With October coming to a close, many students have plenty to be excited about. Halloween parties, Fall break closing in and even the fall semester winding down can occupy students’ minds. However, with a lack of focus, grades and class projects can slip away, hindering grades and wallets.

Friday will be the final day students can drop a class without the penalty of it counting as a failing grade. In order to drop a class, you must get the signatures from your adviser, professor and then take it to 10 Enrollment Services. The process is lengthy and should make you really understand the purpose of dropping the class.

If you decide to drop, be sure to know what all that includes. Dropping a class costs $12 upfront and is charged to your U-Bill and no cash is accepted. The charge goes directly to your U-Bill, which can make it even more tempting to drop the class with the thought that there is no penalty, as long as it’s done before the drop date.

A lot of students realize they failed to meet the expectations of that class and use dropping before the deadline as a scapegoat for their actions. The true reason the drop with no penalty period of time is in place is so if someone is unsure that a class is not right for them, they can leave the class without it hurting their GPA.

There is also the misconception that once you have obtained a pink slip that you do not have to continue going to that class, simply because you plan to drop the class.

However, you do have to go back and get that professor’s signature. If the professor believes you have not been pulling your wait and slacking off, it is the professor’s decision whether to sign the pink slip or not.

Many college students will take advantage of the no penalty drops because of laziness and unpreparedness. Keep in mind that students only have five of these drops, and while that may seem like a lot, it isn’t if they become abusers of the action.

If there comes a time when you chose to change your major early in the semester, you might want to drop two or three classes early on, and still have a cushion for later in your career.

Using the drops for productive, academic reasons are what they are there for. They are not there as an out for lazy behavior.

If you do chose to drop a class, it is important to plan accordingly. Some professors do not have office hours on Fridays, so be sure to have the paperwork filled out beforehand. Also, plan for the $12 fine that is attached to your U-Bill, which you cannot pay in cash.

If you have fallen behind in class because of unpreparedness, take that as a lesson and move forward with better learning habits to ensure the best academic time at Iowa State.