• math,  repeating course

    again and again…and again

    August 16, 2016

    Hi, since I need MAT135 up to a 60% for cs major but i only got a 50% during the school year, but i am not doing too well this summer, now i wonder what will happen if i fail this course during the summer, will it still count in my gpa or no

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    those differential equations giving you grief, eh? i feel you on that one.

    according to the Rules & Regulations in the course calendar, it looks like you can only repeat a passed course one time. i’m specifically looking at the line that says: “Students may not use this one-time-only allowance to subsequently repeat a passed course again after having repeated the same course for reasons noted in i) above, i.e., they may repeat a specific passed course only once.”

    that seems pretty clear cut to me, however, since these repeated courses must be added by your registrar’s office, it’s possible that your college registrar could make an exception in certain circumstances. or maybe not. i dunno. best thing to do? talk to them about it.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • failing,  repeating course,  subject POST

    try try and try again

    April 26, 2016

    Hi,

    I’m having to take PHL245 as a requirement for my Bioethics Major and have been really struggling. I’ve taken the class once to get through about two thirds of it, only to drop the course. I’m retaking it this semester and have once again been struggling and am about to take my final in which I need a fairly high grade to just end with a 50%. Because of this, my confidence in passing is a little low and I’m feeling the doubt settle in.

    I was wondering, how many times can you retake a course? Also… Is there a way to petition a required course if one cannot find themselves passing? What would happen if I was to take it as many times as I could and still not be able to pass (hypothetically)… Can I talk to the Program Director about my situation and have them remove it as a requirement for me?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you can retake the course as many times as you need to as long as you’ve failed the course in your previous attempts. if you pass the course but didn’t get the course you need for your program, you can retake it, but your registrar’s office will have to put you in the course. however, your program just requires you to pass the course, so you probably don’t have to worry about that.

    it is very, very unlikely that a department would waive a requirement for you. you can always speak with them about it, and in fact, i would encourage you to do so – your registrar’s office is another good stop. both of these offices will be able to advise you on realistic next steps. they will probably not, however, just drop a requirement for you. still, it may be helpful to talk.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • grad school,  repeating course

    fail, retry, tail, refry

    April 25, 2016

    What happens if I failed a course that is not part of my program, but a course I needed to get into a program? Can I retake it? Also do graduate programs look at overall grade-point average, or do they mostly look at 3rd and 4th year?
    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you failed a prerequisite to get into a program, you can absolutely retake it in order to try and achieve the mark needed to get in. it becomes trickier when you passed the course but didn’t get the mark you needed to get into your program; in that case, you would need to go to your registrar’s office and have them enrol you in the course. in this case, the second attempt at the course would be marked “extra”: that means that the course won’t count towards your 20.0 degree credits or GPA, but it would count towards breadth/program requirements.

    regarding grad school, most graduate schools (that i’m aware of) look mainly at your upper year courses. the thing is, there are a LOT of grad programs at many institutions across the world. they have different requirements, and some are more competitive than others. it’s always good to look into the requirements for any graduate program(s) you may be considering in order to have a better idea of what you’re looking at.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • repeating course,  rotman

    eco100 again…and again…

    September 16, 2015

    Thank you so much for running this website.

    I recieved a 50 in eco100 in the summer, I have to take it again this upcoming year, depending on what grade i get, what will my gpa show? and how can i calculate it on the gpa calculator on the arts and sciene page

    also, if i am applying to rotman commerce at the end of the upcoming year, they require 67%, so which mark will they consider? Also, if i do really well (80+) in my other courses and really good in my second time around taking eco, will they take me into the program?

    thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it’s not a problem at all! i love running this website. i mean, i’ve disappointed my parents on a fundamental level by being a no-good internet person, but hey. we learn to love ourselves.

    if you are able to retake ECO100 a second time, it will necessarily be counted as an extra. that means that the course will not count towards your GPA or your 20.0 degree credits.

