Take a W or tough it out?

[TOLDUSO]

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I know this has been discussed before, but my dilemna is slightly different in the fact that I am transferring to a private University that does not require Pre-calculus before Calculus.

Currently, I am not doing so hot in Precalc. I bombed the first test but it is all material that is review and that I know from Algebra. I just happened to freeze on the test, which is just a freak thing that happened. Now, even if I ace everything from this point on, getting a B would be best case scenario. I have no W's ever on my transcripts, but also don't want to risk the more likely scenario of getting a C when I could have just dropped.

Should I drop, take the W, and take Calculus in the Spring at my new University or tough it out and simultaneously pray for a B? If I do well in Calculus (which I should) then it would seem to me that would make the W less of an issue.

What do, SDN?

 

[Gloves]

W's don't seem to be nearly as bad as C's. I say drop and do well later

 

[Kevin Baker]

It's still early in the semester. Are you sure you can't just drop it normally and not get a W? Most schools allow you to drop classes the first few weeks with no penalty.

I'd say drop it if you think you'd get a C. If you do well in Calc, that W won't look bad at all.

 

[TOLDUSO]

I bombed it pretty good. 56%... I know... I was shocked. Especially because it is the easy stuff. Mostly review of what would be at the end of College Algebra and such.

That said, there are only 4 exams total constituting 50% of the overall grade, then a Final that counts as 25%, followed by HW and quizzes for the other 25%.

So, as it stands, even if I did a 90 or so average on everything else, I am still looking at a B without much room for anything unexpected. I talked to the professor and she wasn't very compassionate, naturally, but was consistent in saying not to drop... I suppose I can just really buckle down and try to ace everything from here on out, (not that I wouldn't have been trying that) and take the B. I am carrying a 3.6 GPA out of 60 credit hours or sp but was hopeful to keep that climbing with A's.

 

[TOLDUSO]

A 56 is hard to look at, I admit, but it is only, what, 12.5% of your grade? Theoretically, if you earned a 100 on everything else you could still get an A. It sounds like the question really is whether you should work your ass off and more than likely only get a B now, or just withdraw. Would you withdraw from a course instead of taking a B?

If you're not going to be short credits in the end and don't get delayed from applying to med school, maybe it would be worth just forgetting about the course and focus on your others. But if you'll have to end up staying another semester to catch up on credits, maybe it'd be better to take a slight hit in your above average GPA and become a doctor a year sooner.

Even if it came down to getting a C, that nor a W will keep you from getting into medical school. Keep up the good work. 🙂

Thanks for the encouragement! I think I am going to focus 110% on this class and just knock it out. Hopefully I can update in a few months with good news! I think you are right, though, about just getting into Med-School sooner. Even though it's not a required prereq course at the university I will be attending starting in the spring, it is still that many more credits that won't delay me or cause any later concern of my semi-low course load. Not to mention, it will likely keep my mind in math mode for Calc next semester.

I'm a non-traditional with a wife and kids, so I haven't been able to take much more than 9-14 every semester so far. I'd love to take 15-19, but it's unrealistic given my circumstances and would only spread myself thin with my GPA likely suffering.

I guess it's time to put up or shut up....

 

[Jlaw]

Assuming its a fluke then a bad grade is probably better than a W because it gives you a chance to explain an adversity. Go for it and do your best.

 

[TOLDUSO]

Assuming its a fluke then a bad grade is probably better than a W because it gives you a chance to explain an adversity. Go for it and do your best.

So far since, I have aced a quiz and have been perfect on homework assignments. I'm going to put in some study time this weekend as well. I think, initially, I was just so scarred by the bad test grade that I wanted to bail. 😳 Not a good attitude, but I also wanted to be sure I wasn't shooting myself in the foot by being egotistic and just trying to stick it out.

 

[futuredoc4432]

I know this has been discussed before, but my dilemna is slightly different in the fact that I am transferring to a private University that does not require Pre-calculus before Calculus.

Currently, I am not doing so hot in Precalc. I bombed the first test but it is all material that is review and that I know from Algebra. I just happened to freeze on the test, which is just a freak thing that happened. Now, even if I ace everything from this point on, getting a B would be best case scenario. I have no W's ever on my transcripts, but also don't want to risk the more likely scenario of getting a C when I could have just dropped.

Should I drop, take the W, and take Calculus in the Spring at my new University or tough it out and simultaneously pray for a B? If I do well in Calculus (which I should) then it would seem to me that would make the W less of an issue.

