Retaking an "A"

[ua2011]

If I retake a class I got an A in will it still be viewed as two separate classes when I apply to med school? I didn't learn anything the first time I took the class. That is why I am retaking it even though I got an "A".

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[justadream]

This is a terrible idea.

Just (informally) audit it if you really are in it to just learn something.

 

[MrLogan13]

Why would you waste your time re-taking a class you got an A in? Waste of time and resources. Just go back and review material from that course.

 

[LJN Ltd.]

Man, so many threads today that are good jump boards for my own questions...sorry..

I did something similar in college. Took 2 courses that had the same course number b/c the professor drastically changed it from a seminar to lecture. Grades of A- then A. Should I point this out on secondaries or would no one even notice? I'm thinking I'll just point it out in case someone thought I was retaking an A-...

 

[mimelim]

If I retake a class I got an A in will it still be viewed as two separate classes when I apply to med school? I didn't learn anything the first time I took the class. That is why I am retaking it even though I got an "A".

This is a bad idea. Audit the class if you are interested in the material. Nothing good can come of retaking a class.

Man, so many threads today that are good jump boards for my own questions...sorry..

I did something similar in college. Took 2 courses that had the same course number b/c the professor drastically changed it from a seminar to lecture. Grades of A- then A. Should I point this out on secondaries or would no one even notice? I'm thinking I'll just point it out in case someone thought I was retaking an A-...

As it is now, do not point this out. If someone has questions about it, they will ask and tbh there really isn't a 'good' answer.

 

[LJN Ltd.]

As it is now, do not point this out. If someone has questions about it, they will ask and tbh there really isn't a 'good' answer.

What do you mean there isn't a good answer? Is there something wrong with what I did?

 

[mimelim]

What do you mean there isn't a good answer? Is there something wrong with what I did?

Taking a class after already getting an 'A' in it is artificially raising your GPA, which is seen as a negative. There is no reason to retake a class that you already have credit for. If it is 'actually a different class', then you should be auditing it at most, or in the case of many large universities, just sitting in on the class. If the school thought that it was a substantively different course, they would have assigned it a different number.

Likelyhood of it seriously hurting you is relatively low since the vast majority of people will never pick up on it. Highlighting it will only serve to make it more apparent.

 

[LJN Ltd.]

Taking a class after already getting an 'A' in it is artificially raising your GPA, which is seen as a negative. There is no reason to retake a class that you already have credit for. If it is 'actually a different class', then you should be auditing it at most, or in the case of many large universities, just sitting in on the class. If the school thought that it was a substantively different course, they would have assigned it a different number.

Likelyhood of it seriously hurting you is relatively low since the vast majority of people will never pick up on it. Highlighting it will only serve to make it more apparent.

Ugh, what a narrow view of school policies adcoms have. Not every school cycles through numbers like that. That's annoying. But thank you, I understand!

 

[justadream]

This is how I imagine the interview going:

Interviewer: Why did you retake the A?

OP: I didn't learn anything.

Interviewer: Why didn't you learn anything?

The only possible reasons are like:

1) OP didn't try - reflects bad on OP to not try in a class and to purely be motivated by getting an A (perhaps by grade-grubbing too).
2) Professor was horrific - reflects bad on OP to bad-mouth a professor and to not take responsibility for own learning

This is like playing the lottery except your chances of winning are 0% and your chances of losing are 100%. The only question is how much you will lose (how badly it will look).

 

[moisne]

Unless it is required to get ur degree to retake - don't.

Amcas will count it even if ur school doesn't

 

[NeuResurgens]

Audit if you absolutely must take it again. Could you not refresh the material on Wikipedia or something? Don't retake an A.

 

[YoungProdigy]

Question: Do you have to have already taken a class to audit it, or does the rule vary from uni to uni?

 

[NeuResurgens]

Question: Do you have to have already taken a class to audit it, or does the rule vary from uni to uni?

At my uni, I don't think you need to have taken it.

 

[Mad Jack]

Audit it if you want to retake it. Literally nothing good can come from you taking it as a graded class.

 

[Psai]

wtf...

 

[tiedyeddog]

If I retake a class I got an A in will it still be viewed as two separate classes when I apply to med school? I didn't learn anything the first time I took the class. That is why I am retaking it even though I got an "A".

I would not do this.... It will look weird to adcoms if they see it.

 

[Goro]

People who have poor judgment are viewed as very bad risks by Adcoms.

If I retake a class I got an A in will it still be viewed as two separate classes when I apply to med school? I didn't learn anything the first time I took the class. That is why I am retaking it even though I got an "A".

 

[LizzyM]

How about this:

Interviewer: Why did you retake this class?

Him: Because it was awesome.

Interviewer: Really, that's it?

Him: What, you only saw Star Wars once?

Me (interviewer): Yes and I thought it was terrible. Retaking an A is also a terrible idea.

 

[Iso4ane]

It depends. If it was a high A, don't retake it. If it was a low A, it could be viewed negatively by adcoms, and you should retake it. That extra 0.5% could be the difference between Harvard and McDonald's.

(Just teasing...)

Well, 0.5% is the difference between passing and failing, and in some cases, being allowed to retake a course and not retake it (my school didn't allow a retake if you got a C or higher).

 

[cactus8910]

Ugh, what a narrow view of school policies adcoms have. Not every school cycles through numbers like that. That's annoying. But thank you, I understand!

Was the name of the course different?

 

[LJN Ltd.]

Was the name of the course different?

