Subject Selection: Ancient or Modern History? (1 Viewer)

spoonbender

Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2007
Messages
91
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
If you don't like essays or you're not very fast in exams, then avoid modern like the plague. I do modern and I am struggling like hell because I'm so slow in exams. The modern exam has 5 essays (including 2 extended responses) plus sources. It's way way harder than Year 10 history IMO. I'm not sure as to specifics for ancient, but I think their exam is less demanding. And content. There is so much content to learn!
 
Last edited:

Sarebs

Member
Joined
Aug 10, 2009
Messages
315
Location
The Classical World
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
I suggest Modern.

I do ancient history and find it rarely relates to my life or is relevant today.

But modern is more work as it is more in depth, but in my opinion, worth it.
 

-may-cat-

Tired Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
3,472
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
heh heh, people are being so biased towards the one history they take. I think the best way to do it would be to actually go and find out what modules you would be taking in year 12. Some modern modules are quite boring, others are incredibly interesting. Same goes for ancient.

btw, as was mentioned before year 11 ancient is nothing, i repeat, nothing like HSC ancient. The prelim course is pretty shit, but if you get good modules the HSC course is awsome. So yeah, i would really find out what modules your teacher plans to teach.
 

driaxx

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2008
Messages
63
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
Modern history is the best subject I chose but I absolutely loved it from before hand!

In my class, the people who aren't interested don't go well because it's so content heavy.

I hate ancient so I didn't even consider it, but Modern is like the only subject I look forward to going to. In year 12 that's very rare for me! lol! I agree with Sarebs, I think I enjoy Modern because it relates to today's life.

Then again I'm just telling you how great Modern is because I personally hate ancient things since it happened so long ago. I'm being very closed minded but I find it has no relevance in my life.

Basically choose what you enjoy better. Like may cat said, try do some research into it.
 

pongyboy

New Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Messages
3
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
After doing both histories, I much prefer Modern.
It's pretty content heavy though so be prepared to put in some real commitment if you want to do well.
Ancient on the other hand, I find really easy to study - any question they'll ask you in exams would just be on a certain dot point(s) from the syllabus whereas with Modern it's all over the place.
But remembering quotes for Ancient is a bitch.

Your best bet would be to check with your teachers what modules you'll be doing and see if you find them interesting.
 

cem

Premium Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2005
Messages
2,438
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
This is turning into a ramble, but personally i took history because i enjoy it and i thought it'd be ' fun ' but hsc sucks all the fun out of history ( my opinion) and also, for the historical period section last year, the cut off mark for band 6 was 17/25 ( thats how bad people do) apparently most people barely scrape 13/25. soo. yeahh. Its up to you really and my comments pretty biased. but thats just my two cents. I wish someone had told me this last year.

May I ask how you know these cut-off figures - remembering that six judges individually recommend and the total of all six is added up and divided to reach the actual cut-offs.

I did judging for Modern for a number of years and I couldn't tell you what the cut-offs for any question was as I simply didn't know what the other judges were recommending, only what I was (and in Modern I was at about 17/25 for the International Studies quesion one year but the question were used was an awful one with the state average sitting at about 12/25).
 

Sngbrd06

Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2009
Messages
30
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
I chose Modern, but because it interests me more. Although Ancient is in my alternates, so if I don't get Business.. I'll be doing both :0
 

mesbaz

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2007
Messages
142
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
May I ask how you know these cut-off figures - remembering that six judges individually recommend and the total of all six is added up and divided to reach the actual cut-offs.

I did judging for Modern for a number of years and I couldn't tell you what the cut-offs for any question was as I simply didn't know what the other judges were recommending, only what I was (and in Modern I was at about 17/25 for the International Studies quesion one year but the question were used was an awful one with the state average sitting at about 12/25).
The teacher in our HSIE faculty was a head marker i or something, im not sure. But we had one assessment where i did pretty poorly and i was quite upset & it was from the historical period module and yup she told me. She also told me she shouldn't be telling me lol, but since this sites pretty anonymous i didn't think it would be a problem o_O
 
Last edited:

in-sane

New Member
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
Messages
23
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2011
okay, ive submitted my subjects form.
and have chosen modern. :)

i asked my teacher about the contents of each and it was pretty much what you guys have stated already.

however, she did say the modern was easier.. o_o
something about having a lot of information available or something. (yes, i'm a crap listener).

but apparently the other history teacher said that modern was much harder and was for 'hard-core' history nerds.. :confused:

oh well..
i'll hope for the best.. :p
 

cem

Premium Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2005
Messages
2,438
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
The teacher in our HSIE faculty was a head marker i or something, im not sure. But we had one assessment where i did pretty poorly and i was quite upset & it was from the historical period module and yup she told me. She also told me she shouldn't be telling me lol, but since this sites pretty anonymous i didn't think it would be a problem o_O

If your teacher is a Head Marker they wouldn't be a judge.

If they are the Head Judge then they have been identified as there is only one Head Judge.
 

annabackwards

<3 Prophet 9
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
4,670
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
okay, ive submitted my subjects form.
and have chosen modern. :)

i asked my teacher about the contents of each and it was pretty much what you guys have stated already.

however, she did say the modern was easier.. o_o
something about having a lot of information available or something. (yes, i'm a crap listener).

but apparently the other history teacher said that modern was much harder and was for 'hard-core' history nerds.. :confused:

oh well..
i'll hope for the best.. :p
Enjoy modern ^^
 

Nicholas727

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2009
Messages
41
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
ancient or modern history?
which one should i choose & why?

i like both but only wants to choose one. /:
maybe which one scales better?

any help is appreciated. :)
Although I enjoy both, and don't regret picking either, if I had to choose between them modern would always win out. It scales better, has more interesting topics and is less about spitting out content and more about coherent analysis.
 

jeshxcore

Premium Member :)
Joined
Mar 11, 2009
Messages
295
Location
Upper North Shore
Gender
Female
HSC
2011
Atar is a rank, not a mark.
Just make sure you get the best rank you can..
So, pick the one you like best, because youre more likely to do better in the subjects you like..
 

ninetypercent

ninety ninety ninety
Joined
May 23, 2009
Messages
2,148
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
Ancient is a bit more interesting, but I would've picked Modern if I could choose again. (modern history is a tad bit harder => hence, intellectually satisfying)
 

1-99

Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2019
Messages
55
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
I much prefer Modern! It must scale the same, right?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top