Is it OK for my student to drop this class?

[Brilliant]

My 17yo senior has almost 30 hours of credit from the local CC. About 20 hours or so of the credits will transfer in to the university which she'll attend in the fall.

 

She's currently taking 6 credits; 3 online and 3 on campus. Getting her to and from campus is just.not.working. It is 20 miles away. She and my ds also each take an afternoon class at a different site which is 10 miles away (in between us & the college).

 

Here is how her day worked yesterday (typical of every Tues & Thurs):

Get up at 6AM (she has late rehearsals on Monday nights so doesn't get to bed until after 11)

35 minute commute to campus with dad

90 minute hang out at Starbucks (also wasted $7 & 1000 calories on a scone/mocha breakfast)

80 minute class

45 minute wait for the bus

40 minute bus trip

45 minute wait for me to pick her up at bus stop

60 minute hang out with me & ds eating lunch, running errands

 

All that hanging out, waiting, commuting, etc. just so she can attend a 1 hr 20 minute class on campus. The class does not meet any gen ed requirements nor major requirements for her likely majors. Yes, she uses the time somewhat wisely, reading school books and listening to audio lectures. But it's inefficient. No, I can't pick her up any earlier - it would waste gas money ($3.89 gallon!) plus cut into ds' school time at home, and we still wouldn't have time to come home; we'd have to hang out at the library. And to add insult to injury, the instructor has canceled class twice with no notice in the first 5 weeks of class; what a colossal waste of time on those days! Oh, and did I mention my recent cancer diagnosis, the surgery, and the stress it has been causing our family - we still don't know what sort of treatment will be involved going forward for the rest of the semester, definitely radiation & maybe chemo after that.

 

The only reason I'm asking is:

Does the withdraw passing grade hurt her transcript which is otherwise 4.0?

Will it teach dd a bad lesson about dropping a class when it's inconvenient?

[2cents]

If you decide to withdraw, what you might do is contact her advisor on campus if she has one and explain how continuing the class may be jeopardized by your treatment schedule and see if there is a way they can withdraw her 'with special considerations'. Is there any possibility of switching to an online version of the class and completing it that way?

[Photo Ninja]

Check the drop dates for the school. She may still be in the period where she can withdraw without it showing up on her transcript. If so, there is no drawback to dropping the class.

 

I don't think it is teaching her a bad lesson. She is not dropping it because it is inconvenient to her, or because she is doing poorly in the class or because she just doesn't feel like taking it. This is a good reason to drop the class. It will show her that sometimes circumstances change, we need to adjust to them, and take action after considering all the reasonable options.

[Dana]

The only reason I'm asking is:

Does the withdraw passing grade hurt her transcript which is otherwise 4.0?

Will it teach dd a bad lesson about dropping a class when it's inconvenient?

 

My understanding is that some schools will count W's in with a GPA. This is something to check with the college she'll be attending (if she's been accepted already) or to look at in advance.

 

There are sometimes hardship withdrawls that would not appear on a transcript (like for medical withdrawl). I don't know if this would be an option with her school, but it's something to check on.

 

As a general rule, a W does not affect GPA although it can affect financial aid. But, as always, check with the individual school. A W that appears on a transcript can be computed different ways by the school receiving the transcript, so that's the thing to be concerned about.

 

You're not teaching your daughter to drop a class when it's inconvenient. You're teaching her that sometimes plans change. :grouphug:

Best of luck!

[Brilliant]

Thanks for the advice. Dd, dh, and I have all agreed that she will drop the class. We will look into whether there can be a hardship or medical withdrawal based on my condition, but otherwise she'll just have to take the W.

[distancia]

Good question and the exact thing happened with us, twice.

 

In the first situation, we had to withdraw DD after the deadline, so we were required to fill out a "special consideration" form through the comm coll. Medical emergencies, loss of a family member, a change in job hours, economic hardship (gas prices) etc etc. are all relevant reasons.

 

In the second instance we elected to change dd's status to an A for Audit. Because it was an elective class and we were paying for it as Enrichment (the state was not paying for it as Dual Enrollment) it was no big deal. It just means dd can go to class (if she wants or doesn't want) or log on to the web site (if she chooses) and she can go along with the work--or not. It's kind of like being a ghost student. No grade, no demands, no tests, nothing....

 

After doing all online college classes our daughter really, really wanted to get out of the house and go to comm coll to be with peers. So we let her, signed her up for 3 classes. After the first week of driving back and forth to the comm coll MTWR, 8 times, up and down the highway, 30 to 40 minutes each way (never mind gulping gas at almost $4- a gallon!) DD realized that too much of her day was wasted in the commute, and the stopping at the Whole Foods/Starbucks/Panera Bread on the ride back ate into her day even more.

 

So she switched the classes, making 2 online, and now she drives to campus for only one class, 2x a week.

 

If you are concerned that your dd, being a Senior, is going to look like she's slacking (senioritis) in her last semester, I would suggest that you sign her up for another online comm coll course for the first 7 weeks of summer (usually called Summer A).