<p>Hello, I found out that I did not do so well on my statistics midterm (53%). I blame myself for not studying since this has been a busy season with holidays, job interviewing, and such. There is only the final exam. He does not give out quizzes (instead, he grades our homework, which is 25% of our grade). I have aced all my homework problems. I believe there will be too much pressure on me to do extremely well on this exam. The exam is cumulative. The professor wants me to stay in the course, since he knows the class is only offered once a year. There is a high possibility that I will pass the class, but I do not want a C grade</p>
<li><p>Should I withdraw the course, and retake it my senior year?</p></li>
<li><p>Does a ‘W’ in Statistics look bad if I want to attend graduate school?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>ditto ADAD. I thought I truly did awful in statistics, and it is a hard course, but I got an A because of how everything else counted. If the teacher is encouraging you to stay I think I might ask what kind of grade he/she thinks you might get, because sometimes they are trying to give you a hint.</p>
<p>Amith, the majority of people get As and Bs. But more than half usually do well on the midterm. I just think it’s a big risk. I will have to study and know my concepts super-well.</p>
<p>Is there something wrong with studying and knowing your concepts super well?</p>
<p>Look, if the midterm is also weighted 25%, then right now you must have about a 75. Get a 95 on the final and you have a B. You would have to score as low as about 85 on the final to start to be borderline C. And, as amith1 hinted, the instructor might even cut you some slack if he believes that your 53 was an aberration. </p>
<p>The alternative to working a little now is, apparently, having a W on your transcript and, of great importance IMO, wasting one of your remaining courses studying something that you already know, as opposed to learning something that you don’t already know. And, of course, your high grade the next time you take the course will not IMO impress anyone since you have the W, which shows that you have already seen the material.</p>
<p>Withdraw now and you guarantee yourself something to explain. You also apparently guarantee yourself a waste of a precious course next year. </p>
<p>Unless, of course, you really just don’t understand the material and will be unable to learn it before the final. Then it would be worthwhile to take the course again. It is important to understand statistics.</p>
<p>So; which grade more accurately reflects your knowledge of the material: the 53 or the As on homework?</p>