Should I Drop Classes I Dislike for Better Grades or Keep Them for More Credits?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around whether a third-year undergraduate student should drop disliked classes in atomic physics and relativistic electrodynamics to maintain a higher GPA or keep them for additional credits. The scope includes considerations of academic performance, graduate school admissions, and the relevance of the courses to future studies.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that maintaining a high GPA is crucial for graduate school admissions, implying that dropping classes could be beneficial for this purpose.
  • Others argue that the importance of knowledge gained from the courses should not be underestimated, even if the student is not performing well.
  • One participant questions the student's standing in relation to the class average, suggesting that a poor test mark may not be as significant if it reflects a general trend among peers.
  • There is a suggestion that the relevance of the courses to the student's future studies should be reconsidered, as the material may be important for graduate-level work.
  • A later reply notes that graduate admissions committees are likely to understand a semester with fewer courses, indicating that this may not negatively impact the student's application.
  • Another participant points out that the disliked subjects will likely reappear in graduate studies, which could influence the decision to drop them.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the importance of GPA versus the value of knowledge gained from the courses. There is no consensus on whether the student should drop the classes or keep them, as both sides present valid points regarding academic performance and future implications.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of specific information about the student's performance relative to peers and the potential long-term impact of the courses on graduate studies. The discussion does not resolve the implications of dropping courses on overall academic trajectory.

colldood
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Hey guys,

I'm a third year undergrad student taking Physics & Math. I'm not sure which of the two I'm going to go to grad school for yet, but both are a possibility. I recently got back some bad test marks for these two classes I'm in that I really dislike (atomic physics, and relativistic electrodynamics). Neither are required for my program, but at this rate I'll probably be getting around a 75 (3.0 GPA) in each (I always do well on problem sets). Maybe 80 (3.7) if I'm really lucky, but I also did much worse on the midterm than I expected so I could very well do horribly on the exam (maybe bring it down to a 70 i.e. 2.7). I'm thinking of dropping one or both of them, which would leave me in only three courses for the semester. My GPA up to this point is about 3.7, constant through the years.

Now, the question is: is it better to drop one or both of them, and have (I'm guessing) a 3.8 average with 4 full credits for the year, or have 5 full credits and have presumably a 3.5-3.6 for the year. Is it better to have the knowledge under my belt with mediocre marks, or to just do better with fewer courses? Remember, neither are required for my program. Will grad schools care that I took only 3 courses for a semester? This is the point I'm wondering most about. Will they expect me to do better in my three courses for this semester as a result? I have a credit from high school, so having enough credits for a degree is not an issue.

What should I do? I have to decide soon.

Thanks for your responses.
 
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I have to decide by tomorrow...please, any input would be appreciated greatly.
 
I am no expert, but since you are desperate for some guidance, I will offer *my* opinion. Although GPA is not the only thing that grad schools look at, it *probably* trumps most other criteria. So whatever you can do to keep your GPA as high as possible is probably the best decision.

A lot of people end up dropping a class for some reason or the other during their college career. I think grad schools realize this. Just my two cents though. Good luck! :smile:
 
I won't argue the point on marks. They are important. But at the same time, just because you aren't acing a class isn't a good reason to drop it.

The first thing I would try to figure out is how you stand in relation to the rest of the class. Having a bad test mark isn't all that bad if everyone has a bad test mark. Or do you mean you did poorly in relation to the class average?

The next thing I would figure out is how relevant these classes are. Just because they aren't required for your degree doesn't mean they're not important. When you elected to pursue these ones rather than something else, you thought they were important. Has that changed? And further along those lines, my own personal experience has been that the more physics I learned, the better, when it came to graduate school.

On the other hand, I doubt a graduate admissions committee would blink at a single semester with only 3 courses. They admit people who complete undergraduate degrees part time after all.
 
Considering that the classes you hate will come up again (and again) in grad school, you may want to consider this in your planning.
 

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