Is studying a Units 1/2 subject in Year 10 worth it?

[Joseph41]

Many of you will have the opportunity to study a Units 1/2 subject in Year 10 next year. For those who don't know, Units 1/2 is basically the equivalent of Year 11. Usually, you do 1/2 subjects in Year 11, and then Units 3/4 subjects in Year 12, but that doesn't mean you have to do them like that. If you have the opportunity to essentially start VCE early by studying a 1/2 subject in Year 10, I really recommend here. Here are some reasons why.

#1 Starting VCE early is a great experience.
Can it be daunting? Scary? Sure, it can be. Starting VCE is almost the beginning of the end of your high school journey, and for some people it might seem like a really big jump up in workload, pressure and so on. But honestly, I think the advantages of starting early outweigh the negatives.

If nothing else, you get your foot in the door. You get a greater understanding of how VCE works, and what the expectations are like - things you can only really understand from experience. And this experience will put you in good stead to succeed in your other subjects, too - not just the one(s) you've taken early.

Even if you hate the 1/2 subject, but the process helps you find the best ways to study for you, then that's a big win!

#2 It makes VCE subject selection easier.
Think about it: you kind of get an insight into a VCE subject, and that's going to be hugely beneficial when it comes to deciding whether or not you want to pursue Units 3/4 of that subject. There's no obligation to do a 3/4 subject if you hate it at 1/2 level.

My experience:

Year 10: Business Management 1/2, Geography Unit 1, History Unit 1
Year 11: Business Management 3/4, English Language 1/2, Maths Methods 1/2, Art 1/2, Visual Communication Design 1/2, Psychology 1/2

As you can see, I did Business Management Units 1/2 in Year 10, and then continued with it at 3/4 level. I also did Unit 1 of both Geography and History in Year 10. This wasn't really my choice - it was just part of the accelerated course I was in. I didn't much like either of them, so I simply didn't continue with them - great insight that otherwise I wouldn't have had.

Year 12: English Language 3/4, Further Maths 3/4, Health & Human Development 3/4, Visual Communication Design 3/4, Psychology 3/4

And then, as you can see, I dropped Methods and Art for Further and HHD in Year 12. I hadn't done the 1/2 subjects for either Further or HHD, but didn't need to. It's much more difficult to skip the Units 1/2 equivalent for some subjects.

If you're interested, I really recommend having a read of our VCE subject reviews for a whole heap of subjects.

#3 An easier Year 12 experience?
Taking a 1/2 subject in Year 10, for the most part, should make taking the 3/4 equivalent in Year 11 much easier. And there are heaps of benefits of doing this - I outline some of them in this thread here. But basically:
* Potentially an extra 10% on your ATAR "aggregate". You don't really need to understand what this means at the moment - but basically, it just means your ATAR will probably benefit.
* You might be able to do fewer subjects in Year 12 - more time up your sleeve.
* Doing a subject early means you can really actively learn from what you did/did not do well in that subject, and then apply it to your final year of high school.

#4 Ultimately...
What have you got to lose? We have heaps of people on ATAR Notes who have done this, and will be more than happy to share their perspectives. Feel free to ask whatever questions you have!