Help! Subject Selection!! (1 Viewer)

[lisa369]

My subject selections for yr11 and 12 are due by the end of today and i'm a little (a lot) lost.
Background Information: I live in NSW. I do quite well in school (straight A's, except PDH but that doesn't count). 90+ atar is the goal. Very indecisive .
I've decided on the follow subjects and for these reasons:
Eng Advanced: Was given the option of adv or ext but the workload for ext seems like a pain in the ass, as well as the major work involved.
Mathematics Standard 2: Was given the option of adv (and heavily "encouraged" to do it, but you have to understand I HATE maths, so much. I know that standard scales awfully but, if I were to do adv maths it would take study time away from my other subjects, I would probably develop severe depression and I wouldn't put the effort in. Also the prospect of studying it brings me sm joy. Hope to get a high band 6 in it.
Biology: I find the subject interesting and wanted to do at least one science subjects (I'm not very fond of Chemistry) and I hope to attend uni overseas and study premed, at least one science subject is a requirement.
Economics: I find the subject interesting (what I've heard about it and read from the curriculum). I have heard that it's very hard though.
SOR 2: My school (Catholic) makes it mandatory for all students to study Religion. I'm not sure whether to do SOR 1 or 2. I've read what SOR 2's content is and find some areas of the curriculum very interesting (search for meaning). But, is it worth taking on a whole other unit because I find certain aspects of the subject interesting? Also, I would like to do 11 units in yr 12, so I have a backup subject and free study periods. So, would i take SOR 2 and drop a unit down.
Ok now we're up to the big question!
What should my final 2 units be??
I'm debating between:
Legal Studies: I find the subject interesting I think, and I have very good reading and writing skills. But, I really don't have the greatest idea what the subject is like practically. I've read about it and have heard such mixed reviews, some people saying it's boring , will ruin your atar (and life). Other saying it's fun, interesting and good for your atar:
Business Studies: Again I've heard mixed reviews some saying its piss easy and others saying its very boring. My teachers have said that the content is very easy to grasp. Also, there are some selfish reasons that come into play, my mum has a doctorate in business and would therefore be a great help.
Business Services VET: This caught my attention because of the work experience hours. I think it would be quite enjoyable. But, I'm really not interested in pursuing business as of now. On the other hand, isn't just beneficial to have the certificate just in case? Something to put on the resume? I'm just concerned on how this will affect my atar, does it scale bad? Is it hard to get a 90+ atar when taking this subject?.

Thank you so much!!

 

[jimmysmith560]

First, you should obtain a good idea what exactly is taught within those subjects. You might be able to make a more informed decision based on this relevant information:

Legal Studies:

This course provides students with opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the nature and functions of law and law-making, the development of Australian and international legal systems, the Australian constitution and law reform. Students investigate the key areas of law, justice and human rights through a variety of focus studies which consider how changes in societies influence law reform.

First, let's look at what is taught in Preliminary Legal Studies:

Part I: The legal system:

Students develop an understanding of the nature and functions of law through the examination of the law-making processes and institutions.

Things you learn about include:

• Basic legal concepts
• Sources of contemporary Australian law common law
• Statute law

Part II: The individual and the law:

Students investigate the way in which the law impacts on individuals by referring to legal and non-legal institutions, laws and media reports.

Things you learn about include:

• Rights and responsibilities
• Resolving disputes
• The individual and technology

Part III: Law in practice:

Students investigate contemporary issues that illustrate how the law operates in practice.

Things you learn about include:

• Groups/individuals suffering disadvantage
• individuals or groups in conflict with the state

Now let's take a look at what is taught in HSC Legal Studies. This can give you an idea of what you can expect as you commence year 12:

Part I of the core - Crime:

Through the use of a range of contemporary examples, students investigate criminal law, processes and institutions and the tension between community interests and individual rights and freedoms.

Things you learn about include:

• the nature of crime
• the criminal investigation process
• the criminal trial process
• sentencing and punishment
• young offenders
• international crime.

Part II of the core - Human Rights:

Through the use of a range of contemporary examples, students investigate the notion of human rights and assess the extent to which legal systems embody such human rights and promote them in practice.

Things you learn about include the nature and development of human rights as well as promoting and enforcing human rights. You will also be required to investigate a contemporary issue that shows the promotion/enforcement of human rights.

Part III - Options:

Through the use of contemporary examples, students investigate the legal rights of consumers and the effectiveness of the law in achieving justice for consumers.

There are 7 options within this topic. You must study two of those options. The options are:

• Option 1: Consumers
• Option 2: Global environmental protection
• Option 3: Family
• Option 4: Indigenous peoples
• Option 5: Shelter
• Option 6: Workplace
• Option 7: World order

I won't go through each option in detail because then my post will become too big. Instead, I'll leave a link to the HSC Legal Studies syllabus document where you can access all the relevant information you may need about the content:

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu....s-stage-6-syllabus-2009.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=

Business Studies:

Business Studies explores different areas of business, where you'll be given the opportunity to build a foundation of general knowledge of the business world in year 11. In year 12, you will explore 4 important areas of business and will study contemporary business issues through case studies and apply the knowledge you acquire to problems encountered in the business environment.

Preliminary Business Studies covers the following:

• Nature of business - In this topic, you focus on the role and nature of business in a changing business environment.
• Business management - This topic focuses on what management involves as well as the responsibilities of management in the business environment.
• Business planning - This topic explores the process involved in planning and establishing a small to medium enterprise (SME).

HSC Business Studies covers the following:

• Operations - Divided into 4 main parts (role, influences, processes and strategies), operations is a key business function concerned with things like producing goods/services that you'll be exploring.
• Marketing - Divided into 4 main parts (role, influences, processes and strategies), marketing is a key business function concerned with things like successful promotion of a business's products (goods/services).
• Finance - Divided into 4 main parts (role, influences, processes and strategies), finance is a key business function concerned with all monetary aspects of running a business. It also covers some economics concepts such as exchange rates.
• Human resources - Divided into 5 main parts (role, influences, processes, strategies and effectiveness), human resource management is a key business function concerned with all aspects of employment and its life cycle.

Business Studies also covers legal aspects and relevant legislation. For example, you get to learn about the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 within the Marketing topic. You also get to learn about the Fair Work Act 2009 within the Human Resources topic. Business Studies is also the subject I would personally recommend taking, because while some might find it boring, concepts are relatively easy to understand, meaning good performance is definitely possible.

Business Services:

I'm not entirely sure what the Business Services course entails exactly, but if business isn't your area of interest, then I don't see a reason to undertake work experience while at the same time having to study content for a subject you don't feel you'd enjoy. There is no doubt that receiving a certificate is a good thing, but do you think you will need it at some point in the future (considering what you wish to study beyond your HSC)?

While Business Services is not said to scale great, scaling should not be the basis for taking a subject. What you should prioritise is your interest in that subject and whether you feel you can perform well in it, because you can generally perform well in a subject regardless of its scaling, provided you are regularly studying and staying up-to-date with content, allowing you to perform well in assessment tasks and exams.

I hope this helps!