The coronavirus pandemic has turned the way we do schooling upside down. Some people are doing schoolwork from the comfort of their own homes, some are a hybrid of online live learning on their own and just recently some are beginning to be back in person again!
Some individuals I have spoken to are struggling to find a balance between their studies and the hectic lifestyles of this modern age. Eight out of ten students I spoke to attend classes full time and have a full-time job of 40 hours a week or more. Those are both large commitments and getting overwhelmed seems to be a normal occurrence amongst them.
There is hope for the individuals who feel a bit overwhelmed and maybe are not doing so well in a certain class. I get it, I have been there and have used this option personally with my own schooling.
The Credit/No Credit Grade Option offered a choice of a credit or no credit option for a class that would not affect your overall GPA. There were certain criteria to use this option though. This was a request, not a given. A request for credit can be made for a C grade or higher, you would receive credit if the request is approved. To receive non- credit the grade usually is below average or below a C. If you receive a D in a class and would like to send in a request for non- credit you can do so assuming they accept the request.
This option was not available for all classes. The decision to choose credit or no credit was often greatly helped by an instructor or advisor.
The credit or no credit merely is a placeholder for this grade; please do not misinterpret this as a way to get around taking a class. If credit is granted the letters CR will show up in your student progress report and for those who chose no credit, NCR will show until the class is retaken. Then the letter grade will be replaced with the new grade.
The deadline for requesting these credit options for the Fall semester was on Jan. 14, 2022. It is undetermined whether the credit or no credit option will be available in future semesters.
We all have the opportunity to do well in school, despite having busy lives outside of school. Taking the proper steps and using all the resources around us will not hinder us but help us achieve the success we all desire.

Editor’s note: Students should be aware that choosing the credit/no credit option could impact their financial aid eligibility. To learn more, visit https://students.madisoncollege.edu/covid/credit-no-credit and go to the “Financial Aid and Veterans Benefits” section at near the bottom of the page.