For many students here at The University of Memphis, Friday is an important day -- it is the last chance to withdraw from their least favorite classes.
The justification for dropping a class is different from student to student. Some drop because they do not like the teacher. Other students drop because they are not doing well in class. Whatever the case may be, many students drop their least favorite classes every semester.
Statistics from Spring 2000, calculated buy the Office of Institutional Research, indicate that Criminal Justice 2210 has the highest dropout rate. Over 40.3 percent of enrollees do not finish the semester. Psychology 3306 is in second place with 77 enrolled and 29 withdrawn and Marketing 3012 is in third with a 33.9 percent dropout rate.
Overall, the withdrawal rate for all undergraduate sections was 11.7 percent in Spring 2000. In Fall 1999, it was slightly higher -- 12.7 percent.
Not all students see withdrawal from a class as an option, though.
Kristy Holliday, a sophomore biology major, said she never drops classes because she is trying to graduate in four years.
"I pay for school," Holliday said. "I think if I had a scholarship and I was still full-time, I would probably do it. I want to finish undergraduate school in four years. I don't have time to try to take a whole load my junior and senior year."
Chris Jolley, freshman computer science major, said he would not drop a class because of the teacher, but only if he was doing poorly in a class.
"I don't think I would do it because of not liking a teacher," Jolley said. "That's something you have to get used to. If I were trying my best and still failing, I still would ask the teacher first. If I still did bad after that, I would consider dropping it."
"I usually take 18 or 15 hours," said Sarah Hickman, a senior majoring in marketing management. "I dropped because I just got stressed out. Usually it's not really the teacher, it's more of what's going on in my life at that point in time."
Holliday said the only reason she would drop a class if she found she did not have time to take it.
"The only reason why I will drop is if I had a situation where I really don't have time for school," Holliday said. "I believe when you set up these many hours to take, you should be prepared."
