What to keep for Yr 12? (1 Viewer)

[Zeref]

So at the moment im confused on what i should drop. I'm doing 14 units:

3U maths (keeping for sure but not picking up 4u)
3U english
Physics (keeping for sure)
Chemistry
Biology
Business Studies

im doing poorly on chemistry as I struggle with the basics concepts (due to me screwing around during yr 7-10) however mol calculations im OK at. Biology and Business studies is a joke of a subject atm so i want to drop one of it. ik business scales bad however my grade isnt that good at biology so gotta consider moderation. i COULD drop both leaving me on 10 but i really dont want to do ext 1 english. this would mean i have to really pick up my game for chemistry ><

Option 1:
3u maths
3u english
Physics
Chemistry

Option 2:
3u maths
2u english
Physics
Business
Chemistry/Biology


idk guys i really need help :/ are there any things you need to have a good understanding of the prelim sciences for the hsc course?

 

[RivalryofTroll]

OPTION 1:
3U English
3U Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Arguments for - option 1:
- Maximised scaling option --> beneficial for ATAR, only assuming that you were equally good at everything.
- Even though you hated Ext 1 English in Year 11, you might like it in Year 12.
- 10 units = more time to focus on subjects.

Arguments against - option 1:
- ''I really don't want to do Ext 1 English'' --> seems like you hated it in Year 11 and probably shouldn't pursue it in Year 12.
- Your doubts for Chemistry.
- 10 units = no back-up for extreme cases.

Not too sure if it's the same for Chemistry but for Physics - really... only basic preliminary understanding was needed for the HSC course for me. But I think preliminary Chemistry is probably more important than preliminary Physics - in the end, you could always consolidate what you need in the upcoming holidays.
From my personal experience, in Year 11 - I was consistently ranked in the 20s and 30s (more so 30s mainly) in Physics and by the end of the Year, I was thinking of dropping it (because I was 4th in Economics and 2nd in Business - despite the smaller cohorts in these subs - I knew I was better in the social sciences, despite not going tutoring for these subs, while doing so for Physics) so I could do 10 units in Year 12 since I was looking at mid-band 5 for it. But I decided against it cause I already spent ''tutoring money'' on Physics so might as well continue was my mentality.

Fast forward to Year 12 - I ranked in the top 15 and top 10 for the first two Physics assessments. Ranked in the top 25 in the 3rd. Then ranked in the top 20 for trials. By the end of it all, my new-found consistency throughout year 12 allowed me to hit overall tied 12th (or top 17) out of 95~ in Physics - which means I can possibly get a low band 6 if I do well in externals - hopefully - (last year got 18 band 6s, year before got 16 band 6s).
In Year 12 - As for Business, I ended up being 2nd overall (again) out of 38~ in Year 12 and as for Economics, 3rd overall out of 68.
In the end, Physics ended up becoming a good-back up and possibly a subject that can count over something else (since it scales better than Business so there's the possibility).

So feel free to keep Chemistry and/or Extension 1 English because you can definitely improve in these subjects (or alternatively, you could possibly get worse at the subjects you felt more confident with - in Year 11).

OPTION 2:
ADV English
3U Maths
Physics
Business
Biology

Arguments for:
- If you're doing too poorly in Chemistry, maybe it's not the subject for you perhaps?

Arguments against:
- Biology and Business don't scale/align as well as Chemistry.

If I were you personally, I'd choose 12 units at first - starting Year 12:
Ext 1 English
Ext 1 Mathematics
Chemistry
Physics
Biology/Business (who cares about your grade to be honest - just choose the one that you are stronger in)

then feel free to drop down to 11 or 10 units throughout the year?

 

[bedpotato]

are there any things you need to have a good understanding of the prelim sciences for the hsc course?

really... only basic preliminary understanding was needed for the HSC

Yeah. These are the main things I can think of from prelim chem that you would need for HSC:
- the different types of bonds (intermolecular and intramolecular - including hydrogen bonding, dipoole-dipole, dispersion)
- polarity (polar and non-polar molecules / like dissolves like)
- solubility rules
- calculations (including mole ratios)
- exothermic/endothermic reactions
- some general stuff: catalysts, activation energy
- REDOX reactions
These are probably the most important things you need to know, most of these come up in the HSC A LOT.

I would do:
3U maths
adv english (you said you really don't want to do 3U)
physics
chemistry/biology/business --> any two of these (or all three if you want which will leave you with 13 units, and then you can later drop one if you hate it)

For bio, nothing really...the only useful things seem to be a couple of concepts from patterns in nature. I didn't even do that module lol, so I was ranked in the bottom half of the cohort in the yearly for prelim (70% of the exam was patterns in nature), but I'm doing fine now. Maybe natural selection, osmosis/diffusion...but you can learn this during the HSC.

Don't know about physics. I did prelim physics but dropped it for HSC.

Also, don't worry about the scaling of business, as long as you do well and you're at the top (or near the top), you'll be fine. And for bio, don't worry about your grade, focus on yourself. You can't really do anything about the rest of the cohort, again, try to do well and be at the top and you'll be fine.