    your 50% from the first retake, however, will count towards your GPA and will be weighted the same as the first time you took the course, unless that one was ALSO an extra. it would only have been an extra if the FIRST time you took ECO100, you passed it.

    as for how you can calculate this, you can either use a calculator and your grade 4 math skills, OR you can use UTSC’s handy-dancy GPA calculator. if you’re confused about whether your first retake was counted on an extra, just check your transcript; it should be noted there.

    in terms of your chances of getting into rotman, there are two answers:

    if you were admitted to rotman straight out of high school, under guaranteed admission:

    you had one full calendar year to complete ECO100. that means that if you took ECO100 in Fall/Winter 2014-2015, then again this past summer, and you have to take it again in Fall/Winter 2015-2016, you no longer have guaranteed admission to rotman, because one full calendar year has passed.

    also, if you passed the course the past two times you took it, that would mean that you’re taking it as an extra for the second time, which is not allowed. if, however, you failed it the first time, took it again and passed, then you can take it a third time as an extra.

    if you’re applying to rotman as a regular Faculty of Arts & Science student:

    they will consider your highest mark for ECO100, BUT keep in mind that applying this way is very competitive. only a handful of students are admitted this way every year, and you’ll need to do very well in ECO100 (as well as in RSM100 and your first-year calculus course) to have a shot of getting in.

    i know this business with the extras can be a little confusing, so if you have any more questions, please talk with your college registrar about it. they will have a much fuller picture of your situation and can advise you further.

    best of luck,

    aska

    Read More
  • repeating course,  subject POST,  summer

    math in the summer? heaven forbid

    April 24, 2015

    Hello,

    I am a first-year actuarial science student, so I have to reach 65% to get to my subject post program. I am not sure about my MAT137 mark for this term (it might be not good enough). However, I cannot stay in Canada during summer time, so I wanted to ask: is it possible to retake a course during the fall/winter 2015 term instead of summer 2015 term? Thank you in advance!

    Best regards

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    it is totally possible to retake it in the Fall/Winter term! however, you are required to enrol in a subject POSt after completing 4.0 FCEs, so if you’ve already completed 4.0 FCEs, you’ll be required to sign up for a subject POSt before the next term starts.

    meaning: if you haven’t retaken MAT137 by the end of the summer, you’ll have to sign up for some other POSt as a place-holder until you can apply to the actuarial science major in the next subject POSt enrolment period (April-September 2016).

    so just make sure you’re in either one specialist, two majors, or a major and two minors. then next year, you can apply to actuarial science and drop those place-holder POSts.

    cheers,

    aska

    Read More
  • repeating course

    if you pass, you pass

    April 20, 2015

    kinda similar to a question you just answered, but if you retake a course and pass the second time, but your average for the 2 marks is less than 50% do you not get the credit? cause last year i was a fucking idiot and completely ignored one class, i ended up getting a 15 in it (i gave up all hope and didn’t write the final, don’t judge me) i retook it this year, and i’m thinking all probably come out of it with about 68, does that mean my actual grade will be 41.5 and i won’t earn that credit?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    now, now, we don’t judge people here on askastudent. we’re all just exhausted, kinda soggy, usually hungry students trying to get through four years in one piece. there’s absolutely no place here for judgement – just so you know.

    to answer your question: if you passed the course once, then you passed it, which means you got the credit. both attempts will be reported on your transcript and contribute to your GPA (the question i answered previously which you’re referring to is not exactly the same case as yours), but you got the credit if you passed the second time. not to worry.

    xoxo,

    aska

    Read More
  • courses,  repeating course

    doing math a second time *shudder*

    April 16, 2015

    Hi 🙂 I was wondering if you know exactly how they calculate repeated courses? I mean I didn’t receive the required mark for math and I am allowed to repeat it however, their procedure for calculating is averaging it out or do they just count both as is?

