(no subject)
Does it look particularly bad if you do badly in a class and choose not to retake it?
I got Ds in two courses last semester. They're both in my major, which is not the grad program I'm applying to, but is related (psych major, occupational therapy programs). In one of the classes I had a really poor grasp of the material, I admit; in the other I didn't complete the final paper because he changed the due date to after the final exam, and I had to spend that time moving cross-country and starting a full-time job (which turned out to be more time-consuming and exhausting than I anticipated). I could redeem the courses but I feel like that wouldn't actually accomplish anything for my GPA -- I have easier courses left, and I really feel like I could get an A or A- average. The courses I got Ds in, though, are very time consuming and difficult, and I feel like retaking them would hurt my other grades enough to even out the GPA benefit. I also have a mediocre GPA right now and need at least a 3.5 just to bring it up to the 3.0 minimum for most programs, and could really use 2 4.0 semesters to prove I'm capable of difficult academic work. I also have only one year left, so I would have to overload a semester (jeopardizing my grades) or sacrifice some prereqs to fit these two classes into my schedule. I can also take a version of the class I didn't grasp the material of online during the summer courtesy of a state school, when I can focus on it as my only class -- that wouldn't take away the D, but that way I could devote as much study time as I needed without hurting other grades (a version of the class is a prereq to a couple of grad programs on my might-apply list, but not most of them).
So, I feel like what's best for me and my GPA is not to retake these courses. I can get better grades and fit in some more grad program prereqs. But I was wondering if maybe it looks really bad not to retake courses you do badly in? I don't want my transcript to give the impression that I don't care about grades enough to correct them -- I just feel like focusing on other courses would be more beneficial to me. Does the act of leaving bad grades un-redeemed give a bad impression to admissions committees, or should I continue to do what's best for my overall GPA?
I got Ds in two courses last semester. They're both in my major, which is not the grad program I'm applying to, but is related (psych major, occupational therapy programs). In one of the classes I had a really poor grasp of the material, I admit; in the other I didn't complete the final paper because he changed the due date to after the final exam, and I had to spend that time moving cross-country and starting a full-time job (which turned out to be more time-consuming and exhausting than I anticipated). I could redeem the courses but I feel like that wouldn't actually accomplish anything for my GPA -- I have easier courses left, and I really feel like I could get an A or A- average. The courses I got Ds in, though, are very time consuming and difficult, and I feel like retaking them would hurt my other grades enough to even out the GPA benefit. I also have a mediocre GPA right now and need at least a 3.5 just to bring it up to the 3.0 minimum for most programs, and could really use 2 4.0 semesters to prove I'm capable of difficult academic work. I also have only one year left, so I would have to overload a semester (jeopardizing my grades) or sacrifice some prereqs to fit these two classes into my schedule. I can also take a version of the class I didn't grasp the material of online during the summer courtesy of a state school, when I can focus on it as my only class -- that wouldn't take away the D, but that way I could devote as much study time as I needed without hurting other grades (a version of the class is a prereq to a couple of grad programs on my might-apply list, but not most of them).
So, I feel like what's best for me and my GPA is not to retake these courses. I can get better grades and fit in some more grad program prereqs. But I was wondering if maybe it looks really bad not to retake courses you do badly in? I don't want my transcript to give the impression that I don't care about grades enough to correct them -- I just feel like focusing on other courses would be more beneficial to me. Does the act of leaving bad grades un-redeemed give a bad impression to admissions committees, or should I continue to do what's best for my overall GPA?