Dropping with a W

Marion Kimble

MAY 1, 2008- Friday is the last day for a student to drop semester-length classes in person and still receive a “W” on his/her transcript, Saturday is the last day to drop online or by phone.

While students have until 3 p.m. Friday to drop at the Admissions and Records office, Sergio Naka, A&R assistant, suggest doing it tomorrow.

“Don’t wait until the last minute,” he warned. ” Do it (tomorrow) so you can check it Friday and make sure it went through.”

Naka also recommended processing in person and obtaining a receipt.

Students can also drop classes Saturday online, at piercecollege.edu under class registration, or by phone, at .

Naka was adamant about the A&R office being closed Saturday and Sunday, and the importance of obtaining the conformation number, which will appear at the end of the online session or be read back to a student over the phone.

A student may want to be wary of acquiring too many “W”s in a single semester. According to Claudia Ramirez-Yaglian, Pierce College counselor, having a “W” in fifty percent or more of attempted classes will result in progress probation, a transcript status denoting an excessive number of “W”s.

The marks also look poorly when reviewed by what Ramirez-Yaglian noted as “more competitive” colleges.

“At USC, one W is fine, two is okay, and three is unacceptable.” Ramirez-Yaglian said.

Still, she stresses that a “W” is not an actual grade, and does not affect a student’s grade point average in any way.

“It’s better to get a W than a D or a F,” Ramirez-Yaglian said. “If a C is not okay with you because of the school you’re applying to, it’s better to take a W if it’s your only one.”

Extracurricular activities like sports bring another level of consideration to the table.

Tiera Battle, 24 on the women’s basketball team at Pierce, dropped a class she was getting a “C” in light of the less-harmful “W.”

“For (Division one teams), it’s better to have better grades,” said Battle. “I was going to get a C so I dropped. I’m going to retake it over summer.”

“It looks bad on your transcript, but I weighed the pros and cons,” Battle continued. “Plus, there is no use wasting more time in a class if you’re going to retake it.”

Not all students share the same view. Shana Rabban, a Taft High School student taking a business class to bolster her credits, believes it’s better to “go for the C.”

It shows that you’re more responsible,” said Rabban. “It’s better to drop early so you don’t have even one.”

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