Need Advice - Dropping a Class

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yearofsunshine

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Joined
Jan 5, 2019
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My DS is in his second year and is taking 20 hours. I don't understand why he would take this kind of load? Is this normal? He is struggling academically and he usually doesn't. Is it possible to drop a class? If it is, I'm sure there's a deadline and it may have passed. In my mind, if he's struggling, dropping a class would be the reasonable first step. But I've never been in an academy, so maybe that's not how it works there. Any advice would be appreciated.
 
I was JUST FaceTiming my youngster about all this last night (bc he preregistered for next semester EEEK-almost half away done 😱) !! That it’s a big adjustment from last year, that was online. And they were plebes so have really no frame of reference for a REAL AC year/commitments. Even not having to walk to class opens up scheduling a higher load (last year). So 20 may have sounded doable under last years experience.

But now, add on mando breakfast, NMF’s, parade practices/parades, CO PT, even time walking to/from classes, eats away at those precious minutes. Plus company obligations that were suspended last year….IOW, 20 last year isn’t the same as 20 this year with all the other stuff.

Maybe he is a double major? If so, there are other ways to manage that (summer school) so the AC year isn’t as taxing. Maybe if it’s too late to drop, he could flunk one, and retake for grade this next summer? Idk. He needs to speak with his advisor.
 
My 3/C has 20 credits and is in a constant state of needing a nap and not having enough minutes in the day. He said based on what upperclassmen in his major have told him that this is “normal”.
 
yearofsunshine said:
My DS is in his second year and is taking 20 hours. I don't understand why he would take this kind of load? Is this normal? He is struggling academically and he usually doesn't. Is it possible to drop a class? If it is, I'm sure there's a deadline and it may have passed. In my mind, if he's struggling, dropping a class would be the reasonable first step. But I've never been in an academy, so maybe that's not how it works there. Any advice would be appreciated
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Nearly all of the Majors at USNA have thier courses mapped out right on the website for each major. You can find your son's major and see what 3C year looks like for most. A small amount of MIDN take a summer course (typically during their leave time) to listen the next year load or to make up a class.
 
20 isn't that bad. Sometimes the way the course tetris works out, you get 20-21 one semester and 16-17 the next.

If there's a sports or ECA blocker, that complicates the schedule and may be the cause of some imbalance. For something like semester abroad or VGEP, you usually need to start overloading starting 3/C year to accommodate the "lost" semester. USNA can't guarantee foreign university credits will validate.
 
My DS is carrying 22 credits this semester (by his own choice) - he had to get permission from his academic advisor to do, so they must be aware that heavy course loads are generally not acceptable. But he’s not a varsity athlete.
 
My 2/c mid has 20 this semester after having 19 last semester. However, looks like things will calm down considerably next semester and next year. Ocean Engineering major.
 
justdoit19 said:
I was JUST FaceTiming my youngster about all this last night (bc he preregistered for next semester EEEK-almost half away done 😱) !! That it’s a big adjustment from last year, that was online. And they were plebes so have really no frame of reference for a REAL AC year/commitments. Even not having to walk to class opens up scheduling a higher load (last year). So 20 may have sounded doable under last years experience.

But now, add on mando breakfast, NMF’s, parade practices/parades, CO PT, even time walking to/from classes, eats away at those precious minutes. Plus company obligations that were suspended last year….IOW, 20 last year isn’t the same as 20 this year with all the other stuff.

Maybe he is a double major? If so, there are other ways to manage that (summer school) so the AC year isn’t as taxing. Maybe if it’s too late to drop, he could flunk one, and retake for grade this next summer? Idk. He needs to speak with his advisor.
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Thank you. He's not a double major.
 
nuensis said:
20 isn't that bad. Sometimes the way the course tetris works out, you get 20-21 one semester and 16-17 the next.

If there's a sports or ECA blocker, that complicates the schedule and may be the cause of some imbalance. For something like semester abroad or VGEP, you usually need to start overloading starting 3/C year to accommodate the "lost" semester. USNA can't guarantee foreign university credits will validate.
Click to expand...
He's wanting to do a semester abroad, so I think that's why he's doing this?
 
ders_dad said:
My DS is carrying 22 credits this semester (by his own choice) - he had to get permission from his academic advisor to do, so they must be aware that heavy course loads are generally not acceptable. But he’s not a varsity athlete.
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My son's not a varsity athlete this year. Last year he was on crew, so maybe he felt that would open up some time.
 
yearofsunshine said:
He's wanting to do a semester abroad, so I think that's why he's doing this?
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Ding ding ding…that’s it! They have to load up to account for the lost semester. Not everything translates to credit at USNA. Makes total sense now!

He is going to have to make choices and decide. I do think that last year, as plebes, they didn’t have a good frame of reference for NORMAL AC year. Like I already said. They did so little of the other stuff. It’s a big awakening with the time commitment for them this year, with the other stuff added back in.
 
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