to fail the class then you should absolutely withdraw if you can. An W and an F should mean the same thing to the reader of the transcript, but one of them will get factored into your GPA and one of them won't. A 3.2 is fine especially if it comes with an above average MCAT. As for whether you will get an F or get a C - you need to do your own risk management on that - does your syllabus reveal the exact total point count and if so what percentage of the remaining points would you need to pass. Don't answer me - investigate. Speak to your professor - especially about any presumptions you make in calculating your grade. Speak to tutoring. Be pro-active - do not slide into anything.

 

[LittleMopeHead]

A "W" is better than an "F" on any transcript and, as heybrother stated above, it doesn't get factored into the GPA calculation. Three weeks (to podiatry students) is a lot of time to study for one class, especially if it's the only one you are taking this summer. If it was me, I would take heybrother's advice on calculating how much you need in order to pass and then go from there. If it seems possible, I would go ahead and study real hard for the final and pass it the best as I can. This way you can get it out of the way and move on. Only you can do this assessment on whether to drop it or not. One disadvantage of withdrawing from the class is that it will add another W on the transcript and may also slow your progress in the fall semester of taking physics class. Now, does your physics class require a certain prerequisite course such as pre-calculus or calculus? If so, that will be the determining factor. Having too much withdrawal on your transcript will send red flags when the admissions committee reviews your profile. They will definitely ask you that during the interview. Remember, only you can gauge your success. There's no failing (too much) in podiatry school. When you are in podiatry school, you have to move forward and do your best no matter what. You can't just be scared and withdraw from a class. You'll receive an "F" and will have to re-take it on your own time and according to the school's schedule (which may conflict or overlap with current classes you take). Failing two courses gets you dismissed from the college. Rules are stringent.