There are less than 48 hours, people! March 22nd is the very last day of the drop period for Notre Dame students. Do you currently have five or more classes? Why? Why would you do that to yourself? Do you really need all those to graduate? Couldn't you take one abroad? Or senior year when you have nothing but free time?
I'm not some rogue slacker playing the fictional, saucy devil character on your shoulder. Really, I'm just looking out for you. This is Notre Dame. We all care about each other's grades. I just want everyone to make Dean's List so as to challenge myself even more. But really, truthfully, all I'm saying is there is a point of no return coming up. After March 22nd, you get what you get, and those grades are on your transcript for future employers, potential lovers, possible parents-in-laws, law enforcement background checks and even obituary writers to see!
So, I am looking out for you. Here are some questions you should be asking yourself:
1. Do you currently have below a B- average in any classes? (If you don't, then good for you! If you do, then keep reading, comrade!)
2. Are more than half the grades for the challenging class(es) done and recorded? Un-revisable, un-editable, gone by the wayside and flushed down the toilet pipe for all of eternity?
3. If so, then drop. Drop right now. Stop what you're doing, don't think, just drop! Run to your department's office, pick up a form, run to your major adviser, sign, deposit form. Yes, that sensation of lightness, that tickling in your tummy, that is the feeling of a well-made decision, my friend.
4. If only half or fewer than half of the grades have been recorded for the class, then you could probably bring up that below-B- grade. Yeah, you could totally bring it up. I mean, people have done that before, right? My friend from high school's first cousin Jerry who goes to USC's ex-girlfriend had a D in her freshman-year chemistry lab after the midterm, and she ended up finishing the semester with an A-. Anything is possible!
5. Even if that was a true story, what are the chances you will be like that fictional friend of a fake cousin of a fake friend of mine?
6. If you genuinely do not understand the material in the course so far and are struggling to the degree that you have a C or below, what makes you think you'll suddenly be able to do really well? Sure, you can definitely do better, but in all likelihood, won't you do only marginally better? Not amazingly, not perfect on every assignment. No one goes from barely scraping by to top of the class with a flick of a switch.
7. Bottom Line: There is nothing stopping you from doing reasonably well in this class. REASONABLY. Leaving you with a less than reasonable grade. If you can, if it is feasible in any way, drop it now.
A summary of the wonderful life that awaits you after dropping a class:
What is all this wonderful space and freedom? Why did I never frolick in meadows and sunshine before? That, my friend, is called free time. It is a beautiful thing. Enjoy it, read for leisure, exercise, bake delicious things from your Pinterest, do volunteer work, run that marathon, bond with those friends you never see! You might even do better in your remaining classes because you finally have time to do the work for them.
In the long run, you want to look back at college, see a good GPA and have a lot of memories of good times shared with friends. It will not matter that you dropped one measly little class.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of The Observer.
Contact Emilie Terhaar at eterhaar@nd.edu
