Specialist Maths 2015 suggestions please

[Stressedyear11here]

Hi there,
I'm wanting to do specialist maths next year for year 12, well, because, i want to.
However, i am facing an obstacle, that is, it involves physics, and i dislike physics, and specialist mathematics has a lot (?) of physics stuff in it.
I'm just want to know whether it is a good idea for me to do specialist maths next year still or not.
 I know that if i ask my friends, they wont give me an honest answer. Help please,

thanks

[geminii]

I think you should do what you think you'll enjoy, so if you think you'll enjoy specialist maths, then by all means go for it. But I'm not quite sure why you would want to do specialist maths if you know it has lots of physics in it. Is it a prerequisite for a course you want to do? If not, and if you think you won't enjoy specialist maths, then it's probably better not to do it.

[keltingmeith]

specialist mathematics has a lot (?) of physics stuff in it.

It doesn't, really.

Everything physics related in specialist is mathematical in nature - the only reason it's there is so that VCAA can do a "hey, look at this! What you're learning has applications to real life!". The only physics things you really need to know (that aren't completely mathematical) are Newton's three laws.

If you're still unsure, have a look at learning some things about vectors. Vectors represent most of the Mechanics section, and so if you like vectors, you will like AoS5.

Also - mechanics makes up about 1-2 questions in exam 1 (normally 1), 3 in MC and 1 in extended response. Testing you on that AoS is pretty low priority.

[Stressedyear11here]

But I'm not quite sure why you would want to do specialist maths if you know it has lots of physics in it. Is it a prerequisite for a course you want to do?

I don't entirely know why i want to do specialist maths, actually. It seems interesting in a way, despite the physics application questions because i hate it so much. Most courses have methods as a pre req, so that means methods or spesh is find. and i'm not looking at any courses that are spesh maths required only. thanks AceVCE777 btw

Everything physics related in specialist is mathematical in nature - the only reason it's there is so that VCAA can do a "hey, look at this! What you're learning has applications to real life!". The only physics things you really need to know (that aren't completely mathematical) are Newton's three laws.

If you're still unsure, have a look at learning some things about vectors. Vectors represent most of the Mechanics section, and so if you like vectors, you will like AoS5.

Also - mechanics makes up about 1-2 questions in exam 1 (normally 1), 3 in MC and 1 in extended response. Testing you on that AoS is pretty low priority.

hahahahaha, thats exactly what VCAA likes to do, put some "fun" into learning. I'm most likely able to handle Newton's three laws
I've done vectors this year, in General Advanced Further Maths (methods) (so its that year 11 subject that leads to spesh if you wish to continue it in year 12). I thought i'd do worse, but i ended up with a not too bad score, that i was happy with.

So, basically, the despite the vectors, and Newton's three laws, everything else, is different, and new?
I've heard that spesh is the 'pure maths', so its what makes it unique and different to all the other maths?

Thank you!!

[keltingmeith]

I've heard that spesh is the 'pure maths', so its what makes it unique and different to all the other maths?

HAH. AHAHAHAH. HAHAH. HAH.
-cough-

Specialist is nothing like pure maths - in fact, in quite a few ways, it's way more applied than methods is.

Essentially, the content in specialist should be new - you'll probably have seen a lot of complex before, and maybe 60-70% of the vectors material (depending on the quality of your GMA learnings). Calculus, however, will essentially be completely new, with a lot of extensions from methods. Algebra will be basically be "let's do methods, but with new functions!", but learning about oblique asymptotes/reciprocal graphs is kind of cool.

Specialist is good to have if you plan on going into engineering or science - engineering because, well, durr, and science because every good science degree will make you do some maths, so doing specialist now means you have more options for maths units at university later. Of course, it's also good to have for high ATAR courses. So, don't worry about spec not being a pre-requisite for anything.

[Stressedyear11here]

HAH. AHAHAHAH. HAHAH. HAH.
-cough-

Specialist is nothing like pure maths - in fact, in quite a few ways, it's way more applied than methods is.

Essentially, the content in specialist should be new - you'll probably have seen a lot of complex before, and maybe 60-70% of the vectors material (depending on the quality of your GMA learnings). Calculus, however, will essentially be completely new, with a lot of extensions from methods. Algebra will be basically be "let's do methods, but with new functions!", but learning about oblique asymptotes/reciprocal graphs is kind of cool.

Specialist is good to have if you plan on going into engineering or science - engineering because, well, durr, and science because every good science degree will make you do some maths, so doing specialist now means you have more options for maths units at university later. Of course, it's also good to have for high ATAR courses. So, don't worry about spec not being a pre-requisite for anything.

