Dropping with W?

[Exalya]

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I know the semester is nearly over, and if I was going to drop this class, I should have done so a while ago.

However, the atrocious way my professor grades and tests has only recently come up; my first of 3 papers only just came back to me, and I got a low score because of her personal delusions about how to write an APA paper (I happen to be correct in my way of writing, according to guides I've read). The class average for the last test was under 60 (I got a 52), because she won't teach during lecture. She gives unfair treatment, because some students were able to turn in a first draft of this precious paper, and some students (like me) were not even told she would look at a first draft. This is ecology, and it turns out that I'm transferring next year to a school where ecology is not required for a degree. I do not want my GPA to suffer because of a bad teacher in a subject I don't even need.

Would it be unwise for me to try and drop the class with a W? I understand I'll have to do some work to drop at this point, but I don't care. Nothing is worth 4 more weeks of this insane woman (who has tenure, by the way)

 

[Dazedinvt]

I know the semester is nearly over, and if I was going to drop this class, I should have done so a while ago.

However, the atrocious way my professor grades and tests has only recently come up; my first of 3 papers only just came back to me, and I got a low score because of her personal delusions about how to write an APA paper (I happen to be correct in my way of writing, according to guides I've read). The class average for the last test was under 60 (I got a 52), because she won't teach during lecture. She gives unfair treatment, because some students were able to turn in a first draft of this precious paper, and some students (like me) were not even told she would look at a first draft. This is ecology, and it turns out that I'm transferring next year to a school where ecology is not required for a degree. I do not want my GPA to suffer because of a bad teacher in a subject I don't even need.

Would it be unwise for me to try and drop the class with a W? I understand I'll have to do some work to drop at this point, but I don't care. Nothing is worth 4 more weeks of this insane woman (who has tenure, by the way)

So I withdrew from three classes in two years because I honestly didn't know it was a big deal and I withdrew the third week into classes (after EC's started and labs started). It really screwed me over because it is almost viewed as equivalent to an F by adcoms. If you withdraw make sure that you have really good reason that doesn't sound like inane high school bull. If I was in your situation (and believe me I had some **** profs) I would pull through.

 

[scowdeva]

Unless you're going to actually fail the course, stick with it. A W is universally seen as a D or F, as that's who typically withdraws. Even if you don't need that exact class for your degree where you're transferring, it will likely count as elective credits, so it won't have been wasted tuition money. Just for an example, I transferred over to a different school after taking Ancient Greek (the language). Let's just say that didn't count towards my degree, but did wave one elective course.

 

[Blade28]

If at all possible, try to avoid a W. If you're going to bomb out of the class and it's going to wreck your GPA, then yeah, take the W - as others have alluded to, unless you have a great excuse, adcoms will assume you were going to fail.

 

[thegreatsebabo]

It is kind of late, but I talked to the admissions directors of some medical schools, and they basically said if you are going to a get a C or lower, always drop the course... but don't do it more than twice or it will begin to hurt your chances.

 

[emttim]

If at all possible, try to avoid a W. If you're going to bomb out of the class and it's going to wreck your GPA, then yeah, take the W - as others have alluded to, unless you have a great excuse, adcoms will assume you were going to fail.

Not that it matters now anyway, but I wonder if working 48 or more hours per week while taking calculus with a nazi for a teacher and gen chem 2 with a teacher who was giving us 3x the amount of hw you normally get in gen chem 2 (spoke to other former students) would qualify...I figured I'd have no time to devote to bio 1 and dumped that instead of calc 1 primarily because I did /not/ want to take calc 1 again later....screw math.

 

[CubaLibre]

if it's going to destroy the gpa, go with the W. obviously, the W still doesn't mean your off the hook. Adcoms will view it negatively, but if you don't have the numbers to get your foot in the door, adcoms aren't going to be viewing much of anything.

 

[premed8844]

I droped a weekend course, and I got a W, will that look as bad as a full semester course with a W?

 

[Tutmos]

I think the important part is being missed here. It's not so much the W as much as what your grade is when you later take the class. I had a W in my first Ochem class because it was a first time Ochem professor that didn't know how to write exams. There was no deviation in scores, everyone was clumped within a 5-10% range from 30-40%. Your grade came down to random chance since there was no spread. I wasn't willing to risk my Ochem grade, one of the most important classes for med school consideration, on some guy just learning how to write exams. The reason I don't think it will be viewed poorly is because I earned a solid A at the same school in Ochem 1 and 2 plus 4 credit ochem lab course. I'd think it's pretty hard for an adcom to consider that W as an F when I aced all three organic courses.

 

[Blade28]

Not that it matters now anyway, but I wonder if working 48 or more hours per week while taking calculus with a nazi for a teacher and gen chem 2 with a teacher who was giving us 3x the amount of hw you normally get in gen chem 2 (spoke to other former students) would qualify...I figured I'd have no time to devote to bio 1 and dumped that instead of calc 1 primarily because I did /not/ want to take calc 1 again later....screw math.

Hmmm. Not sure.

I worked 40 hours/week all throughout undergrad. In freshman year I was getting my butt kicked by calculus-based physics, o-chem, multivariable calculus and bioengineering classes (among others) but still tried to maintain a decent GPA without resorting to Ws. I'm happy I did it the way I did.

My $0.02.

 

[Tutmos]

Hmmm. Not sure.

