Several factors come into play to determine your performance in school. Examples include finances and health. That, therefore, means that students in all learning institutions receive differing grades. The majority lie in the C and D grades. The institutions give students who fail or who get fair grades the opportunity to retake a course. The school’s policies play a big role here.
You probably scored highly in all units in a semester but one. There is also a possibility you had average overall results, but you failed in a core unit. In either of those cases, should you retake the class? Keep reading to find out more about the dos and don’ts in regards to retaking courses.
Does Retaking Courses Look Bad?
That depends on the specific situation you are in. It, however, does not look bad in most cases. Suppose you retake the course and perform the same or get a lower grade, making retaking look horrible. It shows that you have a poor understanding of the unit. However, if your second attempt shows a significant and higher performance, then your decision seems worth it.
Where you have failed in a core course, the best action is to retake it. Ensure that you pass in it to prove you better understand the course content than you did the first time. Also, if the class is a prerequisite for others to come in your future, a retake is a wise decision. You will improve your mastery of concepts and boost your confidence to tackle the latter units.
A fail greatly affects your GPA. More so if you desire to join an Ivy League grad school. Retaking the course and passing reflects well on you. Most majors provide a specific grade requirement. In that case, a second attempt is vital if your institution allows it. If you meet that threshold but feel unsatisfied with your grade, try to find other ways to cover for it.
Note that having many retakes makes your performance look less desirable.
What If I Retake a Course and Do Worse?
It is not bad to retake a college course. Ensure that you consult your advisor before taking the next step because some institutions are quite harsh regarding retakes. Think carefully about your reasons for wanting a second attempt.
You may retake a class to improve your Grade Point Average (GPA). That is best for students who fail or have average grades, such as D or C. In that case, a higher grade will be in your favour. Note that your final GPA may not dramatically improve, especially if the school calculates it using an average of all your attempts. The grade will be okay if the school considers the higher score.
If your goal is to increase your Grade Point Average, make your second attempt within the same institution. That is because several institutions allow credit transfers from other schools but reject the grades when computing the GPA. However, if the retake is a requirement from the school, you can do so in any credible institution, and that will not have a bad effect on your GPA.
If you feel that a second attempt will not improve your grade, avoid a retake. That shows a situation where you gave the first attempt your best, and you did not perform exceptionally. The worst thing would be to get a lower score. Schools with strict retake policies take the second attempt as the final score, regardless of its higher or lower.
Think of whether you can allocate the course more time and resources. Do you need to change the lecturer? An advantage of going ahead with the retake with the same instructor is that you know the person’s teaching method and expectations. That becomes a problem if the teaching mode is what got you in a position to require a second attempt. After all, you cannot do the same thing twice and expect different results. You will need to change quite a number of your studying tactics too.
If you got a C or a grade higher than that, you do not have to take a second attempt. That is especially if the course was not fundamental. Such grades do not have an awful effect on your Grade Point Average. A retake needs you to invest time and money. You could use that time as a research volunteer in the department you are in, which looks good on the transcript. So if you had a 3.8, the volunteering position looks better than a 4.0 with nothing more.
There are situations where your first-year grades look awful, but the consequent years show a great improvement. You may not necessarily have to retake the previous classes. If they are not core units, avoid retakes. If they are prerequisites for other courses and you got lower than a C, kindly retake them. A retake is unnecessary if you got a C or lower in Calculus, but you passed really well in all other latter mathematics classes. That shows you have an upward trend.
Also, if you intend to finish your education on time, avoid retakes. That applies to the units you feel are not fundamental. You need to pay some money for the retake, requiring you to allocate more time. The best time for retakes is as soon as possible after finishing the unit. That ensures that the information is still raw in your head. You do not want to wait until certain concepts seem unfamiliar.
Consult with an advisor when making the decision.
Can You Retake a College Class for a Better Grade?
Yes, you can. Note that different institutions deal with retakes differently. Some add up your scores for the original attempt and retake and find the mean. That becomes your final grade. Others take the higher score as your GPA.
Other institutions do not allow students to have second attempts. In such a place, only students who fail qualify for a retake. In that scenario, your fail upgrades to a pass. That translates to an improvement in the GPA.
