W on my transcript or a failing grade?

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Long story short, I'm currently taking a statistics course, which as most of you should know is a pre-requisite for nursing and I'm not doing very well. This quarter has been quite tough for me with my family going through a recent loss, so it's been hard flying back and forth from home while maintaining my grades. After getting my second midterm back I know that it is near impossible for me to even manage a C in my statistics course, so I am stuck with the decision of either receiving a failing grade or withdrawing for the class.

If I receive a failing grade, my university allows me to retake the class so that the new grade will be calculated into my GPA but the failing grade won't. Rather, the failing grade will just be shown beside the new grade. My other option is to withdraw with a W on my transcript and retake the class again. The W will still be displayed on the transcript as well.

I read that Ws on transcripts were fine so long as there aren't a lot, but since this is a pre-requisite, I was thinking that it would matter more. I'm really worried about this and that it might slim my chances of going into an ABSN program greatly. :/

Thank you for your help in advance!

AndyMandy

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If I was very sure I will finish my degree at that university and/or if I was fairly sure and know they really don't like Ws then I'd go with the failing grade and still try to get the C. Otherwise I'd go with the W because it also won't be factored into the grade at your school and other schools/programs may factor in all the grades received despite what your school does.

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By all means take the W. If you recieve a failing grade it will reflect poorly on uYou transcript and may hurt you in your future if not immediate endeavors. Either way you have to retake the course. So you might as well start fresh and not have a low grade pulling your future efforts down. I am at UAH in my second semester of nursing school and I had 3 Ws on my transcript.

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I would say ask your advisor what they think the best move would be. Also, have you spoken with your instructor to see if there's anything they could do to help you out? Maybe a little extra credit work? My microbiology professor has offered to tack on 5 extra points to someone's average if they are willing to take bacteria plates out of the incubator so she didn't have to do it on her day off. I might try asking for a little help, if all else fails. But I would personally probably try to stick it out and see if there is any way I could get higher than an "F," rather than just dropping the class with a "W."

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I would definitely take a W before a failing grade.

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Thank you for your input, everyone! I'm leaning towards a W more than a failing grade as of now, but I'm going to call several ABSN programs and see what they think of it first. Hopefully it shouldn't be too bad...

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Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele.

I would take the W. Logically, if you are not doing well in the class because of personal issues you should withdraw from the class and take it at another time when your personal issues are resolved.

Having an F on your transcript is not good. It doesn't matter if you take the class again and get an A, the F is still sitting there for admissions to see.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.
I would definitely take a W before a failing grade.

Ditto. You can explain the W with the loss in the family some distance away. It's completely true.

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Specializes in Hospice, ER.

I've taken the W several times. It's never been an issue all these years and degrees later.

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I got an F 18 yrs ago and it is still pulling my GPA down. I also have a W from that same time period that had no negative impact on my GPA. Better to have a W that even if asked about can be explained as you having to travel for family obligations. If you have to repeat the class anyways why continue on with the class. Just withdraw and I suggest going on khanacademy.org there is a statistics playlist on there that you may find really helpful. I love this website it was a huge help to me for algebra. Step by step tutorials. They are wonderful.

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Hi,I read your post about having several w's, was that a long time ago and do you think times have changed? Only one nursing school that I am applying to gives interviews, the rest admit you strictly by how you look on paper. I have several w's and f's. I have never actually failed a course, just goofing off

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Specializes in Neonatal Nurse Practitioner.
Hi,I read your post about having several w's, was that a long time ago and do you think times have changed? Only one nursing school that I am applying to gives interviews, the rest admit you strictly by how you look on paper. I have several w's and f's. I have never actually failed a course, just goofing off
Just slightly off topic but... Can you explain how you have F's but never actually failed? Seems like a contradiction..
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