Drop the class or stay in?

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Hello. I'm not sure what I should do. I'm in Anatomy right now and my grade just dropped down to a "C" which as we all know isn't going to get me into a program. I have until Friday to decide if I want to stay in the class or drop it. I hate to drop it and have wasted the last few months, but I don't want a "C" and not be able to get into a nursing program. Has anyone been in this position? and if you have what did you end up doing and how did it work out for you? Any advice would be great. Just a little extra information....I'm not the only one doing poorly in the class. We just had a test that the average score was a "F". We have a new teacher and I think sometimes she just doesn't cover everything like she should. I know that sounds like an excuse (and maybe it is...I don't know) but it's true.

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Just out of curiosity - since the average score was an 'F' on the last test, have you thought about going to talk to the instructor and see if she has any plans to help the class, i.e. extra credit or a grading curve? Just my 2 cents, if she says she doesn't and a 'C' won't help you, you'll probably need to average an 'A' for the rest of the semester to end up with a 'B'. Is that likely?

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.

When the class average is an F, the problem is either the instructor or the test structure.

Not the students.

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If I gave the impression that I am blaming the class, that is not at all my intention; I am trying to be pragmatic. If an entire class averages below a 'C' (which by definition is 'average'), the problem is not the class, per se. It might be the instructor, the test, the grading process, the admission criteria to the class, the preparation for the test, and so on. However, what is the most effective course of action for the OP?

I know that where I've applied for nursing school it counts against you if you've had any drops in the core curriculum. The GPA is also weighed in the selection process. This makes it a highly individualized decision to stay in or drop. In my situation, I would have to retake the class if I got a 'C' but retaking would hurt less (and prep me better for retaking the class) than dropping the class.

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Specializes in Orthopedics, Neuro, Trauma.

Perhaps you can talk to your professor to see if you're misunderstanding something in lecture or see if there will be extra credit or a curve at the end of the semester to even things out. Another option would be to see if you can get this course audited for no credit and continue in the class so you can learn everything completely and when you retake it you'll be ahead of the game. If not is not an option either, I would check with the nursing schools I'm planning on applying to and see if they will take the higher grade in a course if retaken. Most schools allow you to retake a course and either take the average or the higher grade of the two. Last option if all else fails would be to drop and just check around for a professor who is well known and recommended by other students on campus.

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There isn't always a curve or extra credit so it's not the best idea to assume it will be there to pad grades if the the class average is low unless this was specifically stated in the beginning of the class. Some nursing schools will take C's - others won't. Some schools use a points system to rank applications so a C in A&P could balance out against other factors ... but this varies depending on the school. If you know for a fact that a C in this class will be held against you then you need to make a decision about whether you can redeem your grade or not. If not then probably you should withdraw and retake the course.

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Specializes in NICU, Post-partum.
Perhaps you can talk to your professor to see if you're misunderstanding something in lecture or see if there will be extra credit or a curve at the end of the semester to even things out. Another option would be to see if you can get this course audited for no credit and continue in the class so you can learn everything completely and when you retake it you'll be ahead of the game. If not is not an option either, I would check with the nursing schools I'm planning on applying to and see if they will take the higher grade in a course if retaken. Most schools allow you to retake a course and either take the average or the higher grade of the two. Last option if all else fails would be to drop and just check around for a professor who is well known and recommended by other students on campus.

No...I'm sorry..I wasn't suggesting that you were.

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i would stay in the class. Try talking to your instructor to see if you could still be able to lift up the grade to at least a B by the end of the semester. If worse comes to worse and you end up getting a C in the course, try applying to schools that will accept that grade.

also, i asked one school around my area about retakes and she said that if the grade is a C- or lower they will deduct points for retake, but if you get a C or above and retake there will be no penalty. But i'm not sure about the school that your planning to apply to nursing school to.

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I also would stick with it. A C is pretty darn close to a B. You have enough time to pull that grade up. I also think "most" schools do accept a straight C. All of them around here in Rochester, NY do anyway. My first Chem test 94% of the class failed, myself included. He gave us a make up test plus the ability to earn another 10 points doing corrections. I ended up with a 85% after all three, and my original score was a whooping 48%! So hang in there. They just can't fail ENTIRE classes. And they won't, you'll see. Just stick with it. Best of luck to you!

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Here is my spin. If you know that it is unlikely to get into your program with a C then you should drop or audit the class and retake it for a better grade. It is my understanding that you cannot retake the class for a higher grade when you have finished the class with a passing grade. If that is the case and it were me, I would rather drop/audit it for a higher grade, unless of course they penalize you for drop/audits. Talk to the schools nursing department, they will most likely come right out and tell you if you should drop/audit, or just finish it out.

At my school drops/audits are a dime a dozen with the health science courses, seriously. There were people in my NAS 161 class who were taking it for the 4th time! No disrespect to anyone in that situation but I think those people should either take their classes more seriously or reconsider nursing.

Whatever you do, good luck. I hope this doesn't set you back in applying to your program. I know how that feels because it happened to me. I didn't find out until it was too late that I needed to take chemistry.

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I was in this exact situation last semester. I stayed in the class. This semester(spring) I retook ap 1. And so far i have an A. You could always drop and ask permission to continue to attend the rest of the semester. But if you do that please continue to go it will really help you in the long run.

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My anatomy teacher currently teaches two sections on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Combined lecture, different labs. Same tests for both classes. On the first major test, the morning class average was 60% and the evening class average was 80%. How can the instructor be at fault? Sometimes an entire class can fail a test and it's not the instructor's fault or the test's fault.

When the class average is an F, the problem is either the instructor or the test structure.

Not the students.

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