Note that the difference in your Grade Point Average is not huge. It may be wise to consider other methods of improving it, such as undertaking additional courses.
How Much Will my GPA Change If I Retake a Class?
The policies of the college or university you are attending influence that. In most schools, the retake replaces the initial grade.
Institutions that accept grade replacement remove the initial grade from the transcript and provide the student with a status known as “No Credit”. When the learner sits for their exam, their score is what gets to the transcript. That is what they use when computing the overall Grade Point Average. Note that if you get a lower score, the school will not consider your previous grade. There are also limitations to the number of attempts you can have. Some schools limit the total of grade replacement a student can take to three throughout their term.
In other schools, your second attempt contributes to your final Grade Point Average. The initial grade, however, remains the same on the transcript.
Some institutions take the sum of all your attempts than the average to calculate the GPA.
Some institutions allow students to retake courses in their first year and replace the grades on their transcripts. They believe that most first-years have a tough time adjusting during the first year and are a bit lenient.
How Does Retaking a Failed Course affect GPA?
Transcripts are permanent records that show your academic history. That includes completed courses, grades, probations, awards of your performance, and your graduation status. They are vital when you want to open academic doors such as grad school. In most cases, employers do not go through your transcript. They call the university you attended to confirm your graduation date, degree, and grade point average. The policies of the institution guide what they indicate on each student’s transcript.
Since the transcript shows all records, you can see all retakes. You may notice the initials NP which signify a repeat. NP stands for Non-Pass. Through it, you can take as many as 20 credit hours of the offered free electives. Students choose electives at the beginning of a semester. You must, however, have an overall GPA of at least 2.0. Note that they do not use the credit hours in the NP option to calculate your Grade Point Average. If you get a D or any grade higher than that, the school indicates a P on the transcript. If you fail the course, the transcript will read NP.
Note that the number of credit hours associated with the Non-Pass option may vary from one institution to another. Seek the guidance of your instructors because they understand the rules better.
If you are applying to grad school, a C may show a shallow understanding of concepts you will build on later. A passed retake removes that doubt from the admissions committee. However, if the course is not central, they will not have issues with you. If your transcript is full of As, an isolated C will not be a problem, even for a core unit. A retake is unnecessary here. The committee may feel that you can make up for any deficits you have. Overall poor grades are what should concern you. That shows you have little understanding of your field, and you may not do well in grad school studies or company.
It is common for students to have a rough time in their first and second years in college or university. That does not indicate future failure. Most people, therefore, review their performance at the present moment. Ensure that you can prove an improvement in your performance. A letter of recommendation from your supervisors showing that the past is behind you is a good start. If the knowledge deficit was the reason for your failure, failing to retake the course may affect your studies if you go to grad school.
Beware that you will face a lot of competition because students with exceptional grades are applying for the same position. Most schools and jobs prefer to pick students with perfect track records. That, however, does not mean that you do not have a chance. Some people prefer those students who have the motivation to work on their weak points. The point is that it will be harder for you if you have a retake. Avoid making excuses for it and show people that you are worth getting a chance.
Can You Remove a Failed Class from the Transcript?
All retakes, regardless of the number, are vividly indicated on the transcript.
The policies of your institution dictate what appears on your transcript. That is about the grade indicated. For schools that allow grade replacement, the final attempt is what appears on the transcript.
When you retake a class thrice, all scores appear on the transcript. However, to calculate your GPA, they use your final two scores.
You can choose to audit the course if you do not understand the course content. Note that you will not receive credits when you do so, and you will still incur a smaller fee than a retake. You do not take part in assignments and tests. The school indicates “AU” on your transcript in place of the grade. Since institutions give priority to students who have credit courses, there may be few slots. You can only register for an audit at the beginning of a semester. Note that you cannot retake an audited class.
In conclusion, you can see that retaking a course is okay and shows the capability to improve if you perform better on the second attempt. Remember that a retake does not mean that you are not good at your field. Therefore avoid putting too much pressure on yourself. Before you say yes to that deal, think of everything that was hindering your success in the original attempt. Otherwise, you will be back to square one. Do not get stuck in the past.
