This time Nerdify decided to speak up on a kinda tuff theme: a decision to drop a class.

When a college student feels like dropping a class, the moment comes with an endless stream of questions, apprehension, uncertainty, and stress. It does not matter whether you have registered for a class that was not exactly what you have expected or you cannot cope with a part-time job and doing well in each class, – you still want to know when (and if!) a decision to drop the class has to be made. The choice is never an easy one because it may feel like you have given up your future and failed. No, it is not the case and it does not mean that you are not smart enough! On the contrary, it is an important decision that a student can make due to a variety of reasons. The question is in how will it affect the graduation schedule, financial aid, and your life in general.

Dropping a Class or Withdrawing?  

Before we dive into the depth of decisions and the reasons, let us learn the difference between dropping the class and withdrawing, which is not always the same! The difference is that the majority of colleges and universities have a clear policy, which allows for two week period to add or drop the class at the start of each semester. It is a period that allows you to schedule your classes and carry out the changes without a penalty. If you choose to drop the class during this particular period, the class will not appear on your official transcript list. In other words, there will be no sign of your enrollment anywhere. However, there is one thing to keep in mind that relates to financial aid program! If the class is dropped, there is a return of funds policy that may come in power in most cases. Now when the two weeks period is over, your action is defined as withdrawal, which is an entirely different matter! To cut the long story short – your official transcript list will have a “W” mark next to the class you have withdrawn from.  

Some Things to Be Aware Of:

If you choose to withdraw from the class or drop it, as most students still refer to the practice, you should be aware of the following:

• It is possible that you will be charged for tuition fees in certain conditions, so make sure to review the terms and conditions before you make a final decision.
• Keep an eye for specific dates and the deadlines that you have to follow! Make sure that your schedule with the other classes is not affected by the change.
• Your overall progress may be affected in case you do not have a sufficient amount of study hours.
• While you will have a “W” on your graduation transcript if you withdraw from the class, a “W” grade in any class dropped will NOT affect your GPA!
• In order to receive a financial aid from your college or university, you have to complete at least 70% of your classes taken successfully. It means that F or W is defined as unsuccessful, unlike D or anything better!
• You need at least twelve credit hours to be considered a full-time student. Do not ever drop below 12 credit hours, so you do not find yourself in a situation without insurance and financial aid!
• Check with your college or university about special class dropping policy in terms of your progress through the semester and other rules that may be applicable!

Before You Drop The Class:

Before you decide to drop the class and implement changes to your life and professional career, always talk to your college advisor first! One of the crucial reasons to do so is that they may be aware of specific implications and future challenges that you may not even know about! As you talk to the advisor, make sure that you ask these questions to help both of you to decide what to do and see whether it is right or wrong:

• Will dropping of this particular class affect my graduation date and an overall academic schedule?
• Are we dealing with a prerequisite course that a student can only take once a year?
• Is this particular class necessary for graduation this year? In other words, if you already two semesters close to graduation date, your decision may affect the day.
• Will dropping of this class affect my financial aid support and the scholarship?
• Will I have fewer credits in total? If so, how will it affect my financial state and is there a funds return policy?
• Will dropping a class influence my full-time student status? It is always better to ask because it affects your applicability for financial student aid and a scholarship among other things your college or a university may offer!

Now it is only you who can decide whether you should drop a class or not, therefore, ask yourself these three simple questions:

• Why do I want to drop the class and what is the true reason for that?
• Can I settle down the issue without dropping?
• What kind of help and what changes do I need to continue with the class?

While it is hardly possible to list all the reasons that may be suitable or not suitable for dropping the class, it is most likely because the class seems to be “too difficult” or you “have to work and just cannot manage it all”. No matter what your particular case is, let us deal with the aforementioned situations and see what can be done.

You are trapped in a situation when you have to work way too much to keep yourself going or to earn a little extra. The first case is a reason to ask for additional financial aid if you are determined to do your best academically, but financial struggles get in the way. Now the second case is not really worth ruining your studies because it is much wiser to avoid dropping the class and focus on your long-term goals instead of treating yourself with additional earnings. Ask yourself about what matters more to you, but remember that it is your life and that studying well always rewards you in the future!