Just choose what you think you will enjoy.

 

[Zeref]

I'd like to start things off by thanking both of you guys for ur time and effort for an in depth response just wondering, which science is harder? physics or chemistry? maybe thats a derp question but what aspects from both sciences were difficult or challenging?

OPTION 1:
3U English
3U Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry

Arguments for - option 1:
- Maximised scaling option --> beneficial for ATAR, only assuming that you were equally good at everything.
- Even though you hated Ext 1 English in Year 11, you might like it in Year 12.
- 10 units = more time to focus on subjects.

Arguments against - option 1:
- ''I really don't want to do Ext 1 English'' --> seems like you hated it in Year 11 and probably shouldn't pursue it in Year 12.
- Your doubts for Chemistry.
- 10 units = no back-up for extreme cases.

Not too sure if it's the same for Chemistry but for Physics - really... only basic preliminary understanding was needed for the HSC course for me. But I think preliminary Chemistry is probably more important than preliminary Physics - in the end, you could always consolidate what you need in the upcoming holidays.
From my personal experience, in Year 11 - I was consistently ranked in the 20s and 30s (more so 30s mainly) in Physics and by the end of the Year, I was thinking of dropping it (because I was 4th in Economics and 2nd in Business - despite the smaller cohorts in these subs - I knew I was better in the social sciences, despite not going tutoring for these subs, while doing so for Physics) so I could do 10 units in Year 12 since I was looking at mid-band 5 for it. But I decided against it cause I already spent ''tutoring money'' on Physics so might as well continue was my mentality.

Fast forward to Year 12 - I ranked in the top 15 and top 10 for the first two Physics assessments. Ranked in the top 25 in the 3rd. Then ranked in the top 20 for trials. By the end of it all, my new-found consistency throughout year 12 allowed me to hit overall tied 12th (or top 17) out of 95~ in Physics - which means I can possibly get a low band 6 if I do well in externals - hopefully - (last year got 18 band 6s, year before got 16 band 6s).
In Year 12 - As for Business, I ended up being 2nd overall (again) out of 38~ in Year 12 and as for Economics, 3rd overall out of 68.
In the end, Physics ended up becoming a good-back up and possibly a subject that can count over something else (since it scales better than Business so there's the possibility).

So feel free to keep Chemistry and/or Extension 1 English because you can definitely improve in these subjects (or alternatively, you could possibly get worse at the subjects you felt more confident with - in Year 11).

OPTION 2:
ADV English
3U Maths
Physics
Business
Biology

Arguments for:
- If you're doing too poorly in Chemistry, maybe it's not the subject for you perhaps?

Arguments against:
- Biology and Business don't scale/align as well as Chemistry.

If I were you personally, I'd choose 12 units at first - starting Year 12:
Ext 1 English
Ext 1 Mathematics
Chemistry
Physics
Biology/Business (who cares about your grade to be honest - just choose the one that you are stronger in)

then feel free to drop down to 11 or 10 units throughout the year?

LOL same thing with me for physics! even if i wanted to drop it i don't want to seeing as though i've spent 3 terms on physics tutoring. its the only science i get tutoring for. I guess I will go with Option 2 although for biology and business, im good at rote learning so idk if i should drop. business im usually first if not second for any assessment task however im average for biology because i never took it srsly (it was so boring T______T although i read on other threads that it gets rly interesting).

My atar aim is 90+ i dont really have any courses i want to particularly do so choosing what science to keep is such a pain :L

Yeah. These are the main things I can think of from prelim chem that you would need for HSC:
- the different types of bonds (intermolecular and intramolecular - including hydrogen bonding, dipoole-dipole, dispersion)
- polarity (polar and non-polar molecules / like dissolves like)
- solubility rules
- calculations (including mole ratios)
- exothermic/endothermic reactions
- some general stuff: catalysts, activation energy
- REDOX reactions
These are probably the most important things you need to know, most of these come up in the HSC A LOT.

I would do:
3U maths
adv english (you said you really don't want to do 3U)
physics
chemistry/biology/business --> any two of these (or all three if you want which will leave you with 13 units, and then you can later drop one if you hate it)

For bio, nothing really...the only useful things seem to be a couple of concepts from patterns in nature. I didn't even do that module lol, so I was ranked in the bottom half of the cohort in the yearly for prelim (70% of the exam was patterns in nature), but I'm doing fine now. Maybe natural selection, osmosis/diffusion...but you can learn this during the HSC.

Don't know about physics. I did prelim physics but dropped it for HSC.

Also, don't worry about the scaling of business, as long as you do well and you're at the top (or near the top), you'll be fine. And for bio, don't worry about your grade, focus on yourself. You can't really do anything about the rest of the cohort, again, try to do well and be at the top and you'll be fine.

Just choose what you think you will enjoy.

i'll revise those over the holidays thanks!

well my biology cohort consists of 2 sections. either ur a bio genius or a complete idiot who's bludging most of the time (me pretty much 90% of the time) so i guess i gotta put some work into bio.