12 credits might protect your financial aid... but it could cost you an entire year.

The panic is real. 😓 You’ve got a class that feels impossible. You’re falling behind. Your grade is circling the drain. The thought of sticking it out feels unbearable. And so, the temptation hits:

“I should just drop it.”

I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count—students staring at their LMS, hovering over the “Drop” button. I’ve had this conversation with students in my office, and with my own son across the dinner table.

And while sometimes dropping a class is the right move… too often, it’s a reaction—not a strategy.

Let’s break this down.

👉 12 credits may qualify as full-time for financial aid.
✋ But it does not keep most students on track for a 4-year graduation.
💸 That means either summer school or another semester of tuition, fees, rent, and life-on-pause.
⏳ And once students get behind, they often stay behind.

So if you're facing this decision—whether you're the student or the parent trying to help—pause before you pull the plug. Here are six questions you absolutely must ask first:

❓Have I used every academic support available to me?

Office hours. Tutoring centers. Study groups. Supplemental instruction. Academic coaching.

If you haven’t tapped into these yet, you may not be out of options—you just haven’t used them. Dropping the class without trying support is like quitting the gym before the first workout.

Be honest: have you really given this class a fighting chance?

🧠Have I truly given it my best effort?

This one stings. If you’ve skipped lectures, started assignments at midnight, or “studied” by scrolling through your notes once while watching Netflix... 😬 that's not your best.

Before you drop the class, ask yourself if you’ve actually shown up consistently.

Sometimes we don’t need to drop the class—we need to drop the bad habits.

📅Have I talked to an academic advisor about how this will affect my degree timeline?

Every dropped class has ripple effects. That one course you drop now? It might only be offered once a year. Or it might be a prerequisite that bumps other classes out of order.

Graduating on time is like stacking dominoes. Knock one over, and the rest fall out of place.

Before you make a move, schedule a quick advising appointment. The consequences may be more than just academic.

🚩Am I avoiding discomfort or making a strategic decision?

Let’s call this what it is: most students drop classes because they’re hard, not harmful.

And yes—hard is uncomfortable. It’s exhausting. But that doesn’t always mean it’s wrong. Growth feels like resistance.

There’s a massive difference between being challenged and being crushed.

If this class is truly impacting your mental health, let’s talk. But if it’s just hard… let’s also talk.

🧭What’s my plan for staying on track if I do drop?

This is the question almost no one asks. But it matters more than the decision itself.

Dropping a class can’t be the end of the conversation—it has to be the start of a new plan.

➡️ Will you pick up an intersession or summer class?
➡️ Can you boost your performance in your other classes now that you have more bandwidth?
➡️ Will you use the time to build stronger systems?

Otherwise, the drop becomes the beginning of a downward slide.

📓Do I understand the difference between “drop” and “withdrawal” at my school?

This one’s overlooked—and it’s a biggie.

At many schools, “dropping” a class early means it disappears from your transcript. But after a certain date, you’re withdrawing, and that class may stay on your transcript as a W.

Not a fail—but not invisible either. And different schools have different rules.

✅ Have you read your school’s policies in the student handbook?
✅ Do you understand how this decision will look down the line—on a transcript, in a grad school app, in a GPA calculation?

Your friend at a different college might be fine dropping—but your school might play by different rules. Know yours before you act.

🎯 Final Thought

I’m not here to tell you not to drop a class.

I’m here to tell you to stop making decisions out of panic… and start making them from a place of purpose. 

Because dropping a class can be smart. Strategic. Brave.

Or it can be a reflex that starts a semester-long downward spiral.

You decide which it is.

And if you’re not sure where to go from here—start with a reset.

📦 Your Next Step

🎁 Parents: Grab the free 7-Day Reset, a guided resource to help you support your student without micromanaging.

🎓 Students: Start the 7-Day Reset Mini Course—short, simple steps to get you back in control and confident again.

💡 You don’t need to keep struggling through this alone.
📆 You don’t need to drop the class just to survive the semester.
✅ You need a system. Let’s build it—together.