[EricJ]

A dropped class or a lower GPA because one didn't drop the class?

[CaelestisPeste]

Oh, which looks worse. I stared at that topic heading for over a minute trying to understand what you meant.

I would say a lower GPA.

[EricJ]

	Originally Posted by Mogura To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Was it a course in spelling?

Well, assuming that you're referring to the mistake I hastily made in my title, I wouldn't say so. See, a course in "spelling" would teach one how to spell the word "worse", implying that one would be taking such a course in order to acquire knowledge of how to spell words like "worse". This implies that one wouldn't have had prior knowledge of how to do such a thing. I'm under no illusion that the word "work" is a way of spelling the word "worse." As such, what I should really take is a course in strategies to prevent common lexical errors when hastily creating a topic.

Perhaps you should take a course in the correct usage of the word "spelling," and particularly one that teaches you how to distinguish between a "spelling error" and a "lexical error," when berating others over insignificant details of their online posts? You already seem to have passed your course in unnecessary, distracting pedantry.

[froyo]

I would say lower GPA too. But it depends. If you dropped the class and had an extremely slacker schedule, that may look bad.

[Imperator]

If you dropped it because you were failing it, anybody caring to ask about the class is going to hear that anyways.

Kinda depends on who's looking at the transcript.

[Mogura]

Originally Posted by EricJ To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Well, assuming that you're referring to the mistake I hastily made in my title, I wouldn't say so. See, a course in "spelling" would teach one how to spell the word "worse", implying that one would be taking such a course in order to acquire knowledge of how to spell words like "worse". This implies that one wouldn't have had prior knowledge of how to do such a thing. I'm under no illusion that the word "work" is a way of spelling the word "worse." As such, what I should really take is a course in strategies to prevent common lexical errors when hastily creating a topic. Perhaps you should take a course in the correct usage of the word "spelling," and particularly one that teaches you how to distinguish between a "spelling error" and a "lexical error," when berating others over insignificant details of their online posts? You already seem to have passed your course in unnecessary, distracting pedantry.

Ah, anger management. Why didn't you say so?

Anyway, answering the original question, an 'F' or a 'D' looks pretty bad on a transcript. A few dropped courses here or there isn't so bad. But you have to consider who will be viewing your transcript in the future. Professional schools? Grad schools? Employers? Medical schools care more about 'W's than employers do (you don't really show transcripts to employers anyway)...

[Megalomania]

Some schools put "withdrawn failing" or "withdrawn passing" or just plain old "withdrawn". You should probably find out first. But yea I think the difficulty of the course should be taken into account if it is something challenging then I would drop it and save your GPA.

[Zolo]

If you're planning to take the class again anyway, I'd say the W is better. If the rest of your grades are decent, I'm sure they won't think anything of it.

[Imagineering]

I don't know but I have both to offer my future employer. The way I see it there are square people and dynamic people. Dynamic people have a wide range of scores whilst square people always color in the lines. What a bore. Do you really want someone like that thinking for your company, someone without the dynamism to move a company forward.

[zibber]

Let it all hang out. We slackers will have our time.

[Sumwun]

In almost every case a lower GPA is worse than a dropped class. Even if you did have a slacker schedule you could at least cover yourself by saying you had a 40 hour work week or had to help your family by taking care of your siblings while your mom was in the hospital. Nobody can verify that. But everyone can verify a low GPA and assume you just weren't good at something before reading your explanation.

Also, make sure it's a "W" not a "WF". W's are neutral, WF's are basically the same as F's.

[1Maddog]

One class in the midst of myriad is meaningless unless your GPA otherwise is 4.0. For example, out of 192 credit hours 189 at 4.0 equals 756. An F in one 3 credit course equals 0 and 756 divided by 192 equals 3.94. This is an insignificant drop. But it is noticeable because rounding the number to one decimal place means you round down not up.

Try the same math at 3.0 (drops from 3.0 to 2.95) and 2.0 (drops from 2.0 to 1.97), it is insignificant. I would round the number up to one decimal place leaving no change at all.

[Silverity]

In your lower division courses or upper? Junior/senior, however you differentiate it where you live.

