Hey!
I'm not quite in year 9 anymore but I love the idea of this thread & I hope it's ok if I contribute :)
This is what my plan was:
- outdoor ed (3&4 in year 11)
- biology (3&4 in year 11)
- chemistry
- literature
- Japanese second language
- extension bio
@Pary_N how did you decide on these subjects?
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ps. How'd you find your subjects? Difficulty level? Enjoyment level?
ps2. So your plan didn't quite match up with what you actually did?
That's great! (Passion is so infectious & it's one of the things I love about my course)
I knew for SURE that I wanted to be a marine biologist since forever, except that in year 9 I started having minor doubts and in year 12 I had major doubts.
My school was fairly small, we had 3 VCE (uni pathway for years 11&12) homegroups and 2 VCAL (TAFE/trade pathway) homegroups . So there were lots of issues with timetable clashing and only being able to choose particular combinations of subjects.
In year 10 bio 1/2 & jap were in the same time slot so I had to drop jap. Then in year 11 bio3/4 and outdoor ed 3/4 were in the same time slot, so I had to drop OE.
I looked into uni bio but I felt that the travel to the nearest place I could learn it was too much. (Jokes on me since I now travel 2 hours each way for uni)
I picked up psych and physics because they were both sciences, and for physics the idea that it was math based was a bonus (I liked maths and was good at it but my school didn't offer spec).
In year 11 I felt that I wasn't learning at all in literature & I had heard about eng lang from friends at scouts, so I decided to do eng lang by distance ed in year 12 (it wasn't offered at my school).
I'm one of those people who would study everything if they had time, but I really did enjoy my VCE subjects - more so in units 3/4 than in 1/2. My favourite would have to be biology, simply because I've always loved bio & VCE bio was transformational for me.
Btw, chemistry will definitely be important to you if you go on to med :) (and I think it's required for all entry pathways into med too)
I didn't even know JMSS existed until year 12, best of luck getting in - it seems like you'll be a great match !
WHAT ARE U DOING IN VCE FELLOW LUNATIC
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[Snip]Thankyou!
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-snip-What do you think caused the change? :)
What do you think caused the change? :)
If I had my time again, I wouldn't do the same subjects. It's easy with hindsight because, of course, interests change all the time.
What subjects would you have picked if you could go back in time right now? ;D ;D
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I'm in year 9, and I'm thinking of doing either Methods or Physics (Units 1/2, not the year 10 versions) in Year 10.
Maths without a doubt is my favorite and strongest subject. (I score high a+/100%s on tests and exams consistently with only studying <30 mins). Physics is great as well.
My career path is much headed towards a mix of Analyzing stocks and program development for the stock market..
My plan for year 10 assuming that I pick physics early:
-Physics (1/2)
-Methods
-Algorithims
-Economics
-Computing
-Business Mgmt.
-[insert other electives here]
-English (compulsory)
All subjects listed apart from english, methods and physics are electives and only run for 2 terms each.
At our school, almost all of our year 10 subjects/course are electives.
Yr11
-Methods (1/2)
-Physics (3/4)
-EngLang (1/2)
-Economics (1/2)
-Specialist. (1/2)
Yr12
-Methods (3/4)
-EngLang (3/4)
-Economics (3/4)
- Software Development OR Algorithmics (I'm very interested in algorithmics. I really don't know which one to choose, any opinions? I know it's probably really early to even think about it. )
- Specialist (3/4)
So the real 2 questions here are: Software Dev or Algorithmics in yr12? and vce Physics or vce Methods in year 10? (I believe I can only pick 1 vce subject in yr10)
I think you'll be surprised at how simple the maths in VCE physics is (they aren't allowed to assume a methods level of math knowledge/skill when assessing you).
Having been a student that didn't need to study in the past, I think that the best thing you could get from year 11 is the knowledge and skills to study for a 3/4 subject.
So from that perspective my best guess would be for you to choose physics early.
Why did you assume studying VCE physics early?
