I’ve dropped a lot of classes. Within the first week, we’re allowed to drop and add without any penalty (nothing on transcript). Then up until the point where 1/3 of the class has passed, we can drop and receive an N (which shows on your transcript, but doesn’t hurt your gpa or anything)
Currently I’m at the end of my junior year and I think I have 4 Ns. I can explain all of them.
The first one, I dropped a math course because I could not learn from the instructor’s teaching style. I promptly took the course the next semester with a different professor and made an A.
The second one, I dropped “German Film” because I meant to drop it before the drop date, but it only met once a week and I forgot.
The third one, I dropped a general education writing class because the course was below my level. The professor treated everyone like 2 year olds, and there was way too much work for that class. The next semester, I took the honors section and made an A.
The last one was a stupid technicality. I was taking an “intermediate rock climbing” course that started in the middle of the semester. (notice 1/2 way through is after 1/3 of most classes have passed) After the first meeting of the course, I knew that I was more advanced than the people they were targeting, so I dropped it. But since it was after the “free” week at the beginning of the semester, I had to take an N.
I’ve only dropped classes when I feel like I’m having to devote way too much time to some kind of general ed requirement that is detracting from my major courses or when a course in my major needs to be dropped, I retook it the following semester.
If a future employer asks, I’ll gladly explain any/all of them.