I have a dropped course AND a course I originally got a 'D' in (Yeah, yeah, whatev) but both were in my lower division years and because I ended with a 4.1 GPA I don't think anyone bats an eye at it. I'm in grad school now so it didn't hold me back.

[Sumwun]

	Originally Posted by Silverity To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	In your lower division courses or upper? Junior/senior, however you differentiate it where you live. I have a dropped course AND a course I originally got a 'D' in (Yeah, yeah, whatev) but both were in my lower division years and because I ended with a 4.1 GPA I don't think anyone bats an eye at it. I'm in grad school now so it didn't hold me back.

I never heard of a 4.1 GPA for college.

[Silverity]

	Originally Posted by Sumwun To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I never heard of a 4.1 GPA for college.

My school is "special" and used a
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=\

[EricJ]

My GPA is currently a 3.8 (based on my first two semesters of college). The class I'm considering dropping is Microeconomic Theory. It's an 300-level class (my college has 200- and 300-level classes, although the only 200-level Economics class is Introduction to Economic Analysis) that is primarily geared towards Economics majors (it's one of the core requirements). I was going to be an Economics major, but I've decided to pursue Political Science or French Literature instead.

[emrah]

If you have a high GPA, one or two dropped courses will be irrelevant. No one would assume you dropped the course out of incompetence.
Especially, dropping a course outside of your field obviously means you simly lost interest.

Note: I have a high undergrad GPA and a dropped course. No one ever asked me about it, not even in grad school application.

[teraczy]

Lower GPA, the one that represents the level of work you put into your education more accurately

[1Maddog]

Originally Posted by EricJ To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

My GPA is currently a 3.8 (based on my first two semesters of college). The class I'm considering dropping is Microeconomic Theory. It's an 300-level class (my college has 200- and 300-level classes, although the only 200-level Economics class is Introduction to Economic Analysis) that is primarily geared towards Economics majors (it's one of the core requirements). I was going to be an Economics major, but I've decided to pursue Political Science or French Literature instead.

Huh?

I have heard the job markets in both those fields are booming. OWS is always looking for more bodies and while the pay isn't great there is consistent work, at the drum circle.

You really gave up econ for French lit/political science? I hope your education debt is zero because you are going to have a hell of a time paying it back otherwise.

[Sali]

Drop the class and lie about the reasons, this will work if you have any pre-existing excuse such as if you are already doing volunteer work etc. And say that you needed more time to do that so you CHOSE to drop that class so you could be more active in your community because making your community better is sooooooo important to you.

[zibber]

I took many courses that I didn't completely finish. They all enriched my life.

[Nemesis]

	Originally Posted by EricJ To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	A dropped class or a lower GPA because one didn't drop the class?

Drop it and forget about it. Virtually no employers or grad schools will even look at your first two years, and even fewer will give a shit if they do see a dropped class.

[Megalomania]

	Originally Posted by 1Maddog To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You really gave up econ for French lit/political science? I hope your education debt is zero because you are going to have a hell of a time paying it back otherwise.

Sorry but it ain't exactly cake to find a job with an econ bachelor's either especially in the current job market.

[greasemonkey]

I take it a GPA is some kind of score?
I dont know what i'm talking about, but I was told a low score is better than quiting.
To a prospective employer, quiting a course because you couldnt cope, displays a lack of judgement, and a quitter mentality.
Of course the other way of looking at it, is that it shows a willingness to admit an error and do something about it, and free up resources for other matters.

[EricJ]

	Originally Posted by 1Maddog To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	You really gave up econ for French lit/political science? I hope your education debt is zero because you are going to have a hell of a time paying it back otherwise.

Only if I'm so uncreative as to follow your [obviously] simplistic notions of a rewarding career trajectory, which, according to you, is something that seems to be determined solely by one's Bachelor's degree. The absurdity inherent in the fact that some random person with an opinion, without any sort of knowledge concerning either my work experience, marketable skills and aptitudes, or general plans, can make an unfounded blanket statement that there exists a 1:1 correlation between one's baccalaureate degree and one's career path, speaks for itself.

It's also rather naïve of you to assume that the job market/macroeconomy won't change between now and 2014 (when I graduate) or even 2020 (when I would finish with a typical Ph.D program, assuming I go to grad school immediately after I finish with my undergraduate coursework).

Also:
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