Is it bad to have bad grades in required courses not pertaining to your major?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the implications of receiving lower grades in required courses unrelated to a student's major, particularly in the context of pursuing graduate studies in mathematics. Participants share their experiences and concerns regarding academic performance, time management, and the impact of non-major courses on graduate school admissions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about the potential negative impact of receiving a B- or B in non-mathematics courses on graduate school applications, despite maintaining high grades in mathematics courses.
  • Another participant reassures that a B grade is acceptable and unlikely to significantly affect graduate school prospects, suggesting that only failing grades would be problematic.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes the importance of managing coursework and suggests that sacrificing on-time graduation might be beneficial for achieving better grades overall.
  • One participant shares their experience of balancing a full course load with job responsibilities, noting that time constraints can lead to less than stellar grades, which may hinder graduate school chances.
  • Another participant counters that age is not a significant factor in PhD admissions, emphasizing that grades are more critical, and mentions peers who graduated later but still gained admission to good programs.
  • A participant mentions financial constraints related to attending an out-of-state school, indicating that losing financial aid could complicate their ability to continue their studies.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the importance of grades in non-major courses, with some believing that lower grades will not severely impact graduate school admissions, while others are more concerned about the implications of such grades. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best approach to balancing course loads and job responsibilities.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight various personal circumstances, such as financial constraints and time management challenges, which influence their academic performance and decisions regarding course loads. There is an acknowledgment of the subjective nature of graduate school admissions criteria.

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I am a mathematics major. I am currently taking an honors analysis course using Spivak. I am also taking a statistics course which I enjoy. I am also taking a reading course with the same professor who is teaching my honors analysis course. Rudin's Real and Complex Analysis is being used in the reading course. The problem is I also have a job, a history course (WWI), a physics course and French.

I find myself pulling an all nighter at least once a week to be able to finish all the work that is required. This isn't even including the reading course because I haven't been able to do much due to the time constraints. I can't really drop any of the courses because if I do I won't graduate on time. I can't quit my job either because I need the money to pay for tuition.

Would it be a problem for me if I got say a B- or B in any of the courses not directly related to math? Would graduate schools look upon this unfavorably? I don't have anything lower than an A in any of my mathematics courses and for the time being, it will most likely stay that way. I feel like the required courses like history and french are a big waste of time. I would really rather just focus on the mathematics courses.

I really want to go to a strong university for my PhD in mathematics. Will getting lower than an A or A- lower my chances?
 
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It's ok. It won't make or break you. If you get a D or an F, maybe. But a B is fine.
 
Jump through the hoops and do well in your courses, even the ones you don't like.

If you're a freshman and already struggling with time constraints, you will probably want to sacrifice graduating on time. It's no big deal, you have a job, and you'll do better off if you spread your coursework enough to ensure to get the best grades you can.

I take full courseloads because my financial support depends on it, and I am one of the few in my degree that is going to graduate on time, but not without a drawback: less than stellar grades due to time constraints (and grading policies), which are likely going to hamper my chances at graduate school.

So if you feel you could do better with more time, bite the bullet and take an extra semester or two to graduate.
 
Lets just say all of the people that I went to high school with have graduated and started their careers already. I'm almost ancient haha, so I really don't want to be any later.
 
Big deal, I'm graduating at the age of 25-26. Age doesn't matter for phd admissions, grades do. There are a few here who've graduated in their 30's and got into good graduate programs.
 
I'm also attending an out of state school so once my financial aid runs out my job won't be able to support me anymore.
 

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