F in Calculus I

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KarateSab

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So I’m going to receive an F in my Calc I class. I was in a bad car accident that affected me pretty badly this semester. I have all A’s and B with a current GPA of 3.79 and I’m considered a junior in credits even though I only just finished my second semester of college. My college does grade forgiveness, so I can retake the class and probably get an A or B second time around and have it replace the F in my GPA, but the F will stay on my transcript (it’ll have an R next to it which means that I had retaken it). Will this affect my chances of getting into med school?
 
I suggest you take school more seriously. Getting an F in undergrad means you don't have the chops for medical school. It just isn't possible for any other type of student. In undergrad C is for useless students.
 
mk04447 said:
I suggest you take school more seriously. Getting an F in undergrad means you don't have the chops for medical school. It just isn't possible for any other type of student. In undergrad C is for useless students.
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The dude was in an accident, and I'm sure he takes school seriously. No need for the harsh and assuming response.

And OP, just explain it on your application. If it was a serious accident, then I'm sure the admission team will understand.
 
DirtyNewYorker said:
The dude was in an accident, and I'm sure he takes school seriously. No need for the harsh and assuming response.

And OP, just explain it on your application. If it was a serious accident, then I'm sure the admission team will understand.
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I call BS; if that were true, the college would have worked something out prior to failing him. And, why did it only effect calculus? Maybe he got in an accident, but he didn't handle the situation correctly. He can hope you are on his interview panel and you accept his story as is without asking any questions.
 
It won’t affect them if you can explain what mk is addressing above in an interview. Just be prepared to explain how calc 1 tanked to an F and your other grades did not.

Retake, show you can get the A, and keep moving. This won’t kill your chances unless you let it. Good luck.
 
I was hit by a speeding driving going 80mph in a 40 zone while on my way to school, which totaled my car and caused a several injuries to me. I ended up missing more than two weeks of class. My Calc I professor had a policy that for every missed class, the student’s grade would drop one letter and I had the class three times a week. I tried explaining to my professor what had happened and had the correct paperwork, but was told to just withdraw from the class. I am unable to withdraw from any classes due to my scholarship policy which will cause a reduction in my scholarship amount, as well as having to pay back all the money for the class that I withdrew from. I am only able to attend college because of this scholarship, so I cannot afford to lose it. I was able to do well in my other classes due to them not having an attendance policy, having most m of my assignment turned in online, and having only three exams that were spread out, which I did well on. I plan on retaking calculus and doing well on every other class I take as well. I’m expected to graduate at twenty years old with two degrees in Bio and Russian and have already started studying for my MCAT. I just want to know if my chances have severely dropped.
 
KarateSab said:
I was hit by a speeding driving going 80mph in a 40 zone while on my way to school, which totaled my car and caused a several injuries to me. I ended up missing more than two weeks of class. My Calc I professor had a policy that for every missed class, the student’s grade would drop one letter and I had the class three times a week. I tried explaining to my professor what had happened and had the correct paperwork, but was told to just withdraw from the class. I am unable to withdraw from any classes due to my scholarship policy which will cause a reduction in my scholarship amount, as well as having to pay back all the money for the class that I withdrew from. I am only able to attend college because of this scholarship, so I cannot afford to lose it. I was able to do well in my other classes due to them not having an attendance policy, having most m of my assignment turned in online, and having only three exams that were spread out, which I did well on. I plan on retaking calculus and doing well on every other class I take as well. I’m expected to graduate at twenty years old with two degrees in Bio and Russian and have already started studying for my MCAT. I just want to know if my chances have severely dropped.
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Don't worry man. Just explain this on your secondaries when you apply and everyone with a heart will understand
 
KarateSab said:
I was hit by a speeding driving going 80mph in a 40 zone while on my way to school, which totaled my car and caused a several injuries to me. I ended up missing more than two weeks of class. My Calc I professor had a policy that for every missed class, the student’s grade would drop one letter and I had the class three times a week. I tried explaining to my professor what had happened and had the correct paperwork, but was told to just withdraw from the class. I am unable to withdraw from any classes due to my scholarship policy which will cause a reduction in my scholarship amount, as well as having to pay back all the money for the class that I withdrew from. I am only able to attend college because of this scholarship, so I cannot afford to lose it. I was able to do well in my other classes due to them not having an attendance policy, having most m of my assignment turned in online, and having only three exams that were spread out, which I did well on. I plan on retaking calculus and doing well on every other class I take as well. I’m expected to graduate at twenty years old with two degrees in Bio and Russian and have already started studying for my MCAT. I just want to know if my chances have severely dropped.
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Is it too late to appeal to the school? The prof's policy may violate your school's disability accommodations rules. Maybe it'll be more of a hassle than just retaking the course, but it also might be worth looking into.
 
