Plan a manageable course load
Choose course formats that work for you
Check and follow prerequisites
Get help early and often
Know drop and withdraw deadlines
Repeat courses if necessary
Use pass/fail grading judiciously
Stay qualified for financial aid
Maintain a strong grade point average (GPA)

For effective grade management apply the following strategies.

Plan a manageable course load

• Don’t take more credits than you can handle.
  
  
• You should plan to spend approximately 8-12 hours a week studying for a 4-credit semester course, maybe more depending on your assignments and experience with the subject.
  
  
• Taking three, 4-credit courses per term is the equivalent of a full-time job.

Choose course formats that work for you

• Online/Internet courses are conducted through a virtual classroom. Students have weekly assignments, course projects, and hold discussions online with their instructor and classmates.
  
  
• Independent study courses, although very flexible, require a great deal of self-discipline to get the work done. Students work alone with assistance from the instructor. Compared to students in a classroom setting, a higher percentage of students do not complete independent courses, resulting in an “F” on their transcript.
  
  
• Reduced seat time courses usually meet every other week and are web supported.
  
  
• Traditional classroom courses usually meet once a week.
  
  
• Regardless of the format, research has shown that the more time and effort you put into the course, the more you will get out of it. Course formats that require less time in class will require more reading and more assignments to compensate for not providing classroom instruction.
  Additional information on alternative learning strategies can be found at
  alternative ways to earn credit.

Check and follow prerequisites

Instructors expect you to know the material taught in prerequisite courses. Taking a course without taking the prerequisite almost guarantees that you will be lost, confused, and at a disadvantage compared to other students. Refer to the current college catalog or Web site for course prerequisites and descriptions.

Get help early and often

When struggling in a course, don’t wait until you are hopelessly lost. Seek out assistance immediately if personal issues, family difficulties, learning difficulties, career stress, or other difficulties are interfering with your ability to complete courses successfully.

• Talk with your instructors about why you are having difficulties--discuss options.
  
  
• Organize an online study group.
  
  
• Use tutors.
  
  
• Talk with your advisor about strategies.
  
  
• Seek assistance from counselors and advisors for study skills, time management, or personal and family issues.

Know drop and withdraw deadlines

You may need to add, drop, or withdraw from a course because of unforeseen circumstances. If you are concerned about your progress, consult with your instructors before the deadlines. You may choose to drop a course after attending class the first week because the course is more difficult or time-consuming than you anticipated, or you may find that the instructor’s teaching style and your learning style aren’t compatible.

To avoid the frustration of losing out on a refund or missing a deadline to withdraw:

• Consult the academic calendar, which lists the deadlines for receiving refunds--write these important dates in your calendar each term.
  
  
• Understand that you will receive refund only if you drop a course within the first week.
  
  
• Understand if you drop after the first week, you will receive a grade of "W," which is better than an "F." If you miss the deadline to withdraw (approximately the end of the 12th week of classes), you are stuck--you can’t withdraw and will receive a grade at the end of the course.

Repeat courses if necessary

Follow the guidelines for repeating courses at Metropolitan State University and partner institutions.

Metropolitan State: Student may repeat (R) courses or other learning in which they receive grades of D, F or no competence. If learning is repeated, both the grade and R are recorded on the Transcript. If learning is repeated once, only the higher grade is used in computing the grade point average. If learning is repeated more than once, the grade point average includes all attempts after the first one. Students who receive a grade higher than a D may not repeat the learning, except as an auditor, without the approval of the dean of the college or school. The student or advisor will need to fill out a Repeated Course Form and submit it to the registration office or records office.

Partner institutions: Visit partner institution for more information.

Use pass/fail grading judiciously

If you are concerned about a course that is in one of your weaker subject areas, consider taking the course Satisfactory/ No Credit (S/N) at Metropolitan State instead of for a letter grade. However, don’t expect the course to be less work to pass -- at least C- level work is required to earn a passing grade. If you plan to apply to graduate schools, take your major courses for a letter grade because many institutions convert S or P to a C in order to calculate your GPA.

Although the College of Management at Metropolitan State does not limit S/N grading for major requirements, at least 75% of a student’s credits must be taken for a letter grade if a student wishes to receive an official GPA. Courses taken for general education and liberal studies (GELS) requirements have no restriction.

Stay qualified for financial aid

Students must maintain good academic progress and meet academic standards to remain eligible for financial aid. Check with your institution's financial aid office for specific eligibility requirements.

Maintain a strong grade point average (GPA)

Grade point average (GPA) is a short-cut measure of how strong a student you are and determines your academic standing.

The GPA scale is as follows:

• Students with high GPAs may qualify for scholarships or graduate with honors.
• Employers may use GPA as a screening standard for job applicants.
• Your GPA may determine whether or not you are admitted to graduate school.

Keep your GPA strong by discussing your academic choices with your advisor and making good decisions.

Students must maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA to remain in good academic standing. If you start to run into problems completing courses successfully, seek out your advisor early, before you do serious damage to your GPA. Your advisor can help you sort out what is going wrong and identify strategies and resources.

For academic progress policies, please refer to Metropolitan State's Student Catalog or visit partner institutions for more information.

To determine what grades you will need to improve or maintain your GPA, you can use the GPA calculator.

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