Should I take a class pass/fail?

What is pass/fail?

Just what it sounds like – instead of receiving an A, B, C, D, or F, with points associated with each letter grade to calculate a numerical GPA – a student receives either a P for pass or an F for fail in a class.

Since there are no numerical points associated with a P or an F, classes that are taken pass/fail are NOT calculated/included in the overall GPA, but a student DOES receive commensurate hourly credit for the course taken – provided they pass the class.

When to take a course pass/fail:

1. You don’t “need” the grade. If the course you are taking is not a prerequisite for higher-level courses in your major, or if you are taking a course outside your major – either for GenEd requirements or just to explore (see part 1) – pass/fail removes some of the angst.
2. You can be “risky” and explore other learning opportunities. What kind of course would you take if the risk of impact on your GPA was not an option? Would an engineering student try a drawing course? Would a dance major dabble in chemistry? When the risk of potential harmful impact on a transcript is reduced/mitigated, it gives students the psychological freedom to truly explore additional interests.
3. You want to reduce your stress. Note I did not say “take the rest of the semester off for this class.” Remember, to earn course credit, you must pass the class, and passing is ultimately determined by your professor’s assessment of your completing assignments and doing work worthy of earning course credit.

When NOT to elect for pass/fail:

1. When you are enrolled in a prerequisite for another course. While you may want to “coast” and only exert enough effort for a P, you are setting yourself up for major struggles in the next class. Go for the grade, and go hard. Think of it this way – since you don’t have to commute or WALK to classes, you now have several extra hours each day to spend studying!
2. You are unsure what grade “translates” into a P: Do you have to earn a D (60% at most schools) or higher to be considered “passing?” Are you SURE about that? Some institutions/majors/courses require a higher level of proficiency (like a C or higher) to be considered truly passing. If you don’t know what, precisely, the threshold is for your course, either ask or forget this option exists.
3. You are considering graduate school or a professional degree: At some point, our education system is going to return to some kind of recognizable “normal.” Special dispensations will not be made for GPA thresholds or standardized test requirements. Admissions counselors will give different consideration to transcript with a 4.0 GPA but a long line of Ps versus a 3.6 GPA with actual letter grades.

It is understandable in these times of extreme, unprecedented stress and uncertainty to want to take the easy route. We can easily rationalize the “I deserve a break” mentality in these trying times.

And we can also easily turn that mentality into a habit.

But the times won’t be trying forever. Take care of yourself in the present, but keep an eye on the future – it’s out there, I promise!

Focus not so much on letter grades earned, but on material learned. Consider how you are developing and demonstrating your academic character when you constantly look for the shortcut. “All I have to do is exert 60% of the effort and I can take the P and still get credit and my GPA isn’t harmed.” (Or is it, really?)

Think about it – would you want your brain surgeon to have exerted only 60% effort in school? How about your lawyer when you’re in a pickle? What if your teacher is only correct 60% of the time?

Stick-with-it-ness still counts as a reflection of character, even in a pandemic. Taking a course pass/fail should be done only as a positive elective option for students, not taken as a license to coast.