Stages of Grief When Dropping a Class
By Jordan Crayton
Photo by Ben Parker
Picture this: It’s the end of prelim season and you get a notification from Canvas, “Your instructor has released grade changes and new comments to Prelim 1. These changes are now viewable.” You take a deep breath and click “You can view it here.” After signing into Canvas using the insufferable Duo Two-Step login, you whisk to the grade page, where you spot it in big, bold numbering: a 13/30. This one grade puts into motion a set of stages revolving around the ultimate decision — to drop, or not to drop.
Stage 1: Heartache
Your heart drops to your stomach, and tears automatically rush to your eyes as you skim over the test. How could you have done so badly? You studied, went to office hours, did every homework assignment. (Well, you did start scrolling through TikTok in the middle of your Zoom lecture, but that’s besides the point!) All of your hard work, or let’s be honest, lack thereof, is down the drain. You feel like such a letdown to both yourself and everyone counting on you. And the grade median, a good 20-40 points higher than yours, does nothing to calm you down.
Stage 2: Drive
There has to be a mistake; there’s no way that you could’ve failed that extremely important prelim worth 20% of your grade. But since you did, you go to your trusty friend, grade calculator, to figure out what you can do to salvage your grade. You plug in all the configurations, and find out that if you get a 100 on every assignment coming up, you can get a C! It’s an impossible task, but if anyone can do it, it’s you. In fact, you’re going to start right now. So you crack open that problem set, pull up some Crash Course Youtube videos and get started.
Stage 3: Life Crisis
It only takes the first five problems to completely break you. You have zero idea of what’s going on, and you realize that you honestly never will. At least for the duration of this semester. You take one last look at the grade calculator, and hang your head in shame. You’re going to have to drop the class. You can’t have this messing up your GPA; you have grad school, and a career to worry about. Even taking it S/U won’t save you. You're going to be behind in your four year plan, and you definitely have to take this class again, since it’s required for some major, minor or distribution credit. You think, Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Should I just switch my major/minor?
Stage 4: Acceptance
After a little bit of reflection, you come to peace with it. It won’t be so bad. You won’t have to wake up at 9 in the morning two times a week, or deal with those awfully boring lectures anymore. There won’t be anymore bi-weekly quizzes or homework assignments due at noon. Just because you’re doing bad in this one class, it doesn’t mean your entire life is over. You can just take the class again next semester and do way better, because at least you’ll have your notes. Right?
Stage 5: Action
You make your way onto Student Center through the unbearable Duo Two-Step login once again. You click “Drop” and go through all of the steps until you reach the confirmation page. Are you really sure you want to do this? Your heart is pounding as your mouse hovers over the button, waiting for you to make the decision. And then, in a split moment of courage, you slam down on your mousepad, saying, Yes, I will drop the class! The page loads, and you are rewarded with success!
Stage 6: Relief
You laugh as the imaginary weight is lifted off your shoulders. The clouds seem to part, the sun’s a bit brighter, the air a little crisper. You can’t believe you just did that. You look to your phone where your class GroupMe is going off with messages about the prelim — people bragging about how well they did, or others complaining about their grades. You leave the chat and smile. Everything is alright again.