Failing a class in college is obviously bad news, but if this happens to you, then don’t panic.  You are not the first person this has happened to, and you certainly won’t be the last. Failing a class in college is a frequent occurrence and can happen to many people.  Sometimes classes are failed due to factors outside your control, and in other situations, failing a class can actually be a learning experience in itself.  This article takes you through what happens if you fail a class in college and what you can do to recover from this, should it happen to you.

What happens if you fail a class in college?

Failing a class in college is recoverable and can happen to anyone.  It’s important to remember that once you have failed a class, nothing can be done and the best thing to do next is to learn and move on.  Nevertheless, it’s good to be aware of the possible consequences of failing a class in college.

Your GPA will go down 

What is GPA, and what is a good GPA? GPA is considered a basic health check of your academic performance areas as such cannot be ignored.  If you fail a class in college, this will impact your grade-point average (GPA).  Failing a class causes the grade point to ‘zero’ out, which will impact the average of other numerical grades (an A grade is the equivalent of 4 points, B being 3 points, and so on).  GPA is an important aspect of measuring your success at college and can impact scholarships and entry to graduate schools.

You might be put on academic probation 

All colleges have high expectations of their students.  After all, this affects their reputation and the college being seen as an institution where academic performance is of the highest priority.  If you fail a class, you risk being placed on academic probation by the college.  Academic probation means that you are given more time to improve the grade.  Effectively, this gives you an extra chance before you are removed from the course.  If you have failed the class epicurise of mitigating circumstances such as illness, then this will be considered in terms of whether you are placed on probation or not, and if so, for how long.

Your financial aid might be impacted

Some forms of financial aid, student grants, and scholarships have strict conditions attached to them, and some of these relate to failing a class.  If this happens, in some cases the financial aid provider reserves the right to withdraw funding from the student.  Such criteria and decisions are often attached to GPA levels.  In these cases, financial aid is reinstated once the class is passed. Some forms of financial aid require funds to be repaid if a course has been failed.

You might need to retake the class

One of the most important things to keep in mind is that most classes, if failed, can be retaken, sometimes as often as needed until you pass it.  Retakes are not guaranteed; some colleges don’t allow them at all, and others will only let you retake classes a certain number of times.  When you retake a class, colleges will either take the best grade you attain as the official result, whereas others take an average of the grades of your retakes and the fail.  It’s therefore important to undertake your college’s policy on retakes.

You may not be able to graduate

Ultimately, failing a class in college can mean that you will not be allowed to graduate. This can occur if you don’t retake the class you have failed, failed retakes, or if you have been removed from the course altogether.  In such cases, you can apply to graduate the following year, but you will want to look at your college’s graduation requirements so you can arrange retakes as necessary to avoid delays.

What do you do next if you fail a class in college?

Failing a class is not the end of the world, as there are many ways forward and lots of opportunities to recover.  As already mentioned, it’s important to think positive and view what happened as a learning opportunity.  Here are some top tips on how to move forward from failing a class at college.

Don’t panic 

Students fail classes all the time, and there are plenty of examples of famous and successful people who have completely dropped out of college. Begin your recovery by putting a positive slant on things. Don’t freeze with fear or procrastinate; get started on putting a plan in place as soon as you get the result.

Reflect on what happened

As with many aspects of studying and professional life, reflecting on what’s happened is a powerful way to prepare yourself for what needs to happen next.  Ask yourself various questions like, “What could I have done differently to pass this class?” or, “What could have gone better with my preparation for the assignment/exams?”.  The answers to these questions will give you insights into which goals to set going forward.

Schedule retakes

It’s important that you schedule retakes as soon as you can after learning of the news that you failed the class.  Some retakes take a long time to rearrange or, in the case of many people failing the same class, there might be a waiting list to retake certain classes or modules.  Get these diarized as soon as you can, but also ensure that you leave yourself enough time to revise and prepare yourself.

Speak with your tutor 

Schedule time to speak with your tutor and solicit feedback from them.  Your tutor is there to help you and will be supportive.  They will motivate you, be a shoulder to cry on, and provide actionable tips and advice on what you need to do next.  They might also be able to support you with scheduling retakes, or even giving suggestions on whether a change of major is the best approach.

Set goals

Now that you have reflected, sought feedback, and scheduled your retakes, set yourself goals to manage the best way forward. Goals should be SMART – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound.  They should be focused enough for you to navigate a plan on how to pass the retakes and move forward.  Stay true to these goals and set yourself bite sized deadlines along the way to drive that sense of purpose and achievement.

Make use of all resources available

There are plenty of resources available to people who have failed classes at college.  These can be mentors, study groups, textbooks, online support networks, guidance counselors, study coaching, and supplementary classes.  Ensure you tap into these resources and find a support process that works for you.  Factor these resources into your SMART goals.

Consider changing courses or majors

Finally, if you have resat exams and classes and you are still struggling, or simply feel that your course or major isn’t for you, then once again, don’t panic, as there are plenty of people going through the same.  There’s no harm in speaking to your tutor and finding out what alternative study options there can be for you, such as changing majors or focusing on a different course.

Final thoughts

Failing a class in college is not the end of the world.  Be aware of what happens when you fail a class and use this as motivation for how to recover from the situation.  There are plenty of ways to do this, and be sure to tap into your support network and resources to stay focused on academic success.  Many people fail classes in college and completely recover from what happened. Use the experience as good learning, and you will come out of your class failure stronger and better placed to succeed going forward.  Good luck!