This time Nerdify decided to speak up on a kinda tuff theme: a decision to drop a class.

When a college student feels like dropping a class, the moment comes with an endless stream of questions, apprehension, uncertainty, and stress. It does not matter whether you have registered for a class that was not exactly what you have expected or you cannot cope with a part-time job and doing well in each class, – you still want to know when (and if!) a decision to drop the class has to be made. The choice is never an easy one because it may feel like you have given up your future and failed. No, it is not the case and it does not mean that you are not smart enough! On the contrary, it is an important decision that a student can make due to a variety of reasons. The question is in how will it affect the graduation schedule, financial aid, and your life in general.

Dropping a Class or Withdrawing?  

Before we dive into the depth of decisions and the reasons, let us learn the difference between dropping the class and withdrawing, which is not always the same! The difference is that the majority of colleges and universities have a clear policy, which allows for two week period to add or drop the class at the start of each semester. It is a period that allows you to schedule your classes and carry out the changes without a penalty. If you choose to drop the class during this particular period, the class will not appear on your official transcript list. In other words, there will be no sign of your enrollment anywhere. However, there is one thing to keep in mind that relates to financial aid program! If the class is dropped, there is a return of funds policy that may come in power in most cases. Now when the two weeks period is over, your action is defined as withdrawal, which is an entirely different matter! To cut the long story short – your official transcript list will have a “W” mark next to the class you have withdrawn from.  

Some Things to Be Aware Of:

If you choose to withdraw from the class or drop it, as most students still refer to the practice, you should be aware of the following:

• It is possible that you will be charged for tuition fees in certain conditions, so make sure to review the terms and conditions before you make a final decision.
• Keep an eye for specific dates and the deadlines that you have to follow! Make sure that your schedule with the other classes is not affected by the change.
• Your overall progress may be affected in case you do not have a sufficient amount of study hours.
• While you will have a “W” on your graduation transcript if you withdraw from the class, a “W” grade in any class dropped will NOT affect your GPA!
• In order to receive a financial aid from your college or university, you have to complete at least 70% of your classes taken successfully. It means that F or W is defined as unsuccessful, unlike D or anything better!
• You need at least twelve credit hours to be considered a full-time student. Do not ever drop below 12 credit hours, so you do not find yourself in a situation without insurance and financial aid!
• Check with your college or university about special class dropping policy in terms of your progress through the semester and other rules that may be applicable!

Before You Drop The Class:

Before you decide to drop the class and implement changes to your life and professional career, always talk to your college advisor first! One of the crucial reasons to do so is that they may be aware of specific implications and future challenges that you may not even know about! As you talk to the advisor, make sure that you ask these questions to help both of you to decide what to do and see whether it is right or wrong:

• Will dropping of this particular class affect my graduation date and an overall academic schedule?
• Are we dealing with a prerequisite course that a student can only take once a year?
• Is this particular class necessary for graduation this year? In other words, if you already two semesters close to graduation date, your decision may affect the day.
• Will dropping of this class affect my financial aid support and the scholarship?
• Will I have fewer credits in total? If so, how will it affect my financial state and is there a funds return policy?
• Will dropping a class influence my full-time student status? It is always better to ask because it affects your applicability for financial student aid and a scholarship among other things your college or a university may offer!

Now it is only you who can decide whether you should drop a class or not, therefore, ask yourself these three simple questions:

• Why do I want to drop the class and what is the true reason for that?
• Can I settle down the issue without dropping?
• What kind of help and what changes do I need to continue with the class?

While it is hardly possible to list all the reasons that may be suitable or not suitable for dropping the class, it is most likely because the class seems to be “too difficult” or you “have to work and just cannot manage it all”. No matter what your particular case is, let us deal with the aforementioned situations and see what can be done.

You are trapped in a situation when you have to work way too much to keep yourself going or to earn a little extra. The first case is a reason to ask for additional financial aid if you are determined to do your best academically, but financial struggles get in the way. Now the second case is not really worth ruining your studies because it is much wiser to avoid dropping the class and focus on your long-term goals instead of treating yourself with additional earnings. Ask yourself about what matters more to you, but remember that it is your life and that studying well always rewards you in the future!

Now the second case is when the class seems to be too difficult or not what you have expected it to be. If it is the first case and things seem unclear to you, remember that dropping a class is not the best solution since you can ask your university tutor or a college professor for help. A bit of a guidance and a list of your concerns addressed may help you to receive that missing link to feel better about the class and see all the benefits. Challenge yourself and try to learn more about the class while you can! Still, if the class is really not what you thought it would be, talk to your academic advisor to weigh in all the pros and cons, read of the possible consequences, and do what you feel is best!

Several Valid Reasons to Drop The Class:

• You need to drop the class in order to maintain your scholarship.
• You do not have sufficient time to complete the class due to personal circumstances.
• Dropping the class will not damage your overall academic progress.
• You have a sufficient amount of credit hours and you can safely switch the class and make changes, while there is a “two weeks” period.
• You are dealing with a military duty.
• Adding a different class will be more beneficial to you!

Do not forget that when you struggle with a particular class, there are still special rescue courses that usually start in the middle of a semester! However, if you have to deal with an illness or major changes in your life, the best thing you can do is withdraw from all classes entirely. Likewise, with the military duty, you can apply for special programs that meet your situation and allow you to receive all the necessary credits.

