Most students will take a course or two in college that really kicks their butts. I don’t mean they fail the course, though that may happen as well. I’m referring to cases when they end up with a grade that really disappoints them or when they withdraw from the course before they fail. Colleges offer students the chance to repeat courses (within limits) and many students do. For some schools the new grade completely replaces the first grade, while in others, the grades are averaged. The bottom line is that students are generally not hurt by repeating a course but the question is, should they?
Why Students Should Repeat a Course
Students repeat courses for several reasons: sometimes the passing grade they received won’t count for their major. In that case, repeating the course makes sense. A second reason cited is that students feel they need a better grasp of the course material before going on. They repeat the course to make sure they’re ready for the next one in the sequence. This is also a wise reason.
Student also repeat courses to raise their grade point average, or GPA. They believe if they repeat a course in which they earned a “C” and earn an “A” the second time around, the averaged grade would be a “B.” That’s true, but the overall logic is often flawed. After all, if the student earned a “C” and was working hard the first time, how likely are they to earn an “A” the second time around? For most, the answer is “not likely,” and probably not worth the cost of repeating the course. They should also do the GPA math: it’s unlikely the change from a “C” to an “A” will make that much difference in a grade point average covering 120 credits.
A fourth reason to repeat a course is when a student withdraws from a course during the term and doesn’t earn a grade at all. In this case, the original course is noted on the transcript with a “W.” When the course is repeated (and passed!) only the grade for the second attempt is calculated into the grade point average.
Some students retake courses to raise their performance in that particular course because they know that graduate and professional schools prefer higher grades. A medical school would certainly prefer an “A” in General Biology versus a “B.” However, a transcript is the record of all the courses a student has taken: therefore, the Biology grade of “B” remains on the transcript. Some professional schools care more about the first grade earned in the course than they do the second grade; students should be aware of this. A better alternative might be to be prepared to explain the poorer performance the first time they took the course rather than repeating it.
Reasons Not To Repeat A Course
Student can only receive credit for a college course once. If they need 120 credits to graduate and repeat a course along the way, the credits from the second attempt aren’t added into their credit total. Therefore, they will need to take additional courses at some other time to stay on track to graduate.
If a student is repeating a course to raise their GPA, the course must be taken at their home institution. This means they can’t take advantage of the potentially lower costs of their local community colleges, which might pose a financial hardship.
Things to Watch Out For
Students should learn their college policies regarding repeating courses, including how many courses can be repeated, and if there are courses that cannot be repeated? They should speak with their registrar’s office to understand these practices and make sure they follow them.
Students who want to retake a course at another college should also speak with their registrar to make sure the course they take will count at their home institution. The college where I work has a pre-approval process. Students submit the course they want to take and what they think it will count for at our college. The registrar’s office searches this and certifies that the course at the other college will count for one of ours. Once that approval is given to the student, they’re in. This excerpt from the University of Maryland illustrates some of their course repeat policies: University of Maryland
Another thing to think about is the professor the student had for the original course. Sometimes the match between a professor and a student isn’t a good one, for the fault of neither. In that case, the student should probably not repeat the course with the same instructor if possible. Taking a course for the second time needs to be a fresh start for everyone.
Making the Second Time Around Different
Students repeating a course often make the mistake of not paying attention during the first few weeks of a repeated course. Their reason is that the material isn’t new, and since they have some command of it, they feel they don’t need to worry about it. That is a big mistake. Students repeating a course should assume that they are starting for the first time in a course that is really challenging. In that way, they won’t get lazy and go down the rabbit hole they fell into the first time. If your student wants to repeat a course, probe them by asking what they’re going to do differently the second time around, such as attending study sessions or speaking with the instructor. Doing the same things they did the first time won’t work for round two.
There may be very good reasons to repeat a college course. Help your student make the right choices when they are faced with this decision.