Take a bad grade or drop class? Last semester

[confused.graduate]

Hopefully everyone is winning the battle against stress and anxiety.

One question for you guys, I know it's only February and there's still like 60% of the semester left for me to "pull my grade up," but I got stuck in this class with a professor notorious for not curving grades, ever. Yes such a professor actually exists!! The first midterm was 30% of the grade (with 30% each for next midterm and final, and 10% homework) and I got a terrible grade, in a way that there's no way I can mathematically get a grade higher than a C+.

This class is not a graduation requirement just a "challenge course". The add/drop period (dropping a class without a "withdrawal" on my transcript) is over, but I still have like 3-4 weeks left to drop the course with a "W".

So the dilemma is, should I keep going with the course and take a D+/C- (I don't think it is realistic for me to expect a C or C+ given how much I am struggling in this class) or just drop it? If I take the bad grade, wouldn't it affect my offers? And if I drop it, wouldn't the admission committee question their own judgement against me?

Some advice would be greatly appreciated. My advisor basically told me (in summary) "drop it, end of story"

[M2000]

purely speculating: depends on your math background and the course in question, for instance if your overallstrength lay applied math or fourier analysis, and you're taking abelian varieties or homological algebra, then, so long you do the explaination you're most likely ok

good luck

[confused.graduate]

purely speculating: depends on your math background and the course in question, for instance if your overallstrength lay applied math or fourier analysis, and you're taking abelian varieties or homological algebra, then, so long you do the explaination you're most likely ok

good luck

Thanks for your response! It's for my second semester of Advanced Calculus actually

[M2000]

what exactly do you mean by advanced calculus? like functionals, differentiable manifolds/exterior calculus or Ergodic theory?

[confused.graduate]

what exactly do you mean by advanced calculus? like functionals, differentiable manifolds/exterior calculus or Ergodic theory?

Idk any of those sorry I've been up too long, but we uses the book Fundamental Ideas of Analysis, by Michael Reed

[SchursLemma]

what exactly do you mean by advanced calculus? like functionals, differentiable manifolds/exterior calculus or Ergodic theory?

Idk any of those sorry I've been up too long, but we uses the book Fundamental Ideas of Analysis, by Michael Reed

Hmm, after taking a look at the contents of that book, it seems to be a standard course on single-variable analysis. Not to sound rude but don't you think that a C+ in single-variable analysis or dropping out of it entirely would raise eyebrows of admissions committees?

[emmynoether126]

Hi! I'm in second semester analysis (elective) as well, and we use the same book. My class is with one of my department's hardest professors, so I think I see where you are coming from.

I would recommend talking with the prof (not just the advisor) to see if he/she has any advice. At my school, the prof says he never curves, but he always does. Your prof may have some suggestions about how to bring your grade up, or he/she may recommend continuing on with the class, or withdrawing.

I am not sure what options your school offers, but you may want to look into a pass/no credit or audit option if available, and see what the policies are. You may be able to complete the course without it negatively impacting your GPA. These options might not be typically advisable, but they may be worth looking into.

Given that you mention you are struggling in the class, I would probably suggest withdrawing if you feel you are unable to complete the course and do well. If you continue struggling in the class, you may not be able to focus as much on your other classes, and you may not do as well in those as you would like.

Also, you may want to check out the schools you are applying to and see how they view second semester analysis (optional/required) and last semester grades.

Hope this helps.

[pkzrd]

Hopefully everyone is winning the battle against stress and anxiety.

One question for you guys, I know it's only February and there's still like 60% of the semester left for me to "pull my grade up," but I got stuck in this class with a professor notorious for not curving grades, ever. Yes such a professor actually exists!! The first midterm was 30% of the grade (with 30% each for next midterm and final, and 10% homework) and I got a terrible grade, in a way that there's no way I can mathematically get a grade higher than a C+.

This class is not a graduation requirement just a "challenge course". The add/drop period (dropping a class without a "withdrawal" on my transcript) is over, but I still have like 3-4 weeks left to drop the course with a "W".

So the dilemma is, should I keep going with the course and take a D+/C- (I don't think it is realistic for me to expect a C or C+ given how much I am struggling in this class) or just drop it? If I take the bad grade, wouldn't it affect my offers? And if I drop it, wouldn't the admission committee question their own judgement against me?

Some advice would be greatly appreciated. My advisor basically told me (in summary) "drop it, end of story"

Shouldn't there be a covid exemption that you can choose pass/fail grade without the traditional paperwork/requirement? Or maybe we're oblivious to the fact that your school has some restriction that prevents you from doing this, then maybe it's not a bad idea to drop it assuming you can still graduate.

Also, a D+/C- isn't all that bad, one or two bad grade is acceptance as long as it's not a trend. We all flunkeded in some exam or tests at some point in our lives. I got a D in my real analysis class (Rudin, up to chapter , no big deal. I struggled and was beaten over psets literally every weekend and probably most weekdays.

[soo]

Anyone ever hear a phd offer rescind for dropping a last semester class? Its an honors independent study not needed to any major or minor and would still leave me full time. Can't remember if it was entered in this particular app but probably showed up as in progress on transcript. Seems like they would not notice or care and the email didn't specific any conditions for classes

[crystal_math]

Anyone ever hear a phd offer rescind for dropping a last semester class? Its an honors independent study not needed to any major or minor and would still leave me full time. Can't remember if it was entered in this particular app but probably showed up as in progress on transcript. Seems like they would not notice or care and the email didn't specific any conditions for classes

Lol I don't think that is such an issue. Just don't fail your classes.

[nicole3]

clearly the answer here is to drop and take experimental measure analysis on abelian quasi manifolds...

[lee_34]

what exactly do you mean by advanced calculus? like functionals, differentiable manifolds/exterior calculus or Ergodic theory?

Idk any of those sorry I've been up too long, but we uses the book Fundamental Ideas of Analysis, by Michael Reed

Hmm, after taking a look at the contents of that book, it seems to be a standard course on single-variable analysis. Not to sound rude but don't you think that a C+ in single-variable analysis or dropping out of it entirely would raise eyebrows of admissions committees?

I agree with SchursLemma. Not trying to be rude though. But a lot of PhD programs no matter whether they are applied or pure, they need to pass the qualifying exam in Real Analysis (Measure Theory that kind of stuff). Not being able to pass college level advanced calculus, kind of shows that you need to work super super hard to pass the qualifying in Real Analysis.

[Chem_Whale2021]

I got a C in Real analysis than an A in Advanced calculus with help of my tutor. I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten that A without the tutor's help. Accepted to two master's programs. One of them says is very high I will get TA-Ship. The other one is an unfunded master's.