Even if you decide to drop the class and have already talked to your college or university advisor, always sign up for the rescue class and give it one more chance! Trust Nerdify, talking things out always helps to see the situation clearer and do what’s best for you!

Are you struggling with your time management while learning or working online from home? Here are some tips for maintaining control of your time. First and foremost, get up at your normal time and complete your morning routine, including getting dressed and eating breakfast! Learning and working from home can cause you to focus solely on working. Second, set up a workspace away from your bed/bedroom. Third, at the time you would leave, go to your workspace, and prepare for your day.

1. Have a calendar with time slots, electronic or paper, available to plan your day

2. Plan your day including:
a. Work times
b. Activities at specific times, such as class, study, lunch, and breaks
c. Meals
d. Communication with colleagues, family, and friends
e. End of workday
f. Bedtime!

3. Use a timer or electronic reminders to move to the next item on your list.

4. Begin working.

5. End working.

Set aside time for cooking, cleaning, leaving to exercise (even if just in another room), weekend activities, and shopping if needed. Finally, remember to include due dates for assignments. As you plan for your day above, check the learning management system (LMS) used at your school for assignments, activities, and meetings. Add these to your calendar as well. At the starting time of your class or job, begin working.
For those of you working together on projects, there are several ways to communicate easily. Programs such as Zoom, Skype, and social media applications can reduce the perception of distance. Download these easily from the appropriate website onto the computer and phone. Classmates can set up daily review meetings in Zoom. Learning management systems also have Wiki features for discussions.
This may seem obsessive, but as said above people either focus on one thing for a while or shift from one thing to another in minutes without completing any given task. By creating a schedule to work with and using a timer or alarms, one can complete many tasks and feel accomplished at the end of the day. Using the regular schedule will assist in returning to a normal schedule when the isolation period is over. With a schedule in mind, new habits can be formed to assist in a normal schedule later as well.

Anne Montgomery

It’s 2018 and it seems like there is literally an app for everything! Everything except for the one thing needful for college students, right? Wrong! Well, to be fair, it’s the one thing needful in your parent’s estimation. There’s nothing more important to a college student than studying, right? Obviously! *nervous laughter*

To cheer you up from those bad college grade blues, Nerdify reviews top helpful apps and here’s a countdown list of them. Check these apps out. They certainly put the STUD back in studying.

5. SIMPLEMIND PRO 

Struggling to organize those brilliant ideas into legible concepts? Simplemind Pro helps sweep out those brain cobwebs and translate them into digital spider diagrams! Brainstorming for that boring English has never been so fun and effective as you can add media to your mind maps as well!

4. EXAM COUNTDOWN LITE

Tired of missing important deadlines and arriving late for exams? This easy-to-use app is absolutely free on both IOS and Android and helps to keep track of important tests, exams and best of all – lunch breaks!

3. DRAGON ANYWHERE

Tired of having to keep a pen and paper handy for all your spontaneous bright ideas and important vocal notes? Dragon Anywhere acts like a personal fire-breathing dragon, except, it doesn’t breathe fire, it dictates and edits notes and documents. This app works exactly like a pocket-recorder. All this is done using only the voice. At only $15 per month you can continue talking to yourself, I mean thinking out loud and not look like a crazy person!

2. MYSCRIPT CALCULATOR

This one is for the maths gurus who realize that it’s now the 21^st century and it’s time to go digital, but still, want that 1820’s feel to it. Mathematical equations are solved by hand in order to help cram, I mean learn equations and formulas. This requires a once off fee of $1.99.

Before revealing the number one spot. A few honorable mentions must go to SOUNDNOTE (Ipad)- which allows for lecture recording, in both visual and audio format. Now you get to hear the sound of your lecturer all day long, without taking too much memory space. Alternatively, it serves as good lullaby material as well when student insomnia comes knocking on the door.

For those of us who still enjoy the flash card system that our grandma’s used to use. GOCONQR is the perfect app. Assisting with the organization of information into charts, notes, mind-maps, and quizzes.

Ever sighed with relief as you finished a paper only to have to spend what feels like 33 additional hours referencing the sources. Well, no more confusions with commas, full stops, and publishing dates. EASYBIB the answer to your prayers. Find the academic reference to a book simply by scanning in the barcode. Take a photograph or simply type in the title of the book. It coughs up the relevant reference in MLA, APA and Chicago style formats.

Suppose you are a night owl. You enjoy spending long nights revising at the library, on campus and sometimes cannot avoid walking alone late at night all by yourself. You are nervous for that mid-term exam, but anxious and worried that you won’t make it to the testing dates due to all the ferocities that occur on a daily. CIRCLE OF 6 allows the student to keep in touch with 6 close friends. The whereabouts of the user are known by the six chosen contacts with only just a simple click. This ensures safety whilst studying- or embarking on other late night “errands.”

Finally the number one spot:

1. EVERNOTE

#1 in our Nerdify reviews list! Voted as the best app by our Nerds, Evernote, helps students sync notes across devices, streamlined and organized. You are even able to search for text inside images. Link audio attachments and checklists. All this free, outside of the yearly amount of only $34.99. Oh, come on! It’s less than the average amount of booze the average college student spends in just a week, it may as well go towards your education, right?

Keep on the lookout for more trendy, fun and practical updates on our blog. But certainly, check out these apps to take the DYING out of studying. Remember that if there’s a simpler way to do something, there’s an app for it, you just haven’t discovered it yet!

Best of luck with college marathon and always remember to keep it hAPPening with Nerdify reviews.