November 10 is the last day for course withdraw (this means you are dropping at least one course while also staying enrolled in at least one course this semester). Before you decide to take a W in a course, there are a few things to consider and steps to take.

– Talk with your instructor: while you might have been keeping track of grades and the weight each one has in your course grade, it is always a good idea to confirm with the instructor that your grade expectations are the same as his or hers. This is especially helpful if part of your grade consists of class participation or unreturned assignments that you don’t have enough information about yourself to calculate into your course grade. Once you have idea from the instructor directly where you stand, you will be well informed to make a decision about withdrawing from that course.
– Talk with you advisor: there could be longer term effects on your graduation plan if you withdraw from certain courses. You should check with an advisor to see what impact, if any, a W would have now.
– Talk with International Students and Scholars Services if you are at UMass Boston on a student visa, as there could be serious ramifications if you drop below full time status at any point in the semester. Full time is considered 12 or more credits.
– Check your financial aid: Federal guidelines require that students not only have at least a 2.0 cumulative GPA, but also that 2/3 of your course work is successfully completed. A W, INC, or F is not considered satisfactory completion. If you drop below either of these standards, you can lose your financial aid. So, dropping one course while you are enrolled in just 2 your first semester, for example, would be harmful, dropping one course while enrolled in 5 courses in your first semester would keep you in good standing as far as this completion rate goes. Remember, you are also financially responsible for any course you withdraw from at this point.

Dropping a course is an important decision, and one you are encouraged to think about thoroughly. The November 10 deadline is also very strict – so gather all the information you’ll need to make this decision now, so that you can take action, if necessary, in time.