I am going on my third semester in community college. In my first semester, I pretty much have received all A’s except for Calc I, where I gotta D. However, in the second semester I retook this course and gotta A. In the second semester, I took a literature course and got an C, and I only had a couple B’s and A’s that semester. Will receiving that D, despite retaking the course, and the C hurt my chances for transferring into a good school. I am a computer science major btw!
It depends on your target school. If it admits strictly by GPA calculated with grade replacement, then your D -> A would be seen as an A. Obviously, if it admits by GPA without grade replacement, the D will still affect your GPA. But if it admits by subjective or holistic reading, then your D -> A would not look as good as getting an A on the first try. Of course, the C affects your GPA and any subjective or holistic reading.
My target school, by far, is USC