Subject Selections?! Please! (1 Viewer)

[jenniferblack]

Hi!
I'm a year 11 student, currently doing:
- Ext English
- Ext Maths
- Chem
- Bio
- Modern History

I'm picking up Extension 2 English and Extension History for year 12 (4u eng, 3u maths, chem, mod, history ext) and I really need advice on whether I should drop Chemistry or Biology to make my subjects 12 units in total.

For Chemistry: I love my teacher and I love the subject. It really stimulates my mind and I'm always looking forward to the classes. I can listen to my teacher for hours on end and I grasp the concept pretty quickly. Except all my marks are around the 80s range, maybe 75 if it was a horrible exam.

For Biology: My teacher has what majority of the grade refers to as "elite favouritism complex" where, if you're not her favourite students, you don't exist at all. I feel as though she doesn't know my name even though I've been in her class for 2 years now.
Bio is not mind stimulating at all, literally, I don't listen in class, don't do homework or revise, and I cram roughly 2 days before exams and get in the 90s range. I find it so easy, and more of a memory exam, where you regurgitate information and will do well if you know how to answer science style HSC questions.

Should I drop Chem or Bio?

Please don't just say Chem because I enjoy it more. If I kept Bio it wouldn't make my HSC any different because I would work through the tediousness, and I would have more time to study for other subjects. I don't MIND studying Bio, it's just nonchalant for me and I feel like I'd still have the same 'meh' attitude as I do now.

I know that Chem is harder, but it also scales better. The thing is, if I successfully cram within the 2 weeks before the Bio exam, I can get a Band 6. Chem on the other hand, I'd have to study harder for and might end up with a lower mark, and it would also take away my time for other subjects. (Also, I stress a heck lot more for Chem since there's the stigma of it being really difficult)

Which is better? 90s in Bio or 80-85s in Chem?
Of course, I'm trying to improve my Chem results, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to take the risk of thinking I will improve from 80s to 90s and not achieving that at all in year 12.

If anyone has any advice, please respond to this.
Thanks guys

 

[portia1605]

i'd say drop chem

 

[blackbird_14]

As much as doing 14 units will kill you, it might not be that bad if you want until your first HSC assessments to decide what to drop. Your marks in bio and chem I'd imagine would scale closely to a similar number, and bio is different in year 12 than year 11 (I dropped in year 11 myself so I can't tell you about year 12 bio). I personally feel like chem has a lot more "society" questions in the HSC than in prelim, but perhaps because that's more recent in my mind.

 

[pikachu975]

Yeah keep both till the first assessment of year 12 because you might bomb out on one, so then you can drop it and keep the other.

Based on these marks I'd probably drop chem. Also why is bio boring for you? If it's because you learn about plants and stuff the year 12 content is more about humans and how we work, which is why I find the year 12 content much more interesting (year 11 content was very boring).

 

[Esse]

About the chem bit, in Year 11 I was also motivated like you and really liked the subject, but was ranked in the bottom half of my cohort and was receiving marks similar to yours. However, I enjoyed the Year 12 content waaaaay more since the syllabus was more structured and there were more resources available and I did heaps better. So just keep them till the first assessment as pikachu said and then make your decision