[Ren]

I once missed an exam because of a flat tire on my way there (true story), but after I talked to the associate dean and explained my story he allowed me to write the deferred exam. I would contact your prof and the associate dean of your department ASAP and just have a chat, the very worst they can tell you is no. But be prompt about it and most importantly don't let it happen again. Also, don't lie to them and make up some phony excuse with a doctor's note. As much as you'd like to think these guys don't follow up and do their homework, they do, they will find out if you're lying, and you will only dig yourself into a deeper hole by getting caught for academic misconduct.

I also got an F, a C-, and a D in a semester, got put on academic warning, and dropped out because I just couldn't handle the stress. Had a minor life crisis because of it. But I came back a year later, re-took the courses, and through a lot of hard work I got passing grades. The old grades don't get 'erased' but anyone looking at your transcript will be able to see that you re-took the courses and made the effort to improve instead of hanging your head and giving up. And while an F on your record never looks good, the life experience you gain from re-taking the course and resolving yourself to getting a better mark counts for quite a bit when applying to certain grad schools, including the UofC. The actual effect of the F on your GPA won't be that harsh once you've completed 40+ courses.

The bottom line is, people make mistakes. A bad grade or two is not the end of the world, what really matters is how you rebound from it and learn from the experience.