Finally, welcome to atarnotes! :)
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Nothings set in stone yet (obviously) but I'm thinking about doing:
- Literature
- Philosophy (3/4 in year 11)
- Methods
- Chemistry
- Psychology
- Theatre Studies, VCD, English or Biology
I wish I could do more subjects! A lot of them sound really interesting.
- AlgorithmicsYES!!!!!!!! Fantastic. If you're interested in this space, this will be fantastic for you. Good way to also get some credit if you do a related degree @ Monash/Melb too :)
Just because it's not offered at your school doesn't mean you can't do it. Distance Ed is a common route students take to complete subjects that aren't offered at the home school. Keeping in mind that to do it, you require that motivation to self-study as you aren't in a physical classroom (it's virtual/blended learning).
Well I guess the question I have for you (and you probably won't be able to answer it in depth now), but do you have any idea as to what you want to do after school? From what I can gather based on your subject selection, you are more of that arts/humanities type of person. Is it wise to choose Science if that isn't really what you're interested in? Probably not.
The goal of elective options in Years 9 and 10 is to provide you with tasters of the different disciplines - to give you a better idea as to your pathway and VCE options. If you genuinely like Science and want to learn more - two questions: Do I want to do it in VCE and what type (as Gen Science disappears after Year 10 and breaks up into specific subjects - Bio, Psych, Chem, Physics etc).
Also keeping in mind any subject at Year 9 is significantly different from VCE. :)
Maybe Business? I think that'd go well with Accounting and Eco.
Definitely don't just choose something for the sake of it.
Really the two main reasons you should be considering when picking a subject at VCE level:
* Is it interesting to me?
* Do I need this for my future aspirations?
I have two plans that I'm juggling between and while it's a bit early to start deciding these are my plans:
PLAN A
2019 - Biology and PE
2020 - Chemistry and HHD
2021 - Literature and methods, plus two bludge subjects that won't count, plus UCAT.
PLAN B
2019 - Biology and PE
2020 - Literature, HHD, methods, chemistry
2021 - gap year and UCAT.
I have two plans that I'm juggling between and while it's a bit early to start deciding these are my plans:
PLAN A
2019 - Biology and PE
2020 - Chemistry and HHD
2021 - Literature and methods, plus two bludge subjects that won't count, plus UCAT.
PLAN B
2019 - Biology and PE
2020 - Literature, HHD, methods, chemistry
2021 - gap year and UCAT.
I didn't know you could repeat subjects! Well I guess that potentially changes things. Just to clarify, if I messed up and scored a lower SS the second time round, VCAA would still take my higher score?Yeah they'll take the highest. Might also be worth considering doing 2 English subjects if you're aiming for a high ATAR (I assume you're wanting to get into medicine given UCAT) because at least one English subject has to count in your top 4.
I was thinking of doing two subjects that I might not necessarily excel in academically, but is applicable and useful post-VCE, like maybe two LOTE subjects or something like that (I actually did French 1&2 this year).
Certain subjects:Wow Nice! It's great you've already gotten your "certain" choices already. A bit challenging here :[
English/English Language (if I go to a school that allows it)
Specialist
Methods
Chinese SL (hopefully I have a heavy advantage as I have learnt SLA content for most of my life)
Physics (my favourite science subject)
Possible subjects:
Biology/Chemistry (I am taking Bio 1/2 as an accelerated subject but don't really enjoy it. On the other hand chemistry would be useful if I pursue a S.T.E.M career, but I may not be the best at it)
Algorithmics (Possible 7th subject but I already have too many subjects I like ;-;)
Extended Investigation (Many teachers have recommended this for me, can be accelerated in year 11)
University Mathematics (If I go to a school that allows this)
I want to pursue a career in the sciences but do not want to do 3 VCE science subjects. I also really enjoy mathematics and am relatively good at it for my year level.
