ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE Arts/Humanities/Health => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Humanities => Topic started by: ddddddddd on December 16, 2010, 05:53:11 pm
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For someone who has very limited knowledge or no knowledge in regards to the recent history that international studies and national politics deals with, which one is better to do? Or could I just do both anyway?-as in will my limited knowledge of current affairs be a problem, do we look at the most recent or present stuff in class? Will doing both mean more research? At the moment, I'm thinking of maybe doing national politics over int.studies, because then the areas of research will be limited to two-America and Australia? Can someone please reassure me? :)
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I was in a similar position to you. I ended up taking neither for faculty reasons. Basically IS is more interesting but yes a little harder. NatPol is focusing on Australia and US I believe. If you do both make sure you are strong at English. The fact you are doing lit and philosophy leads me to believe you are though :P
Honestly I'd pick IS over natpol.
Limited knowledge of current affairs is easily solved. Get a subscription to a journal, read it weekly. Also go look up Palestine, Iraq, DPRK etc.
Good luck, if you have more questions ask me.
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Well I did natpol this year, and yes it is pretty much only based on Australia with only a little of the US and if you choose to write on foreign affairs, knowledge of regional events.
AOS 1 - Comparing AUS and US in regards to executive, judiciary, legislative workings as well as how democratic they are.
AOS 2 - Looking at change in the australian political institutions
AOS 3 - Formulating Australian public policy
AOS 4 - Regional foreign policy
Only contemporary knowledge is required for all of the areas of study. I found that very little additional research was needed outside of reading the newspaper and using the textbook.
Essentially for the exam, you really only need to specialise in two areas, so if you weren't that confident, you could always focus on AOS 2+3 for the essays (exam is made up of short answer on each aos and 2 essays - Unit 3 & Unit 4), so you wouldn't have to know much about other countries at all.
So yeah, if you have little knowledge of foreign affairs or just aren't as fond of it as australian affairs, go for natpol.
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I was forced to take international studies because National didn't get the numbers. Having completed international, I still wish I could have taken National. While international was certainly interesting, I have a better grasp of national politics. But I guess it's a personal preference.
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Thanks everyone for your replies, it's all been really helpful. I have decided to do IS though-just because I've decided to Aus Hist instead of n.p. I know a lot of people think it's boring, but I am probably one of the rare few who actually enjoyed doing it in yr 10 and 11. Thanks again for your advice!
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i did IS and NP with no knowledge in either. If i had to drop one or the other i think i would have cried.