KarateSab said:
I was hit by a speeding driving going 80mph in a 40 zone while on my way to school, which totaled my car and caused a several injuries to me. I ended up missing more than two weeks of class. My Calc I professor had a policy that for every missed class, the student’s grade would drop one letter and I had the class three times a week. I tried explaining to my professor what had happened and had the correct paperwork, but was told to just withdraw from the class. I am unable to withdraw from any classes due to my scholarship policy which will cause a reduction in my scholarship amount, as well as having to pay back all the money for the class that I withdrew from. I am only able to attend college because of this scholarship, so I cannot afford to lose it. I was able to do well in my other classes due to them not having an attendance policy, having most m of my assignment turned in online, and having only three exams that were spread out, which I did well on. I plan on retaking calculus and doing well on every other class I take as well. I’m expected to graduate at twenty years old with two degrees in Bio and Russian and have already started studying for my MCAT. I just want to know if my chances have severely dropped.
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Very sorry to hear of your woes.

I have read that some schools allow for retroactive W's, see if this is doable.

Despite the caustic and unneeded comments above, one F will not kill you. But be prepared to discuss it at interviews.

I could probably make a good interview question out of this story...the need for staying in classes and taking a GPA hit in order to keep scholarship vs keeping your GPA up and losing scholarship.
 
I agree with curbsideconsult. If I were you I would go to the dean or the math department chair and tell them what happened. Do this immediately so you have time for a solution. I was in the hospital with heart problems for a month last year and there was no way for me to pass my genetics class but my teacher said that I could have an incomplete and retake the class in a following quarter and it didn't affect my transcript at all.
 
lenspx said:
Actually, you were very inconsiderate and just assumed you knew the exact situation of anyone that has an F on their transcript.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile
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I'm sorry your feelings were hurt, it think. You must be his wife?

The reality is, what is forgotten a lot around here, we're talking about medical school... something you truly know nothing about until you've been there. So, people come here to get advice because the application process and experiences are unique, sometimes guidance is useful... that is when the questions are.

Now our friend or your spouse I'm not sure. One of two things will happen as the result of my comment. First, he may get angry, have hurt feelings like you, then reflect, turn his grades around and make a real go of things which will be necessary to get into even the worst programs. Wait let me back up...

Take Goro's comment for example, he was very reserved with his response because he knows if this is an isolated situation ok, but if it isn't, this kids probably never going to cut it. To go from A to F would require a very bad accident and reasonable, future medical school types would likely have someone communicate with the school, they no doubt have a process for such unfortunate events, like withdrawing from the semester which is easy to explain, might even be a great PS topic. On the other hand, this isn't an isolated event and we're talking about marginal performance at best in the first and second years of college, which is when you take calculus I. People like Goro would either pass the post by completely not wasting their time or they post a boilerplate response not wasting too much time, in Goro's case you'd likely get the reinvent yourself message.

Back to my comment... turn himself around, maybe the experience gives him some insight that whatever the reason F's are simply inexcusable, it is far too easy to get a C in undergrad for virtually no work at all. He takes the advice for what it is, a legitimate comment that these types of things can't continue to happen or he'll need to change his plans.

Or, second, he gets his feelings hurt like you and he thinks to himself what does that joker know, I'm Rick James, he'll wait for someone like you to come along and reinforce his lackluster college career. The two of you will drink on weekends and flip burgers during the week happy as a lark taking public transportation to and from your weed dealers house... or worse, he keeps trying the way he has, only to be an unsuccessful three time applicant who truly has problems settling for a career he really doesn't like for 20 years.