Just from my perspective being a Computing teacher - if you really want to do Algorithmics, i'd ease up on the other subject options. Algorithmics is a classified HESS subject (higher education scored study), meaning the difficulty is far beyond the standard VCE subject (I put it as a end-of-1st-year/2nd year computer science equivalent). It has a pre-requisite of Maths Methods 1/2 for a reason. You tick all the boxes in terms of liking/being strong at Maths, but trying to do 7 Year 12 subjects is crazy, especially the load you have chosen. :) 7 subjects from any discipline is extremely difficult - I would suggest picking 6 at most and focusing all your energy on that to get the best possible study scores. Even four...
I admire your aspirations and pursuit of excellence, but I question whether you have had the opportunity to taste just how intensive a Unit 3/4 subject is, let alone up to seven. There is a significant difference in terms of content/difficulty between subjects in Year 9-10 and VCE Unit 3/4.
I also understand the need to cram as much as possible and be fantastic in as many areas as possible - however VCE is a numbers game (it's wrong because education is about learning not scores, but that's the way the system is) so your efforts would be better spent focusing on a smaller amount of subjects and doing EXTREMELY well in them..
Obviously you are free to choose and complete however many and whatever you want, but my strong recommendation is not to do seven subjects and focus on a select few. You'll drive yourself mad and I'd question the amount of leisure/free time you'd actually get.
I agree with what you've wrote, and a main problem for me is I'm very interested in a broad selection of topics. It can feel like 6 VCE subjects is just not enough for the scope I want to learn about :/
Anyhow, it is hard to gauge how I will come with 3/4 workload until I get to that level. Thanks for your input!
Certain subjects:Those are some pretty heavy subjects. I agree with Aaron and say that you're going to be digging a huge hole for yourself if you decide to overdo it. Trust me - I've made the mistake of overworking myself before and it's not pretty.
English/English Language (if I go to a school that allows it)
Specialist
Methods
Chinese SL (hopefully I have a heavy advantage as I have learnt SLA content for most of my life)
Physics (my favourite science subject)
Possible subjects:
Biology/Chemistry (I am taking Bio 1/2 as an accelerated subject but don't really enjoy it. On the other hand chemistry would be useful if I pursue a S.T.E.M career, but I may not be the best at it)
Algorithmics (Possible 7th subject but I already have too many subjects I like ;-;)
Extended Investigation (Many teachers have recommended this for me, can be accelerated in year 11)
University Mathematics (If I go to a school that allows this)
I want to pursue a career in the sciences but do not want to do 3 VCE science subjects. I also really enjoy mathematics and am relatively good at it for my year level.
I am sure nearly anybody on here will tell you that 7 subjects is way too much especially with the subject selection you have listedI agree with Aaron here. Fun fact: I studied 3 U1/2s in Year 10 (Psych and General Maths at school and Chinese SL at a language school), but chose to reduce this number down to 1 U3/4 in Year 11 (Psych). I'm really glad I did this, because Psych didn't even end up as one of my best subjects, while Further (which I did in Year 12 and follows on from General Maths) did.
Those are some pretty heavy subjects. I agree with Aaron and say that you're going to be digging a huge hole for yourself if you decide to overdo it. Trust me - I've made the mistake of overworking myself before and it's not pretty.Does that mean you did Chinese in Year 12? o.O
In terms of a science career, you don't need to do all 3 VCE science subjects. I've seen people do one and still do really well later on.I agree with Aaron here. Fun fact: I studied 3 U1/2s in Year 10 (Psych and General Maths at school and Chinese SL at a language school), but chose to reduce this number down to 1 U3/4 in Year 11 (Psych). I'm really glad I did this, because Psych didn't even end up as one of my best subjects, while Further (which I did in Year 12 and follows on from General Maths) did.
Does that mean you did Chinese in Year 12? o.ONope. Didn't do Year 12 Chinese SL. Out of the LOTE subjects, I just studied Japanese SL at a Year 12 level.
Nope. Didn't do Year 12 Chinese SL. Out of the LOTE subjects, I just studied Japanese SL at a Year 12 level.Wow, must've been pretty though doing a LOTE in Year 12!!!
