ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => Topic started by: lorennnz on October 01, 2016, 03:53:43 pm
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Hello! Thoughts on buying textbooks by different authors (i.e. Nelson, Jacaranda etc.) for same subject (i.e. methods)?
Worth the money?
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Really depends on how much you are going to use them and how motivated you are. I have both the Pearson and Jacaranda textbooks for chemistry and they have both helped me greatly, they both cover the content well but sometimes one textbook works better for some areas than the other. It's also nice to have more questions available, in different formats.
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If the current textbook you have isn't making much sense - it might be worth investing in another. Just remember that textbooks are an interpretation by the author(s) involved. By no means is one book more 'correct' than the other.
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But if your doing the HSC this year is there actually much point. Wouldnt you rather look at youtube videos or others which feature how to do certain steps? Or even asking anyone on these forums a certain question or topic? You know like we only have 2 and a bit weeks left
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IMO suss it out, but i still think its not worth it. Textbooks can get pretty expensive unless your school provides you with pdf copies [which is like never] and the internet has a concentrate mega tonne of info on it. Personally, i was lucky enough to get given pdf copies of multiple copies of textbooks from my school [they have some deal based things] for the same price as one textbook, but i never really had the time/motivation/effort to pursue and study both material really well! :) just my 2cents
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My advice is that if you were to purchase any specific textbook, especially this late in the year, I would be opting for more of a 'study guide' than a textbook as such. They are often a lot shorter and are a lot easier to work through, they also provide great summaries, and useful techniques on how to approach exams and specific exam questions!
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Thanks to everyone! I only just read your comments now.
I'm only in year 10 haha, so no, I'm not thinking of buying a new textbook this late of year. I think I'll just see if my school has PDF copies of other books. Thanks all!
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opting for more of a 'study guide' than a textbook as such.
Do you know any good study guides? For physics would be good, but I'm doing meth, chem, vis com, lit, spesh, further all up. Also, any experience with AN study guides? Do they update them yearly because I'm thinking of buying one this year some time.
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Do you know any good study guides? For physics would be good, but I'm doing meth, chem, vis com, lit, spesh, further all up. Also, any experience with AN study guides? Do they update them yearly because I'm thinking of buying one this year some time.
In terms of which subjects you'd have the most use for a study guide, I can say physics and chem, and especially physics because most VCE physics textbooks are crap. In fact, the entire VCE Physics course is rather crap, but definitely worth doing if you want to have anything to do with STEM in the future. For methods and spesh, the Cambridge textbooks are SO good that you probably won't need a study guide.
The AN study guides are good, although I didn't really use study guides in VCE. The maths ones are relevant to the 2016 onwards study design, and I believe physics and chem are in the process of being updated.