Straighterline - What to do about a fail?

[Cheeseburrito]

I got 64% overall in Philosophy. I've always found this content very difficult, and admittedly, I have been unsuccessful in another community college level PHIL class. I can't store the information I read because it is, outside of Romanian basket weaving, the most dreadful topic I can imagine.

That said - is there anyway to salvage a 70 on the course? Can a final be re-taken? I got 30% on the final, which is out of 500 points. I needed a 44% I believe to pass. I've already gotten 100% on the first quiz.

Thanks for any help you can provide. It'd be a shame to waste the $59 and all of the time I spent on it.

[eriehiker]

I would copy/paste all of the tests and use it as a study/search bank to take the class again. You are so close that this question bank will probably put you over the top next time. Be sure to copy/paste before sl resets the class.

[dfrecore]

Do you actually need that course, or can you substitute something else? I too would find that course dreadful!

[Cheeseburrito]

Do you actually need that course, or can you substitute something else? I too would find that course dreadful!

I have a boatload of options. I can replace it with any gen Ed which is what my wife suggested. She giggled when I told her I failed, she knows how much I struggle with it.

I don't like failing and I'm ridiculously stubborn.

It's probably best to let it go.

[allvia]

SL sometimes offers free Retake codes, you may want to reach out to them.  If its a free retake then it might be worth the time to try again, but if not free then I would agree that there are too many other Gen Ed options to worry about this one course.  On the bright side it has no negative impact on your GPA

Here is the SL page on failing a course:  https://www.straighterline.com/blog/advi...r-options/

[allvia]

I want to add that many of the SL courses let you re-take at least the first exam. Depending on how you did on that (& any others they may allow you to retake) you may be able to boost your overall to the 70%.

[cookderosa]

Philosophy is, I believe, the only SL course where you mathematically can't pass the course without passing the final. As suggested, you could for sure go in and print off your prior exams - they are open book *technically* so by having your notes with you as you retake should help. Assuming the test bank doesn't change much other than shuffling, you should be able to catch a lot of duplicates. Also, these duplicates will also be on the final. I think you could get all these printed off and on hand - you'd have zillions of questions to help you through.

If you can get a coupon for a retake, that would be my strategy because you already have access to the questions. If you can't, then DUMP THIS CLASS and move onto one of the many that have a final worth only 20-30% of your grade.

The last time I made a list was over a year ago, but here it is- I think it's mostly still accurate, but double check before you dive in. I generally hate to link you to content, so I copied/pasted, however it's pretty scrambled- so here is my table: https://homeschoolingforcollegecredit.co...t-to-take/


STRAIGHTERLINE COURSE CONTENT SUMMARY PRE-PROCTOR PROCTORED EVENT
Accounting 1 4 exams @ 150 / midterm 200 800 Final exam 200
Accounting 2 4 exams @ 150 / midterm 200 800 Final exam 200
American Government 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200 700 Final exam 300
Anatomy & Physiology 1 16 exams @ 40 / midterm 160 800 Final exam 200
Anatomy & Physiology 1 Lab 9 exams @ 42 *lowest score dropped
9 written lab reports @ 83 *lowest score dropped

1000 -0-
Anatomy & Physiology 2 13 exams @ 50 / midterm 150 800 Final exam 200
Anatomy & Physiology 2 Lab 9 exams @ 42 *lowest score dropped
9 written lab reports @ 83 *lowest score dropped

1000 -0-
Biology 13 exams totaling 700 700 Final exam 300
Biology Lab 8 exams @35 / 1 homework @ 40
8 written lab reports @ 85

1000 -0-
Business Communication 14 exams @ 25 / midterm 150
3 written papers @ 100

800 Final exam 200
Business Ethics 4 exams @ 175 700 Final exam 300
Business Law 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
Business Statistics 6 exams @ 125 750 Final exam 250
Calculus 1 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 150 650 Final exam 350
Calculus 2 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 150 650 Final exam 350
Chemistry 6 exams @115 690 Final exam 310
Chemistry Lab 8 exams @35 / 1 homework @ 40
8 written lab reports @ 85

1000 -0-
College Algebra 4 exams @ 125 500 Final exam 500
Criminal Justice 12 exams @ 50 / midterm 200 800 Final exam 200
Cultural Anthropology 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
English Composition 1* 15 exams totaling 610
9 written assignments totaling 400

1010 -0-
English Composition 2 17 exams totaling 510
8 written assignments totaling 500

1010 -0-
Environmental Science 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
Financial Accounting 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
First Aid 4 exams @100 / midterm 200
1 demonstration 100 / CPR verification 100