Yes. Similar, but different enough that someone reading it would realize one focused on theory whereas the other applied theory to U.S. case studies.

 

[cactus8910]

Yes. Similar, but different enough that someone reading it would realize one focused on theory whereas the other applied theory to U.S. case studies.

Then I think you have even less to be worried about. It probably won't come up, and if it does you have a reasonable explanation.

 

[deleted158872]

If I retake a class I got an A in will it still be viewed as two separate classes when I apply to med school? I didn't learn anything the first time I took the class. That is why I am retaking it even though I got an "A".

are you serious?

 

[LizzyM]

How about this:

Interviewer: Why did you retake this class?

Him: Because it was awesome.

Interviewer: Really, that's it?

Him: What, you only saw Star Wars once?

Me (interviewer): Yes and I thought it was terrible. Retaking an A is also a terrible idea.

Hopefully you don't say that out loud, unless you're trying to become the first medical school in history with fewer applicants than spots.

Not sure if serious.

 

[Goro]

One has to differentiate Episodes IV-VI with I-III.

Maybe a little. How can you hate Star Wars? That borders on criminal.

 

[DoTheTrick]

If I retake a class I got an A in will it still be viewed as two separate classes when I apply to med school? I didn't learn anything the first time I took the class. That is why I am retaking it even though I got an "A".

No...You don't have to do that. Just take the A and run. Study the subject in your spare time? There are other more interesting classes you could be taking!

 

[ridethecliche]

That's true. Usually when I hear "Star Wars" I naturally assume Episode IV. Now if she hates Episode I, that makes more sense.

It's a surprise to me if any mathematicians like Star Wars. I mean Lucas can't even count properly!

 

[athlete421]

1) This is a very odd desire, lol, and waste of resources. Why put money towards a class you already took AND aced? I mean, I get that you want to "learn" the material this time around, but you don't have to retake a class for that. Just study the material on your own.

2) If you retook this class and the adcom noticed it, I really don't see how you could convince them to see this as a smart decision. It's just a very odd thing to do, and saying "I didn't learn anything the first time around" might make them wonder if you ever learned anything from all the other classes you made A's in.

It could be a messy situation. Find out if you can informally audit or just study the material in your own time.

 

[LizzyM]

One has to differentiate Episodes IV-VI with I-III.

I saw it in the theater in 1977 with my boyfriend & his little brother... not even sure which episode that would be... didn't like the movie, eventually ditched the boyfriend, too.

Just goes to show, not everyone agrees on what is "awesome".

 

[ZedsDed]

Not sure if serious.

Star Wars fanboys/girls are kind of touchy

 

[ortnakas]

If I retake a class I got an A in will it still be viewed as two separate classes when I apply to med school? I didn't learn anything the first time I took the class. That is why I am retaking it even though I got an "A".

The general consensus (including the esteemed Goro and LizzyM) is "do not do this."

The real question you should be asking yourself is WHY you didn't learn anything in the first place? Even if the professor was terrible-- we've all been there, but that's a terrible in-interview reason-- you still could have learned plenty with a study group and a textbook.

 

[athlete421]

I saw it in the theater in 1977 with my boyfriend & his little brother... not even sure which episode that would be... didn't like the movie, eventually ditched the boyfriend, too.

Just goes to show, not everyone agrees on what is "awesome".

Yeah, I triiied watching Star Wars (not sure which part). I couldn't get through it. To this day, I am still very "out of the loop" when it comes to Star Wars.

 

[Neutropix]

One has to differentiate Episodes IV-VI with I-III.

Everyone should start addressing you as Goro the Wise for this post.

 

[ua2011]

The reason I am retaking is because it was Biochemistry at a community college and all we had to do was watch the movie Lorenzo's Oil and answer questions pertaining to the film. We literally did not have any exams or homework. I'm retaking at a univiersity so I actually learn because I need it for the new MCAT? Should i retake the A or study biochem on my own?

 

[ZedsDed]

Basic forum etiquette OP: you cannot start a thread, ask people for their time and advice, and then wait weeks to respond and follow up. That being said, I think your question has already been thoroughly answered.

 

[Pusheen]

Basic forum etiquette OP: you cannot start a thread, ask people for their time and advice, and then wait weeks to respond and follow up. That being said, I think your question has already been thoroughly answered.

Also, post very important/relevant information not in the title post, but in a reply 40 messages down the line

 

[WedgeDawg]

Me (interviewer): Yes and I thought it was terrible. Retaking an A is also a terrible idea.

 

[MrLogan13]

The reason I am retaking is because it was Biochemistry at a community college and all we had to do was watch the movie Lorenzo's Oil and answer questions pertaining to the film. We literally did not have any exams or homework. I'm retaking at a univiersity so I actually learn because I need it for the new MCAT? Should i retake the A or study biochem on my own?

You have your answer already. Do not retake an A. It's not good.

 

[Lord Boko]

One has to differentiate Episodes IV-VI with I-III.

And soon VII-IX which will hopefully be better than I and II. Some people may want to crucify me for this but I really enjoyed episode III.

 

[Catalystik]

The reason I am retaking is because it was Biochemistry at a community college and all we had to do was watch the movie Lorenzo's Oil and answer questions pertaining to the film. We literally did not have any exams or homework. I'm retaking at a univiersity so I actually learn because I need it for the new MCAT? Should i retake the A or study biochem on my own?

If you gave me this explanation, I'd be fine with a retake. If the second course number is higher, you probably won't be asked.

Agree that this relevant information should have been given in the original post.