You’ve likely completed some midterms by now, and with those grades, you should have an idea how well you’re doing in your classes. If you’re not sure, go see your professors during office hours.
If you’re happy with your grades, great! Keep doing what you’re doing. If not, there’s still time to do something about it.
For starters, ask your professors about what you can do to improve your grades. Ask for specifics. “Study harder” is good in principle, but you need to know what you should focus on studying harder.
Get help from the Academic Success Center, Writing Center and Collaborative Learning Center (CLC). If you’re living on campus, take advantage of the weekly tutoring sessions in your residence hall.
What if you’re giving a class your best effort, but are still worried about your grade and how it might affect your GPA? You have options, and your adviser can help you choose the right one:
- Consider changing your grading basisfrom A-F to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory (S/U) if it’s a bacc core class or not required for your major, minor or option. A grade of S — the equivalent of a C- or above — counts as credit toward graduation, but neither an S nor U grade affect your GPA. Changing to an S/U requires an adviser’s signature.
- Consider withdrawing from the class. This should be a last resort if you, your professor and/or adviser believe you’re not likely to pass. Keep in mind, however, that to retain your financial aid, you must remain a full-time student (12 credits or more) in most cases. A grade of W will appear on your transcript.
The deadline for switching to an S/U or W is Friday, Nov. 9, so act now, and have a good week!
