Will W's on My Transcript Affect Future Education Plans?

[Namadon]

My father recommended me to be a nursing major and that's when my nightmare began. I shouldn't have listened to him because a lot of the classes I took were for nothing! I ended up having 3 W's on my grade in anatomy & physiology, spanish, and american history simply because they were not part of my interest and I also thought they wouldn't show up on my transcript so I withdrew from spanish and american history class after switching my major because those classes aren't required. I told my father I would like to be a mechanical engineer and he agreed that I should follow my dreams. I finally found myself at home when I excelled in my calculus based physics, chemistry and math classes getting straight A's. I never gotten below an A in my math, chemistry and physics courses. In fact I had the highest test grade average in chemistry when the professor posted the grade demographics on the board. My GPA is a 3.6 right now. I also want to be a physicist one day after completion of a B.S. mechanical engineering.

These W's are completely unrelated to my major which is engineering however they are there... like an ugly scar in your face that cannot be removed. I'm transferring to a 4 year school soon and I'm afraid of what they will think about the W's.

Will grad schools or PhD programs look at the W's I received completely unrelated to my major? Would they care?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Why worry about what you cannot change?

And why major in mechanical engineering if you want to be a physicist?

 

[Namadon]

Why worry about what you cannot change?

And why major in mechanical engineering if you want to be a physicist?

To get a well paying guaranteed job early as an engineer which typically takes 4 years. Being an engineering major right now is a good mix in sciences and mathematics that would prepare me as a physics major in a long run. I understand I cannot change the marks but what I'm worried about is that if those W's that are not related my major will shatter my dreams.

 

[micromass]

I understand I cannot change the marks but what I'm worried about is that if those W's that are not related my major will shatter my dreams.

How will our answer influence your decisions?

 

[symbolipoint]

To get a well paying guaranteed job early as an engineer which typically takes 4 years. Being an engineering major right now is a good mix in sciences and mathematics that would prepare me as a physics major in a long run. I understand I cannot change the marks but what I'm worried about is that if those W's that are not related my major will shatter my dreams.

They won't. If your major field is engineering, and the W's were for far less related courses and were longer ago in the past, then those W's are not a problem. You only earned three of them.

 

[Namadon]

How will our answer influence your decisions?

Depends on how you answer it

They won't. If your major field is engineering, and the W's were for far less related courses and were longer ago in the past, then those W's are not a problem. You only earned three of them.

I guess... but the W's make me look like a quitter

 

[micromass]

but the W's make me look like a quitter

OK, so let's assume that they do, how would that influence you? Can you actually do something about it? If so, what? If no, why worry?

 

[Vanadium 50]

Micromass has a good point. How will this influence your decisions?

And a degree in Mechanical Engineering is most assuredly not a "well paying guaranteed job". There are no guarantees, and a job is not a reward for graduation.

 

[symbolipoint]

Depends on how you answer it

I guess... but the W's make me look like a quitter

You plan on earning a degree in engineering, and would tend to search for engineering jobs after graduating, and this you believe makes you look as if you are a quitter. Why would an employer want to hire someone as an engineer who completed an undergraduate degree in engineering? Did you earn a few W's in your engineering courses?

 

[Namadon]

OK, so let's assume that they do, how would that influence you? Can you actually do something about it? If so, what? If no, why worry?

Why worry? Because I will have no future, no career, off a silly mistake in not picking my comfortable major starting college

 

[Namadon]

You plan on earning a degree in engineering, and would tend to search for engineering jobs after graduating, and this you believe makes you look as if you are a quitter. Why would an employer want to hire someone as an engineer who completed an undergraduate degree in engineering? Did you earn a few W's in your engineering courses?

I haven't ever had a W in my engineering courses, and not even a single bad grade on it

 

[micromass]

Why worry? Because I will have no future, no career, off a silly mistake in not picking my comfortable major starting college

So it seems to me like you're just using this as an excuse of feeling depressed, instead of letting this influence your future. I mean, you haven't said anything you would specifically do if we said that it indeed looked bad, it would just make you feel bad.

 

[Namadon]

So it seems to me like you're just using this as an excuse of feeling depressed, instead of letting this influence your future. I mean, you haven't said anything you would specifically do if we said that it indeed looked bad, it would just make you feel bad.

I knew that was coming, I'm not going to lie but of course I would feel upset, I would like to know the truth than to have ignorance. Why wait and find out the truth the hard way? Ignorance is bliss but it's what I strive to find the truth

 

[symbolipoint]

I haven't ever had a W in my engineering courses, and not even a single bad grade on it

I knew that was coming, I'm not going to lie but of course I would feel upset, I would like to know the truth than to have ignorance. Why wait and find out the truth the hard way? Ignorance is bliss but it's what I strive to find the truth

You changed your major field to engineering, which as you find currently, seems to suit you well. Your main goal for the next two, three, or four years, is to do well in your courses and graduate. If by that time, you still are worried about your much earlier W's in A&P, Spanish, and History, then you would not be ready to be any kind of engineer.
... Can you now see that you spent an effort to FIND yourself, and the W's are part of that price? They are better than having F's or D's.

