Withdrawal =/= Failure

Today I will submit my first (and hopefully only) course withdrawal form.

At first, this felt like admitting defeat. I had postponed the decision for far too long because I dislike losing. Withdrawing from a course implied that I couldn’t handle the material and that I didn’t study hard enough.

Feelings aside, I ended up executing the plan because dropping organic chemistry was the best strategic move. I had enrolled in MCPHS’s organic chemistry course because I was trying to get pre-med requisites done while I was finishing my math degree. After my REU this summer, however, I realized that medical school was not the best way to pursue my passions. I didn’t drop the course immediately because I was still hoping it would count towards my bioinformatics minor. That ended up being moot because it’s impossible for me to get that minor, even with organic chemistry.

After the drop, I have more liberty to work on other classes. I can put the time in to get my PDEs homework done without having to look up all the problem tutorials online. I get to take algorithms this summer and I may even get to take a computer science elective with one of my best friends from 9th and 10th grade.

Positives outweigh the negatives on this one.

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