What To Do If You Fail A Class In College

There is no doubt that the letter itself is daunting – the kind of thing you have been taught to avoid for your entire life. But if you find yourself staring at an F on your college transcript, don’t panic yet. Here’s what to know if you fail a class in college. 

On a journey of over 100 credits needed to complete your college education, the class you failed most likely consisted of only 3-4 credits, and all is certainly not lost. Failing a college class, however, should serve as a warning, and will likely be a pivotal turning point in your education.

If you play your cards right, there are several ways that you can turn an F into a fundamental building block for your future, and still move forward in the direction of your dreams. 

Stay Positive

An F on a transcript, while daunting, does not mean that you have failed out of school. Additionally, you yourself are not a failure. There are many reasons why you might have failed a class, and only you know the true reason, but there are definitely ways for you to move on in a positive direction even if you fail a class.

This is no time to throw your hands in the air, plop yourself down in front of Netflix, and give up. In order to move forward in the direction of your dreams, you have to keep on moving. 

One F in a class is certainly not your undoing, as college success has many tightly-woven predictors. According to the National Postsecondary Education Cooperative, “Of the 45 percent of students who start college and fail to complete their degree, less than one quarter are dismissed for poor academic performance. Most leave for other reasons.”

Do not be intimidated by the poor grade: where there is a will there’s a way (and hopefully an A!)

Are You Worried About Getting Kicked Out Of College?

One of the biggest worries people who fail a class have is that they will be kicked out of college. It takes a lot more than one failing class to have that happen.

First, most colleges have an “Academic Probation” policy that happens before anyone is expelled or disqualified from attending. Typically, if your GPA slips below 2.0, you go on Academic Probation the next quarter or semester. Depending on the college, you typically have one or two quarters/semesters to improve your GPA back above 2.0 to get back to good standing.

If you continue to stay below 2.0 after 2 more semesters or quarters, you will be subject to dismissal. But this should give you hope! Depending on your other grades, failing just one class may not even put you on academic probation! 

Talk To Your Academic Advisor

No matter where you go to college, there is an entire team of people that is dedicated to your success. If you have failed a class, first talk to your advisor to find out what your next steps should be. They will likely check your degree audit first, to determine whether you need the class for graduation, or whether you could replace it with another course.

Your advisor is an excellent resource to get you back on track. They have all the resources of the school at their fingertips and can help you plan your next steps.

Having relationships with faculty members is invaluable. According to the Institute for Higher Education Policy, “Undergraduates who receive out-of-class mentoring from faculty demonstrated increased academic achievement, while mentored first year students are significantly more likely to return to college for a second year.” 

Take The Class Again

As the old saying goes, when you fall off a horse it is important to get right back on. If the class you failed is required for your major, then take it again as soon as possible so that you can get it done while it’s fresh in your mind.

Failing a class will affect your GPA, and potentially your eligibility for scholarships or financial aid, so replacing the lost credit quickly is in your best interest. If it is possible, take the class from a new professor, so you have the chance to start fresh with no stigma attached from your previous poor performance. 

Think About Your Major

When something as jarring as failing a class occurs, it is a good time to take stock of your current situation. Sometimes, failing a class is just a fluke, and you can quickly recover.

But if you are finding yourself getting in over your head and barely passing other classes in your major, then it might be time to reconsider. Failing the occasional class is not the end of the world, but if this situation keeps repeating itself, you might be studying the wrong major or be studying in the wrong way. 

This is a good time to take stock of your major to decide if you want to continue on this path, and make sure you are academically and emotionally able to do so. And understand that passion and interest goes a long way in your success.

The Journal of Happiness Studies reports, “Harmonious passion (HP), defined as a motivational force that leads individuals to willfully engage in the activity, is said to be under individuals’ control and in harmony with other aspects of their lives. Hence, while the object of passion takes a central place in one’s life, it is not excessive, and the passionate activity leads to an engagement that is active, flexible, and adaptive.”

In other words, you will be more engaged, successful, and balanced if you are studying something that you love. 

Start Sitting Up Front

If you have failed a class, this is also a good time to learn from your mistakes and move forward more productively. Speaking of moving forward, the idea of sitting in the front of your college classroom might be intimidating at first, especially if you failed the class once already, but this is a great way to become more engaged in your own process of learning.

When you are closer to the action, you tend to pay more attention to the professor, you can pick up on the nuances of what he or she is teaching, and you will be held more accountable. Just by choosing your seat carefully in the classroom, you can experience more success. The important thing is that you are engaged in the class. 

Ask For Help

There are many ways to get help if you start to feel overwhelmed in your college classes, so you don’t have to experience failing a college class again.

Most professors are very accommodating, and have posted office hours where you can go directly to them for help. Many classes also have teaching assistances (TAs) that will also provide office hours or extra group help sessions.

Most colleges also offer tutoring centers, where other students will assist you in your understanding of difficult concepts.

Finally, engage a buddy in the class to study with you. If the other person has experienced the lectures just like you have, then they would be a great resource for understanding any concepts that might be difficult for you to understand. 

Time Management

One common issue for those that have failed a class is that you probably struggle with time management issues. 

This is a good time to learn from your mistakes and learn how to budget your time. Most failures occur because students just don’t spend enough time studying the concepts or they don’t use their study time to the best advantage. It is better to study for small amounts of time each day rather than to cram it all in at once. This will not only allow you to retain the material more easily, but also reduce your stress at the last minute.

The Sage Journal explains, “A number of studies have identified the positive impact of time management. Time management skills have been shown to have a positive impact on student learning and student outcomes.”

Although you might be upset if you fail a class, in the long run it is a small part of your entire college education picture. If you are paying attention, you can also use the failure to spur you on to future success by buckling down on better study habits, instituting some better time management techniques, and building better relationships with your advisor, professors, and tutoring staff.

By following these tips, success is definitely within your reach, and the F will soon be a distant memory in the rearview mirror.