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StarlessNight

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So, I'm in a situation where I am doing great in the chemistry lecture but very badly in the lab... I have until Nov. 2 to drop with a grade of DR on my transcript. If I don't drop it, I'll be getting a grade of D or F in the lab and will have to re-take it next semester.

This is my first semester in university after graduating from high school. During high school, I took about a year and a half's worth of dual enrollment. My dual enrollment GPA was a 4.0. I'm currently taking Calculus I and Analytic Geometry (4 credits), Spanish III (5 credits) , Chem 1 (3 credits) and Chem Lab (1 credit), and a required Freshman Experience (1 credit) course. I am expecting an A in Calculus, an A in Spanish, an A in the Chem Lecture, a B in the Freshman Experience Course, and as already mentioned, a D or F in the Chem Lab.

How bad does it look to med schools if I fail the lab but re-take it next semester and get an A or B? What about if I drop it and get an A or B next semester? I don't know what to do. Have I essentially ruined my chances for med school by failing one of the pre-reqs? The irony is that I've actually gotten the highest test scores in a class of 300 people for all the exams so far in my Chem lecture.

UPDATE: So, I talked to my TA and she told me that my current grade when taking into account the class rank is a C- (final grade is based on class rank). Taking this into consideration, should I still drop the lab?

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Drop it and retake next semester. A withdrawal (W) appears in a more preferable light on a transcript than does a F (as long as the withdrawals do not accumulate during your college career).
 
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Why do you think you'll get an A or B next semester? What will you do differently? What's holding you back? If you're getting an A in lecture, it's not like you don't understand o-chem.

Getting a single grade of W is better than a D or F. However, you can't just W any course you're having trouble with.
 
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One W won't be bad.
 
Why do you think you'll get an A or B next semester? What will you do differently? What's holding you back? If you're getting an A in lecture, it's not like you don't understand o-chem.

Getting a single grade of W is better than a D or F. However, you can't just W any course you're having trouble with.

I know what to expect now in terms of workload, and trust me, I am not lazy. I came down with two really bad bouts of food poisoning this semester, and I've had a hard time adjusting to being away from home for the first time (rooming with three other girls). My adjustment period is over, I've learned how to manage my time more effectively while rooming with three other girls, and I am very motivated to do better. My roommate, who has also been my best friend since high school, was going through a bit of a mental health crisis and that also had somewhat of an effect on me. I do not want to W out of any course I'm having trouble with. I'll try hard to make sure that this is the only one.

Thanks to all of you for the advice!
 
I've made updates to the original post, and I'm wondering if the advice I've been given here would change in light of this.
 
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