DS failed a college class, what to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all for your advice. He wasn’t functioning and failed to turn in assignments, and he wasn’t aware of his mental health issue until he had a breakdown and was admitted in hospital. He is taking time off from school now, getting treatment and volunteering in animal shelters, both have been going very well, but I know he worries about his GPA as he is aiming for vet school. Normally he would approach his dean and discuss his options, but mentally he’s not ready yet. Hence I am asking here to get some info before I talk to the dean on his behalf. I’ll support him for any career decisions but honestly I’d hate to see him give up on his dream.

This was my kid during COVID. Failed a few classes, managed to graduate (class of 2022) with a lousy GPA. Working at a supermarket now and still finding his way. I think he'll figure it out eventually, but it's been pretty painful. I'm glad your kid has a chance to take time off and recover. There weren't any good choices during COVID.

[Anonymous]

Wishing your son good mental health, OP. He can get past this and recover.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:“Prestigious” college just don’t give out F’s. Gotta try real hard not to pass.

+1

[Anonymous]

Agree with PPs that mental health is the most important at this point. Failing a class is not the end of the world. Consider transferring back home, the closer physical distance with more frequent parent visiting would help your DS a lot. I know kids in this shit transferring to a community college for a year then bounced back to an in-state or another private that's a better fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all for your advice. He wasn’t functioning and failed to turn in assignments, and he wasn’t aware of his mental health issue until he had a breakdown and was admitted in hospital. He is taking time off from school now, getting treatment and volunteering in animal shelters, both have been going very well, but I know he worries about his GPA as he is aiming for vet school. Normally he would approach his dean and discuss his options, but mentally he’s not ready yet. Hence I am asking here to get some info before I talk to the dean on his behalf. I’ll support him for any career decisions but honestly I’d hate to see him give up on his dream.

Be very cautious and humble when you speak to the dean on his behalf. Don’t come off like a pushy helicopter mom. Remember you are asking for an accommodation of some kind that they don’t have to give you.

I am curious - was it just an F in one class, or did he do poorly across the board? If just one class, why would a mental health issue affect just one class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most likely if he got an F he just didn't attend and/or didn't submit. If he's otherwise doing OK, my guess is he blew it off and misjudged the reprecussions. For example my program states that 4 absences for a course that meets weekly is automatic fauilure - some students test this.

Have a heart to heart with him about how serious he is about school.

Not 100% true. My very smart kid, at a T40, hit the 4th course in the CS sequence (was thinking of minoring in it, is already an engineering major). After first midterm and all other work, they would have needed 95% on everything else to get a C in the course. They were trying and doing the work, even had friends in the class who were trying as well. They smartly decided they were not minoring in CS (they can code and do plenty, just don't need the theoretical degree) and to take the W on their transcript. Kid has a 3.8GPA overall 1/2 way thru Junior year in one of the more challenging Engineering degrees. They didn't blow it off, it just wasn't their thing and they were smart enough to do something about it before getting a D or F

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Prestigious” college just don’t give out F’s. Gotta try real hard not to pass.

Not true. OP: My kid failed a class at a "prestigious" school as well. It was far more stressful than I anticipated, as it this school, it means automatic probation, so he had to get better than a 2.0 the next semester. Of course, that had never been a problem, but when that stress is on top of you now, it just feels awful. At his school, the only option is to retake, then they average the two grades together into the GPA. Though the F always shows on the transcript. I hate to say it, but it's following him into his job search as he approaches graduation. I have no advice for you, only commiseration. Sorry!

Because he would have been 1000% better off to take a W. That's part of managing college, to know when to take a W if you just won't get at least a C/C- in a course. It happens to smart kids who are actually trying hard as well. But if you are lazy, you miss the W time frame and it follows you everywhere

[Anonymous]

Withdraw and take a summer school class. It sounds like he shouldn't be at a prestigious college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most likely if he got an F he just didn't attend and/or didn't submit. If he's otherwise doing OK, my guess is he blew it off and misjudged the reprecussions. For example my program states that 4 absences for a course that meets weekly is automatic fauilure - some students test this.

Have a heart to heart with him about how serious he is about school.

