To Drop or Not to Drop - Dilemma

College Life
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<p>Hi everyone. I have a dilemma here that needs some solving. Hoping you guys can help me out. </p>

<p>I’ll get straight to the point. Basically I have to choose between two classes; I am going to drop one of them (Drop/Swap deadline ends tonight). But I can’t decide on either one.</p>

<p>One of them is a senior level class: DIG4855 - Converging Media Capstone. Based on the first day I went to, it appears to be a group-project oriented class. The other class is SPN1120: Spanish I. (I put the class and number just in case anyone else goes to UCF).</p>

<p>I’m having a hard time deciding which one to drop.</p>

<p>Why I would want to drop DIG4855:</p>

<ul>
<li>It’s a senior level class: I’m only a Sophomore, I don’t know if I can handle it well enough to get at least a B</li>
<li>I’m taking Drawing I this semester as well, and I fear I might get a C (or possibly even lower) because I just can’t draw to save my life. I’m a game designer, not an artist, lol. However, it is a required class, so I must take it and get it over with. If I do end up getting a C, then I would need 3 A’s to balance it out so that my GPA remains relatively unchanged. (An A, A, B, C would not look good and would surely hurt my GPA) My GPA atm is a 3.6.</li>
<li>I am of Hispanic Heritage, so Spanish I for me would be an almost guaranteed A. I can’t say the same for DIG 4855 because again, it’s a senior level course. </li>
</ul>

<p>Why I would want to drop SPN1120:</p>

<ul>
<li>To stay in would mean having to buy the book and an access code, and I’ve found out that it’s a lot of money.</li>
<li>Due to knowing the language pretty well, I could probably CLEP out of Spanish altogether and not have to take any Spanish at all, thereby saving time and money. </li>
<li>Taking a senior class as a sophomore can look good? (? cuz I don’t know if it’s true)</li>
</ul>

<p>Essentially, if I take Spanish I/II, I’m paying almost $2000 (albeit with financial aid money, but each SPN class is 4 credit hours so it’s a bit more expensive than the average $750) just to boost my GPA with 2 A’s. I know it might seem silly to do that just for a higher GPA, but I REALLY want to get into a great grad school (UCLA, USC, NYU, those are the top 3 that come to mind) and I know how significant GPA is.</p>

<p>At the same time, though, the professor herself told me that DIG4855 would be a good class for me, and that we wouldn’t be overwhelmed. There also doesn’t seem to be any exams in the class either. It’s essentially one big “project class”. It’s one of the four electives I chose to take for my major, so I probably will end up doing it, but I just don’t know if now is the best time to do it with Drawing I in the same semester; a class I’m not too confident in because of my lack of drawing skills.</p>

<p>Please help. I just don’t know what to do. :(</p>

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<p>From what I know, capstones are usually for ‘seniors’ and ‘majors’ so it seems interesting to me that you could so easily register for it as a sophomore. For the Spanish, while I have a friend or two of Hispanic heritage who did not get a chance to grow up learning the language… you say you know Spanish very, very well, so why waste time/money ‘repeating’ what you know? If you have to have a foreign language to graduate, though, you should definitely look into the test out opportunities that you mention (see a counselor/advisor as soon as you can to put what you have taken so far onto planning sheets for your intended major/to see what’s done/to see what you still need to take, especially if you plan to transfer).</p>

<p>If “Converging Media” has no prerequisites, and the teacher has assured you that as a sophomore you can be there, and if it fits in with your future plans, then go for it. </p>

<p>If it has prereqs that you haven’t taken, that could be problematic.</p>

<p>Good luck with the decision. I feel for you with that little frown face at the end of your post. I hope the drawing class goes well, too. Saying ‘don’t stress over it’ won’t help, but good luck with your decision and I hope all goes well for you this semester. :)</p>

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<p><a href=“http://knightswiki.org/index.php?title=DIG_4855[/url]”>http://knightswiki.org/index.php?title=DIG_4855&lt;/a&gt; indicates prerequisites.</p>

<p>Not sure why you wouldn’t take an appropriately-leveled Spanish class as an option.</p>

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<p>Thank you both for replying. :)</p>

<p>@allyphoe: No, there is no prereqs for that class. I’m actually in the class right now. I just have to choose between that class or the Spanish class to drop. And like I said, I could probably CLEP out of it since I know the language pretty well, so there most likely wouldn’t be a need to take it in the first place, so I would save time and money that way.</p>

<p>@lawrencemom: Yeah, I was surprised too, but there was no prereqs for it, and I asked the adviser what the class was about, and it sounded fun/interesting, so I said why not. I wouldn’t say I know Spanish at the native level (I can do the big four: read/write/speak/understand, but not at a native level), but I do know it at the professional level to the point where I’d be pretty competent holding a conversation with a Spanish person. I need a year of a foreign language to graduate since I’m getting a BA, but I have the option to take an exam (CLEP), and if I do well, I won’t have to take it at all. But it does nothing for my GPA (and I REALLY care about my GPA haha…); it simply registers as “Pass” and nothing more. Thank you for the wishes. I’m a horrible drawer, but I can at least try, haha.</p>

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<p>So you could honestly say at a job interview/on a resume that you have conversational fluency in Spanish already? In that case, taking Spanish could harm you - an interviewer might see “Spanish I” and decide that you’re overexaggerating your competence. Also, you might end up being so bored by the class that you end up skipping what you see as meaningless assignments, which could bring your grade down. Or the prof could require you to switch into a more appropriate level class.</p>

<p>Re the senior class as a sophomore: no one will care or notice. However, it sounds like an interesting class and you might be able to utilize some of your other skills for the project. You’ve asked the prof, who says you should be fine. You might even be able to do something that could help your portfolio. But it will require some effort on your part.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, good luck with the Drawing class. I completely empathize!</p>

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<p>@stradmom: Well, to be fair, I’m not fluent-fluent. As in, I can’t speak it at the native level. But, I know it at an intermediate-professional level. I can probably get an A in Spanish I with little effort, with Spanish II I’d have to put a bit more effort in to secure an A, but it most likely still wouldn’t be something I couldn’t handle. And I have a couple friends in Spanish I so the getting bored thing wouldn’t be an issue, haha. I’ve had my fair share of boring/meaningless classes already but I don’t let it get to me to the point where I don’t do the assignments. As far as switching into a more appropriate level class, I have never heard of that scenario. Guess it’s something to think about it.</p>

<p>Yeah, I know it’s an interesting class, and I probably will take it, but I don’t know if I should take it now since I have to deal with Drawing. :frowning: If I drop it I’ll take it later and leave Spanish there, but then again… it can be money and time spent elsewhere. That’s why it’s a dilemma… lol.</p>

<p>And thanks for the wishes with Drawing as well. :)</p>

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<p>Also, on a side note to anyone else who is reading or may have a reply, I am really sorry if I come across as braggy/arrogant with grades. I really am not that way at all and don’t intend to come off that way. :frowning: I am just trying to give as much background info as far as what I want (great grad schools like the ones I mentioned which require a high GPA) as I can so hopefully I can help you guys help me.</p>