Should I drop a subject?

[leotlion]

Hi everyone!

I'm currently in my second term of the HSC Course and I was wondering, should I drop a subject?
I currently have 13 units right now and I really feel odd and out of place in a school where the majority of people are doing 10-12. (I also don't have any study periods unlike the majority of the people in my grade! Do they have an edge over me because of that extra time to work on assessments, homework or study???)

My preliminary course results were as follows:
English (Advanced) - 90
English Extension 1 - 98
Mathematics - 97
Mathematics Extension 1 - 94
Biology - 94
Business Studies - 96
Modern History - 90
(N.B. Marks are raw at my school unless the average drops below a set level in which case they use aligning/scaling. I topped English Extension 1 and Business Studies in prelims)
I took up Extension 2 maths at the beginning of Year 12 and kept all my other subjects, so I have 13 units now.
I also accelerated in Music 2 but I failed miserably in the HSC for it in 2016! I got 87, a band 5 and the second lowest mark in my class    So I like to pretend I didn't even do it, when considering my subjects (because hopefully it won't even count!) 

So, is 13 units viable? Is it possible to pull it off? I think I enjoy all my subjects, and I'm not performing drastically bad in any of them so it's not like there's an obvious choice for me in terms of dropping anything. Recently, though, the idea of dropping English Extension 1 has formed in my mind. Mainly because I feel like all the work I have to put in it isn't worth the 1 unit? But I have doubts because I topped the grade in prelims and my teacher told me pre-emptively that she wasn't going to let me drop?

What are your thoughts?

Thanks

[fantasticbeasts3]

Hi, welcome to the forums! I hope AN will become a great place for you during the year, and maybe beyond. :-)

Okay so:
- not having study periods: to be honest with you, most people don't use their study periods effectively. If you're able to use that hour a day to do productive work, or just have that extra time, then it might work for you. :-)
- dropping a subject: there have been people who have done pretty well with 13 units! 13 just means you've got a few backups if you don't do that well in a subject, but since you're enjoying your subjects at the moment, and doing well in them, then maybe don't drop just yet. I'll wait for katie,rinos to pitch in, as she did 13 units. :-) Keep going, and if you feel like the workload is too much, you can drop at any time throughout the year.

All the best!

[jamonwindeyer]

I agree with FB3! Just because no one else is doing 13 doesn't mean you shouldn't. Maybe you'll do better than everyone because of it?

Backups are good, and most people end up wasting extra study time. You work harder when you have less time in my opinion! If you were stressed, fair enough, but you seem on top of things!

[leotlion]

Thank you for your replies (and for the welcome!)
And haha I guess I'd be part of the majority of inefficient study period users if I had them...I'd just waste all that time probably as well!
I'm not currently struggling too badly with the work load, but when English Extension requires you to do lots of independent research, study three extra prescribed texts (and a related as well!), write another creative, and fill out these super long, arduous coursework documents (at least at my school), you sort of wonder, is this all worth it for 1 unit? But yeah, I guess it's better to keep it and be able to drop it later anytime you want rather than to drop it earlier on and then regret dropping it!

[jamonwindeyer]

But yeah, I guess it's better to keep it and be able to drop it later anytime you want rather than to drop it earlier on and then regret dropping it!

Yeah I totally agree! If things get stressful, you've got a unit to drop. If not, you've got one to spare - Win win

[katie,rinos]

Hey,
Welcome to AN!! 
Know it’s already been answered but just pitching in

I did 13 units last year because I really enjoyed all of my subjects (classes, teachers and content) and there wasn’t a class that I was going really badly at. I was one of the only people in my year doing 13 units but I found them all really interesting. I considered dropping a subject this time last year but I couldn’t really decide which one and didn’t have a really good reason about why I wanted to drop. I also did other extracurriculars after school and still found the workload manageable (although there was a lot sometimes), however I did need to learn how to manage my time well. I personally, would probably have gotten distracted during study periods by the people around me and wouldn’t have worked as productively as at home. I really liked having backup units and the two subjects that didn’t end up counting were ones that I really enjoyed. Your results are all really amazing and if there isn’t really a class that you dislike I would possibly keep 13 units for now as you can always drop a subject if the study load gets too overwhelming.

Hope this helps!!