Hi all
I am a senior at Rowan and I recently received a D + in my precalc course. The precalc is not a core requirement. The only reason I need to take it is because I need it as a prerequisite for physics. It’s not even a requirement for my major. My advisor says I need a “passing grade” I just don’t know if a D+ is a passing grade ??
Thanks !
Email your advisor and ask if you can’t find the info on the website.
According to this https://sites.rowan.edu/registrar/services-resources/grading-system-gpa.html and F is listed as “failure.” So I would interpret a D+ as a passing grade.
possibly dumb question but why are you taking Physics when math is not your strong suit?
You will struggle in Physics if you did poorly in your math class.
Your advisor would be the person to ask this, so I would ask them.
However, even if a D+ technically counts, you may want to examine whether it’d be a good idea to retake anyway so you are better prepared for physics.
I think posters are being a little harsh saying you will struggle in Physics or are suggesting you shouldn’t take the class. How challenging a course is depends a great deal on the professor and how the class is structured. Will it be difficult? Most likely. But impossible? No. If the professor is decent, there are T.A. or study group hours, enough various ways to earn the required points for the class, and you work hard, I’m sure you can do it.
As far as if the D+ counts nobody here can really answer that. We don’t know the rules of your institution. Look in the catalog or ask someone at your school who knows.
Good luck. Don’t let one class stop you from your goals.
According t this guy it’s passing. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aot3MyQJUOY
But, yeah check your adviser.
Math and physics are so inter-related that a student doing poorly in one will probably do poorly in the other unless the reasons for the poor grade are extraneous to math ability.
Calculus is very heavily dependent upon algebra, trigonometry, and precalculus. If you have a D+ in precalculus, you very likely are not ready for calculus.
I know a student who took calculus based physics, and who also took physics without calculus. She says that it is easier with calculus than without. While I only took calculus based physics in university, this makes a lot of sense to me. The two are quite closely intertwined as others have said.
Physics is based upon knowledge you learn in pre-calculus. In most cases, one needs to know the material in pre-calculus to do well in physics. That’s why it’s a prerequisite for the class. Barring unusual circumstances, a D+ in a class indicates that a student doesn’t have great mastery of the material, which is why many colleges will require a retake of a class in which a D+ is earned. I’m not saying OP should consider retaking because they are incapable of performing well in physics; I’m suggesting considering a retake because the OP may not have the knowledge and skills necessary to perform well in physics 2.
I think college students (and entering HS students) share a common fallacy that resources (and especially, a “decent” or “good” professor) and effort are all that’s really necessary to perform well in the class, which probably explains why I had so many students coming to me with their Cs and Ds at the end of the semester exclaiming “But I worked so hard!” It is possible to work very, very hard and still struggle to grasp the material and not do well in the class. It’s even more likely if there is prerequisite material one needs to succeed, but one does not have that prerequisite material. (And students give the quality of the professor’s teaching far too much credit in their performance. Unfortunately, they are also not great at judging the teaching effectiveness of professors, either.)
Physics is applied Math. I would suggest you review pre-calc before you take Physics. Get a book of problems and do them.
I agree with @Empireapple and I would listen to what the professor says in their evaluation of your readiness to move on. Just go and ask if you are ready for Calc. My daughter just went through something similar. She got a D in a very tough math class. At the end, her professor said he wants her in his next level class next semester because she had understood the concepts well. They are waiving the requirement for a C in that class (it’s a prereq). I mean, all you can really do is trust the professor in a case like that. But I would not trust my advisor, just the math department folks.
D grade usually means barely passing, but poorly prepared for courses that list this course as a prerequisite.
At my school, 69 is passing. If you’re failing maybe withdraw and retry next semester. Or if your college has tutoring, go to that.
My son is at Rowan. You should have a sheet of the requirements for your major - it might be in the website. For my son’s major, certain classes (Comp 1) require a C-, but others just require passing (D+ is passing). Rowan also allows you to retake a course and will replace the original grade with a higher one, if that’s an option.