As spring break comes to an end and students come to terms with their pre-spring break test grades, the withdrawal deadline looms like the Grim Reaper, waiting for struggling students to press the infamous drop button and give up on passing their classes. It seems like the easy way out; it's almost unfair that you might get to escape the struggle while you leave your classmates to drown in homework and practice questions. It's time to put your pride to the side and face the facts: the bad grade is not worth the pain.

No one comes to college and registers for classes with the intent of dropping out. At the beginning of the semester, we arrive fresh and ready to learn, almost giddy with the anticipation of working hard and accomplishing our goals. We search for engagement during syllabus week, seeking out lectures to look forward to and planning out test schedules, but our eagerness is nothing if not short lived.

Here are some of the common reasons I have personally encountered for why someone is considering dropping a class:

1."My grade is just too low!"

2."I did awful on this last test!"

3."I have too many time commitments!"

4."I'm taking too many hours!"

All of these are valid reasons to drop, but many would encourage you to tough it out and finish the class. What would become of four years of plans carefully structured with their advisers? What about the time allotted for research opportunities and internships to help get to wherever students need to go? This practice is especially widely known among students with STEM majors. Medical school becomes the default for many, and subsequently a twelve-year commitment to excellence. Students experience massive amounts of stress, as they believe that there is no room for error on the path to greatness.

Except there is.

What our generation tends to forget is that college is a time for exploration and experimentation. It's the time for us to change our majors four or five times and to take classes that we did not even know existed before arriving on campus. It's time for us to take chances and try things that have never before been on our radars. It's time for us to drop the act and drop the class. And here is why:

There is always another opportunity to start over and improve.

What is the point of trying to stay in a class where the best you can do is a C? If you can afford it, an A is worth much more to your GPA than a W. Dropping a class and resolving to do better next semester allows for your GPA to remain as high as possible, opening you up for new opportunities that you may have not seen fitting into your original four-year plan.

A W on your transcript will not hold you back from your dreams.

One W is two V's pushed together and that is it. It does not affect your GPA and will probably lead to its best outcome. The only harm that a W will have on your future is if it is joined by a large number of other little W's. To employers, this demonstrates a lack of commitment and a tendency to run away from rigor. I can safely say from experience, however, that my future employer will most likely understand that freshmen chemistry is just hard sometimes. (My adviser can back me up on this)

Overloading yourself is not healthy.

While it is important to explore your options, your health is important too. Freshmen year, especially, is filled with dorm plagues and illnesses that no one talks about, as well as extracurricular activities, clubs, Greek Life, etc. Don't let your commitment to a C in accounting stop you from letting yourself heal, as well as experiencing all college has to offer.

Do not get me wrong. There are many reasons why you should stay in the classes you registered for. Maybe you need a certain number of hours to keep your scholarship or to maintain student status. Maybe a little hard work will help you discover your true passions. Maybe if you study hard enough, you can still achieve the grade that you desire or need. But sometimes you can't, and that is ok. Talk to your adviser before taking any action, but just know that you will survive no matter what action you end up taking. To those with no way to achieve the required grade, or those whose lives are just too full, or those who just plain and simple cannot handle it anymore: take that class and drop it like it's hot.