Yeah, i plan to do something to do with science in university, maybe engineering. i remember a student in her first year uni doing biotech/chem eng double deg at rmit was saying how specialist was a great advantage with the engineering maths. Okay, so i take that specialist - now - is a more bearable than i thought before, and interesting in a way. Thank you so much

[rebec28]

I was the same, dropped physics in year 11 but absolutely loved maths.. You don't even realize you are doing physics , it's just cool maths. When we started the physics part of spesh I wasn't getting it as much of my physics friends. But after you put in the effort it's really straightforward and, really, just like all the other topics. Go for it!

[veryJasonn]

It's true Specialist Maths has a bit of Physics, as in the calculations and concepts anyway (like kinematics), however, it is still very different from Physics itself. As the name suggests, its all about the Maths, you don't need to like Physics to be able to do it!

Besides, you don't need to look at Specialist Maths like it has Physics, just think of it as another unit of maths, with coincidentally crossovers and similarities to certain components of Physics.

Personally, the only reasons why you would do Specialist Maths is because A) you like maths B) you have nothing else to do or C) scaling (aww yiss). I'm biased but I think it's a really good subject to take advantage of (especially the scaling, not going to lie). I don't think it's much more difficult than Maths Methods, but that's my opinion.

It is sort of applied maths, but definitely not more or less applied than methods, in my opinion, and no where near as applied as Physics. Take a look at one or two past VCAA exams, and see what you think I think it's a great maths subject, and I really enjoy it right now! (Or i hate the rest of my subjects, one of the either)

[Lawliet]

Umm, I, conversely, really enjoy physics and am doing methods and specialist alongside it.
I enjoy maths too but was worried about the workload as well as the content being covered and was considering to drop either physics or specialist.
Which one would you guys recommend?
Thanks.

[keltingmeith]

Umm, I, conversely, really enjoy physics and am doing methods and specialist alongside it.
I enjoy maths too but was worried about the workload as well as the content being covered and was considering to drop either physics or specialist.
Which one would you guys recommend?
Thanks.

My initial thought is that you'll probably find you won't need to study so much for methods if you do specialist alongside it, so your workload won't be as big as you think it is. However, if you're really set on dropping physics or specialist, it would help to know what your plans for after year 12 are (if you have ANY idea, say it - even if you only think 1% you want to go into medicine and 99% you have no clue)

[Adequace]

My initial thought is that you'll probably find you won't need to study so much for methods if you do specialist alongside it, so your workload won't be as big as you think it is. However, if you're really set on dropping physics or specialist, it would help to know what your plans for after year 12 are (if you have ANY idea, say it - even if you only think 1% you want to go into medicine and 99% you have no clue)

Do you find taking methods and spesh together is better than taking methods earlier then taking spesh?

[lArcdeTriomphe]

I took methods one year before taking spesh, and I found that it was fine. I actually thought it was better that way, because it allowed me to consolidate stuff a year beforehand. It also cuts down the workload because you don't need to be doing two different maths subjects in the same year.

What you may find is that while doing spesh may complement methods (e.g. you may learn differentiation and integration techniques in spesh before you do them in methods), doing methods may not always complement spesh if you do it in the same year. What I mean is that there is a certain overlap between the two subjects - but you will generally be taught this 'overlapping content' in spesh before you cover it in methods.

Having said this, i think that it may be harder to do both subjects at the same time. There are certain areas of content that are unique only to either methods or spesh, e.g. methods - probability; spesh - integration by substitution, vectors, complex numbers, kinematics, etc.. Then again, i didn't take them together, so i can't talk from self-experience haha

[Lawliet]

My initial thought is that you'll probably find you won't need to study so much for methods if you do specialist alongside it, so your workload won't be as big as you think it is. However, if you're really set on dropping physics or specialist, it would help to know what your plans for after year 12 are (if you have ANY idea, say it - even if you only think 1% you want to go into medicine and 99% you have no clue)


Well...
It sounds like the workload is doable so I don't think I should drop one of them,
And doing them together would help to consolidate one another, because yr 12 literature really helped with yr 11 english
But I was leaning 30% towards science, 10% to math or engineering and 60% uncertain.
Thanks

[keltingmeith]

Well...
It sounds like the workload is doable so I don't think I should drop one of them,
And doing them together would help to consolidate one another, because yr 12 literature really helped with yr 11 english
But I was leaning 30% towards science, 10% to math or engineering and 60% uncertain.
Thanks

In that case, IF you drop one, drop physics. In terms of university, it's easier (course planning-wise) to catch up on physics than it is maths.

But really, there's no reason you couldn't do both.

[Lawliet]

Alright, I think I will keep both then.
Thank you so much for the advice.