So I managed to fail a course last term (phys1B03). I can't decide if I should retake it or not, I don't need for my degree or for grad school, do you guys think it's worth retaking it. Specially because my marks this term were really good so they will raise my average but retaking the failed course again during spring term will bring my average down again so I can't decide what to do? Any advise for a very confused 3rd year fellow?

i should mention though i have taken this course once before last term and dropped it in the middle so if i take it again it will show up 3 times on my transcript :(

Getting a 12 in this course will give you a 6 overall, I believe (due to grade averaging of identical courses). I can't really see you suddenly gaining an aptitude in this course, but hey, it's possible to at least get a 6-8, so it should help you. I can't tell you if this will be good overall, because sessional cumulative average is based on the number of units (i.e. it won't magically erase the effect of a fail for a particular year), but I just can't let fails go, personally.

Depending on what faculty/study you're in, physics can be a fairly useless course for you in terms of your overall end-goal in life, but gaining skill in all things (even those that you're bad at) makes you a better at learning and more aware person overall. If its one of those courses that just causes you stress and worry, forgetaboutit!

If your marks in other courses were good and yet you still failed physics 1b03, then don't take it. The chances are that you're not going to do as well as you think.
I'm graduating this year, and based from my experience, there are so many better electives than physics.
As long as it's not required by your grad school, it's not worth taking physics just for the sake of personal satisfaction.
If you want to retake it because you enjoy physics, then I recommend that you take astronomy 2B03 instead. There's not much calculations involved, but there are some physics concepts that I'm sure everyone will enjoy.

RyanC you're right whatever mark I get is going to be divided by half and that's what scares me because it will bring my overall average lower! and I wouldn't like leaving a fail without retrying it either because if I did get asked about it in my future (maybe some grad schools will ask about it because it happened in my 3rd year) then I can explain that when I took physics it wasn't just that course that I did bad in it was just the circumstances and this term I was able to be very well.

Molla-I have heard good things about astronomy 2B03, and I did enjoy taking physics despite not being able to do well in it :(

Thanks though to both of you for your response I am going to see an advisor (although I don't think they will be much of a help because they don't give any suggestions, they just nod, at least from my experience)! and by the way do you guys know how the sessional average will be calculated if I did decided to take it, will my overall GPA be calculated out of 9 or still 10?

Originally Posted by kitty1

RyanC you're right whatever mark I get is going to be divided by half and that's what scares me because it will bring my overall average lower! and I wouldn't like leaving a fail without retrying it either because if I did get asked about it in my future (maybe some grad schools will ask about it because it happened in my 3rd year) then I can explain that when I took physics it wasn't just that course that I did bad in it was just the circumstances and this term I was able to be very well.

Molla-I have heard good things about astronomy 2B03, and I did enjoy taking physics despite not being able to do well in it :(

Thanks though to both of you for your response I am going to see an advisor (although I don't think they will be much of a help because they don't give any suggestions, they just nod, at least from my experience)! and by the way do you guys know how the sessional average will be calculated if I did decided to take it, will my overall GPA be calculated out of 9 or still 10?

Re-taking the course will not bring your overall average lower, it will bring it up (assuming you don't fail a second time).
Failing it once is 0 on 3 units towards your overall average.
Failing it once and getting a 12 the second time would essentially (for the purposes of calculating your GPA) replace your 0 with a 6. That will bring your average up, not down.

If I'm understanding your second question correctly, you're asking if next year, you take 30 units and that includes 1B03, will the 1B03 mark count towards your SA next year? If that is your question, then the answer is yes, it will. It would just be your CA that incorporates them both.

Originally Posted by starfish

Re-taking the course will not bring your overall average lower, it will bring it up (assuming you don't fail a second time).
Failing it once is 0 on 3 units towards your overall average.
Failing it once and getting a 12 the second time would essentially (for the purposes of calculating your GPA) replace your 0 with a 6. That will bring your average up, not down.

If I'm understanding your second question correctly, you're asking if next year, you take 30 units and that includes 1B03, will the 1B03 mark count towards your SA next year? If that is your question, then the answer is yes, it will. It would just be your CA that incorporates them both.

No What I meant was that if I take physics again this spring then will the 0 count towards my CA for the end of the term right now (ie. end of winter term including fall 2012), despite being registered in the spring course?

Originally Posted by kitty1

No What I meant was that if I take physics again this spring then will the 0 count towards my CA for the end of the term right now (ie. end of winter term including fall 2012), despite being registered in the spring course?

Yes.
It's the other half of the situation I thought you were describing

Originally Posted by starfish

Yes.
It's the other half of the situation I thought you were describing

thank you