Not really sure where to post this…but I’m currently a 70 credit student with a 4.0. This summer, I decided to take physics in 6 weeks which I learned after was a bad idea. Instead of getting a C in the class, I’m going to drop the physics lecture class and retake it during fall. I also just realized that I will be getting an A- in the physics lab class, so I was wondering if I should drop that too.
Would getting a “W” for both of these classes be detrimental towards my transcript? I don’t think that dropping both of these would seem weird since they’re related. In fact, a lot of schools make you drop both if you drop one.
I’m a comp sic major so I may be doing grad school, I may not be. It’s really just for personal reasons knowing I have a perfect GPA. I just don’t wanna lose it because of this little 1 credit lab that I can take again with another TA.
Have you played with GPA calculators?I played with the one my university uses (yours may yield different results). Withdrawing from physics lecture and staying in the lab would still yield a 4.0 GPA, while staying in both the lab and the lecture would result in a 3.9 GPA.
Consider how much you’re willing to let it drop. Two withdraws aren’t the best for grad school, although it’s not the end of the world just like a 3.9+ is not the end of the world. Look into grade forgiveness policy at your university and see if by retaking the class you can have a higher grade factored into your GPA.
Don’t drop the lab if you can. An a- is a fine grade. Also don’t withdraw too many classes. If you do. that could look worse to grad schools than simply getting a mediococre grade
One C and an A- out of 70 credits of A’s won’t trash your GPA, especially considering you have more classes to take in the future that you can get A’s in to offset this. I don’t really see a reason to drop either even if the idea of a perfect GPA might sound nice. You’ll have wasted a semester working hard for a grade that a lot of people would kill for in a physics course AND you’ll have no guarantee of getting a better grade the next time around.
If you can’t be convinced not to drop the main course, at least don’t drop the lab (that’s maybe one or two credits I’m guessing) over an A- if you have the option of keeping it.
Don’t forget the opportunity cost. Every course you drop to keep your perfect 4.0 means that you lose the opportunity to take another different course if the dropped course is required. If mastering the physic course is critical to your major then drop it and repeat. If it was taken to fulfill a general requirement then consider the opportunity cost. If it was just taken for fun and doesn’t count for anything then consider dropping it.
Remember a 4.0 GPA is a goal and should not be something that defines you as a person.
If you can keep the A- then why would want to repeat the lab? I assume it is a one credit course that probably has a weekly three hour lab plus the time it takes to write up the lab. A lot of effort for the chance to raise your grade from A- to A. It also could go the other way. What happens if you get a A- again? Spend the time on your other courses.
This is a very sad question-sort of a testament to what is wrong with education and students these days. It’s about learning. Who cares about your perfect GPA. What does a perfect GPA mean? It means that you are unwilling to take any risks or stretch yourself. it is not a desirable outcome of college. Viewing retaining a perfect GPA as warranting taking a course entirely over when unnecessary only means your retained a competitive high school mentality.
My concern would be whether the school requires the lecture to be taken concurrently with the lab. In that case, you would kind of have to drop both…but if that’s not applicable, an A- is a fine grade.