• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Need Advice: To drop or not to drop? (1 Viewer)

cassie62442

Mischief Managed
Joined
Aug 26, 2008
Messages
17
Location
Sydney, Australia
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
Hey everyone, I just need some advice on dropping math.

Here's the sitch: (yay, Kim Possible reference!)
I'm currently doing 13 units. It probably says my subjects in my signature but I''ll write them anyway, as well as the reason I'm doing/keeping them.

English Advanced - mandatory
English Extenstion - love it! Crime fiction <3
Mathematics - considering dropping!
Biology - I want to be a scientist, so I gotta have this
Chemistry - same as Bio
Modern History - I love it sooo much :)
Business Studies - it's my best subject, I came first in it last year

So I basically reeeaaally suck at math. I fail most tests and it just completely stresses me out. The reason I haven't dropped it before now is that it's assumed knowledge for the uni course I want to do (Advanced Science, or just regular science if I don't get in to advanced).
But now, I'm really questioning whether to keep math cos I literally want to cry just thinking about it. I hate it with every fibre of my being (sorry to any math lovers out there).

I know that if I drop it, I'll have to do a bridging course which will suck because it takes like the entire February. But my mum said she's willing to pay for it, so the money isn't a problem. My math marks won't actually count towards my ATAR (since I'm doing 13 units) but the stress is really taking it's toll on me.

If I do drop it, I'll be less stressed and have more time to work on my other subjects (which I'm mostly lagging behind in). The thought of spending my February in class is, however, rather frightening.

I just really don't know what I should do, can anyone give me some advice?
Here's the basic pro/con list which summarises everything I've just rambled on about.

Reasons to drop math
1. I hate it
2. It's stressing me out cos I'm really bad at it
3. I'll have more time to spend on my other subjects (and probably get a higher ATAR because of it)

Reasons to keep math
1. It's assumed knowledge for my uni course, and I have to do it in first year uni
2. If I drop it, I'll have to do a bridging course :(

A huge thanks into advance to anyone who can help me!
 

madsam

God among men
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
250
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
If you want to do science, you have two options, drop maths now and really struggle at uni next year

Bridging courses are very full on, cramming a years worth of work into about 10 full on days

I say, especially for science, harden up, do maths, i would say if you're going to drop something, drop history, but if you really want to do it bio would be second. It's not as necessary for uni junk
 
Joined
Aug 11, 2007
Messages
1,290
Location
coordinates: bookshop
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2008
Also, Science courses are pretty heavy with mathematics. If you hate maths enough to drop it at high school, are you sure you want to be studying it at a tertiary level?
 

supercalamari

you've got the love
Joined
Jul 1, 2008
Messages
1,590
Location
Bathtub
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
I'd keep maths if you want to do sciences at uni, just personally. You should talk this through with a careers counsellor first!!!
 

twistedrebel

Active Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2009
Messages
1,502
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
If i was giving advice, drop maths or do it for another few weeks. By then you would have learnt most of the content, so it can help you with bridging courses. ( e.g you have learnt calculus, trig). Maths is wasting your time and taking toll on your mental health, i bet they day you have maths you dont feel like getting out of bed? Dropping it will allow you to put effort on other subjects.

tl;dr drop maths and concentrate on others, as you have learn most of the course anyways.
 

iRuler

Premium Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2008
Messages
6,731
Location
3.141592654
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2014
you get 5 months holidays after hsc, study maths then.
 
Last edited:

hvf26

Awesome Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2008
Messages
297
Location
extremely bored
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
keep maths~ learn to love it! lol :)
+1
i hated maths till about half way through yr11, now im actually kinda liking it
more practice = the easier it gets
just keep it and work hard! put aside like 30 mins a night on it and itll become easier in a month or so
 

pwoh

O_O
Joined
Jun 28, 2008
Messages
709
Location
Behind you
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2016
Maths is inevitable if you're going to do Adv. Science - it's really a matter of stress now or stress later.
Personally I think you should dedicate a set amount of time to maths (not too much perhaps) and focus on your other subjects.
However you should aim to understand the concepts as completely as possible - otherwise you will be stressing about the same problems at uni (I doubt the short bridging course will be as effective as learning it steadily over 2 years)
Even if it won't count, spending some time on it every day will definitely make it easier for you at uni :)
 

madsam

God among men
Joined
Feb 16, 2008
Messages
250
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
If you're doing advanced science at uni, then you are forced to do advanced maths.

My friend doing it said his lecturer assumed all the people in his class did 4unit so he skipped over the complex numbers chapter, and when 2-3 people complained he just ignored them...so they've been working their balls off trying to catch up, and it's only week 4 lol
 

gesh17

Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2009
Messages
279
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
Keep it but don't give a damn about it. You'll still have 11 other units to rely on. Just make sure you pass Maths and its basically just one more thing you've got under your belt.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top