I want to die right now. I’m stuck between whether to drop my PSL302 course or stick with it. My mark stands at a pathetic 53% at the moment. If I drop it, i’m left with the option of taking it in summer school which means stay in toronto (i’m from way out of town), waste more money, let go of a well paying summer job and also the possibility of going to Europe. Or, I take the course in my 4th year or the summer after 4th year or totally drop the idea of getting a human bio specialist. If I don’t drop it, chances are I won’t make a 70% and my GPA will be at a all time low which will not impress MBA schools or any graduate schools. If you were me, what would you do? Part of me wants to drop the course but if I do, will I do better in my other courses because I have less work or will they still suffer? Are summer courses that much easier as people say they are? HELP!
first of all, chillax! it’s not the end of the world. luckily, you are a smarter cookie than you have given yourself credit for, because the final drop date without academic penalty for year-long courses is february 17 (dates like these are listed in your timetable book), which gives you 10 days to figure your sorry ass out, and take some action to get to the place you want to be.
from the way you describe your problem, it sounds as though you have many many many possible solutions. you’ve done a lot of thinking about it, now decide on the one that will make you happy, because in my opinion there is nothing like a happy life science student.
you may also want to try talking to your prof/t.a./course administrator, and asking their advice. if the class average is low, the final exam maybe be easier, or the grade may be belled to bring the class average up. your prof could advise of this.
because it’s a third year course, it will weight more heavily on your applications to grad school. if you have given up hope on raising your mark to whatever you want to get, then dropping it may be a good idea. remember that they give you until feb 17 to drop courses for a reason at UofT. i don’t know if you’ll do better in your other courses, but your work load will be less, and from what it sounds like, the ball of stress that i can see forming behind your eyes will ease up a bit. if that doesn’t help your course work, i don’t know what will. if you need help doing this, health services offers plenty of stress management advice.
PSL 302 is offered in the summer timetable. however, if you want to go home, (mingle with the moose out in the hinterlands, or the donkeys back on the farm?) go home. and hell, if you have the chance to add some culture to yer redneck life, go to europe. on the other hand, if school takes precedence over all this, stay in toronto. i have heard that summer school is not too stressful, and usually people are able to hold down jobs at the same time, so that solves the money problem.
i don’t think that this little issue is reason enough to give up your childhood dream of being a forensic scientist or what have you. meet with an academic councellor. this service is offered through your registrar’s office (at your college), or if they don’t turn your crank, the human bio program councellor is supposed to be a great guy. his name is dr. ron wilson, (human.biology@utoronto.ca) and you can probably make an appointment with him at the human bio office. another alternative is to phone new college, where dr. ron keeps his office. the number is (416) 978-2460. any of these sources will be able to help you organize your schedule for the next few years, and ensure that you are meeting your degrees requirements so you can graduate, go to grad school, move to the suburbs and never have to get marked on anything ever again.
cheers
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