ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Mathematical Methods CAS => Topic started by: Darren on February 15, 2011, 06:51:33 pm
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2 weeks into further; I realise that this is not my calling and backed out to go back into methods 3/4. (I've done 1/2)
I've missed about 2 weeks of the Methods course, from the study design they've been doing these topics which I missed
- Notation of functions
- Types
- Combinations of functions
- Binomial expansion < wtf?
So yeah. I was wondering if you guys think I would be able to catch up enough to not be severely disadvantaged. I actually chose methods after I had the worst night terror of trying to get into a different university course but them rejecting me because I didn't have methods. Sign of god? :| Anyway I also dropped it because I was being really dumb and thinking I could 50 further.. it's more work than I thought. Why do a subject I could get potentially horrible scaled down(slackness) than a subject which gets scaled up and I do have the background for which opens a ton uni courses?
Generally I'm a B methods student from year 11.. I got the casual C+ and B+. I don't really understand it completely but I do want a challenge and I feel really bad for dropping it in the first place. I'd be happy with a 30.
So I just wanted to know if; a) I am severely handicapped or b) I made the right choice from your experiences
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right choice! lots of uni courses ask for methods, it keeps your options open :)
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You could easily catch up in about 4 hours if you work hard. The stuff you have missed you probably knew in year 9 or 10 anyway.
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What you've learnt in those first two weeks comprises about 5% of the end of year exam. Do the exercises set, you'll have to work a bit harder to catch up but you'll be okay. Just have some self-belief and persevere. Attempt the work before you say it's too hard. Do all the questions your teacher set the rest of the class. When you run into trouble, go tot he teacher and ask them to explain how to do that question. Once you've done each question you should feel more confident.
I am yet to meet a student who hadn't completed and understood (in whole or part) each question who did not have at least a basic grasp of Methods. The only people I have ever met who say "I don't know Methods, I'm screwed" are the ones who haven't done the work. They are the ones who have skipped the 'difficult' questions because they couldn't do them and didn't go to the teacher to ask how. Or the ones who don't do any work whatsoever. Do the work, and I guarantee you that you'll be fine. Stressing out about it is wasted time and will only make you feel bad and destroy your self-confidence.
Do the work. Then re-evaluate.
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It's just 2 weeks. I don't think I started trying in Methods until 2 weeks before the exam :P But in all seriousness, you'll be fine. Just read through those chapters in the textbook, and if you don't understand anything, you've always got VN! Those topics aren't particularly important anyway except binomial expansion, which you probably will need explanation for.
And I think your justification is correct IMO. If you've got doubts that you might change uni course, then having methods on hand is certainly going to come useful in keeping your options open. Plus, if you're not that confident with methods, simply put, I don't think you'd be looking at a 50 for Further anyway. It's not a free 50 as most people think.
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You could catch up in a weekend, easily. You didn't miss much.
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Usually the first to second week of methods is just revision of Unit 1/2 work, especially the functions. The Binomial expansion is a relatively new concept that isn't in Unit 1/2; however, if you do the set work, you'll be fine. Sometimes teachers choose which questions you need to do, but if you feel that you don't understand it too well, try extra questions from that exercise and ask the teacher or VN for help.
Most students (in my class last year, anyway) found Methods 1/2 too hard: too many new topics crammed into a too short space of time. Half of them dropped out of it this year. However, i can tell you that 3/4 is just an extension of 1/2; a few new topics, but mostly it is just taking topics learnt in 1/2 to a slightly harder level.
I basically already did Methods 3/4 through tutoring already, so right now in class i am consolidating my understanding. What i recommend is to try be a few exercises ahead of class - that way, you can have time to ask teachers which questions you are having trouble with and help other students (teaching others actually makes you realise whether you know your stuff or not). More importantly, because of the busy Yr 12 timeline with SACs here and there, keeping ahead actually gives you more time to revise key concepts for those SACs whilst everyone else is still learning the course.
(Btw, i bet i know why you thought Further wasn't your thing: the first few weeks are always dedicated to the Core, which has to do with univariate and bivariate data. I hated that too! With a passion! I refused to do any work on it. :P)
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Thanks for the input; I feel so much more secure now.
Sometimes I wondered if I was capable of 50 in further.. but hearing horror stories of how people took it as a bludge and ended up doing pretty mediocre really derailed my perception about it.
@Readinya, yeah.. if I have to watch my teacher physically rejumble a 50 number stemplot to an ordered stemplot again, I think I'll kill myself. I just hope I'm not doing myself a disservice by placing myself in a tough environment. Methods scares me I must say, but I'm trying to remain positive.
Besides that, what does it take for a 30ish in Methods?
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Not much, as long as you keep up with your class work then it shouldn't be a problem. My 34 for methods in year 11 consisted of last minute studying for SACs and exams (just ended up doing segments of practice exams coz I was that lazy lol, but dw i totally pwned the other unit 2 exams :D)
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Not much, as long as you keep up with your class work then it shouldn't be a problem. My 34 for methods in year 11 consisted of last minute studying for SACs and exams (just ended up doing segments of practice exams coz I was that lazy lol, but dw i totally pwned the other unit 2 exams :D)
34's pretty good! In yr 11 I bludged with Methods too.. (1/2)
What were your final3 GA'S? For your 34
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A B+ B+, i averaged about 75% on SACs (idk rank, but i did go to an average school)
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There's no need to worry. Like others have said, you could easily catch up in a day or two if you work hard!