Now the second case is when the class seems to be too difficult or not what you have expected it to be. If it is the first case and things seem unclear to you, remember that dropping a class is not the best solution since you can ask your university tutor or a college professor for help. A bit of a guidance and a list of your concerns addressed may help you to receive that missing link to feel better about the class and see all the benefits. Challenge yourself and try to learn more about the class while you can! Still, if the class is really not what you thought it would be, talk to your academic advisor to weigh in all the pros and cons, read of the possible consequences, and do what you feel is best!

Several Valid Reasons to Drop The Class:

• You need to drop the class in order to maintain your scholarship.
• You do not have sufficient time to complete the class due to personal circumstances.
• Dropping the class will not damage your overall academic progress.
• You have a sufficient amount of credit hours and you can safely switch the class and make changes, while there is a “two weeks” period.
• You are dealing with a military duty.
• Adding a different class will be more beneficial to you!

Do not forget that when you struggle with a particular class, there are still special rescue courses that usually start in the middle of a semester! However, if you have to deal with an illness or major changes in your life, the best thing you can do is withdraw from all classes entirely. Likewise, with the military duty, you can apply for special programs that meet your situation and allow you to receive all the necessary credits.

Even if you decide to drop the class and have already talked to your college or university advisor, always sign up for the rescue class and give it one more chance! Trust Nerdify, talking things out always helps to see the situation clearer and do what’s best for you!

Martin Luther King day – celebrates the birthday of one of the most famous leaders of the civil rights movement of the 20th century. He is well known for the advancement of civil rights in the United States via nonviolent protests and civil disobedience.

But why does this public figure get a whole Federal Holiday all to his name? What did he do to deserve such a huge honor? Nerdify, is happy to shed some light on this 🙂

First, some facts from King’s early life (being all Nerdy as usual):

* Martin L. King was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia.

* He graduated from Morehouse (in 1948) with a B.A. in sociology and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, from which he graduated with a B.Div. degree in 1951.

* King received his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Boston University in 1955 (he was 26).

And this is where the fun begins, this is when King got involved in organizing large protests to oppose the racial inequality that was widespread in the USA in the middle of 20th century.

It all started with Montgomery bus boycott in 1955 when a young black girl refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. The boycott lasted for 385 days! King’s energy and resolve made him a national hero for the African-American community, who saw a leader they could unite around to fight for equal rights.

In 1957, King and other social activists formed a Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to fight racial inequality and advance civil rights reforms in the US.

His struggle eventually lead to the massive March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where King delivered the world-wide famous speech – “I have a dream”.

We would like to quote a small part of the speech (because it’s so incredible):

“I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”

Why did King organize all these rallies across the country? How exactly was King planning on delivering a decisive blow on inequality in the United States? Wikipedia provides the best answer:

“King believed that organized, nonviolent protest against the system of southern segregation known as Jim Crow laws would lead to extensive media coverage of the struggle for black equality and voting rights. Journalistic accounts and televised footage of the daily deprivation and indignities suffered by Southern blacks, and of segregationist violence and harassment of civil rights workers and marchers, produced a wave of sympathetic public opinion that convinced the majority of Americans that the civil rights movement was the most important issue in American politics in the early 1960s.”

And he was absolutely right:

“King’s main legacy was to secure progress on civil rights in the U.S. Just days after King’s death, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1968. Title VIII of the Act, commonly known as the Fair Housing Act, prohibited discrimination in housing and housing-related transactions on the basis of race, religion, or national origin (later expanded to include sex, familial status, and disability). This legislation was seen as a tribute to King’s struggle in his final years to combat residential discrimination in the U.S.”

In a nutshell – this is it -> Martin Luther King was instrumental in advancing civil rights reform and has dramatically improved racial equality in the United States by pushing the authorities to pass Civil Rights Act of 1968.

We don’t want to stop here because King’s life is full of incredible fact that we’d like to share:

* He was the youngest person at the time to receive a Nobel Peace Prize (he was just 35!)

