• 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

with scaling in mind, what to drop.. (1 Viewer)

Azi

Member
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
34
Location
Bega
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
My subjects are:
English advanced - 6th (bombed)
English Ext -3th
2U Maths -1st or 2nd in class
Legal Studies -2nd
Ancient History -1st
Biology -2nd
Chemistry -somewhere in the middle of the class. (pretty average)

For year 12, I am thinking it is probabely the best idea to drop Chem, since I work the hardest out of all my subjects and still dont get it well.
I'm doing well in Bio, but thats because theres plenty of bludgers in the class, sometimes find it interesting, sometimes its just incredibly dull.
History head teacher suggested I should pick up history ext next year, but I'm already planning to do 2U ext english. I could drop both sciences and do that, and have 11 units, or keep Bio since I think its scaled better than history ext, and counts for 2U, and just do 2U ext english.

I'm hoping for a good ATAR, despite not having the insanely well scaled maths and science etc subjects.

Any reccommendations would be appreciated.
 

slyhunter

Retired
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
6,803
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
It would be incredibly useful to determine what to drop if you could post your marks as well.

But by judging on your ranks, drop chemistry seeing how as you're only average in that. Oh and History Extension scales mad, much more than biology which has average to good scaling. Though it comes down to whether you like history projects or the study of life more. :)

Do subjects that you enjoy and do well in, don't focus on scaling or you'll live to regret it.
 

emilyo

apathetic member
Joined
Nov 21, 2008
Messages
188
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
what's this? you only came 6th in english advanced!!! omg you totally bombed, you must be so shit *rolls eyes.

History extension i can tell you was the most painful experience of my life. It is nothing like modern or ancient and is incredibly boring and tedious, especially since in the what is history unit where you learn about historians dont do it unless you love to be bored to tears.

Dont obsess about scaling, if you need chem for a uni course or enjoy it you might consider keeping it although i dont think it gets interesting in year 12 at all if anything it is more boring. I dont think we have to tell you what your subjects scale you already know, but scaling is worthless if you are doing badly in a higher scaling subject compared to doing very well in something that scales less. And believe me year 12 will be much more bearable doing what you love instead of what scales well.
 

slyhunter

Retired
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
6,803
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
what's this? you only came 6th in english advanced!!! omg you totally bombed, you must be so shit *rolls eyes.

History extension i can tell you was the most painful experience of my life. It is nothing like modern or ancient and is incredibly boring and tedious, especially since in the what is history unit where you learn about historians dont do it unless you love to be bored to tears.

Dont obsess about scaling, if you need chem for a uni course or enjoy it you might consider keeping it although i dont think it gets interesting in year 12 at all if anything it is more boring. I dont think we have to tell you what your subjects scale you already know, but scaling is worthless if you are doing badly in a higher scaling subject compared to doing very well in something that scales less. And believe me year 12 will be much more bearable doing what you love instead of what scales well.
Lol subjective. Hist. extension is (supposedly) for those who wish to pursue the study of history at a tertiary level be it at a major or minor level.
 

Azi

Member
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
34
Location
Bega
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
History Extension scales mad, much more than biology which has average to good scaling.
quote]

I thought Bio would scale higher since its a science. That's what everyone I've talked to has thought.
 

slyhunter

Retired
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
6,803
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
[I thought Bio would scale higher since its a science. That's what everyone I've talked to has thought]

You are right that science scales high but there are plenty of subjects that scale better. History extension just so happens to be one them. Besides biology scales the lowest out of the big 3 sciences (phys, chem, bio).
 

annabackwards

<3 Prophet 9
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
4,670
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
[i thought bio would scale higher since its a science. That's what everyone i've talked to has thought]

you are right that science scales high but there are plenty of subjects that scale better. History extension just so happens to be one them. Besides biology scales the lowest out of the big 3 sciences (phys, chem, bio).
+1
 

Azi

Member
Joined
May 3, 2009
Messages
34
Location
Bega
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
ok, so can you specifically say what the average difference would be.
ie a mark of 90% in each would mean..

I also thought it makes sence to do biology since I'm already doing well in it, and it counts for two units as opposed to history ext, which I dont know how I would go in.
 

Tangent

Member
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
523
Location
My World
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
, but scaling is worthless if you are doing badly in a higher scaling subject compared to doing very well in something that scales less. And believe me year 12 will be much more bearable doing what you love instead of what scales well.
I agree, you should do something you enjoy. If do do badly in a sub because you dont like it, only picking it because it scaled well is worse than doing a sub you love and doing well in it, even if it doesnt scale as well. In the end it works out better mark wise and you feel great.

Enjoy school, you'll end up getting better marks if you do
 

ninetypercent

ninety ninety ninety
Joined
May 23, 2009
Messages
2,148
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
Yes, do something you enjoy.

btw, if History Extension scales so well, why is it CAPPED???
 

slyhunter

Retired
Joined
May 17, 2009
Messages
6,803
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
ok, so can you specifically say what the average difference would be.
ie a mark of 90% in each would mean..

I also thought it makes sence to do biology since I'm already doing well in it, and it counts for two units as opposed to history ext, which I dont know how I would go in.
do biology then. i merely suggested hist. extension seeing as how you were recommended to do it

and the average difference in marks is difficult to say as scaling changes each year depending on the cohort. besides its only really noticeable when you enter the mid 90s. for 2008 at 90 hist ext. budges out bio by about 1%, which is nothing, so d/w about it

I agree, you should do something you enjoy. If do do badly in a sub because you dont like it, only picking it because it scaled well is worse than doing a sub you love and doing well in it, even if it doesnt scale as well. In the end it works out better mark wise and you feel great.

Enjoy school, you'll end up getting better marks if you do
+1
 
Last edited:

cactuar

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2008
Messages
42
Location
Newcastle
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
wow i still cant believe how much people think about scaling here. our dux last year got 99.5 uai or something ridiculous like that doing english advanced, english extension 1/2, religion 2u, ancient history, modern history and sac.

as long as you like the subject and put in the effort you will do well. thats all there is to it.
 

annabackwards

<3 Prophet 9
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
4,670
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
Yes, do something you enjoy.

btw, if History Extension scales so well, why is it CAPPED???
Aha, it is an interesting case. It scales very well but is capped at the top end for some odd reason. Perhaps all the people who get state rankings for history extension suck in other subjects XD

wow i still cant believe how much people think about scaling here. our dux last year got 99.5 uai or something ridiculous like that doing english advanced, english extension 1/2, religion 2u, ancient history, modern history and sac.

as long as you like the subject and put in the effort you will do well. thats all there is to it.
Of course you can get a high UAI with low scaling subjects, it's just that you have to beat a heck of a lot more people in them to get a nice UAI/ATAR to counteract the poor scaling.
 

Mu5hi

Banned
Joined
Apr 15, 2009
Messages
425
Location
sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Aha, it is an interesting case. It scales very well but is capped at the top end for some odd reason. Perhaps all the people who get state rankings for history extension suck in other subjects XD
Maybe because not enough asians do it?
 

annabackwards

<3 Prophet 9
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
4,670
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
Maybe because not enough asians do it?
No i doubt that would be the problem, because according to stereostypes asians suck at humanities. So if there were more asians doing it, the scaling would be crappier.
 

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

Top