Please Help (I need advice on what subject to drop)!!!! (1 Viewer)

_limbo_

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Hello everyone!
I need some advice on what subject to drop. I'm currently in my 2nd week of Term 1, Year 12.
I am planning on dropping either Physics or Business Studies. Both my Physics and Business Studies teachers aren't very helpful (literally just read out the textbook) to the point where I have to self-learn most of the stuff. I did pretty well in both Physics and Business Studies in Year 11 despite the circumstances, however, I enjoy Physics more due to it being more centred on calculations and maths, which I am more interested in as opposed to simply regurgitating memorised information in Business Studies.

My subjects currently:
Math Ext 2 (including Ext 1 and ADV)
English ADV
Economics
Chemistry
Physics
Business Studies

^This is 14 units altogether and I am willing to drop one subject to get down to 12 units at least. I just needed help in choosing whether to drop Physics or Business Studies. Should I wait for my 1st term assessments to make a decision? Please help me out someone and give me some advice. It would be much appreciated :)

P.S I'm looking to enter either an actuarial, commerce or engineering related degree in University. Most commerce-related degrees only require Maths as assumed knowledge (and not Business Studies), however most engineering degrees require Maths EXT 1 and Physics as a pre-requisite.
 

vishnay

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Hello everyone!
I need some advice on what subject to drop. I'm currently in my 2nd week of Term 1, Year 12.
I am planning on dropping either Physics or Business Studies. Both my Physics and Business Studies teachers aren't very helpful (literally just read out the textbook) to the point where I have to self-learn most of the stuff. I did pretty well in both Physics and Business Studies in Year 11 despite the circumstances, however, I enjoy Physics more due to it being more centred on calculations and maths, which I am more interested in as opposed to simply regurgitating memorised information in Business Studies.

My subjects currently:
Math Ext 2 (including Ext 1 and ADV)
English ADV
Economics
Chemistry
Physics
Business Studies

^This is 14 units altogether and I am willing to drop one subject to get down to 12 units at least. I just needed help in choosing whether to drop Physics or Business Studies. Should I wait for my 1st term assessments to make a decision? Please help me out someone and give me some advice. It would be much appreciated :)

P.S I'm looking to enter either an actuarial, commerce or engineering related degree in University. Most commerce-related degrees only require Maths as assumed knowledge (and not Business Studies), however most engineering degrees require Maths EXT 1 and Physics as a pre-requisite.
probably drop business since you enjoy physics more and it scales higher
 
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Well Business Studies IS the worst scaling subject out of the electives that you've listed, but don't just choose based of scaling.
However based off of your P.S as well as your preference towardss phsysics if I was you personally I would drop business studies considering that you're still undecided about what you're going to do, and keeping physics does keep the engineering courses open for you.
 
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Both my Physics and Business Studies teachers aren't very helpful (literally just read out the textbook) to the point where I have to self-learn most of the stuff. I did pretty well in both Physics and Business Studies in Year 11 despite the circumstances, however, I enjoy Physics more due to it being more centred on calculations and maths, which I am more interested in as opposed to simply regurgitating memorised information in Business Studies.
Seems like you should drop Business Studies since you seem to like Physics and are doing well in it. enjoy Physics. I realised I made a mistake after I wrote this. :|
Also, good luck with dropping subjects :)
 
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jimmysmith560

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Let's compare both subjects in terms of their respective advantages and disadvantages while being mindful of your circumstances, which will hopefully allow you to make an informed decision regarding which subject to drop.

Business Studies:

Advantages:
  • You have performed well throughout year 11 in this subject. This constitutes a good indicator of your readiness to take and complete the HSC Business Studies course.
  • Business Studies is a linear subject, particularly the HSC course. This means that thorough knowledge of the syllabus and content, in addition to regularly studying and staying up to date with content is crucial, allowing you to achieve favourable results in your assessment tasks/exams. Your performance in the Preliminary course and the linearity of this subject both suggest that you will be able to perform well in HSC Business Studies.
  • While Business Studies is not a subject that is classified as a prerequisite/assumed knowledge for university degrees, an advantage it demonstrates is relevance. If we consider virtually any non-Economics major within Bachelor of Business/Commerce, you will find that the content taught, particularly in the HSC course, will reappear mainly during your first year and (possibly) during your second year. Business Studies also does, to some extent, explore relevant Economics content, which may align with content taught in HSC Economics. You might find this to be beneficial in terms of your subject selection. I suggest taking a look at this thread where I explore the usefulness of Business Studies: https://boredofstudies.org/threads/...y-teach-useful-knowledge.395892/#post-7381345
Disadvantages:
  • Business Studies is considered a low scaling subject, particularly when compared to the rest of your subject. However, while this is indeed the case, scaling should not be the primary factor in determining the best subject combination to maintain as you commence year 12. It is still worth mentioning though.
  • You don't enjoy Business Studies as much as Physics. This is an important factor, and is a primary consideration with respect to making an informed decision regarding which subject to drop.
Physics:

Advantages:
  • You have performed well throughout year 11 in this subject. This constitutes a good indicator of your readiness to take and complete the HSC Physics course.
  • Physics is a good scaling subject, and scales relatively higher than Business Studies. Again, scaling should not be the primary factor in determining the best subject combination to maintain as you commence year 12. It remains a characteristic worth mentioning however.
  • You enjoy Physics more than Business Studies due to the fact that it is consistent with your mathematical interests. This is an important factor, and is a primary consideration with respect to making an informed decision regarding which subject to drop.
Disadvantages:
  • Physics may likely be a more difficult subject compared to Business Studies, meaning that additional time may need to be allocated towards effectively studying in order to perform well in this subject, which you probably wouldn't spend should you keep Business Studies.

