Should I retake topology to improve my grad school prospects?

  • Thread starter Thread starter JonnyG
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Retake Topology
AI Thread Summary
Returning to school after a break, the individual reflects on their previous experience with point-set topology, where they earned a low grade of 53 due to lack of motivation. They express a desire to retake the course to improve their transcript for graduate school applications. However, the discussion highlights that retaking the course may not be necessary, as the new grade would replace the old one, and transcripts indicate course dates, showing the progression of academic performance. It is suggested that demonstrating success in more advanced courses may outweigh the impact of the previous low grade. Seeking advice from professors and focusing on new courses aligned with their interests in pure mathematics is recommended as a more beneficial approach.
JonnyG
Messages
233
Reaction score
45
This September I will be going back to school after being away for 3-4 years. When I was going before, I took a class in point-set topology. I passed the class, but only with a 53. This wasn't for lack of ability, but for a lack of motivation. I dropped out of school after that semester and did other things with my life. Now that I am more mature, I know that I want to go back to continue my math studies and I will be fully devoted this time. My question to you all is:

A 53 in topology looks bad. At my school, you are allowed to retake a course in which you already have the credit for, provided the reason is because you need a higher mark for entry to a certain program. You are allowed to this once and once only. I am thinking of requesting to retake topology and cite the reason as: "Topology is an important math subject and grad schools would look down on me if I have a low mark in it". I think that reason would work. But is it really important that I retake topology? I have been self-studying it and I feel that I am quite good with it. Nonetheless, should I retake it so that grad schools will see that I got a good mark in it?

I think that my new mark would completely overwrite my old mark, making my old mark invisible to anyone looking at my transcript.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
so your plan is to go back to school, do well and have a transcript with all good marks on it, and back in the part where the courses are listed that you took years ago, before leaving school, there is a bad mark in topology, and you are wondering whether the old mark, obtained in a previous career, will hold you back. You do realize that transcript courses have dates on them as to when you took the course, and so anyone looking at it will know that bad mark came before your recent renaissance? If this is correct, and I believe it is, I don't think it makes a lot of sense to retake a course you say you have already learned well since then. What do you think? When I was in school no one ever retook anything, so my transcript had a bunch of terrible grades in freshman and sophomore courses, and then a sentence that said "withdrew from school" and then a year later, it started again with good grades in junior and senior courses. It didn't seem to cause me a problem. I assume they figured if that I could ace more advanced courses, then there was no problem. Why don't you ask some professors at your school who are going to have to recommend you, or some at a grad school where you intend to apply? Those are the people whose opinions really matter.
 
mathwonk said:
What do you think?

I think what you said makes a lot of sense. I am going to just take another course that furthers my interests in pure maths.
 
TL;DR Summary: I want to do a PhD in applied math but I hate group theory, is this a big problem? Hello, I am a second-year math and physics double major with a minor in data science. I just finished group theory (today actually), and it was my least favorite class in all of university so far. It doesn't interest me, and I am also very bad at it compared to other math courses I have done. The other courses I have done are calculus I-III, ODEs, Linear Algebra, and Prob/Stats. Is it a...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

Similar threads

Replies
15
Views
2K
Replies
9
Views
3K
Replies
12
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
3K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
2K
Back
Top