* During his career as a social activist, he traveled more than six million miles (that’s about 10 “trips” to the Moon and back!)

* He was arrested 29 times and FBI was tapping his phone, pretty much since the beginning of his career in 1955.

* He is the first African-American to be named Man of the Year by Time magazine

* King was almost killed ten years before his death (a crazy woman stabbed him with a knife in his heart during his book signing event in Harlem).

* There are almost a thousand streets named after Martin Luther King (after King’s assassination, cities across the nation began naming streets after King, to cement his legacy and achievements).

Martin Luther King fought incredibly hard (eventually giving his life to the cause) to end inequality in the United States. Giving the fact that half a century later the USA would elect it’s first African-American President (and a damn good one), we think he would be proud of his accomplishments 🙂

In this digital age of ours, more of us are starting to avoid conventional colleges in favor of studying online. But with hundreds of platforms available to complete a full course or supplement your studies it can be difficult to know where to spend your dollars and pursue that vital education.

At Nerdify we are passionate about making education available and obtainable to everybody, which is why we asked our Personal Nerds to extensively review different platforms, apps and websites that are available and tell us which they think are the best.

Taking into account student feedback, personal experience and customer reviews, Nerdify are happy to present (in no particular order) some of our favorite destinations for online learning!

Coursera

The Personal Nerds at Nerdify speak very highly of Coursera, and the educational platform comes with great reviews and feedback from students too. Faculties from elite universities all over the world have courses on Coursera and they’re often very affordable too, with funding sometimes offered to the right students.

Coursera offers both short courses and even whole degrees can be completed there. Our Personal Nerds are especially impressed by the fact that elite universities like Stanford collaborate with the platform. In short, a great platform with loads of variety and options and its affordability means Coursera is bringing education to basically everyone.

Udemy

Based on reviews from students and educators using the platform, Coursera’s closest competitor Udemy is considered to be a cheaper and less impressive option, albeit similar. Udemy does impress students however with a slightly larger selection of short, cheap (or even free) courses, which can be very attractive for people wanting to get some extra, quick training on WordPress of Microsoft Excel, for example. Keep in mind that Udemy doesn’t usually offer certificates or diplomas upon completion of a course, while Coursera often does.

Duolingo

Smartphones and tablets have made obtaining certain types of information easier and getting a good education more obtainable. There has also been an explosion of language-learning apps too, which has seen the sales of language-related books take a sharp dive.

In a competitive field however, Duoligno still reigns supreme with over 150 million users around the world. As of November 2016, the language-learning app offers 68 different language courses across 23 languages, with 22 additional courses in development. The app is available on iOS, Android and Windows 8 and 10 operating systems. Our Nerds love this app and it comes highly recommended from us all at Nerdify!

Memrise

Memrise operates in the same sphere as Duolingo but with a slightly different approach, using memory techniques and entertaining content to make learning the language a bit more fun. Duolingo, in comparison, has been called more academic a little less immersive and fun. But Memrise can also boast of a much bigger selection of modules with 150 courses across 25 different languages. There’s a bunch of other stuff you can study with the app also, though. Memrise doesn’t only limit itself to languages and you can do crash courses in everything from different breeds of cats to international relations and history!

EdX

EdX is a very specific platform where you can expect to get some good education and acquire some very useful knowledge, which isn’t surprising considering it was founded in 2012 by guys from MIT and Harvard and the platform now works with the likes of Berkeley and Columbia too.

Featuring a broad range of courses that mostly fall into science and technical categories, students will welcome the self-paced timing of the classes and the freedom to pick when you engage with the educational content. Videos and game labs form a vital part of the courses which usually end in obtaining a certificate (for an extra small fee.)

Udacity

According to our IT Nerds and reviews from customers and students, Udacity is the place for you if you’re interested in computer science and programming. Hardly surprising considering this platform has corporate partners like Google, AT&T and Facebook. Other than IT and programming however, the variety on offer is pretty limited but computer nerds should definitely apply!

And there we have it, some of the best options currently available for learners who are looking to take their studies online, as selected by Nerdify’s Personal Nerds. Good luck with your studies!