Alright, so I'm in second year comp sci, I'm gonna fail one of my courses this year, and talked it out with an academic adviser. Its not a prerequisite for anything and she told me that I would still have the CA needed to make it to next year and that I just had to repeat the course over the summer. Now the course I need to retake isn't offered here so I have to take an equivalent course somewhere else. The only equivalent course is offered online by Athabasca University. Went home to see the process of registering and it seems the course is set to take 6 months, so I'll still be taking it a few months into third year. Thinking about it more, I also realized that my internet connection is unreliable at best,
and the idea of an online course doesn't seem very comfortable to me, doesn't seem much more then being told to learn on your own, and it seems quite a bit of time will be spent waiting for information to be processed.

So, in all honesty I'd like to avoid doing this online course over the summer if possible. Am I able to retake a failed course from second year, during third year along with my third year courses? My CA is roughly gonna be 5 and according to

http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...12/pg1364.html

you need a CA of 7 to apply for overloading, but are there exceptions for retaking failed courses?

Originally Posted by Rigoroso

Alright, so I'm in second year comp sci, I'm gonna fail one of my courses this year, and talked it out with an academic adviser. Its not a prerequisite for anything and she told me that I would still have the CA needed to make it to next year and that I just had to repeat the course over the summer. Now the course I need to retake isn't offered here so I have to take an equivalent course somewhere else. The only equivalent course is offered online by Athabasca University. Went home to see the process of registering and it seems the course is set to take 6 months, so I'll still be taking it a few months into third year. Thinking about it more, I also realized that my internet connection is unreliable at best,
and the idea of an online course doesn't seem very comfortable to me, doesn't seem much more then being told to learn on your own, and it seems quite a bit of time will be spent waiting for information to be processed.

So, in all honesty I'd like to avoid doing this online course over the summer if possible. Am I able to retake a failed course from second year, during third year along with my third year courses? My CA is roughly gonna be 5 and according to

http://registrar.mcmaster.ca /calen...12/pg1364.html

you need a CA of 7 to apply for overloading, but are there exceptions for retaking failed courses?

That's a question only an academic advisor can answer for sure. However, the reason you need a minimum CA to overload is because they want to make sure you can handle it academically. If you failed the course once without overloading, what makes you think you'll be able to do fine in it while overloading? If you have any electives you can make this course your "elective", or take a random elective over the summer to make up for the credits. You can do the same if any of your other required 3rd year courses are offered over the summer.

Athabasca courses don't usually require that much "online" stuff...in my experience, they send you the textbook, you teach yourself, you have a tutor you can call on the phone or email. Tests are arranged at a specified testing centre, and if you have assignments I believe you email those in. Also, you don't have to finish it in 6 months, that's more of a recommended maximum. You could do it in 4 if you wanted. It's a work-at-your-own-pace, teach yourself kind of thing.

I see, thanks. By the way, any engineering students know if Sally Williams is still answering emails? I sent her one regarding this issue a few weeks ago and ended up having to go to the office myself, I commute from Mississauga so I'd rather not have to travel a few hours if an email will suffice.