Y11 subject selection (1 Viewer)

[MC24]

I'm thinking of taking the following subjects for Year 11 next year:

- 3U English
- 2U/3U Maths
- Economics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- French

Would this be a feasible combination? To be honest, I'm not that keen on taking chemistry, but I've heard that it opens a lot of opportunities after high school and I'm not sure what I want to study at university yet so I want to keep my options open.

I have been studying overseas and will be skipping half a year because of different term start/end dates (northern vs southern hemisphere), but the school I'm currently at follows a fairly rigorous international curriculum. I'm just not sure if 3U English and 3U Maths would be a good idea especially since I'm considering taking 2 science subjects as well.

If you have taken or are currently taking any of these subjects I'd love to hear about your experience and whether you liked or disliked the subject(s) Thanks!

 

[Velocifire]

Okay. Firstly you seem capable due to just being an international student alone. Like honestly kids in like say India learn trigonometry when people here learn to tie their shoelaces. So I’m sure you will do well in everything despite the half-a year setback.

From experience, Chemistry isn’t that at all bad at all in terms of content and how u are taught, it’s safe to say however I prefer it over Physics and Bio (free plug to my chemistry and physics notes to have a grasp of content) I remember agreeing that Chem was the true science over another student asking “Bio or Extension English” where People asked about a subject run-down.

3u English and 3u Maths sets u up nicely as u can always drop down later if you find either or too hard... tho some people keep and do extension english and mathematics in year 12, and will improve your skills in the advanced courses too. Apparently tho, ppl get better marks in Extension English and some do better In 3u Maths compared to the Advanced side of things so with that in account, just partake in both of them. Not doing 3u Maths can limit you in certain courses at Unive

French seems Good, ask a friend @B1andB2 for an opinion about French (are u doing beginners or continuers) coz she loves the course herself.

Eco is good - @quickoats and @hs17 save me here I have no verdict.

 

[vinlatte]

Eco is good

Eco is an interesting subject and it's very relevant to the current pandemic situation. Even with just the prelims course, you can be a well informed citizen about economic news.
Though it is very content heavy since it's a social science, and it's almost like a university level subject.

 

[beetree1]

A lot of my friends are doing 3 english 3 maths and i think they're doing well - there is a good balance between math and english work

 

[jimmysmith560]

hi everyone )
i'm thinking of taking computer science in university, are these subjects enough?
math advanced
english advanced
physics
software design development
information processes technology
economics

could anyone provide insight into the workload that these subjects demand and how to balance them well, and any feedback on changing subjects ? thanks !!

I think that your subject combination presents a fairly reasonable workload overall. English Advanced and Mathematics Advanced should be manageable, especially since you will not be taking Mathematics Extension 1 and/or English Extension 1. An important thing to mention here is that you cannot choose to take Mathematics Extension 1 and/or English Extension 1 in year 12 given the requirement of having completed the year 11 course. However, if this is not important to you, you can safely disregard this.

I did not take Physics so I cannot comment on its workload (perhaps someone else can) although I can say that if you end up enjoying and performing well in this subject throughout year 11, you could consider the option of taking Science Extension (a 1 unit subject) in year 12, provided you are interested in scientific research.

Taking Software Design and Development as well as Information Processes and Technology is evidently justified as it aligns with your interest in studying computer science beyond the HSC and will provide you with foundational knowledge that could be beneficial in terms of the start of your degree:

• Essentially, IPT explores different information systems, which includes gaining a basic understanding of the functioning of computers in the Preliminary course and studying different technological elements (such as databases and multimedia) in the HSC course. The workload imposed by this subject is definitely manageable as long as you are regularly studying, including developing your notes and revising the content.
• On the other hand, SDD is less broad than IPT as it explores one specific area of technology, software. SDD provides students with the opportunity to develop skills in designing and developing software solutions, which involves tasks such as programming as far as I am aware. I believe SDD is slightly more difficult than IPT and would probably demand more study time as a result.

Economics may be seen as a somewhat challenging subject, although several students tend to enjoy it. If you took Commerce in year 10, it may be useful to recall your experience to see whether Economics is for you. A slightly less difficult alternative to Economics is Business Studies. Similar to IPT, it is more broad than Economics as it covers multiple areas of business (including economics to an extent) as opposed to strictly one field in the case of Economics.

Of course, if at some point you feel that your workload is unreasonably heavy, you can always drop a subject in year 12, leaving you with 10 units and a lighter workload.

I hope this helps!

 

[jimmysmith560]

thanks !

yeah, i'm not interested in taking any extension subjects (they seem really challenging and i don't think i would be able to cope with their demands).
a small question: how would you study for IPT/SDD, given that (i assume) they're more theoretical and problem solving based? i've seen some of the past papers for this subject and it looks like it would be weird to study. i already meddle a bit in javascript - would this experience help?

about business studies - i've considered it with economics but overall i think i would prefer economics
again, thanks, this really did help !

No worries!

I am sadly unable to provide specific advice for SDD since I did not take this subject, although I think javascript may be beneficial (perhaps someone could confirm this).

However, as far as IPT goes, your assumption is not wrong. You will need to emphasise your knowledge of the content as not only are the technological concepts covered, but the subject also covers aspects such as ethical and social issues associated with the use of particular systems/components. This means that you need to develop an ability to think and apply your knowledge to different contexts, which you can support through adequate practice (for example, by completing past exam papers).

Effective study for this subject requires that you create and regularly go through your own set of comprehensive notes. You may also wish to couple your own notes with a pre-made set of notes, such as this one, which could assist you as you progress through the subject. Additionally, whether you will end up using a textbook will depend on your own needs. Back when I did my HSC, my class used the Samuel Davis textbook, although I never personally used the textbook. My notes, in addition to a pre-made set of notes were largely sufficient and allowed me to achieve a band 6.

 

[jimmysmith560]

ooh, okay !

can i ask why you didn't use the textbook?
thanks !

Sure, the problem I faced with the textbook is that, while it is definitely informative, it contains an excess of information and a concept that would only require a short explanation would have entire pages dedicated to explaining it. This made notes a more efficient way of studying for this subject. Of course, each student is different and your experience may not be the same as mine.

 

[idkkdi]

hi everyone )
i'm thinking of taking computer science in university, are these subjects enough?
math advanced
english advanced
physics
software design development
information processes technology
economics

could anyone provide insight into the workload that these subjects demand and how to balance them well, and any feedback on changing subjects ? thanks !!

Take mx1

 

[idkkdi]

i don't think i'd be able to deal with the extra workload/difficulty

uni compsci maths is harder than mx1 by a fair bit

 

[Great Southern Land]

hi everyone )
i'm thinking of taking computer science in university, are these subjects enough?
math advanced
english advanced
physics
software design development
information processes technology
economics

could anyone provide insight into the workload that these subjects demand and how to balance them well, and any feedback on changing subjects ? thanks !!

You have 12 units of subjects. This is good because if you don't do well in one subject, you will have some fall back because only your 10 best units go towards your ATAR.

Also, Economics is a very content heavy subject. Prepare to do a lot of study. Also speaking of Economics, I actually wrote this message in that class.