5 Big Signs You Should Drop a College Class

You may regret signing up for a college class, but thinking about dropping it might make you feel guilty too. Here's when it's worth dropping that course.

“Drop it like it’s hot, drop it like it’s hot...”

Wait, are those Snoop Dogg lyrics or your conscience telling you it might be time to drop that class you’ve hated this semester? Perhaps the add/drop period during the first few weeks of class has come and gone at your college, but the withdrawal window has yet to close and decision time has come. Deciding to drop a class can be agonizing. However, most students will drop at least one class during their college career. People drop classes for all kinds of reasons, from it being too far of a walk from their previous class to ever make it on time to having a tragedy happen and needing a lighter course load as a result. So there really shouldn’t be any shame around dropping it like it’s hot after all.

Before you even think about dropping a class, be sure to talk to your advisor or the registrar. They’ll guide you through the process and let you know whether it's a good idea or not—you may need this class to graduate, or it may be too late to get your money back for the credits. After gathering evidence from others about whether or not you should drop the course, you might still find yourself unsure. Below are five pretty solid signs that you should turn back before it’s too late! 

1. You already know you’re going to fail it

Say there are two exams that make up your entire grade for the class. Sometimes wild situations happen where you slept through the first exam and got a zero as a result, and the professor doesn’t offer any retakes. Although these situations are rare, sometimes flukes happen and you find yourself with no possible way of passing the class you had such high hopes for just a few short months ago. Inevitable failure is a great reason to drop a class, especially if you don’t need it to fulfill any sort of curriculum requirement.

2. You never go to it anyway

Story time: My freshman year of college, I decided to take a one-credit physical education course called Running. I went to the first few classes and ended up realizing that I scheduled my next class way too close to Running, so the poor students who sat next to me in Economics 101 probably thought I smelled terrible. Additionally, I found a really consistent gym buddy during orientation, so I would skip Running to go for a run on the treadmill with her later that night. The lesson is, if you find yourself in a situation where you’ve reasoned yourself out of going to a class, it might be time to call it quits before you have a suspiciously low grade in a PE course.

Related: 3 Good Reasons You Should Never Skip Class 

3. You’ve realized it’s going to bring down your GPA big time

Sometimes a class you decided to take for fun ends up not being fun at all. And the only thing worse than a class you don’t enjoy is a class you have a hard time getting good grades in. A fun class or elective should never hurt your GPA. Your school may offer classes outside your major as pass/fail; if they do, consider that option next time so you can still try things outside your comfort zone.

4. You thought it was a requirement but it's not

If you’re stuck in a really high-level Chemistry class that's no longer a requirement for your Environmental Science major and you’ve hated the class all semester anyway, cut yourself some slack. Sometimes programs change and the requirements change as well. It happens to everyone, so don’t feel too awful about dropping a class you signed up for by accident. However, take this experience as a lesson: Always remember to go over your schedule with your advisor during the first week of the semester or during course selection.

5. It’s affecting your mental health

If you’ve been crying over this class multiple days in a row, staying up late to barely stay afloat, or letting it consume your every waking (and non-waking) moment, it might be time to drop it. School shouldn’t affect your mental or physical health negatively like that. It’s just not worth it, and it's more important than ever to do what's best for you with the state of the world we currently live in. Put yourself first and don't feel bad about kissing that class goodbye! 

Related: Why It's Crucial to Care for Your Mental Health in College 

Before you drop any classes, be sure to get a lot of opinions from everyone involved: the head of the department, the professor, friends of yours who have already taken the class, etc. Maybe the first test was really tough but they tend to get easier after a while, or perhaps the professor offers extra credit. You want to make the most educated decision possible so you don’t drop the course without good reason. But if one of the scenarios above sound familiar, it may be time to move on to bigger and better things.

If you want to avoid dropping a class in the future, start on the right foot every semester with these 5 Smart Tips for Choosing Your College Classes.

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Phoebe Bain

Phoebe Bain is an avid writer, reader, runner, ukulele player, and user of the passive voice. Her favorite show is How I Met Your Mother, and she loves how giraffes look when they sleep.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.


Kory Gilbertson

Kory Gilbertson

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me explore my views on college in that "why do I wanna go to a certain school" way. It’s helped me explore the best fits in all of these outstanding choices. All these college admission counselors can access my accolades showing them how I could help their college. This source of information helps me show these admission directors who I am and what I'm interested in. Thanks to this platform, my experience for education will be better than most, and I'm so grateful for all that it has provided for me.

Maliha

Maliha

High School Class of 2019

My college search began at CollegeXpress. Due to this helpful tool, I was able to gather a lot of information to guide my college planning decisions. Through CollegeXpress, I was also able to apply to several scholarships to help pay for my tuition. I would definitely recommend this website to anyone who wants to explore colleges and get more information from admission experts, counselors, and real students.

Lu Diehl

Lu Diehl

High School Class of 2022

I never would have found the college I plan on attending without CollegeXpress! I've always been a person of ambition and have been dreaming of studying and working on my passion for law, legal studies, and political science. Washington College is where I plan on pursuing my career. My journey with my education has been difficult, and oftentimes, I was told I would never amount to much, but now I'm dual enrolled at Caroll Community College and have had experience in the fields I am dedicated to. Without the help of CollegeXpress (even in its early days), I would never have found Washington College and the information I need to apply and become a part of their community.

Ariyane

Ariyane

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress really helped me by letting me know the colleges ratings and placements. They gave me accurate information on my colleges tuition rates and acceptance. They even let me know the ration between students and faculty and the diversity of the college. Overall they told me everything I needed and things I didnt even think I needed to know about my college and other colleges I applied for.

Priscilla Yeboah

Priscilla Yeboah

High School Student

I was afraid and timid throughout my search for colleges, but I finally found the college that was fit for me and luckily I got accepted. One of the most influential things that helped me was the articles and advice on CollegeXpress. They've helped me a lot and benefited me as a senior to make the right choices in life. Thank you!