    Thanks so much!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    in a rare and heartening case of reading the university website, i can answer this question with words straight from the horse’s mouth:

    “When students need to achieve a minimum mark in a course for entry to a limited-enrolment program or for meeting a prerequisite to take another course in their program, they may repeat such a course once. The repeated course will be designated “extra”: it will appear on the academic record but it will not be included in GPA calculations or in the degree credit count.”

    so it’ll show up show up on your academic record, but it won’t count towards your degree, or your GPA.

    good luck with taking math again (yeesh!),

    aska

    Read More
  • late withdrawal,  repeating course,  UTM

    MAT133 *shudders*

    March 24, 2015

    Hey! So, I’m a first year commerce student at UTM and I’m going to apply to the accounting specialist Subject POSt. The prerequisite courses for this POSt are ECO100, MAT133, MGM101, and MGT120, but I’m failing MAT133. I think I’m going to withdraw from this course, rather than failing, and take it during the summer. Will the LWD on my transcript affect my admission into the POSt, or anything else?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well, you won’t be able to get into the POSt if one of the prereqs has an LWD on it. however, i can’t see anything on the requirements for an accounting specialist that says that they will give preference to people who tried the course more than once.

    SO if you LWD the course, take it again and do really well, and your marks in the other three prereqs + CGPA are competitive, then you’d still be competitive for the POSt.

    otherwise, LWDs do have some impact on graduate school applications, but this is one LWD in your first year, so honestly, i wouldn’t stress too much about it. if you think you can do significantly better in the course by LWD’ing it now and taking it again, then go on over to your registrar and make an appointment to discuss putting through a request.

    good luck with it, my friend,

    aska

    P.S. make sure you follow updates related to the strike, as they may affect the rules related to LWDs. HOW they might be affected, i can’t say. it’s all part of the THRILL AND EXCITEMENT of labour disputes! whoo!

    Read More
  • admissions,  repeating course

    i want u(oft) to want me, i need u(oft) to need me

    January 13, 2014

    Hey. Thanks in advance for your help!
    I’m a high student in grade 12, attending school in Ontario. In grade 11 I chose to take both grade 11 and 12 English, planning on not having to take English in my final year. I managed to finish with a solid 94 in grade 11 English, but the semester following I slacked off and missed a lot of school due to family issues – I moved out of my parents house and so forth. Point being, I finished with a 62 (Grade 12 English) and of course, this is unacceptable in any university’s eyes. I plan on retaking it during my last semester in high school but I have heard that U of T does not consider re-takes – that they just take your initial mark.
    If you know anything in regards to this, that could help my situation, please let me know! Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    well if your only mark in the 60s is in that one class, then it’s not the end of the world. universities do allow for a margin of error, and one C doesn’t automatically mean you’re out.

    as for retaking classes, uoft has some liability safety-net statement (which i talk about more here) that says they reserve the right to factor in the fact that you had to do the course twice when it comes to making an admission decision. however if you retake english, do really well, and get good marks in all the rest of your classes in grade 12, i’d say you’ve minimized the fact of your having done the class twice as much as you possibly can. so by planning to retake the course, you’ve pretty much done everything you possibly can to help yourself out. woo!

    that doesn’t mean you’ll get in, obviously, but it does mean you can know for sure you did everything within your power to get in.

    finally, you can always contact enrolment services and provide a letter explaining why that first mark wasn’t up to par. it really does help.

    best of luck,

    aska

    Read More
  • admissions,  commerce,  repeating course,  UTM

    who ever knows what university documents are talking about

    January 10, 2014

    Hello, I am a grade 12 student currently in high school and I plan on applying to UTM commerce, but this year my mother was terminally ill and diagnosed with breast cancer which has a impact on my school most importantly Grade 12 Advanced Function and I was wondering if UTM will accept me repeating the course again in night school to get a better mark. Please let me know! I plan on applying during the winter holidays starting December 19th!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    my condolences about your mother. as far as night school goes, UTM will be able to see both of your marks. they definitely won’t refuse to accept the repeated mark, but they “reserve the right to give preference to students whose grades represent their first attempt.” which i know sounds just like…what talk straight, dammit – will you accept me or not?

