College question - Dropping classes

[Real]

I've got this intermediate spanish course that I'm taking this semester. I took the first one last semester and got an A, but this is really a different course and a different professor who's pretty difficult. Right now I have a 75.1 average in the class (not counting my last quiz), which is a C (my school does not give out C+).

I can drop the class and take a W (withdraw) and take the class over the summer back home in NJ where it won't count for or against my GPA. Or, I can stick it out and see if I can pull it out to a B-. I've only got one test, one exam, and one fourty point composition and one project. I've been doing horrible on the tests. This is by far my worst class, I'm pulling all A's, and here in lies the problem. If I keep doing the way I've been doing in my other classes, and I drop the Spanish course, I'll end up with a 3.925 for the semester, with the W for Spanish. If I keep the grades in my classes and somehow raise my grade in Spanish to a B-, the best I can get is a 3.61 for the semster.

I talked to my advisor, and she says if I got in the C+ range (76-80), keep the course. If I don't, she'll support me in dropping it. Has anyone had this kind of situation before? I don't know what to do. The last day to drop the class is tomorrow. Any advice?

 

[Dark Defender]

Having a lot of W's on your transcript doesn't look good. I don't know what to tell you, If you think you can stick it out, I would say keep it.

 

[cpawfan]

Are you planning on going straight to grad school from college? Managing your GPA is a major game in college that advisors don't like talking about.

That is a huge GPA swing and if you can take it the class this summer and your parents won't kill you for it, it is most likely the best course of action.

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (cpawfan @ Apr 1 2008, 09:23 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Are you planning on going straight to grad school from college? Managing your GPA is a major game in college that advisors don't like talking about.

That is a huge GPA swing and if you can take it the class this summer and your parents won't kill you for it, it is most likely the best course of action.</div>

Actually, I am planning to go to Law School.

 

[AEM]

^ Shoot yourself now. That's your best option. But if that's what's making your determination, remember that they care about two things, in the following order. LSAT score and GPA.

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (AEM @ Apr 1 2008, 10:32 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>^ Shoot yourself now. That's your best option. But if that's what's making your determination, remember that they care about two things, in the following order. LSAT score and GPA.</div>

So it's probably better to drop the grade and get a 3.925 instead of keeping it?

 

[Real]

Dropped. I figure it's for the best.

 

[AEM]

Smart move.

 

[panthersare#1]

My advisor said that for Law school, I could take any classes that I wanted to as long as I kept a high GPA. So that why im majoring in Sports Management.

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (panthersare#1 @ Apr 2 2008, 05:12 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>My advisor said that for Law school, I could take any classes that I wanted to as long as I kept a high GPA. So that why im majoring in Sports Management.</div>

Yeah, there really is no pre-requisite courses you have to take for Law school. You can take pre-law courses but by no means are they required.

However, Philosophy majors or minors score the highest on the LSAT. That's why I'm either double majoring in Politics and Philosophy, or minoring in Philosophy.

 

[lukewarmplay]

Does your school have a site where students rate the teachers? Getting the right teacher for a course makes all the difference in the world.

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay @ Apr 2 2008, 05:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Does your school have a site where students rate the teachers? Getting the right teacher for a course makes all the difference in the world.</div>

We have evaluations that students make at the end of the semester for professors, but those are never made public.

There really is no one way to select profesors. I just try to ask around. Sometimes I go on RateMyProfessor.com and sometimes the professor is on there.

For this class, I just registered what time was most convenient for me. It didn't say which profesor I would have. Turns out I got a grad student.

 

[huevonkiller]

Depressing story, hopefully this won't happen again with you.

Were you slowly getting better in that Spanish Class? I've stuck through a couple of courses with great results because of my exponential improvement (Biology courses come to mind).

However, high GPAs must be at a premium with all the competition in Law School.

 

[panthersare#1]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay @ Apr 2 2008, 05:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Does your school have a site where students rate the teachers? Getting the right teacher for a course makes all the difference in the world.</div>


I use pickaprof.com. Its a cool site, and if you can see what friends are in the class if you have facebook. It shows the grade distribution, and students rate the teacher and post comments.

 

[huevonkiller]

I use ratemyprofessor.

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (huevonkiller @ Apr 2 2008, 05:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Depressing story, hopefully this won't happen again with you.

Were you slowly getting better in that Spanish Class? I've stuck through a couple of courses with great results because of my exponential improvement (Biology courses come to mind).

However, high GPAs must be at a premium with all the competition in Law School.</div>

Not really. My advisor tried to convince me to stick with it. So did my profesor. But I knew what I had to do.

I think from my midterm grade to now it was like a .4 improvement. I couldn't see myself getting a B-.

 

[Real]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (panthersare#1 @ Apr 2 2008, 05:58 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (lukewarmplay @ Apr 2 2008, 05:21 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Does your school have a site where students rate the teachers? Getting the right teacher for a course makes all the difference in the world.</div>


I use pickaprof.com. Its a cool site, and if you can see what friends are in the class if you have facebook. It shows the grade distribution, and students rate the teacher and post comments.
</div>

Unfortunately it doesn't list my school or any other schools in Washington, DC.