Financial aid situation

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I dropped my calculus class, as well as my structural geology course, and now they are starting my grace period for my student loans.

And I still have 1 1/2 years to go for a degree. And I may not be eligible for financial aid next year because of this. And I won't be able to find a job over the summer because the job market is terrible.

Why, Tim, why?!

Why did you drop the courses, Tim?

I hope that before dropping those classes you had a reasonable, strong feeling that you were going to get an F in both of them. I've dropped a couple of classes before for stupid reasons besides grades, and I wish I had not been so hasty about doing so.

And sometimes, painful as it is to admit it, it's best to suck it up and get a D or a C. One or two bad grades won't kill your transcript, and, especially if it's a needed prerequisite, it can really set you back, and keep in mind that having a lot of dropped courses on your transcript doesn't look so hot either. Plus, isn't it expensive to keep dropping courses?

I was struggling in both of the courses, and if I hadn't dropped, I would have gotten an F anyway.

Was tutoring an option?

It depends on the program. A C or, particularly, a D could pose a problem if your GPA is borderline already, or if the you're school has strict standards. Last quarter I got two B's and a C, and because I'm expected to maintain a 3.0 GPA (B average), I was given an academic warning. A C or D poses a pretty big threat to my GPA because the standard is so high. I'm not sure how things work at Tim_Tex's program, but it's something to think about.

Last edited by klick on 13 Mar 2008, 4:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Very true, but undergraduate programs are generally more lenient (at Rutgers you are in danger of flunking out if your GPA goes below 2.0 in the undergrad program, but 3.0 in the graduate program). If I recall, Tim did very well in his first semester.

I don't understand though Tim, why were weren't able to acquire a tutor or at least meet with your professors and try to rectify your problem?

In the structural geology, the only "tutor" was the professor, and he can't teach to save his life.

I was struggling in calculus because (a) the anxiety regarding my structural geology class was bringing my grades down in there, (b) I finally reached some parts I couldn't understand, (c) my professor isn't always there when I need him, and (d) I am completly rusty when it comes to trig--I did take a college trig class, but it was 7 years ago.

Update: The financial aid people at my school said I could defer payments until after I graduated from the school I will begin attending next fall.