ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => VIC Year 9 Discussion => Topic started by: turtlesforeveryone on August 05, 2018, 08:33:02 pm

Title: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: turtlesforeveryone on August 05, 2018, 08:33:02 pm
Until now, I've been pretty confident on accelerating to specialist 1/2 once I'm in year 10, but recently others in higher grades have said that this is not such a good idea.

Against (what others have said):
- won't make friends with year 11s, but will with year 10s.
- specialist 1/2 is a waste of time because it is mainly unrelated to 3/4.
- specialist 1/2 contains mostly competition math
- it is a better path to do methods, then go for specialist.

For (what I previously thought):
- I'm pretty interested in math and specialist math covers more abstract topics than methods, similar to higher level math
- I've completed the methods course on my own (both 1/2 and 3/4)
- I've been kind of severely depleted from a good math class that challenges me, and my current school doesn't really help with that (I can't go into a higher class, no one in my class feels the same as me, no one I can really talk to). So I can only self study (to my own interest, of course), without anyone to talk to...

Anyone can provide a commentary or just point me in a direction?
Title: Re: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: PhoenixxFire on August 05, 2018, 08:49:14 pm
Are you planning on accelerating methods as well?

Quote from: VCAA
Enrolment in Specialist Mathematics Units 3 and 4 assumes a current enrolment in, or previous completion of, Mathematical Methods Units 3 and 4.
I'm not sure if that's a requirement or a suggestion (although it may be a requirement at your school).

The only one of those arguments against that is valid imo is the last one as it will potentially be hard for you to jump to specialist - although if you've been self learning methods it might be possible, provided you haven't missed any important concepts.

If your school allows it you may also be able to do specialist unit 1 and then drop to methods unit 2 if it's too hard. (VCAA allows this but your school may not).

Ultimately it's up to you. If you think you can do it, and your school allows it then go for it, the worst that will happen is you'll either drop to methods halfway through the year or have to do methods the next year instead.
Title: Re: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: turtlesforeveryone on August 05, 2018, 09:04:48 pm
Are you planning on accelerating methods as well?
I'm not sure if that's a requirement or a suggestion (although it may be a requirement at your school).

The only one of those arguments against that is valid imo is the last one as it will potentially be hard for you to jump to specialist - although if you've been self learning methods it might be possible, provided you haven't missed any important concepts.

If your school allows it you may also be able to do specialist unit 1 and then drop to methods unit 2 if it's too hard. (VCAA allows this but your school may not).

Ultimately it's up to you. If you think you can do it, and your school allows it then go for it, the worst that will happen is you'll either drop to methods halfway through the year or have to do methods the next year instead.

Thanks for the response. After more discussion I'm pretty much thinking it won't happen. I'm not sure where to go from here, because ultimately I just want to be in a class that actually interests and challenges me, which hasn't happened yet, and I naively thought specialist was the answer. Right now all I'm thinking is how lucky it would be if I could just go to uni lectures, or talk to others that have a thorough interest in math...

I am worrying that since I've completed the methods course, being in methods 1/2 will be really boring, like how I am right now :(
Title: Re: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: PhoenixxFire on August 05, 2018, 09:11:54 pm
Have you considered doing uni extension maths? You need to have done/be doing 3/4 maths to do it but it would at least give you something interesting to do for one year.
Title: Re: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: turtlesforeveryone on August 05, 2018, 09:16:16 pm
Have you considered doing uni extension maths? You need to have done/be doing 3/4 maths to do it but it would at least give you something interesting to do for one year.

It's definitely in my plan, too bad it's two years away from now :/
Title: Re: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: HUA0007 on July 28, 2021, 01:06:09 pm
Until now, I've been pretty confident on accelerating to specialist 1/2 once I'm in year 10, but recently others in higher grades have said that this is not such a good idea.

Against (what others have said):
- won't make friends with year 11s, but will with year 10s.
- specialist 1/2 is a waste of time because it is mainly unrelated to 3/4.
- specialist 1/2 contains mostly competition math
- it is a better path to do methods, then go for specialist.