Alternatively, you can keep both subjects at the beginning of year 12, and see how you go in each of them. Based on your results, you might also be able to make a decision accordingly.

I hope this helps! :D
 

BOS101

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You don't need to wait longer to drop something , the longer you keep an extra 2 units; the less time you have for working on your other subjects. Keep physics and drop business now. You like physics better, you perform well in it and it scales significantly better. Additionally, you might need it as a prerequisite if you decide to pursue engineering , whereas you won't need business studies even if you want to do business in uni.
 

_limbo_

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Which uni has physics as a prerequisite? I thought most of them kept it as assumed knowledge...
Sorry, I was meant to say assumed knowledge. Either way, I reckon it would help me to do physics (and drop BSTD), saves me from doing a bridging course and/or opening me up to a wider range of Uni courses.
 

_limbo_

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Let's compare both subjects in terms of their respective advantages and disadvantages while being mindful of your circumstances, which will hopefully allow you to make an informed decision regarding which subject to drop.

Business Studies:

Advantages:
  • You have performed well throughout year 11 in this subject. This constitutes a good indicator of your readiness to take and complete the HSC Business Studies course.
  • Business Studies is a linear subject, particularly the HSC course. This means that thorough knowledge of the syllabus and content, in addition to regularly studying and staying up to date with content is crucial, allowing you to achieve favourable results in your assessment tasks/exams. Your performance in the Preliminary course and the linearity of this subject both suggest that you will be able to perform well in HSC Business Studies.
  • While Business Studies is not a subject that is classified as a prerequisite/assumed knowledge for university degrees, an advantage it demonstrates is relevance. If we consider virtually any non-Economics major within Bachelor of Business/Commerce, you will find that the content taught, particularly in the HSC course, will reappear mainly during your first year and (possibly) during your second year. Business Studies also does, to some extent, explore relevant Economics content, which may align with content taught in HSC Economics. You might find this to be beneficial in terms of your subject selection. I suggest taking a look at this thread where I explore the usefulness of Business Studies: https://boredofstudies.org/threads/...y-teach-useful-knowledge.395892/#post-7381345
Disadvantages:
  • Business Studies is considered a low scaling subject, particularly when compared to the rest of your subject. However, while this is indeed the case, scaling should not be the primary factor in determining the best subject combination to maintain as you commence year 12. It is still worth mentioning though.
  • You don't enjoy Business Studies as much as Physics. This is an important factor, and is a primary consideration with respect to making an informed decision regarding which subject to drop.
Physics:

Advantages:
  • You have performed well throughout year 11 in this subject. This constitutes a good indicator of your readiness to take and complete the HSC Physics course.
  • Physics is a good scaling subject, and scales relatively higher than Business Studies. Again, scaling should not be the primary factor in determining the best subject combination to maintain as you commence year 12. It remains a characteristic worth mentioning however.
  • You enjoy Physics more than Business Studies due to the fact that it is consistent with your mathematical interests. This is an important factor, and is a primary consideration with respect to making an informed decision regarding which subject to drop.
Disadvantages:
  • Physics may likely be a more difficult subject compared to Business Studies, meaning that additional time may need to be allocated towards effectively studying in order to perform well in this subject, which you probably wouldn't spend should you keep Business Studies.

Alternatively, you can keep both subjects at the beginning of year 12, and see how you go in each of them. Based on your results, you might also be able to make a decision accordingly.

I hope this helps! :D
Wow! Thank you so much! I wasn't expecting someone to actually help me out so much! am gravitating towards dropping Business Studies. Although it may be "easier" in a sense, Physics scales much higher and if I keep Physics, I will have access to a larger range of Uni courses. Also, I think I will drop BSTD as soon as possible as I feel like I shouldn't waste time on a subject that I know I will take down to the last minute to study for. Even at the moment, I am kinda slacking on the coursework (even though its just making textbook notes and doing the questions).
Do you have any thoughts on this?
 

jimmysmith560

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Wow! Thank you so much! I wasn't expecting someone to actually help me out so much! am gravitating towards dropping Business Studies. Although it may be "easier" in a sense, Physics scales much higher and if I keep Physics, I will have access to a larger range of Uni courses. Also, I think I will drop BSTD as soon as possible as I feel like I shouldn't waste time on a subject that I know I will take down to the last minute to study for. Even at the moment, I am kinda slacking on the coursework (even though its just making textbook notes and doing the questions).
Do you have any thoughts on this?
No worries! I think that's a fair decision. If you're fully certain about the subject combination that would suit your study interests (including university studies) and your performance in year 12, you should drop Business Studies at the earliest opportunity and concentrate on your performance in the rest of your subjects.

