Freshman Forgiveness.

The flashy alliterative meaning “second chance” flies easily off the tongues of students. The catchy phrase stands for a simple solution for various problems.

Megan Evans, freshman athletic training major, plans to use Freshman Forgiveness, which is formally known as Recalculation of First-Year Grade Point Average, to take away an F she received in Seven Ideas that Shook the Universe. She said she took the LER because everyone said it was easy, but she soon found the physics class to be of no interest to her.

“I went to class for the first half of the semester until I got bored and stopped going because I didn’t like it,” Evans said.

With poor midterm grades, Evans felt there was no going back. There are only three tests given in the class, and she said it is hard to make up a failing grade from the beginning.

“It was really pointless to try anymore,” Evans said.

That is when she decided to take a second shot at the class this spring.

Recalculation of First-Year Grade Point Average allows students to retake any class during their first 30 attempted hours at Kent State.

“There is no limit to the number of courses you can have forgiven. Just as long as the grade is a C minus or below,” Undergraduate Studies adviser Johanna Pionke said.

Therefore, it’s possible to forgive an entire semester of one’s freshman year, and some students do, Pionke said. Athletic eligibility and financial aid can be jeopardized if the failing grade causes a student to fall into academic probation. If the university forgives an entire semester, that still puts a student at freshman standing for next fall.

Evans said she is taking the opportunity of Freshman Forgiveness seriously.

“Now, I figure I have sat through most of the things and have double the amount of notes,” Evans said. “I know it’s not easy and I’m not going to get another chance after this. If you look back on it, I came in not knowing what to expect and I feel grateful for a second chance.”

Contact general assignment reporter Janet N. Aronica at [email protected].