There are two different kinds of people. The kind who know what and where they want to be when they are older and the ones who have no idea. See, my brother and I follow this aphorism. He has no idea and I have every idea of what I want. So let’s say he majors in finance, because money makes him drool, but after a few weeks of classes he absolutely hates it. Nothing he can do though, because the drop period is over. To put it quite frankly, two weeks is not enough whatsoever. All these big decisions and so, so little time.
Uncertain times lay ahead once you make that first deposit towards the University. Anxiety and fear sets in as you worry about your future. Of course we have all been there, feeling that uneasiness coursing through our veins, and that feeling only heightens when school finally starts. We go to our classes, hoping and praying that we like our professors, but the first class did not go as well as you wanted it to. No biggie! Try again next week. Same thing happens. So you try again for a couple more weeks, but you are not engaged, not motivated in class, and it is weighing you down. The only problem is that Sep. 20 was the very final day to drop classes, and it is currently Sep. 29 in this scenario. Your advisor says you can’t drop the class, and if you withdraw, there will be consequences.
University student Caylee Wilson is currently going through a dilemma similar to this. Wilson mentions that, “…one might think they are in the right major but once experiencing it firsthand, may realize that it’s not right for them. At least a month should be the minimum to change your mind. I am tired of being upset about a choice I thought was right months ago. I paid money to go here and now I feel stuck.” Wilson is an Arts and Entertainment Management major, and after a few weeks, quickly realized that it was not the right fit for her. Now, she is glued to her classes and adheres to a routine she is attempting and failing to be able to break out of.
Deciding between following your passion and following the path of stability is grueling. It is a burden, especially making all of these big decisions at such a young age. Do you choose undecided? Pick a major? Follow your dreams? All of these questions, yet so few answers. I would say: go for your dreams, this is your chance. So I chose to do that. Others chose the money-making majors, whether that be engineering or finance. But do they go to bed every night thinking that it was the wrong choice? To put this straight: we need more time to make decisions. Especially decisions about our education that costs $75,000 a year.
Sep. 19 was the last chance for a major/minor change and to drop/add a class as Sep. 20 marked the start of the withdrawal period. Withdrawing means that when you drop a class, a “W” will appear on your transcript. A “W” can appear to mean that you were struggling in or quit the class, sounding like you failed or even gave up even though you might have simply hated the class. Two weeks is not enough time to develop a good relationship with your professor and it does not give you the proper amount of time to be able to get to know how you feel about a class. Before Sep. 19, we all had the opportunity to drop or add whatever class our hearts wanted, but when Sep. 20 hit, everything crumbled to the ground.
So is it fair? No. No, it is not fair. We should not be given such a small amount of time to make such a weighted decision.
So, to put it in simple words – should Pace extend the add/drop course period? Yes, yes, and yes. Overwhelmingly, students agree that they should have time to change their minds and believe that a long period, for example a month, would be more beneficial. We should have time as students to adjust; most of us are new to the city, new to this area of the world and acclimating to independence. I should be able to change my mind, because I am only 18. But, what do I know?
