The deadline to drop classes with a full refund – Monday, Jan. 29 – is fast approaching, and for many students, it’s time to evaluate whether an uncertain class is going to end up working with their schedule.
One piece of advice from the coordinator of student programming at Salt Lake Community College, Lani Voss, stems from personal experience during her undergraduate years and may come as a surprise to some.
“Tuition is not due until later than those second weeks. I would sign up for all classes, even the ones I thought I’d maybe want,” she said. This ensures that students don’t get stuck with unwanted classes.
Voss then suggested students employ a process of elimination: determine which classes are a priority and which look like they won’t work out in terms of workload or schedule. For students who decide to use this method, it’s important to keep in mind that tuition is due Wednesday, Jan. 24.
The first two weeks of the semester can be the most vital weeks of a student’s decision-making.
“The syllabuses [and] attending the classes help me envision what my semester could potentially look like,” she said. “Your syllabuses are very telling of your semester.”
Voss added that taking note of interactions between professors and other peers can help with deciding if a professor will be a good fit. “There is very clear communication in the syllabus. If they match what [professors are] preaching in class, [that] can be a really good sign,” she said.
However, options become limited as time goes on.
“The further into your degree [you get], especially specialized degrees, you [kind of] have one professor per class, so you don’t get to pick,” said SLCC student Kia Stewart. She mentioned that students and professors will often give advice on certain classes or professors as well.
When a class can no longer be dropped or proves to be difficult, Stewart advises students to form a community within the class. She also advised taking a mix of labs and lectures to balance out classroom structures.
For most students, the ability to form good lines of communication and develop relationships with their professors can serve as a sign of stability within a class structure. Using tools such as the website Rate My Professors, as well as speaking with other students within specific career paths, allows students to pick the best fit for their learning abilities.
Students who miss the deadline to drop classes within the full refund period can withdraw until a certain date, which is March 19 this semester. The school does not refund tuition through this method and records a “W” on a student’s transcript. However, withdrawing does not affect grade point averages.
“If it’s the choice between an ‘F’ or a ‘W,’ then withdrawing is a good option,” said Sarah Michaelis, a SLCC academic advisor. She went on to say, “Before you go ahead and make that decision, take a few steps before jumping straight to a withdrawal.”
Michaelis said establishing good relationships with faculty and being aware of resources regarding tutoring and mental health are part of succeeding in the classroom.
I agree with Lani’s advice about signing up for extra classes then dropping those that won’t work. However, it’s important to make the decision to drop sooner rather than later if there is an active waitlist.
Comments are closed.