UNITS (1 Viewer)

[username ok]

hey guys is doing 12 units in year 12 and one accelerated subject too much for hsc. I was considering doing ext 2 math, adv English, ipt, software design and development, physics and accelerated bio.
Im still in year 10 and debating whether to do physics or engineering

 

[tito981]

if u are going for high atar and are good at maths (which u are if u choose ext 2 math) do physics (and also a good work ethic), if u want a bludge subject choose engineering.

 

[jimmysmith560]

In terms of how many units you should do,12 units in year 12 may or may not be too much to handle. The main benefit of doing 12 units in year 12 is the availability of a backup subject in case something goes wrong with a particular subject at the HSC. On the other hand, Mathematics Extension 2 is a demanding subject, meaning you will likely have to allocate a considerable amount of your time to it, which may result in you not having enough time to spend on your other subjects if you were taking 12 units. In that case, doing 10 units in year 12 (that is, one less subject) may allow you to spend enough study time on each of your subjects. However, if you're very capable at maths, then doing 4U may not be a problem for you, allowing you to spend additional time on your other subjects, which in turn allows you to effectively handle 12 units in year 12. Alternatively, to avoid any uncertainty, you could go into year 12 with 12 units and see how you go. If 12 units end up being too much, you can always drop to 10 units.

I think that Physics and Engineering Studies are both beneficial subjects in terms of your career aspirations (which I remember you discussed in an earlier thread). Physics is a subject with a more scientific focus whereas engineering provides you with a foundation of knowledge in the field of engineering. In that case, you may wish to consider other aspects such as which subject you are likely to enjoy more/may be less demanding as well as which subject scales better (I believe physics scales better than engineering).

I hope this helps!

 

[ExtremelyBoredUser]

I think its wiser to select physics over engineering studies due to the prerequisites or assumed knowledge placed on engineering/physics degrees. You will certainly experience overlap in both subjects in terms of physics content and you will definitely learn physics in one subject or another but its more safer and optimal to select physics if you do consider of doing engineering degrees. I think its best if you do both because you can certainly apply the skills learnt in maths and physics to the subject and be rewarded for it.

Also a topic in MX2 called mechanics will be much more "easier" (for a lack of a better term. difficulty is subjective) to do as it utilises concepts you would learn in physics such as dynamics/kinematics and goes more in depth. I'm pretty sure engineering covers the same thing such as banked tracks but to the extent I am not sure, however I think its more beneficial learning those 2 modules from physics to aid you in MX2.

Overall I believe you should do both subjects if you really are interested in them, but if its on the same line or you prefer other subjects then I would say go for physics, its more recognised. This is just my formed opinion from the information I gathered about the subjects and my experience so take this with a grain of salt, I think someone who has done both engineering and physics can give you a better recommendation.