For (what I previously thought):
- I'm pretty interested in math and specialist math covers more abstract topics than methods, similar to higher level math
- I've completed the methods course on my own (both 1/2 and 3/4)
- I've been kind of severely depleted from a good math class that challenges me, and my current school doesn't really help with that (I can't go into a higher class, no one in my class feels the same as me, no one I can really talk to). So I can only self study (to my own interest, of course), without anyone to talk to...

Anyone can provide a commentary or just point me in a direction?
1. Idk what school you go to but spec is ONLY for duxes. They're for kids that are deadset on taking advantage of the scaling.
2. Doing spec means (I'm Asian or Chinese) you have to be the Asian that's really Asian about study/exams
3. The problem in yr 9/10 it's really hard to try cause of how slack school is in yr9/10
4. You have to TRY because these are the really hard/Asian subjects
5. The really mathy kids NEVER write long posts or even bother with English
6. You'd have to follow the class but the sacs and exams have to be hard
7. I DIDN'T do spec and I got a shit SS for Methods (29 raw in 2019) but it's not wrong the stereotypes literally on yr9/10 forums
8. I've been in Yr9/10 on ATARnotes no one online shows how much study/exams or they only talk about methods/spec years after they've done the subject so ofc they're like "no pressure" "it's not as hard as ppl think it is" etc..
Title: Re: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: mabajas76 on July 28, 2021, 01:43:28 pm
Ok well I am currently doing spesh in year 11 and would like to share my imput.
So my school is annoyingly similar, due to some stupid new program I ended up finishing all math up to the start of 1/2 methods (so I did like year 10 enrichment level math) by the end of year 8. But my school was like nah ur year 5 naplan is too low so stay in normal math. Most boring 2 years of my life I swear to God. But anyway now I am doing spesh and methods and in regards to spesh I have some interesting opinions.
1) How difficult spesh is really comes down to how you learn. I absolutely do not believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is some mysterious and difficult beast of a subject that only "asians" as HUA put it can do. It is infact not that much harder than methods, in fact I would even dare to say that at times it is EASIER than methods. The reasons are:
1) The style for learning spesh is far different from methods. In the 1/2 it will be mostly new things and all of it will be new and look intimidating. But the bulk of your learning will not come from learning formulas as it is in methods, a thorough understanding of the theory and appreciation of how they work is vital to enjoying spesh. It is more of a theroy based subject where u need to look at how it works and learn the basics. Some of the questions will be basic "Use formula" but that is because it is all providing a tool box and building the foundation for a future study in math where what u learn will be great to have.
2) Their style of learning bleeds into the style of exams and tests. Unlike in methods where they try to trick you with stupid questions that r just worded so weirdly spesh has a very different approach. Here is the problem, this is what you have to do, do it. Sounds easier right? I mean in methods figuring out the question is like half the battle sometimes but with spesh, u know what u have to do. The only question is how to do it. And boy, is that hard :(. They r not easy questions, the questions may be simple but what they r asking will appear confusing and intimidating and u will really struggle with some of them, but being able to work at it and think about it is part of what makes it so fun. It is all about what idea you come up with, how u manage to go about solving it etc. Unless specified, they won't care what method u use to find the answer. One favorite of mine is when it gives u a geometric shape (usually 2), and what I developed was a way to simply graph the shape (Circle equation, or just y=something x=something to get rectangles/squares) and then solve the geometry question as a pure algebra question. As long as u can show how u got the answer, in general u r good.
3) The content is wild. DO NOT BOTHER LOOKING AT THE STUDY DESIGN!!! Most useless peice of crap for spesh. How it works in the 1/2 r there are like 3 areas ur school is requied to show u, vectors, geometry and I think non linear graphs. Then the rest is up to them to choose between a variety of things. But u will find most of it is very cool and very fun, if u have a good teacher they will show u real world applications of the math but I digress.
If u really r bored in math, and r as good as u say u r, then by all means go for it! It will be hard, it won't come as easily as some other subjects but I feel like the struggle makes it all the more worth it and most importantly have some fun exploring some cool math :)
Title: Re: Accelerate to Specialist 2019?
Post by: HUA0007 on July 28, 2021, 02:53:14 pm
Ok well I am currently doing spesh in year 11 and would like to share my imput.
So my school is annoyingly similar, due to some stupid new program I ended up finishing all math up to the start of 1/2 methods (so I did like year 10 enrichment level math) by the end of year 8. But my school was like nah ur year 5 naplan is too low so stay in normal math. Most boring 2 years of my life I swear to God. But anyway now I am doing spesh and methods and in regards to spesh I have some interesting opinions.
1) How difficult spesh is really comes down to how you learn. I absolutely do not believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is some mysterious and difficult beast of a subject that only "asians" as HUA put it can do. It is infact not that much harder than methods, in fact I would even dare to say that at times it is EASIER than methods. The reasons are:
1) The style for learning spesh is far different from methods. In the 1/2 it will be mostly new things and all of it will be new and look intimidating. But the bulk of your learning will not come from learning formulas as it is in methods, a thorough understanding of the theory and appreciation of how they work is vital to enjoying spesh. It is more of a theroy based subject where u need to look at how it works and learn the basics. Some of the questions will be basic "Use formula" but that is because it is all providing a tool box and building the foundation for a future study in math where what u learn will be great to have.
2) Their style of learning bleeds into the style of exams and tests. Unlike in methods where they try to trick you with stupid questions that r just worded so weirdly spesh has a very different approach. Here is the problem, this is what you have to do, do it. Sounds easier right? I mean in methods figuring out the question is like half the battle sometimes but with spesh, u know what u have to do. The only question is how to do it. And boy, is that hard :(. They r not easy questions, the questions may be simple but what they r asking will appear confusing and intimidating and u will really struggle with some of them, but being able to work at it and think about it is part of what makes it so fun. It is all about what idea you come up with, how u manage to go about solving it etc. Unless specified, they won't care what method u use to find the answer. One favorite of mine is when it gives u a geometric shape (usually 2), and what I developed was a way to simply graph the shape (Circle equation, or just y=something x=something to get rectangles/squares) and then solve the geometry question as a pure algebra question. As long as u can show how u got the answer, in general u r good.
3) The content is wild. DO NOT BOTHER LOOKING AT THE STUDY DESIGN!!! Most useless peice of crap for spesh. How it works in the 1/2 r there are like 3 areas ur school is requied to show u, vectors, geometry and I think non linear graphs. Then the rest is up to them to choose between a variety of things. But u will find most of it is very cool and very fun, if u have a good teacher they will show u real world applications of the math but I digress.
If u really r bored in math, and r as good as u say u r, then by all means go for it! It will be hard, it won't come as easily as some other subjects but I feel like the struggle makes it all the more worth it and most importantly have some fun exploring some cool math :)

