Withdraw or Fail?

should i fail my class, and retake it: the new grade would replace the D/F in my GPA or should i get a W on my transcript and retake next semester. I am in chemistry and my teacher is known for being awful. i do not think i will pass. help me out. i really want to go to med school what is best for me?

Will withdrawing make you a part time student because of credits? If you become part time you may need to give back part of your financial aid package. Make sure you look at that before deciding.

i am currently taking 15 hours, if i got rid of this class i would be taking 12. so i believe id be good

I agree with @BuckeyeMWDSG that you need to be aware of what either choice will do with regard to financial aid. In some cases students take 15 credits, need 12 to maintain financial aid, but also need to maintain a particular GPA to keep their scholarships. Thus it could go either way. Also I will assume that you are an American at an American school, but if not it could affect visa status.

Assuming that neither are problems, I would take the W and retake the class if it is needed from a different professor. One advantage of dropping the class is that it will be a huge relief in terms of stress and work load, which in turn will help you do well in your remaining classes.

Although not great, one W on your transcript would probably not be fatal to your med school chances. A D or F would necessitate a retake and then both first and second attempt grades would be used in med school GPAs calculations. I’d probably take the W unless it endangered financial aid.