W compared to W/F?

[Dr. Biology]

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This is a purely hypothetical question, some premed students I have spoken to on here and at my university have had to withdraw from a class (usually science or math pre req). At my university in the science and math departments, the professors tend to issue W/F (withdraw/fail) to students who withdraw before or even at the deadline if they are failing. My questions are:
1. how bad do W/F effect transcripts compared to W?
2. As someone who has never let their grades get so out of control, how do these people let these things happen? when your pre med your academics are your livelihood, why mess that up?
3. To me it seems as if taking a W is a lazy pre med students way out of killing their GPA, and keeping their dream of being in Greys Anatomy alive. is this the case for the majority or minority? (yes I know there are outside stimuli that can effect academics, but in advance this isn't about justification and judgment.. Its merely curiosity.)

Sorry if this post offends anyone in advance, I seem to have a tendency to do that on here lol. This is an honest question, and is not up for argument. It is here for merely speculation and to offer insight to those who have not experienced it.

Thanks.

 

[prettyNURSEtoMD]

A "W" is better than to withdraw while failing because at my university that w/f is calculated into your GPA as an F. Now to say somebody is lazy for taking a W has no real concrete evidence because we don't know anybody's reason. So that's a very strong speculation. I took a W because I found out I didn't need this world literature class for my degree anymore and I hated the class so I most certainly withdrew. So I think it so looks worse just visually to see that W/F. So it shows that you were unsuccessful. A W has no real evidence of that. That's my answer to your hypothetical question.

 

[sliceofbread136]

1. I'm guessing a W/F will be calculated in your GPA as an F, in which case it would be very bad
2. Personal tragedy, financial issues, underestimating class load, immaturity etc. There are a ton of possible reasons.
3. You should not be making these assumptions. I don't even see why you care