Should I repeat Year 12? (1 Viewer)

Cyclamatic

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My HSC results this this year are a lot lower than I expected them to be (I /saw/ it coming because I slacked a lot, but seeing it in print sort of seals the deal). I'm devastated, and so are my parents. I wanted to do Comp Sci. at UNSW and then maybe try for Post-Grad Med, but that isn't happening due to my ATAR.

My new plan is to do another Computing course in UTS and then hopefully transfer to UNSW, but both my parents (especially my father) are telling me to repeat year 12. They're both incredibly angry at me and my Dad isn't speaking to me. I don't know what to do. They've lost all faith in me, and think my plan is terrible and they don't think I can do well in Uni.

I'm really confused as to what to do. Is my plan okay? Or should I listen and repeat Year 12?
 

enoilgam

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Repeating year 12 is just about the worst thing you can do. Basically, you will be wasting another year of your life re-doing the HSC. You are better off going to uni and starting a course with the intention of transfering, as you can take subjects related to your goal degree. So this method will take less time.

Also, when people repeat the HSC, the problems which plagued them the first time around usually plague them again during the repeat.
 

J18134

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Repeating year 12 is just about the worst thing you can do. Basically, you will be wasting another year of your life re-doing the HSC. You are better off going to uni and starting a course with the intention of transfering, as you can take subjects related to your goal degree. So this method will take less time.

Also, when people repeat the HSC, the problems which plagued them the first time around usually plague them again during the repeat.
This.

How bad did you do? What ATAR are you looking at. And basically take the advice above. And tell your parents to grow up. The HSC does not define you as a person and they should be supporting you right now.
 

Cheesecake_a

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I agree with the above. However, are your parents willing to listen to what you have to say? Or is it a kind of ''Do as I say'' attitude with your parents?

I wish the best for you.
 

brent012

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I wouldn't repeat if i was you, but just fyi there is no course at UTS directly comparable to computer science and when you do transfer I doubt you will be able to get exempted from as much as you'd like. Internal transfers are much less fuss and if you have a high enough ATAR for a computing course at UTS then i'd say you may be able to get into Comp Sci/Media Arts at UNSW which has a cut off of 82.
 

Cyclamatic

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My ATAR is pretty bad. Different calculators are telling me different things, but I'm looking at around high 70s-low 80s at the moment.

I'm not sure if I can get into a Comp Sci. degree directly to UNSW. If not, what courses at what unis are there that could get me some kind of exemption at UNSW?

My mum is a lot more flexible, but my Dad is pretty much set on me repeating. In the end it's my choice, but I don't want to make a bad decision knowing that I disappointed my Dad terrible like three times.
 

-may-cat-

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No big deal, just do a B. Sci, take Comp. Sci. units then transfer...?
 

brent012

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No big deal, just do a B. Sci, take Comp. Sci. units then transfer...?
This. (if it's possible, im not sure?). If you are looking at high 70s-low 80s then i'd definitely make sure i had Comp Sci/Media Arts at UNSW down as your first preference! The HSC Plus site isn't very helpful when it comes to bonus marks for relatively obscure combined courses, but im sure there are a few bonus points you may be eligible for.
 
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-may-cat-

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A very good friend of mine did this, 99% sure he started out in the B. Sci. Just took Comp sci units as if he were doing the B. Comp. Sci., then transferred the credit over when he transferred into the new program. Heaps of people do this, it's really not at all hard to do so long as you have decent marks
 

Cyclamatic

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I'm a bit worried about Media Arts/Comp Sci. Am I going to have to be super creative and been playing with photo shop since I was 10 in order to do well in it? :/

Thank you for the responses. I'll try and discuss it with my Dad, and I really hope he'll listen to me.
 
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Repeating year 12 is just about the worst thing you can do. Basically, you will be wasting another year of your life re-doing the HSC. You are better off going to uni and starting a course with the intention of transfering, as you can take subjects related to your goal degree. So this method will take less time.

Also, when people repeat the HSC, the problems which plagued them the first time around usually plague them again during the repeat.
+1
I'm a bit worried about Media Arts/Comp Sci. Am I going to have to be super creative and been playing with photo shop since I was 10 in order to do well in it? :/

Thank you for the responses. I'll try and discuss it with my Dad, and I really hope he'll listen to me.
good luck!
 

-may-cat-

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Note that if you plan to transfer, you just use the initial degree as a 'shell' degree. What these means is that you only take units which are relevant to your desired degree and disregard all the requirements of the initial degree that are not relevant. You can then transfer the credit from these units over when you transfer into your desired degree. Your essentially doing a Comp. Sci. under a different name for a little while.

So say you decided to initially go with a Media Arts/Comp Sci, you just take comp. sci. units for your first year and disregard any other non relevant units (eg. media). Then, when you transfer into the B. Comp. Sci you also transfer over the credit from the comp. sci. units you took . You enter into Comp. Sci. having completed the first year requirements already, just under a different degree.

EDIT: I don't go to UNSW so i don't know the specific requirements of each degree. However this is a VERY common thing to do at uni. The key is to pick an initial degree that is very flexible, so you aren't forced to take non relevant core units (compulsory) that would waste your time and money. This is why i recommended a B. Sci.; it is a very flexible degree that would allow you to take comp. sci. units without locking you in to non relevant core units.
 
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Cyclamatic

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Thank you! But say I don't get a high enough mark to transfer courses, will it essentially be damaging to me if I disregard the other Media units?
 

-may-cat-

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Of course, all of what i stated above assumes that you get high enough marks to transfer. You cannot graduate from a degree unless you complete all the requirements.
 

brent012

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Thank you! But say I don't get a high enough mark to transfer courses, will it essentially be damaging to me if I disregard the other Media units?
If you are hypothetically continually unable to transfer due to poor marks it puts you in a very awkward position. You would probably decide to keep doing Comp Sci/Media Arts rather than drop out or transfer unis but you would have to try and do all the Media Arts subjects you neglected to graduate and with prerequisites and subjects which dont run in certain semesters (if UNSW do that) it is almost impossible that you would be able to complete the degree in the expected time. That's an unlikely, but very possible scenario - if you try hard in uni your effort will be rewared and you will be able to transfer by the end of first year with no problems.
 

Cyclamatic

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So as a safety net would it be better off for me to take all of the units in my first year, just in case I don't get high enough marks? I personally believe I can maintain a decent marks, but both my parents believe otherwise and I don't want to take the chance.
 

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