I got C’s both semesters, and they are one of the only non A’s I’ve gotten throughout HS. If I were to retake it online, my new grade would replace my old grade, but the old grade would still show. The new grade would be the one used in the calculation of my GPA however. It would raise my GPA from around a 3.8 to about 3.88. Should I bother? The providers are relatively expensive, and I feel like my time could be allocated to other purposes. However, I feel like this is necessary, and would help give me a stronger foundation in Calculus, allowing me to move onto Adv. Calculus next year as a senior. Any input would be gladly appreciated!
Its not a massive GPA increase (.08), and since colleges will still see the C grade from before, I think your time might be best spent elsewhere. But that’s just my opinion, it is ultimately a personal choice.
How did you do on the AP test?
I got a 3, the lowest AP Test score I’ve received.
It’s an estimated 120 hours of work per semester, which is a lot of time to be spent for 0.08. Also, I feel like retaking it through an online provider will not warrant any merit anyways.
If you had earned a C in Calc 1 at a university, you would be perfectly welcome in Calc 2 the next semester or year. Talk with the math teachers at your school, and get their advice on the best way to be ready for the next Calc course you were thinking of taking. My bet is that they will tell you to enroll in the next course, but to be more diligent about studying. Start by doing every single problem in the book.
You did not fail Calc AB. Don’t re-take it. Re-taking Calc ABwould look like crazy-minded grade-grubbing.
You are probably ok with taking the next high school calculus course (and repeating it in high school will look like grade-grubbing as noted above), though you would probably have to work hard and do some review to firm up your understanding of the material. However, college may be a different story, since college math courses cover material at a faster pace than high school calculus AB. Also, the expectations in college math courses may be higher than that which earns a 3 on the AP test (depending on the college).
When you get to college, if you need calculus for your major or as a prerequisite to other courses, you may want to try the college’s old final exams for calculus 1 (and 2 if you take the next high school calculus course in high school) to check to see how well you know the material from the college’s point of view. Then you can decide whether to retake it at college, or go on to more advanced math courses.
I feel like it would look like grade grubbing, and in addition to playing football in the fall and dealing with college applications, retaking the course would probably not be a top priority.