I worked 40 hours/week all throughout undergrad. In freshman year I was getting my butt kicked by calculus-based physics, o-chem, multivariable calculus and bioengineering classes (among others) but still tried to maintain a decent GPA without resorting to Ws. I'm happy I did it the way I did.

My $0.02.

You had Ochem and bioengineering in your freshmen year? How did that happen?

 

[lord_jeebus]

One W is not a big deal. I would rather have 1 W than a C+.

Does anyone know for a fact of any program that treats a W as an F? This isn't how AMCAS does it and I've seen lots of applicants to my school with a W or two so it doesn't seem like that big of a deal.

 

[Blade28]

You had Ochem and bioengineering in your freshmen year? How did that happen?

Bioengineering major, got g-chem credit with a 5 on my AP Chem exam in high school.

 

[HumidBeing]

Wait a minute here. I think there is some shakey advice going around. W's are not viewed as D's or F's. They certainly aren't seen as being the same as a failure. People have to withdraw from classes for many reasons other than because they are paranoid pre-meds. Different schools have different dates for when students can no longer just drop a class and wind up having to take a W, instead. The drop period in mine ends after the second day of the semester. In other words, you have one class period to treat it as a drop. After that, you wind up with a W.

Life has its own schedule. Sometimes that schedule means that the only practical thing to do is to drop a class or two. Adcomms know that. LizzyM has addressed this concern before.

One or two W's during your college career aren't going to raise any eyebrows. The only time you should be concerned is when you are creating a pattern of them, or retaking the same courses and not faring well. If you have several on your transcript, it is reasonable to expect to be asked why. You should have a reasonable explanation.

One thing that W's do affect is your completion rate. Some financial aid depends on maintaining a completion rate of a certain percent. Your completion rate is maintained in your records. It can also make a difference between being a full-time student and not. That can affect both financial aid and sometimes your insurance status.

OP, as long as you don't need this course, and are not in the habit of withdrawing from classes, it won't affect your chances for admission. Do consider any other ramifications. If everything else is in order for you, go ahead - base your decision on works for you.

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

If it is just your first W I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure it isn't a WF though- at my school after a certain point (around 1/2 way through semester) it goes from W to WF on your transcript.

I have 1 W on my transcript (microbiology) and if anyone ask me about it I was officially diagnosed with a chronic disease that semester and started 3 new meds for it (quite a toll on my body) as well as making lifestyle adjustments- and I was still taking Physics, Organic 2, and gen ed stuff.

So if they look at that as a D or F I would be pretty upset cuz I dropped with a A/B but I didn't want to devote the time mixed with everything else in life and figured that was the best class to drop to be successful for the semester- worked out got a 4.0

 

[HumidBeing]

If it is just your first W I wouldn't worry about it. Make sure it isn't a WF though- at my school after a certain point (around 1/2 way through semester) it goes from W to WF on your transcript.

Another piece of shakey info. After a specified point, a withdrawal is designated as either a "W" or a "WF" depending on whether the student is passing or failing the course at that point in the term. The "WF" doesn't wind up being factored into the GPA, but it does show on the transcript that the student was in danger of failing, had he continued. You really do want to avoid having those on your transcript, even if they are somewhat less harmful than an outright "F".

 

[futuredrcrawfor]

Another piece of shakey info. After a specified point, a withdrawal is designated as either a "W" or a "WF" depending on whether the student is passing or failing the course at that point in the term. The "WF" doesn't wind up being factored into the GPA, but it does show on the transcript that the student was in danger of failing, had he continued. You really do want to avoid having those on your transcript, even if they are somewhat less harmful than an outright "F".

No my quote was not shaky at my school it doesn't matter what grade you have if you withdraw after the "last date to withdraw without academic penalty" which is half way through the semester- then it is a WF no exceptions unless you have a medical reason which is documented (a friend of mine made it out because she was diagnosed with crohns in October of the semester). Here is the link

http://www.kennesaw.edu/registrar/withdrawalpolicy.shtml

 

[SketchLazy]

I know the semester is nearly over, and if I was going to drop this class, I should have done so a while ago.

However, the atrocious way my professor grades and tests has only recently come up; my first of 3 papers only just came back to me, and I got a low score because of her personal delusions about how to write an APA paper (I happen to be correct in my way of writing, according to guides I've read). The class average for the last test was under 60 (I got a 52), because she won't teach during lecture. She gives unfair treatment, because some students were able to turn in a first draft of this precious paper, and some students (like me) were not even told she would look at a first draft. This is ecology, and it turns out that I'm transferring next year to a school where ecology is not required for a degree. I do not want my GPA to suffer because of a bad teacher in a subject I don't even need.

Would it be unwise for me to try and drop the class with a W? I understand I'll have to do some work to drop at this point, but I don't care. Nothing is worth 4 more weeks of this insane woman (who has tenure, by the way)

Your chances aren't exactly axed with one W on your transcript. I have five on my transcript and it didn't come up during my interviews at all. I think that if you do well on the retake and you have a high GPA to begin with, it won't be seen so negatively.

 

[amolamedicina]

Sorry, I don't have anything to add to the OP. However, I do have a question myself. What about the courses that do not count toward your degree and are not transferable to a university? I mean like community college certificate courses that were dropped, or other courses like PE or whatever. I mean those courses that are not part of prerequisites or a university degree. I don't know, and I am sure the adcoms will see them because they see every transcript. But how are those courses viewed? I wonder.

Thank you