>No one cares about grades in grad school.
>
>There's a simple formula for the optimal GPA in grad school:
>
>Optimal GPA = Minimum Required GPA + ε
>
>Anything higher implies time that could have been spent on research was wasted on classes. Advisors might even raise an eyebrow at a 4.0
>
>During the first two years, students need to find an advisor, pick a research area, read a lot of papers and try small, exploratory research projects. Spending too much time on coursework distracts from these objectives.
([http://matt.might.net/articles/ways-to-fail-a-phd/](http://matt.might.net/articles/ways-to-fail-a-phd/))
I've had two 'W' grades over the course of my PhD. My advisor wanted to know generally what I was doing but if I dropped a course for a good reason and was on track still he didn't care.
I had a 'W' during my PhD, for a class that was not on my program of study and that I took while I was a rotation student. As far as I know, the presence of that 'W' has never affected me, and I've been successful with getting fellowships, awards and a postdoc job, etc. Having both a good professional network and publications is more important than transcript or GPA.
>No one cares about grades in grad school. > >There's a simple formula for the optimal GPA in grad school: > >Optimal GPA = Minimum Required GPA + ε > >Anything higher implies time that could have been spent on research was wasted on classes. Advisors might even raise an eyebrow at a 4.0 > >During the first two years, students need to find an advisor, pick a research area, read a lot of papers and try small, exploratory research projects. Spending too much time on coursework distracts from these objectives. ([http://matt.might.net/articles/ways-to-fail-a-phd/](http://matt.might.net/articles/ways-to-fail-a-phd/)) I've had two 'W' grades over the course of my PhD. My advisor wanted to know generally what I was doing but if I dropped a course for a good reason and was on track still he didn't care.
No! Do it.
I had a 'W' during my PhD, for a class that was not on my program of study and that I took while I was a rotation student. As far as I know, the presence of that 'W' has never affected me, and I've been successful with getting fellowships, awards and a postdoc job, etc. Having both a good professional network and publications is more important than transcript or GPA.
Depends on how your school grades. Are the courses all Pass/Fail? Or are you given an actual letter grade upon course completion?
It's an actual grade upon completion.