What subjects should I pick for Y11? Should I keep Maths? (1 Viewer)

[.teeks]

Hey y'all!
I'm a current Year 10 student, who, like so many others, is currently faced with the daunting task of picking my prelim/HSC subjects for next year. I've always generally been a high achiever (this semester I was ranked 1st in English, History and Elective History and 2nd in Commerce), and I've got a real passion and skill for writing and history. As of right now, my Y11 subject choices are:

Advanced English
Extension 1 English
Legal Studies
Economics
Modern History
Ancient History
Advanced Maths

The dilemma lies in Advanced Maths. Compared to my other subjects, all of which I'm scoring in the mid-90s to 100% range, I'm currently sitting on a semester average of 78% for my current 5.3 course, and it's something I find extremely tedious to study for. However, it's also a prerequisite for certain degrees at Usyd - most notably, Commerce. I don't want to rule out any options too early, especially since my ideal degree (Law) needs to be combined at both UNSW and Usyd, and Commerce allows me (as far as I'm aware) to study marketing, which is an area I'm particularly interested in.
That being said, it's only really that one specific combination that I'm interested in that requires Advanced Maths - so is it worth doing, even if it eats up my time and is my worst subject by a fair margin? I'm quite conflicted over it, since I don't want to close doors too early.
Plus, there's also the fact that other than that, I'm entirely English/humanities based, which I worry will make it harder to achieve a 95+ ATAR. It's quite likely that I end up doing 12 units in Year 12, so I suppose that means that those Maths units might not count, but it also makes me wonder if it's worth sacrificing study time for my other subjects.

I've probably overthought this way too much, haha - but any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

 

[jazz519]

Its probably a good idea to keep the maths because if you want to do anything that needs it later on its good to have that option The thing is when you go to do HSC maths its much easier to improve compared to year 10 I feel because there are more resources such as past papers available so you can get an actual feel of exam style questions which are not really emphasised as much in younger years because you basically just use and study from a textbook which often just has questions with the same method repeated over and over. So if you do more past papers maybe you will see an improvement in your results for maths. But overall I would say just keep it for now if you find in year 11 its not working (by that I mean you have to at least wait for 2-3 assignments or exams to happen to get an overall feel because you shouldn't let a one off exam make you drop the whole course) then you change it or drop it later

 

[cooljames044]

Personally i'd drop maths.... i don't want any part of it. Unless you get a good teacher that can make it something to consider paying attention to, then don't continue with maths. By the time you figure out what teacher you have, it's usually too late to change your mind though.

 

[.teeks]

The thing is when you go to do HSC maths its much easier to improve compared to year 10 I feel because there are more resources such as past papers available so you can get an actual feel of exam style questions which are not really emphasised as much in younger years because you basically just use and study from a textbook which often just has questions with the same method repeated over and over.

This is a really interesting point I hadn't thought about before. From Y7-10 I pretty much had about 5 practice papers to do per test, and the rest was endless textbook exercises. It's something I'll definitely keep in mind - more resources would absolutely be a huge help.

By the time you figure out what teacher you have, it's usually too late to change your mind though.

My school - as far as I know - allows you to drop/switch subjects a few weeks into the first term. I'm beginning to lean towards doing it next year, but just seeing how things shape out.

 

[Drongoski]

In a sense, the NSW HSC, unlike the IB, offers over 100 subjects to choose from. Students often choose the wimp subjects. In the IB, you must do Maths - but if offers 3 levels.
Advice to drop maths, is unfortunate.
If you keep maths, as you yourself have recognised, you have the option to do more courses. Doing a bridging course, if required later, is not the path I'd take. Many may not agree with me - but you figure it out yourself whose advice you prefer taking.
It appears that maths is not your forte. It could be that you do not have an aptitude for maths (whatever that may mean). It is possible you have a latent aptitude, but the last few years, your maths lessons were less than inspiring. I would urge you, while you are still in Yr 10, and still have the time, to give it a try. Do not drop maths yet; you can drop it later in Yr 11, if you find you are not made for it. I would also suggest, if you can afford it, get a GOOD 1-on-1 maths tutor to look into your maths, find out what is troubling you - is it because, as a result of years of poor maths teaching, you find it hard. If this is the case, a good remedial programme, to build a solid foundation - may be helpful. But as I've pointed out, you need a GOOD tutor who is able to provide a remedial programme tailored to you. A recent HSC graduate with a great ATAR of 99.85, say, may, or may not, be able to do that.

Why I'm taking the trouble to provide this advice (it is not easy for me, as I'm a hunt-&-peck typist) is I worry for you that many courses will be unaccessible to you, simply because you did not do one lousy (unadvanced) Advanced Maths in your HSC.