Now it is likely, if you've taken the time to read all this you still won't get what I'm saying, you're too wound up in emotions and tone is more important than substance and you'll go on about your life like you always have. I'll wonder what non-profit you'll eventually work for making nothing getting sexually harassed by your boss for years and years, but most I'll wonder why did they even ask if they didn't want a real answer. Or, you'll read what I'm saying and you'll realize OP is at a fork in the road, there's only a hard way and a less hard way, I wonder which way he will choose.
 
mk04447 said:
I'm sorry your feelings were hurt, it think. You must be his wife?

The reality is, what is forgotten a lot around here, we're talking about medical school... something you truly know nothing about until you've been there. So, people come here to get advice because the application process and experiences are unique, sometimes guidance is useful... that is when the questions are.

Now our friend or your spouse I'm not sure. One of two things will happen as the result of my comment. First, he may get angry, have hurt feelings like you, then reflect, turn his grades around and make a real go of things which will be necessary to get into even the worst programs. Wait let me back up...

Take Goro's comment for example, he was very reserved with his response because he knows if this is an isolated situation ok, but if it isn't, this kids probably never going to cut it. To go from A to F would require a very bad accident and reasonable, future medical school types would likely have someone communicate with the school, they no doubt have a process for such unfortunate events, like withdrawing from the semester which is easy to explain, might even be a great PS topic. On the other hand, this isn't an isolated event and we're talking about marginal performance at best in the first and second years of college, which is when you take calculus I. People like Goro would either pass the post by completely not wasting their time or they post a boilerplate response not wasting too much time, in Goro's case you'd likely get the reinvent yourself message.

Back to my comment... turn himself around, maybe the experience gives him some insight that whatever the reason F's are simply inexcusable, it is far too easy to get a C in undergrad for virtually no work at all. He takes the advice for what it is, a legitimate comment that these types of things can't continue to happen or he'll need to change his plans.

Or, second, he gets his feelings hurt like you and he thinks to himself what does that joker know, I'm Rick James, he'll wait for someone like you to come along and reinforce his lackluster college career. The two of you will drink on weekends and flip burgers during the week happy as a lark taking public transportation to and from your weed dealers house... or worse, he keeps trying the way he has, only to be an unsuccessful three time applicant who truly has problems settling for a career he really doesn't like for 20 years.

Now it is likely, if you've taken the time to read all this you still won't get what I'm saying, you're too wound up in emotions and tone is more important than substance and you'll go on about your life like you always have. I'll wonder what non-profit you'll eventually work for making nothing getting sexually harassed by your boss for years and years, but most I'll wonder why did they even ask if they didn't want a real answer. Or, you'll read what I'm saying and you'll realize OP is at a fork in the road, there's only a hard way and a less hard way, I wonder which way he will choose.
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Lol, you're hilarious. First of all, I'm a "HE", second I don't even know the guy, and third I'm starting medical school this Fall, but thanks though for putting me among the bugger flipping, public transportation riding drug dealers. Lol I must say that was PRETTY funny. My feelings weren't hurt at all, I just merely stated what I saw and read.

Now, I understand where you're coming from, but OP stated that his current GPA was 3.79 (not 2.79), so obviously this wasn't a bad habit. But, instead of giving him the benefit of the doubt and ask what happened and take it from there, you just went straight up for his throat. Anyway, I don't even have a dog in this fight, so whatever you say next don't count on me replying. Let's just say you win and settle.

Sent from my SM-G950U using SDN mobile
 
Glad you made it out ok of that accident. If I were you I would hound whoever I could for a grade appeal, or more likely a W appeal! I actually successfully appealed an F off of my transcript this semester, but I had to fight tooth and nail with the prof and somehow the dean sided with me (thought this would be unlikely even though I had a solid case). Yours seems really solid for an appeal. I think anyone with a shred of empathy will look past your grade in this course if you explain it well. A problem might arise if a school just scans the transcript quickly with the vast number of applications and fails to read your explanation.
 
@KarateSab Very sorry to hear about the accident. You can mention this in your secondary application and also discuss it during interviews. It should not keep you out of medical school. Use what was an unfortunate tragedy to your advantage by discussing how you were able to overcome the situation and preserve your scholarship. Good luck!
 
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