Withdrawal Deadline
There are two reasons you may want to withdraw from a class: (1) lightening your course load will help you feel more balanced due to personal, life reasons or (2) you’re not doing well in a course at midterms. Either way, you want to take a moment and consider if you should withdraw from the course before the withdraw deadline for semester classes on Thursday, October 23.Withdrawing from the course means that it will not impact your GPA, and it may help you to focus and do well in your other courses. Here are other points about withdrawing:
- Full-Time Status. 12 credit hours is the magic number to stay full-time. If you drop below part-time, there are extra considerations, like how it might affect your health insurance, financial aid, car insurance, and scholarships.
- Your Transcript. You will have a W on your transcript. Generally, having a W or two on your college transcript is alright. However, when you have multiple W’s, it can show a pattern of how you problem-solve that is not appealing to an employer or graduate schools.
- 4-Year Plan. Keep in mind that you must take an average of 15 credits each semester to graduate in a 4-year plan without summer coursework. So, if you complete lower than the average of 15, then you’ll need to make-up the average somewhere - taking 16 credits for a couple of semesters or taking a summer course. It is doable, though!
- Financial Aid. If you receive Financial Aid, be sure you are aware of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and how this can affect you; because a W is like an F for SAP.
- International Student Visa. If you are an international student on an F-1 Visa, remember that in order to keep your I-20 active and keep the benefits of your F-1 visa, you must be registered as a full-time student (at least 12 credits). If you’re thinking about withdrawing from a class and it would result in you dropping below 12 credits, it may be possible for you to receive permission to do this. There are specific and limited reasons why a student may receive a reduced course load authorization, including medical problems, academic difficulties related to English language acquisition, or the adjustment to studying in a US classroom. Check out the Office of International Program’s website for more information on Maintaining Student Status. If you have any questions about whether or not you would be eligible for reduced course load authorization, contact International Student and Scholar Services in oIP.
Registration Window
On or around Monday, October 20, you will be able to go onto MyMadison and view the specific date and time your registration window opens. You’ll also be able to see what courses will be offered in spring semester. However, remember that you are “low on the totem pole,” which means your seniority is low (as a freshmen) compared to others at the university (like seniors). You’ll move up the totem pole eventually, but right now there are a lot of students ahead of you that will have more priority during registration. Do not spend time picking the specific times and professors you want for classes, because they will likely be gone by the time your window opens. You can prepare during your meeting with your advisor for the types of classes you should be looking for when you register, but don’t plan too much detail about specific sections, professors, or times. You have no control over what’s available by the time your window opens. We’ll talk about this more during our individual registration meeting.