Subject Advice (3 Viewers)

[nutcracker]

^ My impression also. But what Sayangliss is saying doesn't disprove or contradict that in any way, does it? She's just saying that your highest HSC mark may not necessarily be your highest scaled mark, but either way, it's still your highest scaled marks that are taken into consideration.

..Right?

 

[Shadowdude]

Yeah, I think that's it.

 

[kyokaku92]

kyokaku92 and Aquawhite, thanks for the advice guys

I was thinking the exact same thing as what you two have said but I wasn't too sure if I was correct. Boy, a bit of reassurance can go a long way.

Nutcracker, I understand what you and DCH are saying, but simply put it - I really don't have time for MORE maths. I'm already doing upwards of 1.5 - 2 hours a night on exercises. For 2U maths, we don't get 1 exercise, we get 2 or sometimes even 3. I've got 2 seperate majors which go for the length of the year that require quite a bit of time. And then there are the heavy theory subjects like SOR2 and PDHPE. I'm not saying these 2 are hard, but they require time. English is a lot of analysing, reading and essay length questions (mostly past paper HSC questions which take around 40 mins)

If you add all that up, plus lifestyle factors like dinner, taking the dog for a walk, travel time to school etc, I really don't have much extra time to spend on 2U maths.

No worries buddy!! I was in your position at the end of Term 3 year 11 when I contemplated dropping 3U maths because I was doing shit in it, took too much time (Cambridge = rage), found it hard, boring and time wasting = doing crap in my other subjects I know I was capable of 90%+. I had a discussion with the Maths HOD and he told me if you are ranked say in the top 15-20 of the year in 2U, you'll definitely beat the bottom 20 in 4U in terms of ATAR scaling (he is an HSC marker btw). Now that I only do 2U (still use Cambridge) my marks have improved dramatically and I have more time to do other things. Besides its only 10 months to go so why bother changing subjects, I think its a waste of time catching up when you can jump ahead of the class in extra modules/topics.

 

[iSplicer]

Thanks, but no thanks to your advice.

You're what we call a bona fide, frustrated, fail chump. What my friend duckcow said is perfectly correct, and I am thankful for him to take the time to sit down and eloquently type out what I honestly couldn't be bothered to.

Yes, your subjects are pathetic. You are capped at a maximum mark. Read that sentence again. Digest it.

 

[Stormey]

Okay hero,

What are the subjects that are capping me, and what are the maximum marks which they cap me at?

List all of them please.

 

[iSplicer]

Okay hero,

What are the subjects that are capping me, and what are the maximum marks which they cap me at?

List all of them please.

Standard english: capped at the mid-high 80's, if not lower. If you pick general maths, same fate. THIS IS THE MAXIMUM MARK YOU CAN ACHIEVE. in reality it will be significantly lower unless you come first in the state.

 

[iSplicer]

Okay hero,

What are the subjects that are capping me, and what are the maximum marks which they cap me at?

List all of them please.

And the rest of your subjects scale quite poorly as well

 

[Stormey]

No fuss from me.

Atleast with General maths, I will have time to work on 6/6 subjects properly, instead of if I went with Advanced Maths, which would only allow me to work on 1/6 subjects at full potential as it takes time.

You're right, my subjects scale poorly, therefore I should spend the most amount of time available on them in order to negate as much scaling by getting a pretty high mark.

Also, (not being a smart ass here), but where did you get the info about Standard English mark capping?

Is it because there aren't many Band 6's handed out in Standard? I worked of the 2009 scaling table for English Standard and here's what came up:

English Standard

94 --> 92.8 scaled
86 --> 75.8 scaled
77 --> 57.4 scaled
72 --> 46.8 scaled
67 --> 35.2 scaled
60 --> 24.0 scaled

Cheers

 

[Bisu]

Standard english: capped at the mid-high 80's, if not lower. If you pick general maths, same fate. THIS IS THE MAXIMUM MARK YOU CAN ACHIEVE. in reality it will be significantly lower unless you come first in the state.

rofl no.

 

[nutcracker]

^ But wait, even though they got those marks, they all get scaled down right? A subject being capped means that after scaling, you can't get above a certain mark?