What do, SDN?

you need to tough it out to show adcoms that you are ready... if you can't do well in pre-calc (i didn't know this was a college course) how are you gonna do well in med school level anatomy or other difficult classes. If you do well in calc and/or calc 2 next semester that will prove to adcoms that it was just a fluke

 

[TOLDUSO]

you need to tough it out to show adcoms that you are ready... if you can't do well in pre-calc (i didn't know this was a college course) how are you gonna do well in med school level anatomy or other difficult classes. If you do well in calc and/or calc 2 next semester that will prove to adcoms that it was just a fluke

It wasn't that I can't do well or don't grasp the concepts, it was just a ****ty day and I froze and couldn't perform on a test. It was all concepts that I already know, I just wasn't able to focus. It's never happened to me before and so I was worried way more than I am now that a few days have passed. Shouldn't be a problem at all with Calc next semester. 😀

 

[futuredoc4432]

good luck you'll rock it and if a school brings it up you can show them you persevered

 

[Mohammed1989]

Sometimes you just have to settle for that W, depending on your limitations. I'll use myself as an example, today I just dropped Molecular and Cellular Biology which is a upper level science course. The class only consists of 3 exams so if you do really bad on one your pretty much doomed. I bombed my first exam so hard that I had no option but to drop. I got a 43 on my first exam talk bad horrible right? I talked to the professor he gave me two options, wait until the other two exams and if I do better he would weigh the other two exams more which I would probably still end up with a ~C or to drop the class. Well I chose to drop the class and take it again next fall. My reason I couldn't handle this class well taking Orgo, cognition, bio med ethics was too much of a distraction.

You should never rock the boat and always study ahead of time. Now if you feel that you aren't going to pass, why not first go talk to your professor. There is a reason every professor has office hours, why not plan a study schedule or something so you can knock the remaining exams out.

I see a W much better then a low grade but everyone has a different mindset.

 

[DD214_DOC]

I had 4 or so W's when I applied. I believe it does not matter so long as you have a reasonable explanation for why you have it/them. Dropping a course because you felt pressured to increase your performance would probably not look well. I would suggest you stick it out and do as well as you can, within reason. If you have to bust your ass to make a C then you should probably drop it, get the W and chalk it up to not being prepared. If you can reasonably get a B or even a C you should probably stick around; nobody is going to care about an isolated C in a mathematics course. Besides, I don't think AACOMAS includes math courses into your SGPA.

 

[TOLDUSO]

UPDATE:

Learn from this.

I opted to tough it out knowing that I had little margin for error. All went well for the next tests, and homework and quizzes went great also. However, last week, both of my kids wound up sick. Unable to have them stay in daycare or have a sitter, and with my wife not being able to cancel work or meetings, I had no choice but to stay home, missing a test. It was excused, obviously, but it just so happens that I wound up extremely sick as well. Normally I would tough it out and go to work/school anyway, but I was just unable. I went to the doctor, got a written excuse also, and then came back to school Tuesday for my first class back, also meeting with my instructor to make up the missed test and turn in my homework from my sick day. She wouldn't allow it, saying that she had announced the previous week (when I was absent!!) that no make up work would be taken past that Friday. Even with the excused absences, she still would not allow it. Tough luck, pretty much. I never miss anything and this is the first two times I have ever used a doctor's note excuse, and I may has well not even had them.

I scheduled a meeting with the dean and, after discussing my problem, as well as seeing my great grades and performance in all other classes, he allowed me to do a retro-withdrawal for the one class.

I now have my first W, but at least it is explainable and won't kill my GPA.

Moral of the story: Murphy's Law. I should have known that the worst case scenario could and would play out. Had I just dropped early on, it wouldn't have come to all of this.

 

[Mohammed1989]

I would like to say luck is on your side. I mean at least you can say you tried. I'm pretty sure, if your professor gave you a chance you would have passed the class. I'm glad your dean was nice enough to help you out with this problem.

Just like to say, I was in a similar boat. I was sitting on a C- for orgo, the final would replace one exam and I had one more exam left. The only reason i chose to drop is because of situations popping up at the last minute. Sometimes you have to know your limitations and plan ahead.

 

[CopToEM]

Moral of the story: Murphy's Law. I should have known that the worst case scenario could and would play out. Had I just dropped early on, it wouldn't have come to all of this.

You're early in your math sequence (assuming you'll go to Calculus 2). Not having a solid foundation in Pre-Cal isn't a deal killer but it does make Calculus significantly harder. However, with that said, it's not impossible.

Prove yourself in Cal 1 and Cal 2 and no one will ever question your W in pre-cal.