Further 3/4 without 1/2 + Timetable Dilemma

[Tyleralp1]

As you can probably tell by the title, I'm wanting to undertake Year 12 Further next year, without having done Units 1/2. Also, I will be doing it alongside Year 12 Methods and Spesh (I like maths) Therefore, how feasible is doing Further 3/4 without 1/2? Would I need to catch up a lot, or I could simply progress along by the textbook. I like Math and believe I could do well in it, that is why I'm contemplating taking it. Any words of advice or experience with this would be much appreciated!

However..this comes with a small problem. I don't plan on dropping any subjects next year, which would mean I'm doing 6 in Year 12. Would that be recommended? Additionally, that would mean I'd be learning Further 3/4 outside the actual class and in my own time. The modules we do, I understand a fair bit of it already, and would only be in the class to sit the sacs. Given I'm completing the two other Maths, would the Further content consume a lot of time to learn outside of class?

So to anyone who reads this, any advice as to what I should do? Anything I should keep in mind?

All replies will help. Thanks!

[IndefatigableLover]

Personally I wouldn't want to be doing a 6 subject VCE in Year 12 especially if I had 3 Maths subjects... you do realise that if you do have 3 maths then only two of them will count towards your Primary Four: http://www.vtac.edu.au/results-offers/y12-atar/study-rules.html
So if you were banking on Further to end up in your Primary Four then it might not work since you have Methods/Spesh (which with their scalings would likely score higher than Further)..

Additionally, that would mean I'd be learning Further 3/4 outside the actual class and in my own time. The modules we do, I understand a fair bit of it already, and would only be in the class to sit the sacs.

Unsure of what you mean by this but you still need to attend class in order to sit the end of year exam (>50 hours) so you would need to attend class rather than only rock up on SAC days for example.

[b^3]

Doing Further 3/4 without 1/2 is fine as long as you put the effort in. I wouldn't say do Further if you like maths though, compared to Methods and Spesh it's not going to feel like maths. Learning the concepts in Further will take less time than for Methods and Spesh, the stats part though can drag on and take time to do the textbook problems, but the rest can be worked through quite quickly.

[Zealous]

As you can probably tell by the title, I'm wanting to undertake Year 12 Further next year, without having done Units 1/2. Also, I will be doing it alongside Year 12 Methods and Spesh (I like maths) Therefore, how feasible is doing Further 3/4 without 1/2? Would I need to catch up a lot, or I could simply progress along by the textbook. I like Math and believe I could do well in it, that is why I'm contemplating taking it. Any words of advice or experience with this would be much appreciated!
...

I like maths too. 

I picked up Further 3/4 last year and I had no issues with picking it up. I believe anyone who has a decent grasp of the Methods and Specialist coursework should have no problems with further, but that does not mean you are guaranteed a high score. You should just borrow a Year 12 Further textbook and just flick through it - so you have an idea of the sort of things you do in the subject.

Here's the thing though; doing 6 subjects in Year 12 with 3 of them being maths is very tough. It may not actually be worth it to do Further when you have many other subjects to focus on, and there's a good chance it'll be in your bottom 2 subjects (or it may not even count to your ATAR considering you're doing 7 subjects...)

If you really enjoy maths, do you really have to do further? There are plenty of other ways to enjoy mathematics - you could look into learning mathematics beyond VCE course as a hobby in your spare time just because you really enjoy maths - you wouldn't have the commitment of a full 3/4 subject with SACs and exams that could stress you out or weigh you down.

[Einstein]

you could pick up a university extension maths course - just a suggestion

[Tyleralp1]

Thank you all for the replies thus far

If I'm being honest, the main reason as to why I'm wanting to do Further is because my Maths teacher said that if I put the effort in, I could most likely pull off a good score. That too, I should find it a lot easier and straining than the work in Methods/Spesh. So I guess I'm doing it out of my love for Math, but at the same time a way to maximise my potential ATAR.

Oh really, only 2 Maths in the top four?  That's something I was completely unaware of. So basically, only 10% of my third Maths subject Study Score will be used? Is it still worth doing then? I mean is a difference of say a few decimals really that much? Cause if it's like a little difference, I guess it mighn't be all the effort, considering one of my other subjects won't even count anyway haha.

Skyline, thanks for the suggestion. I would love to, though doesn't that require completion of Methods 3/4 in Year 11? But then again, it might be too out of the way in terms of getting to the Uni etc.

[Alexle101]

[quote author=
Unsure of what you mean by this but you still need to attend class in order to sit the end of year exam (>50 hours) so you would need to attend class rather than only rock up on SAC days for example.
[/quote

What If you have completed a unit in the subject, but dropped it but still wish to attempt to sit the end of year exam. Is that possible?

[IndefatigableLover]

Oh really, only 2 Maths in the top four?  That's something I was completely unaware of. So basically, only 10% of my third Maths subject Study Score will be used? Is it still worth doing then? I mean is a difference of say a few decimals really that much? Cause if it's like a little difference, I guess it mighn't be all the effort, considering one of my other subjects won't even count anyway haha.

Skyline, thanks for the suggestion. I would love to, though doesn't that require completion of Methods 3/4 in Year 11? But then again, it might be too out of the way in terms of getting to the Uni etc.

Pretty much your third maths subject will count only 10% towards your ATAR which could more or less by Further due to the scaling of Methods/Spesh and considering your other subjects, they could scale over Further as well which is why maybe you should drop a subject to accommodate for Further perhaps..

Also for UMEP/MUEP Maths you don't exactly have to rock up to the uni to do the work. You could perhaps do Uni Maths at a different location which is certified like with MUEP Maths you can do it at Monash Uni (Clayton), Ivanhoe Girl's College or PLC http://www.monash.edu.au/extension/study-options/mathematics.html

As for the completion of Methods 3&4 in Year 11 to do Uni Maths... you just need to be doing Methods/Spesh to do Uni Maths

What If you have completed a unit in the subject, but dropped it but still wish to attempt to sit the end of year exam. Is that possible?

Hmm not too sure but I think not because you might have missed out on SACs which would screw up your scores and/or you might have not achieved a 'S' for the unit that you're enrolling in..

[spectroscopy]

Im doing further right now and i can guarantee you, you do not need units 1 & 2 at all everything is 100% COMPLETELY retaught and the content is actually quite simple so textbooks are all you really need. people at my school sleep in every further class or do other work, then study night before the sac and get 100%
you will be fine doing further

the only thing reason why some people regret doing further is because the questions are out to trick you. there are kids who do spesh + further and 85% sacs because they run out of time/arent quick on their cas/made silly mistakes/didnt read the question

[Einstein]

im doing further myself this year and got 100% on the core sac.

If you do methods + specialist your bound to get 85%+, from 85-100 its all about minimizing mistakes