Got a C- (63-66%) In a MATH class. Should I retake it?

[Assassin7998]

I'm in a physics program going onto my final year of study. My cGPA is currently 4.01 (on a 4.3 scale) however during my second year, I took an upper year math class on Graph Theory and performed very poorly in it, I got a C- (roughly 63-66%). I'm hoping to apply to graduate schools come next term and I was wondering if it would be 'worth my wild' to retake the class.

Any input would be appreciated, thanks.

 

[Digcoal]

I'm in a physics program going onto my final year of study. My cGPA is currently 4.01 (on a 4.3 scale) however during my second year, I took an upper year math class on Graph Theory and performed very poorly in it, I got a C- (roughly 63-66%). I'm hoping to apply to graduate schools come next term and I was wondering if it would be 'worth my wild' to retake the class.

Any input would be appreciated, thanks.

It depends on your goals. If you plan on making yourself more marketable to other people, certification is important. If you plan on creating marketable solutions, knowledge, understanding, and passion is more important than certification. Are you going to retake Graph Theory to become more marketable or achieve better understanding?

The latter choice does not require a retaking of the class. Knowledge and information is relatively cheap. Tuition is expensive because it is a reflection of certification's value to society.

 

[Assassin7998]

Are you going to retake Graph Theory to become more marketable or achieve better understanding?

Thanks for your reply.

I would like to gain a better understanding of the subject however my main reason for wanting to retake the class is to become more marketable I suppose. And as you said, I don't need to retake the class to better my understanding.

If this was a first-year or a sophomore class I wouldn't be overly concerned about it since I did fairly well in my upper-year classes (other than this one obviously). However, the class was a senior class so I'm a little bit worried about how it's going to look when applying to graduate schools.

This concern is probably ill-founded however I guess I'm here to get a second opinion on the matter.

 

[Digcoal]

Thanks for your reply.

I would like to gain a better understanding of the subject however my main reason for wanting to retake the class is to become more marketable I suppose. And as you said, I don't need to retake the class to better my understanding.

If this was a first-year or a sophomore class I wouldn't be overly concerned about it since I did fairly well in my upper-year classes (other than this one obviously). However, the class was a senior class so I'm a little bit worried about how it's going to look when applying to graduate schools.

This concern is probably ill-founded however I guess I'm here to get a second opinion on the matter.

"This concern is probably ill-founded..."

My comment is vague on purpose. I am not here to convince you of either choice. I only aim to give you a broader perspective from which to make the wisest choice for yourself. There aren't enough hours in the day or synaptic connections in my mind to gain a full appreciation of your situation. However, I have lived mindfully enough to see most people lose sight of various aspects of their own life.

Some focus too far on the future which makes them lose sight of the steps they take to get there, and they stumble. Some focus too much on the steps before them and lose sight of the direction they are going. Some focus too much on a single goal which prevents them from noticing other opportunities. Life is too complicated for a stranger to give you "the best solution," but a stranger can definitely give you a different perspective.

All through history, mankind has evolved because of an important concept: changing perspectives. Bifocal vision is dependent upon the DIFFERENCE between two perspectives. Problem solving is dependent upon the DIFFERENCE between two perspectives. A problem is nothing more than the difference between an initial state and a final state, and a solution is nothing more than the path between those two states.

"...however I guess I'm here to get a second opinion on the matter."

The rest of your comment shows much wisdom. People who focus on "education" do not understand the difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is merely the accumulation of information. Wisdom is the understanding of how that information relates to other information or how that information relates to a problem. Knowing how to split an atom is not the same as understanding whether to use that knowledge to create constructive or destructive energy.

Remember, never fear failure. Fear never learning from your failure. If you learn that, you will seek to fail often and fast because your failures will accelerate your evolution. What is more important: learning what to do or what not to do? In bygone days, learning that a berry is poisonous is a mistake you can only make once. This makes it the most important lesson to learn. Best to learn it from the greedy caveman down the block who keeps taking all your food, aye? So even greedy people serve a purpose. lol

"Knowledge is Power.
Wisdom is the Hand that wields it.
Passion is the Force that drives it."

 

[Digcoal]

It depends on your goals. If you plan on making yourself more marketable to other people, certification is important. If you plan on creating marketable solutions, knowledge, understanding, and passion is more important than certification. Are you going to retake Graph Theory to become more marketable or achieve better understanding?

The latter choice does not require a retaking of the class. Knowledge and information is relatively cheap. Tuition is expensive because it is a reflection of certification's value to society.

If you are interested in where my perspective comes from...

My whole life I have wanted "things" that I could not immediately have. I'm sure many can relate. Luckily, I learned to value something more valuable than "things": ideas. You see, you are never guaranteed to have anything in the material world, but ideas are practically free if you know where to look. Moreover, once you get them, they are yours for as long as you work to keep them. People cannot take your ideas away from you short of...well, you know.

This is how things like "education" become so expensive. We have applied an artificial value system to knowledge and understanding called "certification." If one person learns the exact same thing in eight years that another learned in Harvard in four years, what does it matter where that knowledge came from? If you bifurcate "education" from certification, I guarantee you that tuition will take a nose-dive. To crash the cost even further, take away government subsidization.

If you had a third party certification process that only tested applicants based on their knowledge and understanding then the internet scholar and Harvard scholar who score the exact same would be equally marketable to society. How long could Harvard survive if a majority of society can get the same certification for a fraction of the cost in twice the time? After all, what makes you valuable: what you know and understand, or a piece of paper?