Write addendum for an "F" I got in community college? Didnt know better...

[TheNewGuy]

I went to a community college for two years, then transfered to a pretty good university in california. While in community college, I was taking an english course that was really kicking my ass. I worked my ass off, talked to the professor, got tutoring, but he still gave me D/C-'s on all my papers. I figured that there was no way I could do better than a C in the class, which was not acceptable considering the hit my gpa would take. I talked to an academic counselor at my community college, and he recommended that I not drop the class because a "W" looked horrible to admissions committes. He suggested that it would be far better to take the low grade, and re-take the class because the community college and all california universities (publics) would take the second grade. I thought "great...I'll just stop showing up to class, take the F and retake the course next semester". Well, I retook the class, got an "A", made it into my dream school etc etc....but now I have an F on my transcript that is going to drag my LSDAS gpa down for law school. Should I make an addendum?

p.s. While in community college, I also got a C in a math course that I probably shouldn't have been taking (I am a history major), should I mention that in an addendum? Or will they be able to figure out that it wasn't really a necessary class for my major, and that it wasn't necessarily the best example of what I can accomplish academically.

I realize that everyone has grades they wish they could erase, but I was just wondering if I have a case here...

[JiggityJig]

Yeah, I would do a quick addendum on that F, though maybe not on the math (they can see that you're a history major, and they can see the course level and title on the class). 

For the English, you certainly have a case because you retook it and got an A, so obviously you got your act together.  I would maybe consider not even worrying about the guidance counselor, etc., since they may think it sounds like spreading the blame around -- just state that you weren't in shape for the class at that time, you worked hard, you knew by the second half of the class that you were going to repeat it, and you got an A when you did.  I think the adcoms know that most colleges will overlook original grades for classes you repeat, and they know not everyone is considering law school apps from the first day of their freshman year.

[Burning Sands, Esq.]

happens to the best of us, just do what jiggy said