800 Final exam 200
Introductory Algebra 7 exams @ 100 700 Final exam 300
Introduction to Business 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
Introduction to Communication 4 exams @ 100 / midterm 100
3 speeches totaling 300

800 Final exam 200
Introduction to Nutrition 15 exams @ 40 / midterm 150 750 Final exam 250
Introduction to Philosophy 4 exams @ 75 / midterm 200 500 Final exam 500
Introduction to Programming C++ 4 exams @ 50 / midterm 200
8 Program assignments @ 25

600 Final exam 400
Introduction to Religion 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200 700 Final exam 300
Introduction to Statistics 5 exams totaling 500 points 500 Final exam 500
IT Fundamentals 19 exams totaling 700 points 700 Final exam 300
Macroeconomics* 19 exams @ 40 / midterm 120 880 Final exam 120
Managerial Accounting 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200 700 Final exam 300
Medical Terminology 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200 700 Final exam 300
Microbiology 6 exams @ 100 / midterm 200 800 Final exam 200
Microbiology Lab 8 exams @ 48 *lowest score dropped
8 written lab reports @ 95 *lowest score dropped

1001 -0-
Microeconomics* 24 Exams @ 30 / midterm 140 860 Final exam 140
Organizational Behavior 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
Personal Finance 14 exams @ 50 / midterm 100 800 Final exam 200
Personal Fitness 10 Exams @ 70
Fitness test/Caloric Inventory/5K race @ 0

700 Final exam 300
Pharmacology 1 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
Pharmacology 2 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250
Physics 4 exams @ 150/ midterm 200 800 Final exam 200
Physics Lab 9 exams @ 42 *lowest score dropped
9 written lab reports @ 83 *lowest score dropped

1000 -0-
Pre-Calculus 4 exams @ 175 700 Final exam 300
Principles of Management 4 exams @ 150 / midterm 200 800 Final exam 200
Psychology* 4 exams @ 175 700 Final exam 300
Sociology 10 exams @ 50 / midterm 150
5 discussion assignments @ 20

750 Final exam 250
Spanish 1 4 exams @ 75 / 2 written assignments @ 75
2 oral assignments @ 75 / midterm 150

750 Final exam 250
Spanish 2 4 exams @ 75 / 2 written assignments @ 75
2 oral assignments @ 75 / midterm 150

750 Final exam 250
Survey of World History 18 exams totaling 700 points 700 Final exam 300
United States History 1 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200 700 Final exam 300
United States History 2 4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250 750 Final exam 250

[Excellente]

I copied questions and answers of another SL course into a doc. so that I could use it for retakes. That was for Financial Accounting (I retook Fin. Accounting once and my son took it once) . Maybe one or two questions were repeated; they must have a large question bank. I suppose it would be the same for other classes? If you cannot make the retake #1 exam for a higher grade, then I would choose another course.

[cookderosa]

I copied questions and answers of another SL course into a doc. so that I could use it for retakes. That was for Financial Accounting (I retook Fin. Accounting once and my son took it once) . Maybe one or two questions were repeated; they must have a large question bank. I suppose it would be the same for other classes? If you cannot make the retake #1 exam for a higher grade, then I would choose another course.

My son is doing Managerial Accounting now and just finished Business Statistics- I want to say that I think SL has expanded their question bank considerably.

My son failed Business Statistics THREE times. Literally, three times (passed on the 4th attempt). The first time was all him, but for his second time, I helped him by printing off his tests so he could use them to study from for his final. They allow only 1 hand-written sheet (front side) of notes for the final, but it's something. Anyway, he didn't pass the second time. As he went into the class for #3, he had all the printed tests I made him from #2. EVEN WITH those, he still didn't get but a few duplicate questions. Still, we printed them off. Anyway, by the time he went into the class for the 4th time, despite having a huge pile of his previous tests, it was VERY close. I think he pulled off a 72.
Currently, he is in Managerial Accounting. My husband took this course for his MBA recently, so we have a physical textbook in addition to SL content. He takes his final Monday, but I told him to BE SURE he had a perfect score (or close to it ) on his test #1 (that's the one you can retake as often as you want) and he has printed off every test #1 (I think he's done it 5-6 times) and still very few duplicates. I honestly don't know if he's going to pass MA this time- it will be close too.
For him, these mathy-business classes are VERY hard for him (he also took pre-algebra 3 times in high school and never did take algebra 1), but at least we're not dropping hundreds of dollars at my CC or worse yet $1500/attempt at COSC.
In short, the retakes you pay for, but don't expect the question banks to be small enough to push you through.