All the best!
 

SweatyAsian#1

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Hello everyone!
I need some advice on what subject to drop. I'm currently in my 2nd week of Term 1, Year 12.
I am planning on dropping either Physics or Business Studies. Both my Physics and Business Studies teachers aren't very helpful (literally just read out the textbook) to the point where I have to self-learn most of the stuff. I did pretty well in both Physics and Business Studies in Year 11 despite the circumstances, however, I enjoy Physics more due to it being more centred on calculations and maths, which I am more interested in as opposed to simply regurgitating memorised information in Business Studies.

My subjects currently:
Math Ext 2 (including Ext 1 and ADV)
English ADV
Economics
Chemistry
Physics
Business Studies

^This is 14 units altogether and I am willing to drop one subject to get down to 12 units at least. I just needed help in choosing whether to drop Physics or Business Studies. Should I wait for my 1st term assessments to make a decision? Please help me out someone and give me some advice. It would be much appreciated :)

P.S I'm looking to enter either an actuarial, commerce or engineering related degree in University. Most commerce-related degrees only require Maths as assumed knowledge (and not Business Studies), however most engineering degrees require Maths EXT 1 and Physics as a pre-requisite.
Bro, you literally did the same subjects I did in year 11 as me, very niceeee! I had a dilemma between BS or Chemistry, so with both of our situations, its pretty evident which subject is inferior altogether (no offense ppl).

I'm dropping BS early but didn't pick up Ext 2 since I just couldn't see myself being as motivated to study 4U over chem since 1. workload is more 2. Math homework is a love/hate relationship which isn't a good thing entering year 12.

What subject you planning to drop after you pick up Ext 2. sometime next year? Or drop the subject that has the lowest mark?
Tbh, I also opted to keep 3U over 4U so I can have some kind of lee-way with that 1 unit, whilst not being too risky ya know :)
 

jimmysmith560

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its pretty evident which subject is inferior altogether (no offense ppl).
No subject is objectively inferior by nature. Business Studies, Physics and Chemistry all teach content that is useful, particularly if the student wishes to expand their knowledge by furthering their studies within the field of any of those subjects by completing a relevant university degree. While Physics and Chemistry might scale higher than Business Studies, one should keep in mind that scaling is not a crucial factor to consider when deciding which subjects to take, keep, or drop, especially when compared to much more important aspects, such as enjoyment/personal interest in a particular subject in addition to the student's potential in terms of academic performance in the subject. :)
 

_limbo_

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Bro, you literally did the same subjects I did in year 11 as me, very niceeee! I had a dilemma between BS or Chemistry, so with both of our situations, its pretty evident which subject is inferior altogether (no offense ppl).

I'm dropping BS early but didn't pick up Ext 2 since I just couldn't see myself being as motivated to study 4U over chem since 1. workload is more 2. Math homework is a love/hate relationship which isn't a good thing entering year 12.

What subject you planning to drop after you pick up Ext 2. sometime next year? Or drop the subject that has the lowest mark?
Tbh, I also opted to keep 3U over 4U so I can have some kind of lee-way with that 1 unit, whilst not being too risky ya know :)
Ayeee ahahaha. I'm in Year 12 currently so I've already picked up and started Ext 2. I submitted the form yesterday to drop business studies, so that's all done with. Yeahh your decision of keeping one extra unit as lee-way is pretty good. I feel like if you sat on 10 units, you have to do good in every subject otherwise it could drag down your ATAR (although with 10 units you have much more time to prepare for everything). 11 units gives you that little safety net just in case you do mess up on something. Btw you're also in Year 12 right (assuming by your bio)?
 

SweatyAsian#1

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Ayeee ahahaha. I'm in Year 12 currently so I've already picked up and started Ext 2. I submitted the form yesterday to drop business studies, so that's all done with. Yeahh your decision of keeping one extra unit as lee-way is pretty good. I feel like if you sat on 10 units, you have to do good in every subject otherwise it could drag down your ATAR (although with 10 units you have much more time to prepare for everything). 11 units gives you that little safety net just in case you do mess up on something. Btw you're also in Year 12 right (assuming by your bio)?
Yeah bro, that's cool to hear. Gl with studies since you were legit in a similar position as me a few weeks ago lol. Crazy ikr.
 

SweatyAsian#1

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No subject is objectively inferior by nature. Business Studies, Physics and Chemistry all teach content that is useful, particularly if the student wishes to expand their knowledge by furthering their studies within the field of any of those subjects by completing a relevant university degree. While Physics and Chemistry might scale higher than Business Studies, one should keep in mind that scaling is not a crucial factor to consider when deciding which subjects to take, keep, or drop, especially when compared to much more important aspects, such as enjoyment/personal interest in a particular subject in addition to the student's potential in terms of academic performance in the subject. :)
I didn't mean it like that Mr Jimmysmith, I was talking in terms of which subject was inferior for us to drop over the other subjects we had. My bad if there was misunderstanding :/
 

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