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Failing College Course

B

BigPrince

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Dec 27, 2006
2,053
111
I am a sophomore in college and I am about to fail my first college course ever: Assembler Programming.
I am scared. I have never failed a course before. I have already accepted it(but feel like ****), but not sure how my parents will take it. I also did not have a stellar semester in general.



Its all my fault, I just dug a hole I could not get myself out of. I am a full time student (12 credits) and I work full time this year. I thought I could juggle both full time successfully, however I seem to have not succeeded.

I can't quit my job because I love it, make good money, its a union job, full health care, pays for some college, and I have been there 2.5 years already(Since July I was promoted to full time year round).

I want to finish school just because it is important to me. I enjoy school and would love to get a degree in Comp Sci and Comp Sec. I just suck at freaking programming and its really killing me.

Also, I have no social life nor do I party. Work and School is all I have and I am so used to it that when I have off from one or the other it is like a void.

Any advice or your stories about failing a college course would be greatly appreciated.
 
If you can't quit why don't you ask to move to part-time to ease the load on your time.
 
One failed course isn't the end of the world. The reality check can be quite a good thing (I know several people who didn't get anything less than an A ever fail a class for the first time in professional school...)

First course I failed (or would have failed) was college level French...

Damn those french! :D

You just have to pick up and keep going.
 
I could go back to my old position, but I would lose all the benefits I have now, including my pay raise for doing the same stuff.

I worked really hard to get into this position and I just don't want to turn my back on it.
 
BigPrince said:
I could go back to my old position, but I would lose all the benefits I have now, including my pay raise for doing the same stuff.

I worked really hard to get into this position and I just don't want to turn my back on it.
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Drop the class. Lower your school load so you can focus on your job if you think its your future. If you think that your schooling will get you a better job, quit your job.
 
Maybe you should cut back a class. Since you are taking 12 hours, I'll assume you are taking 4 classes? Maybe next semester you should only take 3. It might take longer to graduate, but you may do better.

Good luck.
 
I thought about lightening the load at school. Next semester I am doing 14 credits. two 4 credit courses, two 3 credit courses. 1 course is an independent study, so I am going to see how that works out if that lightens my load.

I also plan to take a course or two in the summer so that it does not slow me down too much.
 
BP, just lighten your school load. no sense knocking the full time pay and benefits, but if school is something you want to finish - is there a rush? if not, lighten the load and take your time.

hire a tutor for the programming.

good luck,
keebler
 
Also, almost all public schools allow you to retake a course you failed and erase the grade. You'll obviously have to pay to take the class again, but you'll at least save your GPA.
 
Why don't you just drop the course?

At my uni you can drop up until final exams and then after if you have a good reason.

No sense in stressing out about one class.

It took me three tries to get good mark in organic Chem.
 
Learn from it.

Like how I learnt from failing my programming assignment...

and when I forgot to hand in my web assignment.

Dust yourself off and continue.

See if you can study or work part time?
 
In the long run a failing grade isn't going to kill you in undergrad. I had a horrible freshman year and it was a huge wake up call. I realized I should be doing well for myself and no for my parents. I started going to every class and started to pick up my grads drastically. Now I am in law school and what I got in undergrad doesn't even matter any more. but now I have to worry about doing well in law school..

Good Luck to you and just consider your options and weigh your priorities.
 
Try to keep it in perspective. No one's perfect and it sounds like you're under a lot of pressure, which the school can understand and probably try to help you with a workaround. They're there to help you if you ask in good faith. I wish you well!

I flunked some American History course in college, not for any good reason but just because it had seemed boring (a lecture course, not a seminar) and so I got behind in the coursework.

At the very end I tried to get through a 465 page book in six hours, fell asleep with the book open on my chest... was almost late to the exam... turned in a set of empty bluebooks when it came to selecting three out of five essay questions.... barely knew my own name!

I got a stellar grade of 22 on the exam (yah out of a hundred, right), and a big fat F for the course.

Anyway I learned something useful from that terrible experience: when I'm either bored or floundering, I have to be proactive in helping to remedy the situation, not just wait for something to happen (entropy is what happens!) and not just hope that someone will rescue me.
 
BigPrince said:
I thought about lightening the load at school. Next semester I am doing 14 credits. two 4 credit courses, two 3 credit courses. 1 course is an independent study, so I am going to see how that works out if that lightens my load.
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Dude, if 12 is too much this semester, then how is 14 next semester lightening the load? Even if one is an independent study, I don't think this is the right approach.
 
ucfgrad93 said:
Dude, if 12 is too much, then 14 is not going to help you, even if one is an independent study. I don't think this is the right approach.
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I don't need to stay full time, but I get $500 back from the school if I am a full time.(which isn't a lot in the whole grand scheme of things).

