Drop it?

[nachtspiegel]

Right now, I'm in my first semester of college. I'm at a community college with a framework to transfer to a four-year institution in a year or two, should I decide to take on a four year major.
I'm taking Public Speaking, English 101, a developmental math class, and an elective class required of all new students to orientate them to college. I'm making an A in all three of my other classes with little effort, but I'm struggling in my math class. I've missed two class sessions and I already wasn't doing well. I failed my first exam. The course is very unforgiving and it moves very quickly. It'll be at least two more weeks before I can get a tutor and we have our next big exam in a week. Because it is pre-college level math, it only counts as three credit hours for the purpose of obtaining loans and grants, not toward GPA or graduation requirements.
I wanted to be on-level next semester so that I can pull a summer class and be a sophomore next year, but I'd rather have a withdraw mark on my transcript as opposed to a failing grade. Another option is to file an audit form. Auditing the class would mean that I still sit the class, but I'll have an 'AU' mark on my transcript and I will neither pass the class nor fail it, but I am still eligible to re-test in an attempt to make it to a college-level math class in the spring.

Dropping the class would take away the stress of failing it, but it would be a burden to know that I dropped it. I don't like giving up at anything. I have the option of either dropping the class, picking it back up next semester, and making sure that I've secured a tutor before the semester begins... audit the class, try to learn the material, hope that the college access center will still cover the tutoring although I've dropped the credit aspect of the class and try to test into the next math class (MT 120) next semester... or continue as I am and hope that I can raise my average to a 75 soon, learn all the material that I've missed, and with luck, pass the class in December. But luck isn't something to rely on.

I don't like the idea of giving up, but with everything else going on (having to move in with relatives because we're losing our house, trying to go back to work and hoping that I don't end up injuring myself before my doctor releases me, my sister being back in the hospital because of her kidney failure, and trying to get back into therapy because I missed for a month and was likely taken off of my therapist's schedule,) the math class is really not the biggest of my current worries.
Suggestions?

[INFERNO]

If you don't feel confident that you can obtain a decent grade by the end of the course, then either drop it or go for an audit. I know you said you don't like to give up on things, however, neither dropping nor auditing the course would be giving up because you're still going to presumably take another stab at it, and this time hopefully be successful with the aid of a tutor, therapist, etc... .

[nachtspiegel]

That's a good point. There's a difference between giving up and needing more than one attempt. A friend and I are gonna meet up twice before my exam on Thursday. I've decided to either drop or audit the course should I fail the next exam, but which of those two choices I make should it come to that will depend on what my professor suggests. She's taught the class at least fifteen times and she's worked in the Math Department for a while. She won't take it personally and I know that her opinion about the situation will be straightforward and honest.

[mrmcdonaldduck]

do you really like the class? if you dont i say you should drop it.

[nachtspiegel]

I like it okay when I actually comprehend the material, but there seriously seems to be a link missing in my head somewhere. I'm going to drop it tomorrow and go through Student Access and find out what to do next.

[Atonement]

I had a similar situation with an Accounting class that didn't work for me... and it occurred to me: "Is the stress worth the reward?" for me, it wasn't, is it for you?

[Zephyr]

Let me tell you now, it's better drop it than fail it.
The stress isn't worth it, an neither is the risk of failing it.
It's expensive to retake classes.
I flunked a 5 credit math class last year,
And I'm kicking myself for it now for not dropping it when I had the chance.
You can always take it later when you're more prepared for it.

[nachtspiegel]

I dropped it. I've actually managed to learn everything we were covering up to this point in that class on my own. Maybe I'll get lucky and test into a higher class next semester, but either way, the stress wasn't worth it. I have too much going on to put all of my mental energy into one class. On the upside, I'm passing the other three with little effort.