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VCE Stuff => VCE Mathematics => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Mathematical Methods CAS => Topic started by: CraftyTurkey on December 31, 2012, 09:42:04 am

Title: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: CraftyTurkey on December 31, 2012, 09:42:04 am
I'm very worried about the jump and other students say it will be to hard, but they dropped out of methods at the end of 1&2 so I can't trust their judgments. How hard will it really be?And are some good resources to use for assistance now and in the future?
:)






Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: Stick on December 31, 2012, 09:46:01 am
You'll never know unless you give it a go. :) It will definitely be a challenge for you and I definitely would encourage you to get help during these holidays to cover the fundamentals of the Units 1&2 course. It may also be a good idea to have a backup subject in case you quickly realise that Methods isn't right for you. Don't give up though just yet! :)
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: McFleurry on December 31, 2012, 09:50:17 am
Having done methods 1/2 twice, I would say it is pretty hard :P

If you want to do meth 3/4 in 2013, I think you should try and finish the major topics of 1/2 and understand them really well.  AN is a pretty good resource to ask questions that you don't understand etc. and maybe send an e-mail to your careers counsellor/maths dean and ask them what to do.

Good luck!
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: BubbleWrapMan on January 01, 2013, 06:28:14 pm
A lot of it really, but you should have a read of the study design, it would be too impractical to list all of it here.

I am of course referring to this:
http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Documents/vce/mathematics/mathsstd.pdf
3/4 methods starts at page 128
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: Wu on January 04, 2013, 04:28:22 pm
I'm currently getting a headstart these holidays by reading over and writing summary notes for 3/4 and let me tell you this-- I am so grateful for my 1/2 teacher because without his help, I don't think I would be able to understand the mechanisms of what we will be learning next year.

Skim over a 1/2 textbook and familiarise yourself with some of the concepts (especially with circular functions and anti/differentiation). There are plenty of guides on the forum to guide you along as well so  give it a go if you're a fast learner.
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: BubbleWrapMan on January 04, 2013, 06:03:52 pm
I swear there was a post somewhere before my last one which I was replying to...
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: djsandals on January 04, 2013, 06:47:46 pm
I'd say extremely hard, depending on how well you want to do.  I wouldn't recommend it.
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: rebeckab on January 08, 2013, 04:26:55 pm
I wouldn't say that it's impossible if you're dedicated to it, and you were strong in year 10 maths. A fair bit of the 3/4 course is pretty much entirely new, doesn't link to 1/2 at all, so you're on the same level as those students who have done 1/2. As long as you keep on top of everything you should be able to do it.
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: Bad Student on January 08, 2013, 04:30:38 pm
I wouldn't say that it's impossible if you're dedicated to it, and you were strong in year 10 maths. A fair bit of the 3/4 course is pretty much entirely new, doesn't link to 1/2 at all, so you're on the same level as those students who have done 1/2. As long as you keep on top of everything you should be able to do it.

Apart from probability, most of the methods 3&4 course is very similar to 1&2.
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: h545 on January 08, 2013, 06:05:19 pm
I'm doing methods 3/4 without the 1/2 as well! My teacher said to focus on learning calculus during the holidays because it's a topic that isn't covered in year 10. I have also gone through some of the other areas of study (functions & graphs, algebra, probability...) to get some of the basics. I think it'll be a challenge but definitely not impossible  :)

I've used KhanAcademy, MathCentre (uk) and the Essentials textbooks. A textbook is good because it tells you what's in the curriculum but the explanations of the concepts on KhanAcademy are much easier to understand.
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: rebeckab on January 08, 2013, 07:28:29 pm
Apart from probability, most of the methods 3&4 course is very similar to 1&2.

I think it's just because my school didn't do any calculus apart from a couple of lessons on first principles in Year 11, so I considered all of calculus and probability new, plus a fair bit of the stuff from functions was too..
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: CraftyTurkey on January 09, 2013, 05:09:47 pm
I'm doing methods 3/4 without the 1/2 as well! My teacher said to focus on learning calculus during the holidays because it's a topic that isn't covered in year 10. I have also gone through some of the other areas of study (functions & graphs, algebra, probability...) to get some of the basics. I think it'll be a challenge but definitely not impossible  :)

I've used KhanAcademy, MathCentre (uk) and the Essentials textbooks. A textbook is good because it tells you what's in the curriculum but the explanations of the concepts on KhanAcademy are much easier to understand.


Are you doing 3/4 in year eleven? And did you have problems understanding circular functions? Because I am confused with a capital C by it.
Title: Re: Going into year twelve methods without having completed units 1&2? :/
Post by: h545 on January 10, 2013, 05:13:30 pm


Are you doing 3/4 in year eleven? And did you have problems understanding circular functions? Because I am confused with a capital C by it.

No, I'm in yr 12 this year. Trig isn't my favourite topic because there seems to be lots to remember but I don't think I'm struggling with it. Logarithms confuse me though.

I'm also doing specialist without the 1/2 and there's a lot that I don't understand yet in that subject.