Drop or stick it out?

[GoawayAvalon]

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I'm taking a Biochemistry course online, which consists of watching videos of lectures and four exams. I did okay on the first two exams (B- and A-) but due to personal issues I bombed the third exam with a D+... ouch. The final is in two days and due to the same personal issues, I am in no way prepared. I could work my ass off and hope for a miracle and maybe pull of a C, but I am considering dropping the class and retaking it next semester as a real classroom course. My science GPA isn't too great and I'd really like to avoid dropping it more than it has to. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[droshan]

Will it show up on your transcript that you dropped the class? If so, then I'm not sure...but you may have an opportunity to explain your difficult situation in an essay to schools you apply to later. But if it doesn't then just drop it and retake it again. Yea its annoying but its worth it. Its the kind of class that med schools recommend you take or sometimes require it. Take it from a guy who suffered horrible grades his first 2 years and is paying for them now!

 

[jtimmer1]

Suck it up, and study for your final.

 

[paintballdoc]

If you are not prepared and cannot prepare due to personal reasons, DROP the class. It is WAY better to have a W on your transcript versus a C (or whatever you may obtain). Though, I am surprised you can drop a class 2 days before the final.

 

[Tecmo Superbowl]

Your school actually lets you drop classes two days before a final exam? I guess all GPA's are not created equally.

 

[funkymunkytoes]

Go to work, son.

 

[DenaliView]

I would recommend sticking it out for sure... You have come so far already (A/B on first exams are great!). If you drop the class you will have to retake, if you get a C you will probably want to retake. At least in continuing on you have the chance at something better, study hard you may impress yourself. And in you do end up with a C and retake later on for a better grade you will demonstrate improvement rather then giving up... Good Luck Study hard and remember no matter what happens as soon as you walk out of that final you are done pass or fail, you only have to survive till then!!! Wishing you all the luck!!!

 

[scarletgirl777]

I would recommend sticking it out for sure... You have come so far already (A/B on first exams are great!). If you drop the class you will have to retake, if you get a C you will probably want to retake. At least in continuing on you have the chance at something better, study hard you may impress yourself. And in you do end up with a C and retake later on for a better grade you will demonstrate improvement rather then giving up... Good Luck Study hard and remember no matter what happens as soon as you walk out of that final you are done pass or fail, you only have to survive till then!!! Wishing you all the luck!!!

Why would you retake a class in which you got a C? Don't most people only retake Fs, maybe Ds?

 

[mezmerized7]

Why would you retake a class in which you got a C? Don't most people only retake Fs, maybe Ds?

Good question, then again, this is SDN

 

[DenaliView]

I guess it all depends on what you need for the schools you are applying to and what your other grades have been. I am not sure I would be comfortable with a C in Bio chem. I would go with a B but I think I would be pretty tempted to retake a C.

 

[Chemist0157]

Biochem is a hard class so getting a C isn't SO bad. Plus, it's at the end of the semester, and think of all the work you've done up to this point. You could just study hard, and do well on the final (I don't understand how you can drop 2 days before finals either).

Of course, I guess you could drop it if taking it again will not kill you during another semester and ruin your other grades by overloading yourself with hours...

 

[GoawayAvalon]

Wow, thank you all for the responses. A few things...

My school offers a one-time drop, no questions asked, all the way up until the last day of the class. A W would show up on my transcript and I will be prepared to explain the situation if/when it comes up.

I thought I could handle taking it online and making my own schedule. When you're in a tough situation it's easy to still make yourself go to class, but it's hard when you're sitting at home trying to concentrate on a video on your computer. That's why I will retake it as the classroom course.

For a subject like Biochemistry, I really want to learn the material and I feel like retaking the course would be my best choice. The exam I bombed covered all of metabolism, and I did not give myself enough time to learn it (obviously). At the moment I feel like I have two days to learn a half of a semester of biochemistry, and I'm afraid the I won't be able to even get a C. I think that I started off well so I'll be able to get ahead next semester and hopefully pull off an A, especially because I'm not taking very hard classes (I wanted to focus on studying for the MCAT).

Thanks again for your advice and good luck on all of your finals!

 

[njbmd]

Wow, thank you all for the responses. A few things...

My school offers a one-time drop, no questions asked, all the way up until the last day of the class. A W would show up on my transcript and I will be prepared to explain the situation if/when it comes up.

I thought I could handle taking it online and making my own schedule. When you're in a tough situation it's easy to still make yourself go to class, but it's hard when you're sitting at home trying to concentrate on a video on your computer. That's why I will retake it as the classroom course.

For a subject like Biochemistry, I really want to learn the material and I feel like retaking the course would be my best choice. The exam I bombed covered all of metabolism, and I did not give myself enough time to learn it (obviously). At the moment I feel like I have two days to learn a half of a semester of biochemistry, and I'm afraid the I won't be able to even get a C. I think that I started off well so I'll be able to get ahead next semester and hopefully pull off an A, especially because I'm not taking very hard classes (I wanted to focus on studying for the MCAT).

Thanks again for your advice and good luck on all of your finals!

If your school offers a drop, then take the W. It sounds like you are ready to retake this class anyway. W is definitely better than C which is your best case scenario at this point.