[Sumwun]

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.

If you decide to pursue those fields, I highly recommend graduate school. Though, I'd recommend grad school for any major anyway. French Lit and law school seem like an interesting mix. Poli Sci would help you prepare too.

It'll be hard to find a job directly after college with just an undergrad degree, unless you want to enter the military as an officer. You won't be able to find a decent job without some postgrad degree to back you up.

	Originally Posted by 1Maddog
	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.

Are you implying either degree will help you get a job? A bachelor's in anything is worthless at this point. Only grad degrees matter.

[mieu]

My school only showed dropped classes if you withdrew after the deadline, then it was a withdrawal/fail.

[Monte314]

As a professor who gives grades, an admissions interviewer for a highly-competitive private University, and a corporate interviewer who reviews transcripts for new hires, I know GPA's are meaningless... but GIVING UP is not.

I am much less likely to recommend someone for hire who QUITS things halfway through... and, quite honestly, the reason they quit doesn't really matter. You can always find a reason to BAIL OUT, or spin the situation to make yourself look like a victim.

When I'm heading an engineering team that is under the gun to produce something for a demanding customer, I need people who FINISH WHAT THEY START, and give it their best even when the original goals cannot be achieved. But someone who is going to FLAKE OUT and leave for another job when things get hard? Not so much.

[Senseofrelief]

I ponder when colleges will be like flight training...in the end your given a 'test'...that test of your skills is the only thing that matters...not what some college said you did.

[cbaud]

Why is withdrawing from a class equated to quitting? Have you ever signed up for a class to realize you do not have the background to complete it or it is not the best choice for you?

[Nemesis]

Originally Posted by Monte314 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

As a professor who gives grades, an admissions interviewer for a highly-competitive private University, and a corporate interviewer who reviews transcripts for new hires, I know GPA's are meaningless... but GIVING UP is not. I am much less likely to recommend someone for hire who QUITS things halfway through... and, quite honestly, the reason they quit doesn't really matter. You can always find a reason to BAIL OUT, or spin the situation to make yourself look like a victim. When I'm heading an engineering team that is under the gun to produce something for a demanding customer, I need people who FINISH WHAT THEY START, and give it their best even when the original goals cannot be achieved. But someone who is going to FLAKE OUT and leave for another job when things get hard? Not so much.

In a position such as yours, would you consider a single dropped class during an entire undergraduate degree as an indicator of someone who lacks persistence?

[froyo]

I've had times where I was completely overworked and I was thinking about dropping a course, but decided not to. Bad idea. Not only is your grade in the class you're thinking of dropping going to be bad, but it will probably affect your grade in every other class and make the whole experience much less fun. It was a good learning experience for me though.

I think you need to strike a balance. Drop a class if you feel like your schedule is too hard for you to manage, even at your best. Don't drop it just because you're worried that your grades might slip a bit because classes are a little tougher than usual. Also take into consideration how important the class is to you.

[Sumwun]

	Originally Posted by Monte314 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	As a professor who gives grades, an admissions interviewer for a highly-competitive private University, and a corporate interviewer who reviews transcripts for new hires, I know GPA's are meaningless

Is this a joke? You must be one unique professor/admissions interviewer.

I can guarantee the rest of the world doesn't care about a W, but does care about GPA, especially in the sciences.

[EricJ]

I'll probably just stay in the class, even if it does mess with my GPA. I'll just work harder and go to talk with the professor more often. Hopefully, that will translate into my grade, even if I don't do as well as I would like on the problem sets and exams. I also think that graduate schools take grade inflation into account when looking at GPAs. My college hasn't had any grade inflation since the early 1970s (or something like that), so that will hopefully be taken into account.

Thanks for the advice and perspective!

[Sumwun]

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.

I'll probably just stay in the class, even if it does mess with my GPA. I'll just work harder and go to talk with the professor more often. Hopefully, that will translate into my grade, even if I don't do as well as I would like on the problem sets and exams. I also think that graduate schools take grade inflation into account when looking at GPAs. My college hasn't had any grade inflation since the early 1970s (or something like that), so that will hopefully be taken into account. Thanks for the advice and perspective!

Which grad school are you looking at?

[Monte314]

	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.
	Is this a joke? You must be one unique professor/admissions interviewer. I can guarantee the rest of the world doesn't care about a W, but does care about GPA, especially in the sciences.

Not a joke. The only people that still believe GPA measures anything are those running schools. The real world knows better.

[EricJ]

	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.
	Which grad school are you looking at?

I'm only a college sophomore, so I haven't really narrowed my list down yet; but, mostly the top ones in the U.S. (Chicago, Ivy Leagues, large state universities), a few in the U.K. (unlikely given the financial aid and budgeting situation over there), and a few in France. My GPA is at 3.8 (based on first two semesters of college), and I currently have As in three of my classes. I got an academic commendation last semester. For Microeconomic Theory, I had a B- last time I checked (that was based on my first two or three problem sets, so it has probably gone down by now).

[Sumwun]

	Originally Posted by Monte314 To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Not a joke. The only people that still believe GPA measures anything are those running schools. The real world knows better.

Hence, why it's a big deal for getting into grad school. When I said "the rest of the world", I made a mistake. GPA doesn't matter in the real world, but it does matter in the rest of the academic world.