1) I honestly feel for some kids to even choose spec and take it seriously is harder than doing the subject itself
2) I finished methods in 2019.... Just buy the Yr12 book...it's the ultimate exam subject
3) The study design for maths but it's exams. I can look at Yr12 spec exam and go like I have to youtube someone doing these questions or a high scorer
4) Here is a channel and a website from someone who scored high in both
https://qncubed3.wixsite.com/maths                                  Website he tutes math
https://www.youtube.com/c/qncubed3/videos              His channel it screams engineer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xia-mY7cQY   He did the subject and he can do the entire exam himself
5) the person i just showed Quan Nguyen he went to suzanne cory
yoooo he got a 98.55
his yr7-12
tried really hard the smart asian yr 7/8
aced melb high test
went to suzanne dunno why
from yr 9 always studying to beocme an engineer

the subejcts too???
English He can write 3 essays in 3 hours???????????
Spec
Methods
Physics
P.E??????????????????????????? the theory right? his vlogging he aint looking very p.e.....
that's easier than chem right

I swear his goal in high school was to make this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YhRWJ3M-rw&t=452s
2020 ATAR & Study Scores Reaction Video

p.e?????
u mean the choose subject and turn up and cram the theory right

didn;t do chem = no doctor

physics + spec + methods = engineer

english????? so he's good at english so that's how he got into a selective school

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