Should i drop ext 1 math? (1 Viewer)

[lucy083201]

hello,

im doing 11 units and ever since ive been in yr 11 i havent been doing well for ext 1 math
it went from 60-something% to 30% to 52%
im currently ranked 2 in the class which gives you the impression that the class cohort is very bad
there is only one student but they're an outlier since they've been constantly getting 90%+ and is an accelerated student

since im doing 11 units my ext math wont even count and is kind of demotivating considering that i put a lot of effort in it
if you're wondering why i kept the subject for so long is because i find adv math to be very easy but ext 1 to be difficult to wrap my head around quickly (not hard just difficult)

i really want to drop it but my parents are strongly against it and i cant drop it without their signature (obviously) the only 2 pros is that i have a high rank in it (2nd in the class) and it scales really good

my other subjects are: adv eng, bio, chem, physics, adv math which is why im not doing good in it because im doing hard subjects that need a lot if not more time

(idk if it's relevant but in 2024 we had 3-4/7 - dont remember exactly - number of band 6s for ext 1 and my school rank is 300-something)

 

[jane1820]

i think u should wait until ur first assessment task n see how u go then decide

 

[iloveeggs]

i think u should wait until ur first assessment task n see how u go then decide

i think first assessment task is done bc they are class of '25 and term 1 was last term. even if it hasnt happened yet they should already have an idea what their performance is like.

to @lucy083201 i would drop if you feel like there isn't much hope in trying to improve without spending so much time on ext 1 that you neglect your other subjects, esp if you are doing good in your other subjects anyways.

things to consider:

• the one kid that gets 90%+ will do well for themselves bc they will count as an outlier in the hsc most likely and wont help you or anyone else out in terms of moderation. so you can't expect to get a good mark bc there is a smart person in your grade
• doing a subject you are bad at wastes your time so hard bc it takes up more time to study for it than it should and you lose time for every other subject. it's important to drop if you feel like this will affect your other subjects and overall performance.
• if you end up with a low hsc mark overall (e.g. under 50%) the scaling wont save you automatically. the scaling is good but the scaling for your other subjects is also good and if you invest time into them as a substitute you will also do well overall.
• my guess is that ext 1 maths might not count as one of your 10 units if you are struggling this hard. talk to your parents and let them know it might be a waste of time
• just bc you are rank 2 and and you guys got 3/4 band 6s last year does not mean you will band 6 if you are rank 2. your cohort might be much weaker than the 2024 cohort and might have a lesser number of band 6s. as an example, say you end up being rank 2 overall at the end of y12 as well, the number of band 6s depends on you. so if you dont think you can band 6 as an individual i would not expect to get a band 6.

you could keep it for another term or like right before hsc to see how you go, but imo thats a waste of time if you are strugglign with your workload already and you could use the extra time.

 

[funnytomato]

Why are your parents advising against it?
It sounds like you would need to convince them.

 

[Legendary16]

hello,

im doing 11 units and ever since ive been in yr 11 i havent been doing well for ext 1 math
it went from 60-something% to 30% to 52%
im currently ranked 2 in the class which gives you the impression that the class cohort is very bad
there is only one student but they're an outlier since they've been constantly getting 90%+ and is an accelerated student

since im doing 11 units my ext math wont even count and is kind of demotivating considering that i put a lot of effort in it
if you're wondering why i kept the subject for so long is because i find adv math to be very easy but ext 1 to be difficult to wrap my head around quickly (not hard just difficult)

i really want to drop it but my parents are strongly against it and i cant drop it without their signature (obviously) the only 2 pros is that i have a high rank in it (2nd in the class) and it scales really good

my other subjects are: adv eng, bio, chem, physics, adv math which is why im not doing good in it because im doing hard subjects that need a lot if not more time

(idk if it's relevant but in 2024 we had 3-4/7 - dont remember exactly - number of band 6s for ext 1 and my school rank is 300-something)

So with the HSC, your best 10 units are counted and if you can make ext1 work, this would greatly beneficial for your ATAR. However, given that your other subjects warrant a high level of effort and time for each of them, it does seem wise to drop ext1.

On the other hand, if you’re determined to make it work considering your reasons for keeping ext1, you might want to look at dropping from eng adv if your preferred course permits you. This would hopefully reduce your workload and maybe allow you to look at tutoring for ext1, which really helped me grasp a lot of things i didn’t understand before, and made my effort for ext1 worth it.

 

[grouchygigi]

If you don't love math, if you only like it, don't feel like you will be locked in to your 10 units or that you can make a comeback with sheer hard work, it is a difficult course and if you don't love it you won't want to study and put in the effort to get those high marks. Drop it now and focus on the things you like, you already had a year of experience to evaluate your effort and abilities.

I did a bunch of extensions, including accelerated ones (SciExt, Eng Ext1, Math Ext1 + 12 units of other subjects) and started with Math Extension 1 just like you because I got good math grades in year 7-10 and was told try it, "you might do well". I ended up keeping it for the whole year because i dropped a 2 unit so I was forced to keep it to fulfil the prelim requirements, I did not study for prelims nor any assessment task but I still sat the exams, getting around 60%. I dropped down to advance the first chance I got and realised that I should've never wasted time doing Math Ext, because I just don't love it, i also see so many gaps in my adv knowledge. I do 4u english now and it kills me but I still study like crazy for it because I enjoy it, I dropped the other exts as well.

TLDR: Please drop for the sake of your mental health and focus, but if you love it you might have a chance so reconsider.

 

[iloveeggs]

If you don't love math, if you only like it, don't feel like you will be locked in to your 10 units or that you can make a comeback with sheer hard work, it is a difficult course and if you don't love it you won't want to study and put in the effort to get those high marks. Drop it now and focus on the things you like, you already had a year of experience to evaluate your effort and abilities.

I did a bunch of extensions, including accelerated ones (SciExt, Eng Ext1, Math Ext1 + 12 units of other subjects) and started with Math Extension 1 just like you because I got good math grades in year 7-10 and was told try it, "you might do well". I ended up keeping it for the whole year because i dropped a 2 unit so I was forced to keep it to fulfil the prelim requirements, I did not study for prelims nor any assessment task but I still sat the exams, getting around 60%. I dropped down to advance the first chance I got and realised that I should've never wasted time doing Math Ext, because I just don't love it, i also see so many gaps in my adv knowledge. I do 4u english now and it kills me but I still study like crazy for it because I enjoy it, I dropped the other exts as well.

TLDR: Please drop for the sake of your mental health and focus, but if you love it you might have a chance so reconsider.

yes i agree with this too, i picked a lot of my subjects like ext 1 eng and modern (previously) because i got into them and while i did end up liking most of my subjects a few were just overburdening me and i had to cut my losses. just dont pick you know you dislike bc it makes studying for them really hard