ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Specialist Mathematics => Topic started by: Edward Elric on June 09, 2014, 12:12:02 pm

Title: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Edward Elric on June 09, 2014, 12:12:02 pm
Is it more beneficial to have done methods 3/4 the previous year before doing specialist 3/4 or doing both concurrently the same year? I heard mixed responses from various people however the general concensus seems to be doing both the same year, will significantly help your methods, as both subjects overlap in a lot of areas. Thoughts?
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Thorium on June 09, 2014, 12:42:13 pm
Is it more beneficial to have done methods 3/4 the previous year before doing specialist 3/4 or doing both concurrently the same year? I heard mixed responses from various people however the general concensus seems to be doing both the same year, will significantly help your methods, as both subjects overlap in a lot of areas. Thoughts?

I strongly recommended you to do both at once. This is primarily because they both have numerous mutual concepts. The only area of study of methods not done in spesh is probability. So if you do both at once you will be pretty much doing 1.5 subjects. In addition, spesh goes beyond the scope of methods, so it will aid you to have an elevated knowledge of most of the concepts in methods.

Hope that helps :)

EDIT: 100th post o'lala
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Professor Polonsky on June 09, 2014, 01:24:07 pm
I disagree that either is definitely advantageous over the other.

If you do Methods first, Spesh will have very little new content - and so you will perform better on it. On the other hand, doing them concurrently will probably help a fair bit with Methods, as you'll be exposed to more advanced concepts at the same time.
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Edward Elric on June 18, 2014, 03:20:03 pm
I disagree that either is definitely advantageous over the other.

If you do Methods first, Spesh will have very little new content - and so you will perform better on it. On the other hand, doing them concurrently will probably help a fair bit with Methods, as you'll be exposed to more advanced concepts at the same time.

thanks :)
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Edward Elric on June 18, 2014, 03:20:35 pm
I strongly recommended you to do both at once. This is primarily because they both have numerous mutual concepts. The only area of study of methods not done in spesh is probability. So if you do both at once you will be pretty much doing 1.5 subjects. In addition, spesh goes beyond the scope of methods, so it will aid you to have an elevated knowledge of most of the concepts in methods.

Hope that helps :)

EDIT: 100th post o'lala

Thank you, It helped a lot :)
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: keltingmeith on June 18, 2014, 07:14:28 pm
It also depends on your school and how pretentious your teacher is. At my school is, spec was a struggle, because all the "required methods knowledge" we got to in spec first. Then, because "methods is required for specialist", my methods teacher tried to get me and my friends to go to all the methods things over the spec things, even though we had already covered the material weeks beforehand...

So look at who your teachers are, and decide - are they annoying enough that you can tolerate it? :P
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Edward Elric on June 18, 2014, 08:29:14 pm
It also depends on your school and how pretentious your teacher is. At my school is, spec was a struggle, because all the "required methods knowledge" we got to in spec first. Then, because "methods is required for specialist", my methods teacher tried to get me and my friends to go to all the methods things over the spec things, even though we had already covered the material weeks beforehand...

So look at who your teachers are, and decide - are they annoying enough that you can tolerate it? :P

Hmm interesting, I have the same teacher for both meth and spesh and I have to say that he goes over things super fast in spesh as we are the higher maths class and also because we have already covered the basics in methods. Also He is very pretentious as he always boast,'you wont have to know this in methods, however my specialist maths students should be able to answer this' etc... So Im a little divided on my opinions. Thanks for your comment :)
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Reus on June 18, 2014, 08:55:01 pm
Is it possible to do ¾ spec and not do ¾ methods? My school isn't allowing apparently (for my brother)
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: keltingmeith on June 18, 2014, 09:07:15 pm
The VCAA study design assumes that you've done/are doing methods, so you really should do it.

The annoying thing is, though, that most students (as a result of schools, like in my situation) will end up doing them at the some time, and so your spec knowledge helps your methods knowledge, instead of the other way round (like it's meant to work).

May I ask why you're brother doesn't want to do methods?
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Reus on June 18, 2014, 09:20:21 pm
Doesn't enjoy it as much, grades also play a role. But I thought he should do something he enjoys instead of two maths. I guess that can't happen  :P
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: keltingmeith on June 18, 2014, 09:23:53 pm
If he doesn't enjoy methods, he's fucked for spec. :P

Vectors and complex numbers - sure, they're different, but they're comparatively a tiny amount of the course. The rest of it is building on to circular functions, conic sections (weird graphs like ellipses and hyperbolas. In methods you know circles and parabolas), more calculus stuff, WAY more calculus applications. If he's struggling/annoyed with all that, there's no point with spec, hahah.
Title: Re: Methods and spesh or methods then spesh?
Post by: Professor Polonsky on June 19, 2014, 02:46:43 am
Is it possible to do ¾ spec and not do ¾ methods? My school isn't allowing apparently (for my brother)
Nope. One of the only things VCAA prohibits.