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To Drop a Subject or Not? Helping the Student Make the Decision
MIT classes build on material right from the start of the term. Unlike in high school, when a hard push at the end of the term might have made a big difference in the outcome of a subject, students who don't keep up with the material from the start are unlikely to be able to "pull it off" at the end. In fact, trying to do this in more than one subject may mean that the freshman winds up failing both subjects.
Associate Advisors can be good resources here, as are the instructor or TA teaching the subject in question.
Drop Date is ten weeks into the term. Making the decision to drop a subject is difficult for first-term freshmen. In many cases such decisions represent their first recognition that everything is not going smoothly. Most MIT students have gone through school never giving up on a challenge and don't know how—or when—to give up. They need to understand that giving up on something is not the same as quitting.
It's important for your student to look at the big picture of his/her situation, not just the subject in question. Some issues for you and your advisee to consider in making the decision:
- Is the freshman struggling in more than one subject? Help the student to determine what the situation is in each class, with input from the faculty or TA for that subject. It is far better for students to put their time and energy into the subjects they have the best chance of passing—and mastering.
While the TA may be a good source of this information, keep in mind that a TA in one subject will not have the big picture of how your advisee is doing in other classes. Students have to weigh their performance in other classes against the time it would take to significantly improve in the subject in question. Help them to assess the pros and cons.
- How much work does your advisee have to complete in order to pass the subject? Is the student borderline or so far behind there's little hope of catching up?
- How much time is your advisee spending on the "problem" subject? Is it to the detriment of the other subjects?
Students who are focusing all their time and energy on trying to pass one subject may well find themselves going downhill in their other subjects. It may make sense to positively redirect the student's energies to the subjects s/he's mastering.
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