Let me opine for a bit, indulge me if you will because this is about to go full-blown rant. One week is not enough for the add/drop decision-making process.
As a graduating senior, I’ve lived through my share of add/drop weeks. “Bonkers” is the word that comes to mind. The week inspires so many swirling questions: “Do I really have the mental fortitude to decide if this course is happening at the right time in my academic plan? Will dropping this course delay my graduation?” Not to mention, sometimes you never really know until you’re in too deep. Allow me to explain.
For the most part, the first week is a bit of a slow 10 mph vibe. It’s a time where you introduce yourself and your major, along with a few other random factoids. You read the syllabus with your classmates, and try to feel out the conditions of the course. But that’s for an in-person class. What about online classes? The situation gets even worse. There is no physical aspect to interpret communication, specifically where the professor gets to elaborate on assignments within the syllabus or answer your burning questions. Now, the main focus of my anger is not to harp on online classes, but the communication medium can impact your decision as to whether to stay in the course.
It’s not until things ramp up to a decent 40 mph — simultaneously in all of your courses — that you really get a sense of whether your course-load is manageable. That usually happens by week two or three. But by that time, you are expected to pay the “sliding scale.” Week two drop means you are refunded 75% of tuition, week three is 50%, et cetera, et cetera. This can cause “first-week frenzy” as many people are motivated by losing this large amount of money (potentially thousands of dollars), and then sporadically add or drop courses.
Let’s say that Monday morning of week two causes a monumental breakdown where you realize that you are absolutely swamped with law dockets or lab assignments or whatever (don’t mind me, I’m an art major). By then, you are still required to pay 25% of the course. There is so much pressure with mentally adjusting to new schedules that adding the money facet to the dynamic can add even more stress to students.
The mental calculation that comes with enrolling in courses, managing my life schedule for the next four months, and then the actual math of deciding whether to continue in my course (only to drop later and lose 25% of my tuition investment) is a part of my university years that I will not miss.
