It is not uncommon for students to withdrawal from classes. Usually this happens when a student feels overwhelmed with a class and cannot handle all the work the professor gives on top of everything else they have to do.
However, students mix up withdrawing and dropping classes frequently.
For those who do not know the difference or need to be reminded, withdrawing is a request to get out of a class after the add/drop period. Withdrawals will show up on a student’s transcript as a “W.”
Withdrawals can impact a student’s full-time status as well as financial aid and residency. However, a withdraw does not count against a student’s GPA.
Dropping a class does not show up on a student’s transcript, will not affect full-time status and does not count towards their GPA. The add/drop period is usually during the first two weeks of the semester.
For one student at the college, the withdrawal process has taken her by surprise.
“I had to withdraw from my bio class this semester because I should not have been allowed to take it,” Danielle DiBartolo, a junior social work major, said. “I just found out last Monday. I took a class last year that had the same concept, but I did not have all the requirements to take this class.”
DiBartolo is in the honors program and also majors in sociology and psychology. She takes 18 credits a semester and also has a full-time job.
“There are a lot of requirements for me to graduate on time,” DiBartolo said. “I take 18 credits a semester to ensure I’m getting my money’s worth. My adviser, the registrar and the science department are all working with me to fix this mistake and they are being very helpful.”
For a Temple University student, withdrawals were not very kind to him and his parent’s wallet.
“I used to think they were the same thing, so I didn’t think it was a big deal at first,” Brendan Mark, sophomore biology major at Temple University, said. “Even though it didn’t count against my GPA, I wasn’t happy that I had to withdraw from a class. It was only one class, but it still shows up on my record.”
Mark said that from personal experiences, student’s would be better taking a lighter class load if they think there is a possibility they could end up withdrawing somewhere down the road.
In order to withdrawal from a class, students can either complete an online form or go to the Registrar’s office in Grace Hall to pick up a form. From there, students must obtain the signature of their academic adviser and return the form back to the Registrar.
The deadline to withdrawal from classes, except COM 280 and 382, is March 30.
