biology or economics? (2 Viewers)

[skyhrrso]

hi everyone,
i'm in year 10 and picking my subjects for next year. i'm planning on having 13 units - I'm doing SLR which is offered as a year 11 only, 1 unit subject so that I have the option to drop maths extension if I'm struggling. these are my planned subjects:

- english ext 1
- maths ext 1
- chemistry
- modern history
- slr
- either bio or economics?

i didn't take commerce in years 9/10 but the eco content looks interesting and useful for life outside school. the issue is i have no idea how i'm going to do or if i'll be disadvantaged because i didn't do commerce. bio also looks interesting but i've struggled with it a bit in year 9, and we haven't started year 10 bio yet. also, there's only 1 good bio teacher who i have a 1/3 chance of getting. i was chatting to my friend in year 11 and she said that i could choose bio and if i don't get my preferred teacher, switch around my subjects and do economics instead.

i'm really unsure about my career paths but i'm considering medicine/sciences or law. i'm aiming for an atar in the mid to high 90s. my mum is a doctor and she didn't do bio and said that it isn't necessary to do medicine but i've heard that it's helpful. any advice on what the two subjects are like and what i should choose?

 

[jimmysmith560]

You will not be disadvantaged if you do not take a Stage 5 subject and wish to take a similar subject in Stage 6 (this applies to both Biology and Economics). Essentially, the main way that taking Commerce and Science in year 10 can help is by providing you with a general idea of their respective areas of study, which can assist you in making a slightly more informed decision when choosing similar subjects (in your case, that would mainly be Economics and Biology, although similar subjects also include Business Studies and a range of Stage 6 Science subjects) for year 11. Since you will be studying biology soon, you should consider your experience in making a decision.

Generally speaking, schools may allow subject changes, typically during the first few weeks of year 11. This would allow to switch between Biology and Economics depending on your initial experience, although I believe it would be better to take both Biology and Economics in year 11 (if possible), and perhaps not taking SLR, resulting in a total of 14 units. By doing so, you will be able to experience both subjects throughout year 11, and make a much more informed decision regarding the subject to keep in year 12.

Different universities usually recommend studying Chemistry (and in some cases Biology) to students applying for a Doctor of Medicine. Based on this, if you are certain that you want to study medicine, perhaps you should take Biology. However, if you are unsure/considering other fields, Economics would probably be a better option, so as to expand your subject areas.

I hope this helps!