Retaking class with same professor (SMART)?

Is it smart to retake a class with the same professor?

If a student has to retake a class with the same professor, it might be a smart decision because the professor will likely teach the same material and use the same or similar exams. However, if the reason you failed is because of the difficulty of the professor, you may want to avoid taking the same class with them again.

As a former professor with years of experience, I saw lots of students drop or fail my courses, and they retook the same class with me and passed.

Sometimes it took them two or three tries but eventually they did it.

I learned that most students don’t fail classes because of professors but because they missed too many classes or they just didn’t try. So, just because you failed the class or did bad doesn’t mean that you will again, even with the same professor.

You need to think about why you failed.

• Did you fail because your professor was hard or just bad?

• Did you fail because you just weren’t motivated to attend?

• Did you fail because your professor was unfair?

• Did you fail because of personal issues?

If you find that you are the real reason you failed the first time, don’t be afraid to take the same class with the same professor again. It will probably have more benefits than you recognize right now.

Think about it for a second. You likely have notes from the class and you are familiar with the professor’s teaching style. You even have an advantage because you know how they grade and what their expectations are.

Most professors don’t change a lot about their course each semester so it will probably all be the same.

This can really benefit you.

If you take the class with a new professor, you won’t know what to expect and their teaching style could be totally different.

But that might be a good thing if you didn’t like your old professor to begin with.

However, if you really despise the professor, you might think about other options. But make sure the other professors are better options than your last professor.

You might end up taking a harder or more difficult professor and end up failing again.

You may not even have another professor to take for the class.

Your last professor may be the only professor that teaches the course and you might not be able to get around it.

Is it embarrassing to retake a class with the same professor

It is not embarrassing to retake a class with the same professor because your professor has probably forgotten that you were even in their class before. Professors won’t judge you if you take their class twice. If your professor does recognize you, they’ll probably think you have a lot of determination to retake the course.

When I was a professor, I had dozens of students who failed my class and retook it with me again. And honestly, I never really thought much about it.

It was actually really hard to notice that a student was retaking my course because I taught lots of courses and had hundreds of students each term. I couldn’t remember who took what class anyway.

I only recognized a student when they brought it up to me that they were retaking my class. Otherwise I don’t think I would have paid much attention.

Now, if the class sizes are really small, like 15 people, they might remember you.

If the class sizes are large or your professor teaches hundreds of students each semester, they are going to have a really hard time remembering that you took their class before.

So, don’t be worried about retaking the class with the same professor AND definitely don’t worry about what your professor might think. They won’t care.

How to face your professor when you have to retake their course?

If you don’t want to be embarrassed and are worried about facing your professor when you have to retake their course, you should talk to them before the semester starts and explain the situation. Tell them why you failed their course, and why you are taking it again.

Your professor will think it is pretty admirable that you are confident enough to speak with them.

And it can definitely help them understand that you are serious about the class this time.

It might even help you out later. If your professor knows you are taking the class twice and they see that you’re struggling again, they might offer some support earlier on.

You never know when it might benefit you.

As a former professor, if I had a student who approached me about having to retake my class, I would be humbled that they were going to take it with me again. And I would try and spot any trouble they were having as soon as possible so that I could address it.

When you talk to your professor, I would let them know how much you care about the class and tell them that you will put more effort into it this term.

They will like the fact that you are taking responsibility and that you are dedicated to your education.

Once you talk to them, before class starts or at the beginning of the term, you can get rid of any awkwardness that might happen later.

What to do if you have to retake a class with the same professor?

If you have to retake a class with the same professor, you should immediately go and talk to them BEFORE you register for their course. Explain to them that you are thinking about retaking their class and get their advice. They can tell you if they think it’s a good idea and can better understand your circumstances.

As a former professor, I recommend students talk to their professor BEFORE retaking their class.

While it’s not required, it can definitely help you feel out the situation.

Maybe your professor is very positive about you taking their class again, and is more prepared to help you.

Or your professor might give you some advice to succeed in the course a second time. You never know how it might help you out.

If you don’t want to do this, I recommend that you talk with your professor before or as soon as you register.

Just let them know what happened the previous term and tell them you are dedicated to their class and will do better this time.

PRO TIP: If you are going to be submitting the same assignments, you need to ask your professor if you can use the same assignments that you submitted when you were previously enrolled.

It would be really awesome if your professor let you use the same submissions as your last semester, but with some revisions. Obviously you want to do better this term so you would want to update the old assignments.

But some professors won’t allow you to submit the same assignments and you will have to start from scratch.

You still had practice the first time you took the class so you’ll likely do better. And you know what they expected because of how they graded.

Should I take the same professor when I retake a course for a better grade?

You should take the same professor for a course when you are trying to earn a better grade ONLY if you were the reason you didn’t perform as well as you’d expected. It would also benefit you to take the same professor again because the courses rarely change each semester and you will know what to expect next time.

Think of the first time you took the course as a practice run.

The second time you take it, you’ll probably do better than the first time because you know exactly what to expect.

• You already have all the notes.

• You already took the tests.

• You already know the professor.

It’s really a no brainer that you should take the same professor when you are simply retaking the course for a better grade.

You have the upper hand because you already know what to expect.

Now, if you felt like you couldn’t do any better in the course the second time because the professor was just that difficult, you might consider another professor.

You will need to use your best judgement.

And if you don’t think that you want to take the course with the same professor again, READ this article next about retaking a class again.

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