Frequently Asked Questions About Classes: The College at Brockport

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How do I know what courses are the right ones for me?

Your classes for your first semester were selected based on your career and major choices and on your course preferenses. The courses were chosen with the assistance of your major or elementary education certification department chairperson. These courses either meet a General Education requirement or provide necessary background for your major/elementary certification.

I am not happy with one of my classes. How do I change courses?

Within the first four weeks of the semester, fill out a Drop/Add Form, available at Registration and Records in the Rakov Center. Be careful of dropping to less than full time status (12 credits) because this may affect your financial aid. All first semester freshmen need permission from their academic advisor to make any schedule changes.

It is important to know the difference between dropping a course and withdrawing from one. Again, within the first four weeks of the semester, you DROP a course. After that point, you WITHDRAW from a course. Withdrawing shows up as a "W" on your transcript, whereas dropped courses do not appear on your transcript.

During the "Withdrawal period," you can withdraw from a course by submitting a withdrawal form to the office of Registration and Records. The course instructor's permission is not required. Check with the Financial Aid Office to determine the implications (if any) of your proposed withdrawal.

During the "Late Withdrawal period," the chairperson of the department offering the course must approve (sign) the withdrawal form. The chairperson may require that the student provide documentation of "extraordinary circumstances" as defined by policy (see Student Policies).

Refer to the following Web sites for important dates and information:

I don't like one of my professors, and hate going to that class. What can I do?

It is important to discuss such a problem with your academic advisor as soon as is possible. You will not like all of your professors. When you find yourself in a situation where you are having trouble getting into a specific instructor's teaching style, you need to weigh your options:

Is the course one that you must take as a General Education requirement or as a requirement for your major?
Is the course offered by other professors who approach the material differently?
If it is not too late to drop the course (see question above), it may be possible to change courses.

If none of that is possible, it is time to ask just what it is that you don't like about that particular instructor, and see how you can find ways to make his or her style work for you. Discuss with other classmates what approaches work for them and see if you can come up with some strategies that will help.

One of my classes is very boring, and it seems useless to go to class.

As mentioned earlier, a greater proportion of your important work in college, unlike in high school, is done outside of class. Still, attending class is vital to success. Even if your professor uses no formal means of taking attendance (which is rare), he or she notices who is and is not there on a regular basis, and this inevitably has an effect on your final grade. By attending class you show an interest in succeeding in that class.

Many students don't realize how important class is until they miss one (or two) and found that it was difficult to catch up after that. Don't learn this lesson the hard way. Going to class, even when it is boring, is one of those "intangibles" that make up a good student.

Once you have committed to attending every class that you possibly can, you next need to commit yourself to finding ways to make the most of it. One way, for example, is to try asking more questions in class. Subject matter is always more interesting and valuable if you can relate it to your own life, and often you can do this.

Another thing that some students have done is given themselves a "reward" for making it through the class. Try going out for pizza or a dessert with classmates afterwards, to celebrate having "survived" the class.

Last Updated 3/12/12