Originally Posted by EricJ

I'm only a college sophomore, so I haven't really narrowed my list down yet; but, mostly the top ones in the U.S. (Chicago, Ivy Leagues, large state universities), a few in the U.K. (unlikely given the financial aid and budgeting situation over there), and a few in France. My GPA is at 3.8 (based on first two semesters of college), and I currently have As in three of my classes. I got an academic commendation last semester. For Microeconomic Theory, I had a B- last time I checked (that was based on my first two or three problem sets, so it has probably gone down by now).

I meant in what field. PhD in sciences? PhD in Theory? Law? MBA? Medical?

You honestly shouldn't pursue an Ivy League unless you're going into Law. Small state schools tend to be the best. I've heard universities are better for grads and colleges are better for undergrads.

If you can manage a B- in economic theory, you shouldn't drop it. A C may be a problem, however, but only if it's a low C.

[fairylights]

Why shouldn't you pursue an Ivy League graduate education? They usually have stellar faculty, lots of money to fund grad students, and excellent placement rates.

Anyway, a 3.8 is a competitive GPA for grad school; they'll likely pay more attention to your departmental GPA in any case. Between a B and a dropped class, I'd pick the B because it's really not that bad for admissions purposes. If it's a question of an D and a course drop, I'd take the course drop.

[blatimir]

Depends on how bad your GPA will take a hit and if it matters.

If you want to go to professional school or graduate school you would be better off taking the W than taking a serious hit to your GPA. Contrary to what a previous poster indicated, most schools will overlook a few "W"s on your transcript if your GPA is high and your standardized test scores are solid. If your GPA is too low you might not even make it past the computer/formula cut off for some schools to get your foot in the door.

A lot of schools understand that life circumstances change, or for whatever reason a class or two didn't work out.

[EricJ]

I'm looking at graduate school in social science-y things: law, public policy, area studies, development studies, government, political science, history, social work, urban studies, sociology, political economy, etc. There's also a chance that I will just pursue something related to education, or possibly a postgraduate degree in some sort of language, if I decide to become a secondary teacher.

[Sumwun]

	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.
	I'm looking at graduate school in social science-y things: law, public policy, area studies, development studies, government, political science, history, social work, urban studies, sociology, political economy, etc. There's also a chance that I will just pursue something related to education, or possibly a postgraduate degree in some sort of language, if I decide to become a secondary teacher.

In that case, you want as high a GPA as possible. PhD's are very competitive in those fields. A W would be better than a WF or D/C- .

Also, don't bother with Master's. A Master's in a social science field will not get you a job anywhere.

[EricJ]

	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.
	In that case, you want as high a GPA as possible. PhD's are very competitive in those fields. A W would be better than a WF or D/C- . Also, don't bother with Master's. A Master's in a social science field will not get you a job anywhere.

No kidding. I would only pursue a standalone Master's if I were planning to become a secondary school teacher.

[mieu]

	Originally Posted by cbaud To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	Why is withdrawing from a class equated to quitting? Have you ever signed up for a class to realize you do not have the background to complete it or it is not the best choice for you?

I never encountered an undergrad class that was impossible to pass. They're designed for people with zero background. If they require a prerequisite, then you must have taken the requisite courses in order to sign up for that class. If it's for your major, then you really have some serious thinking to do.

[EricJ]

	Originally Posted by mieu To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 2 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
	I never encountered an undergrad class that was impossible to pass. They're designed for people with zero background. If they require a prerequisite, then you must have taken the requisite courses in order to sign up for that class. If it's for your major, then you really have some serious thinking to do.

Actually, I got into the course without the prerequisite course in calculus (and also without what I would consider an adequate preparation in general math thanks to my irresponsible high school.)

[Thinktress]

In my entire career the only time anyone asked for my transcript was my first job, where I worked for the state. And I've been in the workforce a long time. In fact, my degree isn't even under the same NAME I have now.

My son is in college now, and he always worries about this shit though if he's thinking about dropping a class.

[BeeLol]

Eric, if you don't make it a habit to drop courses, dropping one shouldn't have any real effect on anything. And if it's a case of your being "stretched thin" this semester, dropping the one course should allow you to better focus on the others.

[EricJ]

Well, what really makes this difficult for me is that the things I learn in microeconomic theory will be highly relevant regardless of what I do in the future. Economic theory is important for many of the graduate programs I am interested end, and in some of them, it would pop up again. For instance, I would most certainly being taking courses in microeconomic theory were I to pursue graduate studies in public policy, government, urban studies, political economy or development studies. It might even show up again in law school, depending on the curriculum.

I've got a meeting with my professor tomorrow. Hopefully that will make the path forward slightly more clear.

[BeeLol]

^ ^ ^ ^

Good move. Hope the meeting provides helpful insights.

[Sumwun]

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, what really makes this difficult for me is that the things I learn in microeconomic theory will be highly relevant regardless of what I do in the future. Economic theory is important for many of the graduate programs I am interested end, and in some of them, it would pop up again. For instance, I would most certainly being taking courses in microeconomic theory were I to pursue graduate studies in public policy, government, urban studies, political economy or development studies. It might even show up again in law school, depending on the curriculum. I've got a meeting with my professor tomorrow. Hopefully that will make the path forward slightly more clear.

Dropping it now doesn't mean you'll never get to take the course. You admitted yourself you shouldn't have been placed in it. Just drop it now and take it again after you attain a higher proficiency in math. There's no point in struggling in a course you can't get the full benefit from. Since you know how hard it is, you should have a clearer idea of when you'll be ready.