Its not more courses, just that the many of the programming courses here are considered 4 credits.
 
BigPrince said:
Its not more courses, just that the many of the programming courses here are considered 4 credits.
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Ok, its just in my experience, more credits=more work.

Try not to get discouraged. I failed a couple of classes in college, but went on to graduate and be gainfully employed in my field.
 
ucfgrad93 said:
Ok, its just in my experience, more credits=more work.

Try not to get discouraged. I failed a couple of classes in college, but went on to graduate and be gainfully employed in my field.
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I am looking forward for the fresh start. It is my parents that I hope can move past this.
 
BigPrince said:
I am looking forward for the fresh start. It is my parents that I hope can move past this.
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I don't know you nor your parents. But sometimes the best thing to do is get it over with and approach them maturely and tell them. Explain to them you are trying your hardest and you are going to remedy the situation. If you take responsibility for it and explain to them that it is your problem and not theirs they may back off and let you do your thing (which may be just what you need).
 
I'd agree with those who said take three classes. In the long run, graduating a semester or even a year "late" isn't going to make any huge difference. Being able to do so debt free (or at least less indebted) and with a solid employment record should impress anyone.
 
Leareth said:
Why don't you just drop the course?

At my uni you can drop up until final exams and then after if you have a good reason.

No sense in stressing out about one class.

It took me three tries to get good mark in organic Chem.
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Lucky they change the rules at my school a few years ago and I got screwed by it. I change my major 3 days after drop date and the classes I wanted to drop I got Fs in. Right now it is at the mid point. I like 3/4 of the way though the semester personally. It far enough where one should know if they are going to make it but no so far to allow for abuse.

adk said:
Also, almost all public schools allow you to retake a course you failed and erase the grade. You'll obviously have to pay to take the class again, but you'll at least save your GPA.
Click to expand...

I need to correct you on this. They do not erase the grade. What it does it is gives you an adjusted GPA (best grade standing) but your cumulative grade has both in it.

Like others have said REDUCE YOUR COURSE LOAD. You are going to burn out. Either reduce your course load or reduce how much time you are at work. Other wise you are risking burn out.

As for failing it is not the end of the world. I have I think 3F, at least 2 D. My last semester in civil my semester GPA was 0.93. That tanked my GPA by over 1/2 a point down to a 2.34 hell the only reason I did not go on probation is I had a lot of hours to take the hit.. Now at the end of this semester I will not of climbed out of that hole yet and that been 4 semester. I am leaving with like a 2.7. I have a job lined up. Reason I am telling you this is it not the end of the world. Biggest thing is do not screw over you major GPA. That one keep as high as possible. Hell I will admit the only GPA on my resume is my major GPA and that is a 3.1 (it is listed as CTEC GPA) the others are not even on their.

Just learn from it. My dad was pissed at my first F I earned. that semester with a 0.93 my parents knew why it happened and let me off the hook.
 
BigPrince, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess you are at least 18. If so, who cares what your parents have to say. I will admit I have not failed a college course nor have I ever come close (my GPA is 4.0) but you are the only person who has a say in YOUR life. I would talk with your school counselors and then try to drop the course. My next piece of advise is do not sell your textbook and continue to study from it. Take the class again when you feel you will be able to pass without problem. But remember you are the only person who can take your life to your goals. Good luck.

JohnMC
 
Failing courses can be a pain in the arse, but as many have suggested it isn't the end of the world.

In the Pre-med land (which I unfortunately spent several years wallowing in), any grade lower than a B in any of the core courses is essentially a death sentence. You can take the courses over, but it never really goes away.

I hazard to guess that many other majors aren't as intense about it. Just take the course over again. Depending how your grades are in everything else, it won't seem as big of a deal in a year or two.

Good luck!
 
Xfujinon said:
In the Pre-med land (which I unfortunately spent several years wallowing in), any grade lower than a B in any of the core courses is essentially a death sentence. You can take the courses over, but it never really goes away.
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Not to side track, but boy do I remember that. I was a science education major, and took alot of science courses. Many of my fellow students were Pre-Med, and would piss and moan over losing a point or two on an exam.
 
Xfujinon said:
...

In the Pre-med land (which I unfortunately spent several years wallowing in), any grade lower than a B in any of the core courses is essentially a death sentence. You can take the courses over, but it never really goes away.
Click to expand...

It goes away the minute you are accepted into medical school, at least it did for me. To be quite honest, I know more pre-med students who had 4.0's who couldn't get into medical school than med students who had 4.0s.

In my experience, undergrad course-work either teaches you how to learn or how to kiss someone's @$$. There are other gauges to measure whether or not a person is competent and knows their stuff (as opposed to those who perpetually have brown on their noses).
 
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