Should I Feel Guilty About Dropping Classes Late In The Semester?

 Personally - I don’t think so. Why? Well, sometimes we take on way too much. We burn ourselves out and, honestly, we become pretty unbearable humans to be around – from what I’ve heard anyway. So if you were looking for someone to tell you to sit back, relax and maybe drop a class or two, I am your girl.

The stress of uni is something that isn’t spoken about enough. You hear about work dramas, life dramas, and every other drama in life, but who is standing up for the uni students who are having breakdowns at 2 am and living off two-minute noodles? If that sounds like you - please take a break.

To be a bit more serious, uni is really hard, full stop. On top of studying, a lot of us are usually working and trying to manage all the other things that come with moving into adulthood. It’s actually an extremely stressful and daunting time. When you’re a young adult we feel such a huge pressure to be killing it all the time and doing the absolute most. It’s draining. It’s so important to notice when you are not coping and allow yourself to free up some of your time. If you are giving too much of yourself all the time, whether this is at uni, at work, for your family, or for your friends, you will become mentally exhausted. It creates a loss of passion for what you are doing and a fast-declining social battery, meaning you won’t be able to put your best foot forward in what you do and your relationships with other people. In turn, this may leave you feeling lost and insecure within your path and this is not fair. 

Burnout is a real thing people and it could be happening to you. 

Now, let’s talk logistics of dropping classes. Since it may be past the census date I would say the best thing to do is call your uni to have a chat regarding financial and academic liability. TBH they are going to make this sound really frightening. If we’re being realistic it’s not as bad as it all sounds. Pretty much what it means is; if you drop your classes past the census date, which is two weeks after your first class you may face an additional cost or your grades may be affected. Most universities have policies in place that allow consideration of special circumstances when students are dropping classes late in the semester. You have to provide some type of reasoning as to why you are dropping classes and this can be kept pretty broad. I can’t guarantee as a person with no credentials that you are going to get off scot-free, but I can say it’s not the hardest thing to get around., there can be so many reasons why a young person may need to drop some uni classes. Some examples are; you have taken too many courses in one semester and you can’t manage the workload, you’ve been injured, experienced illness of any sort or someone close to you has, and a bunch more depending on what your uni offers.

It may be a good idea to talk to a teacher or coordinator to discuss your studies further and why taking a break is crucial for you to get your studies and passion for the course back on track.

Ultimately, there are many reasons why you shouldn’t feel guilty about dropping classes late in the semester/trimester. If the overwhelming workload is causing your well-being to decline and you just need a break, then that is a valid enough reason right there. I know people say it all the time, but it’s really not the end of the world. In the grand scheme of life, it’s not going to have much of an impact at all. As a young person, looking after your well-being and keeping your mental health on track is genuinely the main priority. Everything else will fall into place.