Receiving a failing grade ("F") on a transcript will cause a noticeable, immediate drop in a 3.5 cumulative GPA, because the failing course earns zero grade points while still adding credit hours to the overall denominator. The exact severity of the drop depends on the total number of cumulative credits a student has earned previously; a single F early in a freshman year will drag the GPA down much more drastically than the same F incurred during a senior year when a massive pool of prior credits has already been established.