My VCE subjects looked as follows:AngelWings' VCE subjectsYear 10 (2012): at school - Psychology U1/2, General Maths U1/2; at language school - Chinese SL U1/2
Year 11 (2013): Psychology U3/4, English Language U1/2, Methods U1/2, Chemistry U1/2, Japanese SL U1/2, Economics U1/2
Year 12 (2014): English Language U3/4, Methods U3/4, Chemistry U3/4, Japanese SL U3/4, Further U3/4
You don't have to do two 3/4's in Y11. Don't let others sway your decision making - it is about you and what you believe is best for you individually. This is a very common error students new to VCE make - choosing subjects due to opinions of others. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for others.Yep thanks! I've chosen to do two 3/4 subjects in Year 11 to alleviate the workload in Year 12 and focus mainly (not entirely) for "An English Subject", as it would be a prerequisite and that I could say that English is not one of my strongest subjects.
Two 3/4's in Year 11 would definitely help ease your workload in Year 12, as you'd only need to do 4 to get the full six that will contribute to your ATAR.. But you can do 1 in Year 11 and 5 in Year 12, or even just stick with 4-5 as the last two only contribute 10% of the score to the aggregate.From the list you've described above, you only have 5 3/4 subjects in total. Is this intended? While I understand, you still have a sixth option which can still contribute 10% of its study score to your aggregate... and if you get a 40 in the 6th subject, that's still a 4 added which when you get to the upper end, can mean quite a bit.
Edit: realised you meant English 3/4 in the first sub 2021. Just remember that to even get your VCE, you need at least 3 units of an english subject and there has to be a sequence of Units 3 and 4 involved.
By the way, can anyone help me differentiate the difference between English, English Language and Literature?I wouldn't be overly concerned about picking your English subject right now. You can make the decision later and change if need be.
-snip-In terms of Bio/Chem you'd probably have to go with chem since as you have said it is a prerequsitie for heaps more courses than Biology. However, to my knowledge Biology is a necessary prerequisite (no substitutes) for Dentistry @ Latrobe.
In terms of Bio/Chem you'd probably have to go with chem since as you have said it is a prerequsitie for heaps more courses than Biology. However, to my knowledge Biology is a necessary prerequisite (no substitutes) for Dentistry @ Latrobe.
Would you mind helping me choose which science subject/s to choose for VCE?We can suggest things all we like but ultimately the decision rests upon you.
I definitely know I am going to do physics as it is my favourite and the one that comes easiest to me. However, I chose to accelerate biology next year (now that I think about it it was a bad choice, I picked it because the school thinks physics and chemistry is 'too hard), but I have heard chemistry is a prerequisite for many courses around STEM in university.Chem is a prerequisite for several areas but probably not as many as you think. You can find out which ones here. Also, and this is my personal opinion, Chem isn’t a great subject to accelerate so you haven’t really lost anything. If you’re concerned, you could always do chemistry normally (U1/2 in Year 11, etc.) and alter your subjects slightly.
So, is it fine to do just one science subject, or should I pick a combination, either physics-bio or physics-chem?You can do as few or as many science subjects as you like. There are no restrictions by VCAA as to how many science subjects will contribute to your final results, unlike other areas e.g LOTE or maths.
Would you mind helping me choose which science subject/s to choose for VCE? I definitely know I am going to do physics as it is my favourite and the one that comes easiest to me. However, I chose to accelerate biology next year (now that I think about it it was a bad choice, I picked it because the school thinks physics and chemistry is 'too hard), but I have heard chemistry is a prerequisite for many courses around STEM in university. So, is it fine to do just one science subject, or should I pick a combination, either physics-bio or physics-chem?
We can suggest things all we like but ultimately the decision rests upon you. Chem is a prerequisite for several areas but probably not as many as you think. You can find out which ones here. Also, and this is my personal opinion, Chem isn’t a great subject to accelerate so you haven’t really lost anything. If you’re concerned, you could always do chemistry normally (U1/2 in Year 11, etc.) and alter your subjects slightly. You can do as few or as many science subjects as you like. There are no restrictions by VCAA as to how many science subjects will contribute to your final results, unlike other areas e.g LOTE or maths.