Because if so, all of OP's subs are capped; except for advmaths & SOR2. Standard is, but not at as low a mark as iSplicer said - it's definitely above 90.
See table: http://www.uac.edu.au/documents/atar/2009_table_A3.pdf

It's kind of amusing, though, how worked up everyone is getting about this. Clearly OP isn't aiming for the 99+ atars that duckcowhybrid, iSplicer and myself want. So the scaling of subjects isn't one of his top priorities. So what? If he thinks he can do it without 2U maths, and it's definitely possible, it'll just take a lot of hard work and dedication, then leave him be. No need for verbal abuse.

 

[Shadowdude]

Yes, those are the 'HSC' marks I believe. Then, they are scaled down from there. So even a 95 in General Maths is scaled down to about 81 aggregate points. Anything capped means the maximum scaled mark for a subject is not 50, if the top mark is 50.

And me! I want 99 too...

 

[nutcracker]

Yes, those are the 'HSC' marks I believe. Then, they are scaled down from there. So even a 95 in General Maths is scaled down to about 81 aggregate points. Anything capped means the maximum scaled mark for a subject is not 50, if the top mark is 50.

And me! I want 99 too...

81? But on the table it says max HSC mark is 49.5/50, and the max scaled mark is 45.3/50? That's 91, right? (well approx) And what about the subjects that have a mark lower than 50 for their max mark - are they "capped" too?

And lol, yes you too Shadowdude

 

[Shadowdude]

Here we go:

47/50 in General --> 41.2/50
94 --> 82.4

So close enough.

And with a mark lower than 50 for their max mark... if their max scaled mark is not 50, then they are probably capped.

 

[duckcowhybrid]

Not at all. First in the state got 95. Second about 94. Third about 92. And that was just this year. That being said, the number of people getting Band 6 is really really small, compared to Advanced.

For 2009, 11.29% of the Advanced cohort got Band 6s. [Source]
For 2009, 0.2% of the Standard cohort got Band 6s. [Source]

Basically Stormey wants to drop to General and has made up his mind that he will. He doesn't need any more advice. Also Re: Standard English, that's a cap of 95 before scaling, or 93 after scaling. That's still very harsh. And Stormey isn't coming 1st in the state for Standard English.

STORMEY HEAR ME OUT HERE

IF YOU COME FIRST IN THE STATE IN MOST OF YOUR SUBJECTS YOU WILL STILL BE DRAGGED DOWN. ITS OK BECAUSE YOU'RE AIMING FOR 85. If you are studying as much as you say you are (I'm assuming 3 hours a night considering you spend 1.5-2 on 2U Maths (this is ridiculous btw, you shouldn't need more than 1 hour to ace 2U Maths)) then getting 85 should be piss easy. If you don't after 3 hours of study a night then you aren't trying hard enough. With a low ATAR aim getting the marks required is easy. For you this is the case. So General is still ok. Just it makes it less easy.

And don't think for a second that you're going to beat the 4U hero iSplicer with your marks in General. You won't, but good luck in getting 85.

Oh yeah and kyokaku: I wouldn't say bottom 20 in 4U (depends on school). In my school it'd be bottom 10 MAX.

Edit: Wait you need 93. It's gonna be quite a bit harder then. You'll need 90 in all your subjects. Especially now that you have General. And it's virtualy impossible to get 90 in St. English.

 

[Stormey]

I'm aiming for around 93ish however I only need 85.

 

[iSplicer]

Not at all. First in the state got 95. Second about 94. Third about 92. And that was just this year. That being said, the number of people getting Band 6 is really really small, compared to Advanced.

For 2009, 11.29% of the Advanced cohort got Band 6s. [Source]
For 2009, 0.2% of the Standard cohort got Band 6s. [Source]

Third in the state is 92, its worse than I thought it was

 

[iSplicer]

And duckcow, let's get out of this thread dude

 

[Shadowdude]

Besides, you'll do the same analysis thing in Std. English anyway, only in Adv. you do it a bit deeper and you do more of it.

 

[iSplicer]

Pick advanced english. its fucking easy to get 90's.

errrm no it isnt. But if you put the work in, a mark in the mid nineties is plausible, unlike in std where its fucking IMPOSSIBLE.

 

[annabackwards]

To be honest, you might as well drop maths altogether if you're working so hard that you were barely passing 2U and were already sacrificing time that should be spent on other subjects.

But hey, if you wanna do general maths then do it.