3 Ws for one quarter, how bad???

College Life
1

Hello to all,

So this week has been really tough emotionally and mentally since my dad passed away exactly one week ago. I can’t really seem to focus on school and I do not have the same motivation I did last quarter (I’m a first year/freshman). Well, I decided that I wanted to take a break quarter and started to look into the process on how to do that. It all seemed pretty straight forward until I talked to financial aid and they told me that if I leave right now, I would have to pay the school 8,000 dollars since I wasn’t using the scholarships they gave me?? Very confusing. I just thought they would take the money back and keep it. They then told me if I leave after I completed 60% of the quarter I wouldn’t pay anything. Now I’m stuck in school, not really sure what I’m doing here. I talked to an academic advisor and she told me I could go home and she would withdraw me once that 60% day hit. She said one quarter of Ws would not hurt me since I had straight A+ ’ s last quarter. Well, I’m not sure about that since I want to get my teaching credential after I graduate from college. Will it look bad?? That being said, I’m still going to try to do my best. Go to class and do as much hw as I can. But if I do decide to leave, Ws look better than Fs right?

2

Ws do look a lot better than Fs. As long as you won’t get in trouble academically, then I think you will be fine. I’m on the semester system and I had two Ws my freshman year. My school allows up to 5 or 6 I think. So make sure you aren’t going over an allotted amount. I’m sure future employers will understand. I’m sorry about your dad.

3

Make sure you get the right info from you adviser…maybe also talk to the Dean of Students.
But a semester of W’s after your father’s death, followed by many semesters of good grades won’t bother any employers. If there was a pattern of W’s over many semesters, that would be a concern.
Good for you for figuring out how to work with the school’s rules!!! Many don’t and have F’s on their transcript.

4

W’s are way better than F’s, as the two posters have mentioned. They don’t block grad school admissions or job prospects (you’re able to explain why you withdrew if you need to).

I got into my 1st and only choice grad program (and they only let in 15 students a semester) with a semester’s worth of W’s. It’s never hindered me.