Well, Lakehead, We’ve Passed The Drop Date
A Look at All of The Things This Could Mean for You
With all the new changes this year, the drop date has been a crucial turning point for many students. Balancing life, schoolwork, and stress has never been more difficult: so we’re here to help you recognize what the drop date means for you.
If you dropped out / dropped a few courses…
If you dropped out of school this year before the drop date, hello! We see you and we’re glad you decided to put your overall well-being before unnecessary stress. School is not something that everyone has to do in the same way. According to the National Centre for Education Statistics, only 41% of students graduate in just four years. You are not alone in taking a break or dropping some of your course load! If you’re also considering not going back to school at all, then bear in mind that the unemployment rate for people who only have high school diplomas is a mere 7.2%. That being said, there is something for everyone and getting a university degree is not the right path in life for everyone. Consider looking into options such as college or trade school to find something you are passionate about.
If you did not drop but may not pass…
If you do fail one or more courses at this point, your official transcript will show “FNW”, which means Failure No Withdrawal. That being said, it is not too late to pass! The Lakehead Academic Support Zone offers a number of services to aid your grade. If you are willing to pay for help, you can hire one-on-one tutors from the Tutor Registry. If you don’t want to pay, you can join group tutoring in the Academic Support Zone in years 1-2 of your program at no cost! Also for free at any year level, you can request one-on-one writing support. The writing support sessions are currently done virtually over Zoom and will help you to develop writing skills, form an argument, organize your ideas, and structure your paper.
If you didn’t drop and you’re not going to fail, but you are not happy with your grades…
Long, long ago, in April of 2020, students were granted the opportunity to put “PCR” instead of their final grade on their transcript, which means “pass credit.” So, instead of having a poor grade, PCR shows that you passed the course. Students received this pass/fail option on behalf of LUSU’s advocacy and because students were unprepared for online learning. While this option has frustratingly not been offered this term, it may be possible to achieve this again by either signing petitions or emailing your LUSU representatives. Talk to your representatives and fellow students- you don’t have to do this alone!
If you didn’t drop and you’re doing well…
Just because you’re doing well doesn’t mean you aren’t stressed. We see you too. The online school process presents all-new levels of demand on top of the usual university workload. The weekend doesn’t exist, things slip through the cracks, you’re exhausted and your back hurts. Take care of yourself, take a break and remember that you’re doing amazing just by trying your best!