How bad is getting an F in college?

regardless of when you took precalc, it is NOT a sophomore course. i don't care if you took it in 3rd grade. which i did. then i went to a top-5 college. then i was king of the world, but i got bored and gave it up to spend more time on letsrun. see how easy it is to make stupid claims?

further, i never said precalc was not easy.

finally, i said the biggest problem is that teachers make it too easy so that when people get to college, they're not prepared.

in sum, you still can't read for comprehension and you still haven't explained why calling someone a douchebag is an insult. so stop, you're hurting my self-esteem.

i'm having a great day, thanks for thinking of me.

Miserably failing -- I notice you said you're a biology major with an emphasis in wildlife biology. I'm a professor in ecology. To have a realistic shot at graduate school, you will have to do better. Precalculus is a very easy course, compared to the kind of material you'd see in a graduate class in statistics. You'd have to take at least 9 credits of stats for any wildlife master's degree. There are entry-level wildlife jobs that you can get with a BS, but if you want to work as a biologist, F's in remedial math classes will not cut the mustard. That said, I know some serious blockheads who seem to have made it through somehow.

haha. ok douchebag.

math kid wrote:

And why do you find that unattractive? Math, at least at a level above basic computational skill, is not necessary in about 95% of jobs. I should know - I am 55 and have worked in about 95% of jobs during my lifetime. My main career, as a banker at a large firm, didn't require anything close to precalc (which, funnily enough, my daughter is now taking).

Many people are 'horrible' at math, as their minds just do not process information that way, but that is in no way an indication of their overall intelligence.

I understand that not everyone can be wonderful at math, but I have no respect for those who are proud of being terrible as if it's a virtue. Working with math students, it's amazing how many of them get scared when something looks hard and give up without even trying. Then they go around saying- oh I was just terrible at math, giggle, giggle. Anyway, the OP wants to go into biology, and may be unpleasantly surprised at how much math is neccessary.

For the OP: Is the class you're taking almost completely online? I understand that those can be very hard to follow and the lessons can be unclear. But a private tutor can work wonders. It's hard to believe that you're getting a biology degree that doesn't require calculus.

l love peeps wrote:

anyone who gets an f in college is a dumbass.

think of it this way.

daddy gives you $2000 and you flush it down the toilet.

Yeah, but it's not as bad as getting an STD.

F in Communications 101 = Bad. F in Differential Equations and Quantum Physics = Bad, but very understandable.

Thanks, sc42.

I realize precalculus is not a difficult course. I just have too much going on right now to devote the time to get a good grade. I should have dropped it earlier.

How will it look if I get an "F" in the course, but retake it and get an A or B? (Which I know I can do) Obviously it will improve my GPA, but how does it look on a grad school application?

I've done well in my statistics courses. I saw the applicability to what I want to do with my degree, worked hard, and got A's.

You can't even pass Precalc, but Organic isn't giving you any trouble at all? I find that very hard to believe...

Precalc in college could be in another planet than that in some public high school. There are plenty of non-calc math problems that would humble any of the several jackasses on this thread.

A brilliant math minded type professor could make just about any college level math class very difficult. Throw in a tough grading scheme, and otherwise competent students are suddenly struggling to get good marks.

You're life is not over if you get an F, but it is going to be tougher to get in to a good grad school (assuming you have the mental chops and this class is an aberration). I'm finishing my masters right now and headed to the 2nd rated school in my engineering field for a PhD with a nice research assistantship and large fellowship. In my experience, there is much more to the application process than simply having a perfect record. There are multiple paths to get admitted to the best school your mental ability allows. Here are the good points others have made that will help you:

1) Talk to the professor ASAP. Go into all of his office hours if necessary. Make sure he knows you are going all out to improve. Show genuine interest in understanding the subject. It will only help your final grade. Getting an F in college is often due to complete apathy. This is an awful impression to give on a grad school application. Do anything necessary to at least get a D.

2) Find people who are doing well and study with them. Someone in the class understands the material. Become his or her friend.

3) I've never had one, but my guess is there are ways around an F. Scoring high marks on the GRE, etc is one. The general GRE exam has no calculus. Doing undergrad research in your field will help you immensely in finding a grad school as well. In any case, you need an undergrad gpa on the right side of 3 to have legitimate chances for grad study at a reasonable university.

Thanks for all the advice.

I just talked to my advisor. She said an F ain't exactly good, but as long as I get it replaced with an A or B I should be OK. She said there wouldn't be a huge difference between getting a D or F. Either way, I have to retake the class and my new grade will replace the old.

You could be a little more sensitive. How do you know whether or not this person tried their hardest? Personally, I've never failed a class, but I have failed two midterms in chemistry after doing everything I could (office hours, practice tests, study group sessions, etc). Bringing someone down won't solve problems

Must have really dug for this one.

College prof who advises undergrads here. If you retake the course to replace the grade, reflect very thoroughly about what factors led you to get an F the first time around. In my experience students that withdraw, get incompletes, or retake classes tend to screw up just as badly the second time around. It might be working on time management, it might mean meeting with tutors, etc.

2007 Nevermind WTF.

Valhalla Shiny and Chrome wrote:

College prof who advises undergrads here. If you retake the course to replace the grade, reflect very thoroughly about what factors led you to get an F the first time around. In my experience students that withdraw, get incompletes, or retake classes tend to screw up just as badly the second time around. It might be working on time management, it might mean meeting with tutors, etc.

Thanks for your answer 8 years later. I appreciate it. I graduated along time ago, I'm 28 now, married, with one kid (second on the way) and have a beard.

talk to your professor. see if they can help ya out at all

But did you pass the course?

Miserably Failing wrote:

Valhalla Shiny and Chrome wrote:

College prof who advises undergrads here. If you retake the course to replace the grade, reflect very thoroughly about what factors led you to get an F the first time around. In my experience students that withdraw, get incompletes, or retake classes tend to screw up just as badly the second time around. It might be working on time management, it might mean meeting with tutors, etc.

Thanks for your answer 8 years later. I appreciate it. I graduated along time ago, I'm 28 now, married, with one kid (second on the way) and have a beard.

Did you change majors? Hook up with that sorority girl you had slipping some sausage too? Details man details... how

did it play out?