    that’s where i come in (w00). i have some experience in decoding red-tape talk, and if you translate that sentence from bureaucratic university jargon, it basically means that it might affect the admission decision a little bit, but it definitely won’t decide it. additionally, a repeated course is much better than just leaving a really poor mark on your transcript. so i’d go right ahead and repeat it!

    ALSO, IMPORTANTLY, since you have a legitimate reason for this having occurred, you have the opportunity (which i 100% recommend you go for) to write the university a letter explaining why your mark(s) is/are that way. it’ll make them a lot more disposed to give you special consideration. you can do that by getting in touch with enrolment services: they’ll tell you where and how to send this kind of letter.

    best,

    aska

    Read More
  • failing,  repeating course

    grade: game over. try again?

    November 15, 2013

    Hi, can I retake a course that I fail in? Are there any rules for it? I heard that you can only retake a failed course if your sessional average is over 60%? Is this true? I’m currently taking the course. Thank you.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    there always seem to be rules for everything, don’t there? sheesh. lucky for you, the rules on failing are actually kinda lax. i mean, it could be worse; they only make you swim in the pit of fire for ONE DAY, and i’d say that’s pretty good.

    serious business though: to answer your question, you can certainly retake a failed course. if you failed a course, you won’t have the credit, meaning you can take it again and have another shot at getting the credit. it’s important to realize though, that taking the course again doesn’t magically wipe out the failing mark from the first time you took it. that mark stays on your transcript, and so will your new one. so keep that in mind.

    also, if your sessional average under 60%, you’ll probably be put on academic probation – sucks, i know. fortunately, you still get to take courses and do all the regular school-time jazz when you’ve been put on probation, so yeah, you can take a course that you’ve previously failed just as easily as you can take any other one.

    just try not to fail it again, eh? then they’ll make you spend a whole week in the pit of fire…

    aska

    Read More
  • repeating course

    if at first you don’t succeed, try again — but only once

    August 22, 2013

    hi,

    I have seen a rule in regulation which says”A student may repeat 1.0 full-course equivalent in which he or she has received a passing mark for reasons other than to gain a required mark above passing to qualify for entry into a Subject POSt or a course required for a prerequisite. ” I’m confusing that how many course I can repeat during my university study? For my situation, I have already 2 credits full course already in purpose of required prerequisite. Is that a problem for my graduation which is on December?

    Thanks
    regards

    ———————————————

    Hey hey

    Basically, these are the rules when it comes to taking a course you’ve already taken:

    1. If you failed the course after Attempt 1, you are free to go forth without any trouble on ROSI for Attempt 2.

    2. If you PASSED the course after Attempt 1 but that grade isn’t high enough for what you need for a program, you may retake it (Attempt 2). Attempt 2 will be recorded as EXT and it won’t count towards your 20 credit count for the degree, nor will it count toward your cGPA.

    Note: Attempt 2 is also Attempt The Last.

    3. Finally, there’s the rule that you read: If you did poorly after Attempt 1 and you decide you want to repeat the course for reasons other than “oh, that course is a prereq,” you get 1.0 FCE to fulfil for that unknown purpose. Bottom line is that if you pass a course, you can only retake it once and you best have a legitimate reason.

    Now if you have 2.0 FCEs of repeated courses for prereq purposes… well, there shoudn’t be any problems. All those second attempts were extras so they won’t affect your credit count. Likewise, there’s no limit to the number of courses you can retake after having passed the first time around.

    So you’re fine, simply put.

    Don’t freak out. You’re basically just blurring two different rules together, so nothing to worry about. 🙂

    Cheers!

    aska

    Read More