Bit off more than I could chew...

[BlueJeanBaby]

I go to school full time, and work at a pharmacy about 26 hours a week. This semester has been hell on me and there's not enough of me to go around. I ended up having to withdraw from one of my courses and am considering withdrawing from another. It's just too much..I have no time to study or sleep or anything. I missed a test because I accidentally slept in I am so exhausted. My grades are slipping, and I can't quit this job since I need it to get into pharmacy school. (irony).

So my dilemma is what to do about this communications course I want to withdraw from it so badly.

I guess I just need some kind of support or words of advice. What would you do? I'm not sure which is the best decision. Keeping with the way things are is really bad for me in the shortrun, but in the long run I dunno...

Anyone else dealing with being spread too thin?

[wish]

Better to withdraw then fail. But rather then do either talk to your profesor about what you're going thru and see if they'll give you extra credit or excuse 1 incedent... Something along those lines. Hope everything works out.

[Ms. Mia Roberts]

i feel your pain. i withdrew from a class today. I have been so stressed that i have overslept and missed classes. And even tho i have gotten hundreds on all the assignments, my teacher told my my absents would give me an F anyway. I am so pissed.

i can't give u much advice, because i'm trying to figure things out myself. But just letting you know you aren't alone!

[verfolgung]

BlueJeanBaby, you may need to talk to your registrar's office or your course advisor before you make a final decision.

I assume you are aware that a withdrawal after the permissable Add/Drop period could result on a permenant mark on your record. Obviously if you are going to fail a course, a W may have less of an effect on your GPA than a poor grade, but the W may still have some impact. Different colleges and universities factor in W's differently.

You said that you plan on applying for pharmacy school. Is communications a required course or an elective? In some cases your university may not allow you to fulfill a graduation requirement with a course you previously withdrew from.

If the W does still remain on your transcript it may be something you will need to explain in your application to post graduate work. So long as your other grades are solid, it's shouldn't be too bad.

Lastly, you might not get a monetary refund on a course you withdraw from. If you can't afford that, you may want to confirm the policy with your school's finance department.

Hopefully what I've written has not alarmed you. Just hoping to make sure you make an informed decision.

Btw - a similar thing happened to me when I tried to take some extra courses over a summer session, and I ended up with a W permenantly on my transcript. Ultimately, after you have weighed all the options, you have to make a decision that is best for you.

Good luck.

[patchouli]

I go to school full time, and work at a pharmacy about 26 hours a week. This semester has been hell on me and there's not enough of me to go around. I ended up having to withdraw from one of my courses and am considering withdrawing from another. It's just too much..I have no time to study or sleep or anything. I missed a test because I accidentally slept in I am so exhausted. My grades are slipping, and I can't quit this job since I need it to get into pharmacy school. (irony).

So my dilemma is what to do about this communications course I want to withdraw from it so badly.

I guess I just need some kind of support or words of advice. What would you do? I'm not sure which is the best decision. Keeping with the way things are is really bad for me in the shortrun, but in the long run I dunno...

Anyone else dealing with being spread too thin?

I can relate. Try to hang in there. I had to withdraw from an entire semester of courses except for one (which was a writing seminar that I could afford not to attend) two years ago. Best decision I made in my college career. My health was really starting to take a hit.

Yeah, grades and transcripts and all that are important.. but you need some serious time to catch up on your sleep, refocus your attention, and adjust priorities. In the long run that's what's going to matter more. Embrace this! We all need periods like this to readjust.

[Lemonz]

Last semester, I had a full school schedule and worked between forty and sixty hours a week. My job hit peak season right around the few weeks before finals, and I had mandatory overtime and also had to drive thirty miles to school one way and then back. I was in school for biology with a bunch of lab intensive courses- a lot of times I'd have to choose between sleeping and studying, and would sometimes be up for thirty to forty hours at a time. It really isn't worth it, and I had to withdraw from one of my classes for not making it there a lot even though my grades were awesome. I explained my situation to my professors, and most were a bit more lenient with me- I'd try to work it out with them and make it through the semester if possible. Once I made it through the semester, I dropped out and decided to take a semester off. My family expects me to do the work of three people, and does not support me financially at all- they're disappointed, but I couldn't keep doing it anymore. I'm saving as much money as I can right now, and going back in the fall. Sorry for the bit of a rant, but I understand what you're going through.... it's stressful and crazy to have no downtime whatsoever- I'm really glad I took the time off to recuperate.

Good luck with everything...!

[BlueJeanBaby]

Yeah the communications course is not required for my bachelors degree, but it is required for pharmacy school, however i am leaning more towards PA school, which does not require it. I just can't do all this and maintain my sanity. I'm willing to take the W on my record and explain it. I'm dealing with some health issues with kidney stones all the time (due to a thyroid disorder)..I'm exhausted and in pain too much.

Fuck this I need some me time. I need to recharge my batteries and not go insane.

[BeBe]

Good luck with whatever you decide.
I'm a full-timer as well and I'm pulling my hair out.

[charlie61]

Right there with ya!

One thing I battle is being too hard on myself. I'm a full time student, and I only work one night a week (props to you ladies who do much more!) Personally, this is an exhausting schedule for me. I find it very difficult to balance advanced courses with the schedule-ruining late work night. Stripping throws off my entire sleep schedule and often makes me feel lethargic the day afterwards. So even though it seems like I have sufficient free time (in which to complete reading assignments and whatnot), my brain is like "err, no. "

You are definitely not alone!!

[rayna]

Last semester, I had a full school schedule and worked between forty and sixty hours a week. My job hit peak season right around the few weeks before finals, and I had mandatory overtime and also had to drive thirty miles to school one way and then back. I was in school for biology with a bunch of lab intensive courses- a lot of times I'd have to choose between sleeping and studying, and would sometimes be up for thirty to forty hours at a time. It really isn't worth it, and I had to withdraw from one of my classes for not making it there a lot even though my grades were awesome. I explained my situation to my professors, and most were a bit more lenient with me- I'd try to work it out with them and make it through the semester if possible. Once I made it through the semester, I dropped out and decided to take a semester off. My family expects me to do the work of three people, and does not support me financially at all- they're disappointed, but I couldn't keep doing it anymore. I'm saving as much money as I can right now, and going back in the fall. Sorry for the bit of a rant, but I understand what you're going through.... it's stressful and crazy to have no downtime whatsoever- I'm really glad I took the time off to recuperate.

Good luck with everything...!

wowowow i have no idea how you did that! i'm super impressed!!

being a full time student and unemployed, i already feel stressed with tons of work. i took a lot of hard classes this semester and joined a program that demands i keep my gpa above 3.5

although my situation is probably not as hectic as the OP i am sufferring from the almost constant anxiety of having too much reading/research/writing compare to what i can realisticaly do.

all that to say, i think you should withdraw from the class and make it up next semester if you still want to. it's not worth making your life hell over!
and cheer up, spring break is just around the corner

[BlueJeanBaby]

thanks you guys I did end up withdrawing from the class. I feel much, much better and can focus on the other courses I'm in. I really feel in my gut that I made the right decision.

[Lemonz]

wowowow i have no idea how you did that! i'm super impressed!!

It's possible if you're really good with time management- I also volunteered at the animal shelter four days a week after work (I was a third shifter). I was horrible with managing my time, but learned to realllly quick once I had so much going on and had no choice. With that being said, I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone..! I <3 my sleep!


And yeah, I think you made a good decision. You can only take on so much at once. Good luck with everything else!

[420bUnNy]

I feel ya, it just broke my heart to have to withdraw from a class. I missed a midterm for reasons that were and weren't my fault -- but I just have to suck it up and press on!