I'm currently taking a math class in College called "Scientific Computing" and the professor told us that C is the most common language used for, well, scientific computing and am just wondering as to how accurate this professor is?
In my business (particle physics) we pretty much moved from fortran 77 straight to c++ and python. Those of us who care about programming all know c, but it is only written for niche applications (embedded DAQ boards, special purpose drivers, ...).
But learning c will give you a firm foundation for programming, and it is rarely profitable to argue with professors.