Again, this is not always the case. I'm the poster above. My kid probably could have recovered from the failed tests if he had advocated and met with the professor and maybe wound up with a C- (as he did when he retook it), but for him it was indeed the content (a professor created-macro that broke down Excel every time you made a mistake, in the middle of in-class tests--nobody got As in the class and test averages were around 60%). Those of you whose kids haven't experienced professors like this have no idea what you're talking about.

+1000

My kid had a prof (everyone hated them). First, this prof will not let you take photos in class and won't post slides on line, yet fills the slides with about 300% more information than a slide should have (and it's engineering, so that's a lot of info). They watched a video in the final 2 weeks of classes about 12+ ideas/concepts. The questions on the final from this were about the ACtuAL names of each reaction/Chemical exchange. My kid knew what each did and how to use them, but couldn't recall all the names (because read above, you cannot fully take notes in that class and nobody thought the names itself was important=-==they thought the facts and concepts were). Nobody got an A in the course. My kid got an A- and there were lots of Bs/Cs from really smart kids. I mean who doesn't let you take notes properly and who at college level focuses on small details over the actual content/importatn items. It's junior year of engineering not memorizing data for A&P1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Prestigious” college just don’t give out F’s. Gotta try real hard not to pass.

Agree with this poster. Hard to get even a B at “prestigious” institutions, since that would be an admission that an acceptance error was committed.

Can happen at any quality institution for a variety of reasons. Did DC have unexcused absences that triggers the F? Did they fail to turn in an assignment on time or at all?

Retake course and demonstrate commitment to pass. Yes an F will drop the GPA but can be overcome.

This sadly is the issue with limited or unlimited retakes of exams, lowest grade of 50%, etc., common in most high schools today. Kids coast through HS and think they can do the same in college, but at quality universities get a wake up call about what life is like in the real world.

Take class agin if offered in summer. Buckle down and get a B or better, may impact getting into top vet schools but will not be shut out by one mistake, if they learn from it.

Actually I don't mind retakes for better grades. Especially in cumulative courses.
Heck my kid at a T40 gets that for math/engineering courses. Several Math courses have been: you can replace one or two of your midterm scores with the "grade on the final for the section of work tested on that midterm". And I agree with that. the entire point is to LEARN. If a kid gets a better grade on the final on those concetps/material, why shouldn't they get a better grade overall?
I mean in the real world, I don't sit down and do projects/work in a bubble where I cannot use my calculator or computer or look anything up or talk to anyone. I use my knowledge and use my resources. and if I'm not 100% certain about something, I find a way to be 100% certain (resources)

That is the real world. Critical thinking and knowledge is key, but you don't have to cram every damn little detail into your memory, you just need to know it's available and go look it up when you need it

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Withdraw from the course before the official end of the semester and retake this summer at the same university.

It will still appear on the official transcript as WF

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Withdraw from the course before the official end of the semester and retake this summer at the same university.

It will still appear on the official transcript as WF

at that matters not at all

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has until next week to withdraw from a class. So, take the W instead.

What schools allow a withdrawal so late in the semester. At my kid’s prestigious school, late withdrawals are only allowed in exceptional circumstances, meaning severe health problems, etc

Brown allows withdrawal any time before the class ends. Really more colleges should be doing this to encourage kids to explore their potential interest. If it didn't work out, no harm done just gracefully withdraw from the class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks all for your advice. He wasn’t functioning and failed to turn in assignments, and he wasn’t aware of his mental health issue until he had a breakdown and was admitted in hospital. He is taking time off from school now, getting treatment and volunteering in animal shelters, both have been going very well, but I know he worries about his GPA as he is aiming for vet school. Normally he would approach his dean and discuss his options, but mentally he’s not ready yet. Hence I am asking here to get some info before I talk to the dean on his behalf. I’ll support him for any career decisions but honestly I’d hate to see him give up on his dream.

Be very cautious and humble when you speak to the dean on his behalf. Don’t come off like a pushy helicopter mom. Remember you are asking for an accommodation of some kind that they don’t have to give you.

I am curious - was it just an F in one class, or did he do poorly across the board? If just one class, why would a mental health issue affect just one class?

Thanks for your advice. Yes he got all "A"s except this one "F". When ADHD takes Independent Study whiling starting college a thousand miles away from home, this happens. We all learned our lessons.

[Anonymous]

Professor here. Is this from a previous semester or is there time to contact the professor and potentially negotiate conditions for an incomplete if you explain the hospitalization?