 

[Namadon]

You changed your major field to engineering, which as you find currently, seems to suit you well. Your main goal for the next two, three, or four years, is to do well in your courses and graduate. If by that time, you still are worried about your much earlier W's in A&P, Spanish, and History, then you would not be ready to be any kind of engineer.
... Can you now see that you spent an effort to FIND yourself, and the W's are part of that price? They are better than having F's or D's.

I never thought about it that way... I've been told by several people I'm a perfectionist and I just can't seem to let go of certain things... You ever had a back you cannot scratch? Well that's how I kind of feel right now. If I didn't listen to my father I would be much happier. But then again I'm a lot happier because I found myself at home with these physics and math courses.

 

[symbolipoint]

I never thought about it that way... I've been told by several people I'm a perfectionist and I just can't seem to let go of certain things... You ever had a back you cannot scratch? Well that's how I kind of feel right now. If I didn't listen to my father I would be much happier. But then again I'm a lot happier because I found myself at home with these physics and math courses.

Maybe we members who have been discussing this have missed a point: that you focus on problems, actual or not-so actual, because you want things to be perfect, or excellent, or very good, or... reliable. Engineering, or many things in technology development and in sciences are like that. Your worry about things being reliable or done well is what is needed for engineering and the sciences.

 

[micromass]

I never thought about it that way... I've been told by several people I'm a perfectionist and I just can't seem to let go of certain things... You ever had a back you cannot scratch? Well that's how I kind of feel right now. If I didn't listen to my father I would be much happier. But then again I'm a lot happier because I found myself at home with these physics and math courses.

And if you did not listen to your father and went straight to physics, you might have worried a lot that you might be cut out better for nursing. Now you know this is not the case, and you know for sure you prefer engineering/physics over anything else. That kind of knowledge about yourself is worth 3 W's.

 

[Namadon]

Maybe we members who have been discussing this have missed a point: that you focus on problems, actual or not-so actual, because you want things to be perfect, or excellent, or very good, or... reliable. Engineering, or many things in technology development and in sciences are like that. Your worry about things being reliable or done well is what is needed for engineering and the sciences.

And if you did not listen to your father and went straight to physics, you might have worried a lot that you might be cut out better for nursing. Now you know this is not the case, and you know for sure you prefer engineering/physics over anything else. That kind of knowledge about yourself is worth 3 W's.

Interesting points... I completely agree with you guys knowledge about myself is worth 3 W's but... When it comes to admission that would probably raise some eyebrows and they probably won't get the point you're trying to make... They would probably want people without any W's more than people who have them

 

[micromass]

Interesting points... I completely agree with you guys knowledge about myself is worth 3 W's but... When it comes to admission that would probably raise some eyebrows and they probably won't get the point you're trying to make... They would probably want people without any W's more than people who have them

And there's nothing you can do about this. All you can do is try to be the best engineering student you can, the rest is out of your hands.

 

[symbolipoint]

Interesting points... I completely ag... but... When it comes to admission that would probably raise some eyebrows and they probably won't get the point you're trying to make... They would probably want people without any W's more than people who have them

Listen to Oddball! He had much more to worry about than you do.

 

[russ_watters]

The W's don't really matter. I'd focus your thoughts on the future and figuring out if you want to be an engineer or a physicist. This is at least as big a problem as being a nursing student who would rather be an engineer.

 

[Namadon]

The W's don't really matter. I'd focus your thoughts on the future and figuring out if you want to be an engineer or a physicist. This is at least as big a problem as being a nursing student who would rather be an engineer.

Lets say I do want to be an engineer/physicist. And you say W's don't really matter, they do matter when it comes to admission. 3 W's are questionable. Although I am happy those W's are not even part of my major curriculum

 

[russ_watters]

...they do matter when it comes to admission. 3 W's are questionable.

Um...why did you ask the question if you've already decided you know the answer?

 

[symbolipoint]

Lets say I do want to be an engineer/physicist. And you say W's don't really matter, they do matter when it comes to admission. 3 W's are questionable. Although I am happy those W's are not even part of my major curriculum

We are trying very hard to pound the understanding into you, that those three W's you earned early on, before you started into the STEM path, WILL NOT be an obstacle to addmission into a university undergraduate engineering nor other STEM program.

 

[Namadon]

Um...why did you ask the question if you've already decided you know the answer?

I could be wrong, I could be right? That's why

 

[Namadon]

We are trying very hard to pound the understanding into you, that those three W's you earned early on, before you started into the STEM path, WILL NOT be an obstacle to addmission into a university undergraduate engineering nor other STEM program.

At least this gets my hopes up... but what about if I want to pursue a PhD in physics I'm sorry if I'm being ridiculous at least I'm realizing this.

 

[symbolipoint]

At least this gets my hopes up... but what about if I want to pursue a PhD in physics I'm sorry if I'm being ridiculous at least I'm realizing this.

The video collection of Oddball and the negative waves was meant to be amusing but not as a joke. Knock off the negative waves!

 

[Namadon]

The video collection of Oddball and the negative waves was meant to be amusing but not as a joke. Knock off the negative waves!

not really my sense of humor

 

[symbolipoint]

The video collection of Oddball and the negative waves was meant to be amusing but not as a joke. Knock off the negative waves!

not really my sense of humor

Fine. You know what to do, or which direction to go. Another allusion can be made, but to be more direct, continue moving forward and make your decisions as rationally as you can. Stay on the path to engineering or something in hard-sciences.