Year 11 subject selection HELP. (2 Viewers)

[Triage]

Okay so I have been pretty sure for a while that I want to do 3 unit math and hopefully go on to do 4 unit in year 12. Then I looked at the 2011 HSC general maths paper and realized that it wouldn't be difficult to get a very high raw mark in it if you have some aptitude and dedications towards maths. Any suggestions.

Oh I also want to get 97+ ATAR and I'm not sure if it is even possible for general maths.

 

[mirakon]

do not pick general maths

an average mark in 3u or 4u will outweigh even a high mark in general considerably.

Also if you're a proficient maths student, doing a subject too easy for you will result in a lack of motivation and interest.

 

[Triage]

I'm currently accelerated in maths now and am beginning the preliminary mathematics 2u course next term.

 

[mirakon]

see how you go in it and if you're doing reasonably well then definitely give 3u a shot. If you're comfortable with 3u, then by all means take up 4u in year 12

 

[Thief]

You could get a high raw mark in 3u/4u as well! Don't limit yourself to general

 

[iSplicer]

okay so i have been pretty sure for a while that i want to do 3 unit math and hopefully go on to do 4 unit in year 12. Then i looked at the 2011 hsc general maths paper and realized that it wouldn't be difficult to get a very high raw mark in it if you have some aptitude and dedications towards maths. Any suggestions.

Oh i also want to get 97+ atar and i'm not sure if it is even possible for general maths.

do not do general

 

[enoilgam]

Okay so I have been pretty sure for a while that I want to do 3 unit math and hopefully go on to do 4 unit in year 12. Then I looked at the 2011 HSC general maths paper and realized that it wouldn't be difficult to get a very high raw mark in it if you have some aptitude and dedications towards maths. Any suggestions.

Oh I also want to get 97+ ATAR and I'm not sure if it is even possible for general maths.

If you can do reasonably well in 3 unit and 4 unit, then do that. As mentioned above an average mark in those two subjects would probably equal or exceed a state rank in General Maths. However, if you arent that strong at maths, but believe that you can do well in general, then you should do it.

 

[Triage]

I can't judge yet really my potential success in 3u. I believe I am strong in maths and probably rank around 5/150 in a 20ish ranking school.

 

[Thief]

I can't judge yet really my potential success in 3u. I believe I am strong in maths and probably rank around 5/150 in a 20ish ranking school.

Thats great - DONT do general.

 

[mirakon]

I can't judge yet really my potential success in 3u. I believe I am strong in maths and probably rank around 5/150 in a 20ish ranking school.

Yep

no way you should do general

 

[enoilgam]

I can't judge yet really my potential success in 3u. I believe I am strong in maths and probably rank around 5/150 in a 20ish ranking school.

Put simply, you shouldnt be doing general. General is for people who arent strong at maths, but nonetheless want to do it in the later years. If you really dont like maths and dont want to do it - then drop the subject altogether. But with your ranks, I would highly recommend 3 unit and 4 unit.

Also, just as a side note, general isnt as easy as people think - you cant just rock up to the exam and expect a band 6. It does require some work (although obviously not as much as the higher levels of maths.)

 

[twinklegal19]

do not do general

this.

 

[Triage]

Yeah you guys have talked me out of it. For a fleeting moment I thought general maths was great but clearly too good to be true.

 

[Triage]

Put simply, you shouldnt be doing general. General is for people who arent strong at maths, but nonetheless want to do it in the later years. If you really dont like maths and dont want to do it - then drop the subject altogether. But with your ranks, I would highly recommend 3 unit and 4 unit.

Also, just as a side note, general isnt as easy as people think - you cant just rock up to the exam and expect a band 6. It does require some work (although obviously not as much as the higher levels of maths.)

It's not that I don't like Maths, it's just when I looked at the 3u paper I was absolutely overwhelmed, when I looked at the general paper I could do a lot of it.

 

[mirakon]

It's not that I don't like Maths, it's just when I looked at the 3u paper I was absolutely overwhelmed, when I looked at the general paper I could do a lot of it.

its natural to be overwhelmed by it before you do the course lol

that's why you actually have to study the subject to do the hsc

 

[enoilgam]

its natural to be overwhelmed by it before you do the course lol

that's why you actually have to study the subject to do the hsc

This, it looks ridiculously hard now but it wont be as bad when you learn it.

 

[D94]

Okay so I have been pretty sure for a while that I want to do 3 unit math and hopefully go on to do 4 unit in year 12. Then I looked at the 2011 HSC general maths paper and realized that it wouldn't be difficult to get a very high raw mark in it if you have some aptitude and dedications towards maths. Any suggestions.

Oh I also want to get 97+ ATAR and I'm not sure if it is even possible for general maths.

The logic here is severely flawed. You say you've got the aptitude to do well in maths so that's one reason to do MX1. The status quo is that if you like 2U Maths, then you should attempt MX1, and if you do well in MX1, you should attempt MX2.

And an even more convincing argument to do MX1/MX2 is that you'd be knocking off 4 units of subjects whereas doing General means you're only knocking off 2. Now, if you can do well in maths, MX2 isn't all too different from MX1 (there's integration, mechanics, conics - just like MX1, and complex numbers is an extension on everyday algebra, etc. and so on).

And lastly, you are required to be exceptional in General in order to be a middle-high student in MX1/MX2, when it comes to ATAR scaling.

Also think about the uni course you would like to do. Many assume the knowledge of 2U maths at the very least. Even if the content isn't relevant, it's the logic behind 2U/MX1/MX2 which is relevant.

 

[mirakon]

i looked at a 4u paper in year 10 and i could do a few parts of a circle geo question (i.e. like only 5% of the paper) and that was it. I had no freakin clue how to do the rest. But this in no way dissuaded me from doing 4u in later years because i knew that I would learn how to do it over the duration of the course.

So basing your subject selection on how you see a hsc paper in year 10 or year 11 is not necessarily the best idea.

 

[iSplicer]

This, it looks ridiculously hard now but it wont be as bad when you learn it.

+1. I looked at a 4u paper at the start of year 11 and was like "hurr durr what are these strange hieroglyphs."

 

[Triage]

I don't mean to come across as though I think the hsc is something you can wing without studying the hsc course. It's just thatits dawning on me that I have to pick subjects and it suddenly makes me re-evaluate everything that I though I knew.