How can my son improve his College Grade Point Average?

Question

My 19 year old son is at the Community college. He started as the top middle-ranked student in High School. 250 out of 500 students. His college grades are getting better and better. His gpa started out at 2.67. This semester it is up to 3.12.
The college he wants to transfer to wants him to have at least a 3.6.

Should he retake the Biology class he got a "D" in, or should he just try and get more A's?

I've never seen him study so hard in all his life. He is suddenly motivated to transfer to a top school and improve his gpa and I'd love to see him do it.

Any suggestions??? Give up his aspirations.....or keep taking Community College classes until the high gpa is achieved??

Answer 1

Yes, I would definitely retake the Biology. Biology is a part of the core requirement, and with the grade of "D" the admissions boards of most colleges would scrutinize this fact, even in spite of age factors.

Second, make sure that he successfully completes at least two years of Spanish. Spanish is becoming a very important language in business and education in the next 30-40 years. Schools are beginning to realize this fact.

As for the study habits, an ounce of praise is worth more than gold. Part of the college experience is for one to understand one's own self. College helps students grow intellectually, spiritually, emotionally, and students eventually (hopefully) learn to deal with problems on their own. At 19 years, he is already on the right track. Now it is extremely important that he completes his transfer degree before moving on to the four-year institution. As for the G.P.A., he could take a few classes (not too many, though!) that appeal to his personal interests, such as guitar or self-defense; more than likely, this would give his G.P.A. a needed boost. After all, college doesn't have to be serious all of the time! And with a few of these classes mixed in with his other core classes, he will feel a bit more at ease. This will give him more opportunities to spend time studying the more important fields, such as math, science, foreign languages,ect.

Community colleges are a great place to learn. In many regards, the courses offered at community colleges are just as challenging as those offered at four-year institutions, at a mere fraction of the price. I began my college life as a community college student, and doing so gave me the courage to suceed, and propelled me upward into a very expensive private four-year college. The differences in the lifestyles of four-year colleges and community colleges are very marked; however, once one adjusts to these differences, then it becomes much easier.

Today's young people cannot afford to quit college. In ten years, not having a college degree will be akin to not having a high school diploma in today's world.

Answer 2

Yes, retake that biology class... it won't look good on his transcript. He should stay at the community college until he finishes his lower-division requirements, then transfer to a good college for upper division courses that are related to his major. One of my friends took classes at a community college for 2 years, doing his lower-division work, and just transferred to UCLA as an East Asian Studies major. The only way for your son to improve his GPA is if he works hard and studies diligently for those exams. It's up to him.

Answer 3

He should retake it.
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