7 Signs You Should Drop That Class ASAP ...

1. You’re the Only Underclassman

Some of my Freshman friends unknowingly enrolled in upperclassmen classes and suffered all semester long. Upperclassmen have things more figured out than you do—and that’s fine, that’s how it should be! It doesn’t mean your less smart than they are, it just means the class might go at a faster pace than is comfortable for a Freshman or Sophomore.

2. You Already Want to Ditch Class

Class is a snooze-fest. You look like you’re taking notes, but really you’re just watching Netflix on mute during lecture. In the mornings, you seriously contemplate ditching class. Unless it’s a class you can miss and make up for easily with readings or watching lectures online, you should try switching classes. That class is going to ruin your GPA, so get out as soon as you can.

3. It’s Too Easy

I don’t believe in dropping difficult classes. Your brain is a powerful machine that can adapt to a challenging environment! But some classes are too easy, and will result in laziness. If you think you know everything already, you probably won’t pay attention in lecture, soon you’ll start slacking off on assignments, and eventually you’ll notice that your exam grades are slipping. Try to take the next level of the course so you can be challenged enough, but not overwhelmed.

4. You Only Took It Because a Friend is Taking It

Academic classes are there for you to learn, not to be distracted by your BFF the whole time. Unless you are sincerely interested in the class or it’s a graduation requirement, don’t waste your time in a class you only enrolled in because your friend convinced you to. You can hang out outside of class without distracting each other from lecture. Your friend may be annoyed with you at first, but you’ll both be better off in the end.

5. Not Enough Hours in the Day

If you’re taking multiple classes that demand a lot of time outside of class, you should consider dropping at least one of them. The class will still be there next year when you have a lighter coarse load. The key is the challenge yourself intellectually, but not spreading yourself too thin. You still need to dedicate time to your mental and physical health every day!

6. You Feel Uncomfortable

A classroom should be a comfortable environment where you feel free to speak your mind and be yourself. If a teacher, professor, TA, or other student makes you feel uncomfortable, you should drop the class. Odds are your level of comfort won’t get much better as the semester progresses. If it’s a subject you need to take or are very interested in, try to take it with different instructors, or a later year with a new class of students.

7. The Professor Cares Less than You

An apathetic professor can ruin a class. The content of the class can be really interesting, but the professor will ruin it for you. If you notice that he or she doesn’t seem to care about the subject passionately, drop it and search for a similar class with a different professor.

Choosing classes is a battle, but sticking them out is the whole war. It’s okay to make a mistake when deciding on your schedule, but there’s no point in suffering for an entire semester. Have you ever dropped a class for one of these reasons?