Try Your Best but also Prepare for your Worst
SaveIf I could offer a younger me Sage advice, it would be to do my best but prepare for my worst.
At the end of our sophomore semester one of my closest college friends had to retroactively withdraw from several courses. I had never heard of terms like "retroactive" or "medical withdrawal" before. We were in a merit-based scholarship program where more than one semester below the required 3.5 GPA would get you dismissed from the program. I watched my close friend struggle throughout that semester, trying to balance necessary employment as someone from a marginalized, working-class community while also grappling with multiple complex life issues. Looking back now—I wish we all understood our college’s infrastructure better. Oftentimes, my friends and I did not experience or learn about policies and regulations until we hit full crisis mode. If I could offer a younger me Sage advice, it would be to do my best but prepare for my worst.
What are your college's requirements and rules around withdrawal? What are the deadlines for withdrawing and receiving a refund? How do withdrawals impact your scholarships? What about policies on switching from credit to no credit? How much time do you have to make these decisions? Truth be told, we cannot always be our best, and doing your best can look different during different semesters. You might fail a class or receive a C, but that doesn't define who you are as a student and a learner. You are always growing and changing, depending on your environment and internal and external factors. For instance, my close friend, who struggled our sophomore year, still ended up staying in our scholarship program and graduating on time. Now she is pursuing a law degree at one of the most prestigious law schools in the country.
After I matriculated into my doctoral program—I found it incredibly difficult to focus on my last semester of undergraduate courses. That senioritis hit hard. I dropped my second major altogether and pulled a few credit/no credit cards to save my GPA. Thankfully I had already finished all the requirements necessary for my first major. I wish I had known and understood those policies before I had to use them. Part of college is about learning about yourself and better understanding what does and doesn’t work for you. Those things can also change.
Your education is not a zero-sum game of all or nothing. As someone often labeled "high achieving," I felt that success was the only option. All or nothing. Since failure was unimaginable—why prepare for it? Why even think about it? Once you take away the stigma of failing, you can think about how to build your parachute and safety just in case things don't go as planned. Thankfully now administrators and faculty think more about how our chaotic world and life impact student performance.
As you begin your new college journey, ask about ALL the policies so you can take advantage of every resource and talk to advisors about withdrawal and its repercussions, credit/no-credit, and other just-in-case plans. Are there limitations on how often you can retake a course? Will they let you take the course at another campus that might have other advantages? Find out what kinds of resources your college has to help you succeed and do well. I always felt like my success, failure, and whatever else in-between were my burden alone to bare. But it is not and never was. So find your community, find your resources and inquire about policies for student issues. Ask, and you shall receive.
Norrell Edwards
Norrell Edwards is a scholar, educator, and communications consultant for non-profit organizations. Her employment experience and research interests place her work at the nexus of global Black identity, cultural memory, and social justice. Norrell graduated with a BA in English Literature from Hunter’s College followed by a PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park in 20th and 21st Century Black Diaspora Literature.Articles & Advice
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