A bit of further/methods dilemma!

[lbeste12]

Not sure if this is in the right place but eh

I did two 3/4 subjects this year and so did not spend ANY time on methods 1/2. Needless to say, I did horrible! I now have a major issue with methods and freak out in tests etc. We did 2 weeks of year 12's and I tried really hard to do an exercise a day (which is a lot for me!). It wasn't a hard chapter or anything and I did the work, but I still bombed out in a surprise test.

Seeing as I'm only doing 4 easyish subjects this year, not including methods haha (eng, lit, business and methods)
Maybe I should take Further as a 7th subject, do the course in the holidays and score better in it than methods.

I need a 98.25+ to get into the course I want, and I'm definitely not looking forward to destroying myself trying to do well in methods.

So here are my options.
1) Do further and methods - score well in further e.g. 40+ (which I think I'm capable of) and get a 25+ in methods (prereq)
2) Don't do methods and just further and just do a bridging course if I decide that arts/law is not for me and I want to do commerce, science or anything else instead (no idea how bridging courses work etc, so could be a bit risky)
3) Don't do further and fight it out with methods

Any advice?
I've never wanted to do methods, but I realise that a lot of courses require it and I'm not entirely sure which courses I'd actually be fully interested in, because I could end up hating doing law etc.

[Deank]

I did both Further and Methods this year, doing well in further and getting a 42 and doing not so well in methods and getting a 27.

Bit of background story on methods, I joined half way through year 11 (Unit's 1 and 2) with no prior knowledge of methods and only doing general math in year 10 and 11, therefore not having done year 10 specialist. During year 11 i did terribly, i joined half way through the year (start of the 2nd semester) so I missed unit 1, and due to a lack of motivation and commitment (also laziness) I didn't go back and complete unit 1, and I also didn't do that good at unit 2.

For year 12 I didn't do that well at methods, but getting C+ on my sacs, and C+ for exam 1 and C+ for exam 2, got me my 27. So if you need a 25 for methods, I suggest do it, I did terribly and got a 27, if you're even slightly better than me, or if you're motivated enough, it should be easy to get 30-35+, assuming that even a 25 will get you the required ATAR and not just pre req for the course.

[max payne]

IMO if your decent in maths, its is easier to get a 40+ in methods than it is in further (taking scaling into account). Further is very competetive, as others have said: 1 mark = 1 study score lost at the top end. and if you dont get in the top end, scaling will hurt. the mean of methods lies around 34 whereas it's around 28 for further. But only you and your teacher will be able to tell which one is better suited. If your good at not making silly mistakes and perfecting questions, then go with further. If you think your capable of getting more than the mean mark then try in methods. But if you are going to go with further, might as well do methods as well. 25 shouldnt be too hard in one year, whereas bridging courses are completed in a significantly shorter period.

[Deank]

The difference between Further and Methods is that Methods exams test your knowledge, where as Further exam 1 tests your knowledge but also tries to trick you in a way. As Max said, if you don't make silly mistakes you can do really well.

[playsimme]

I was in your exact same position with failing methods. I was next to useless and did not do one excercise since march, and after bombing the 2 exams I really regretted choosing methods. I ended up with a 27, and I think from my experience right now, if I didn't choose methods I would limit myself too much university-wise.. so in the end I'm glad I chose it because ironically my future course needs it.. so I'm grateful, really. Choose it if you're unsure with your life path, unless you're COMPLETELY certain you won't need it for a prerequisite - stay the hell away from it!