URGENT help! Should I drop Modern History?

[brbstudying]

Hi guys,

I'm doing 12 units:
English Adv, Ext 1 & 2
Geography
Modern History
Legal Studies
Music 2

With midterms fast approaching, I'm finding it hard to memorise my notes and the content for all three humanities (GEO, MODERN HISTORY AND LEGAL STUDIES). Maybe I should've started earlier, I don't know (I wrote all notes in the summer holidays and just left it there/and didn't start my memorisation process until March 1st. A bit of a default on my part) Moreover, I'm starting to lack interest in Modern as the days drag on. I'm finding it hard to comprehend the complexity of war for WWI (for example, the Schliffen Plan and all that hammer swing/hinge nonsense) and the complexity of Weimar Republic politics. I don't really like the teacher either. Not that it really matters. And I also sit alone in class. I know that shouldn't really matter either, but I'm the type of person who works better in the presence of their friends.

THE PROBLEM with dropping down the 10 units, is that I have no guarantee if I stuff up in MUSIC 2 (not worried about my other subjects, which is just a lot of reading and regurgitation) That would mean I'd have to COMPLETELY AND CONCISELY brush up on my pitch/melodic dictation skills if I want to get above a 78, simply because I can ace all sections of the Aural exam, but melodic dictation is worth 8 - 10 marks. Stuffing up that would decrease my marks from a potential 90 to a 70 dramatically. That's the only part of Music 2 that I'm very, very weak at. I can manage to get a 2 notes right out of 8 if lucky.

Can someone please help me? I don't know what to do...

P.S: Please don't tell me to drop a 1 or 2 unit of English to get down to 11 units - the problem isn't my units, it's the fact that I'm really struggling to comprehend Modern History. It's not the workload either, because I think 3 humanities are quite manageable, as long as I enjoy all of them. The problem is, I'm faltering in enjoyment for Modern.

[palebluedot]

Hi!

So Im going through a similar dilema with Chemistry at the moment. And while I know NOTHING about music, I know what its like to just not get a subject, and then huff an puff because all the enjoyment and hype is gone - further discouraging you from the task.

Not sure about your school - but if you drop modern, would that lesson be replaced with hour study periods? And with those hour study periods, could you somehow study for music (or other subjects, giving you more time for music at home?)

If you dont see modern helping your ATAR, and if you see it being a waste of time, I would personally drop it. (but in saying that, i have no idea how hard it would be to get better at Music because I know nothing about it)

So I would ask myself. " Would getting rid of something i dont understand, help me to work more on something that needs work? Or will dropping it just make me less stressed and i wont work more on music?"

Sorry if this doesnt help !

[Mada438]

Hi guys,

I'm doing 12 units:
English Adv, Ext 1 & 2
Geography
Modern History
Legal Studies
Music 2

With midterms fast approaching, I'm finding it hard to memorise my notes and the content for all three humanities (GEO, MODERN HISTORY AND LEGAL STUDIES). Maybe I should've started earlier, I don't know (I wrote all notes in the summer holidays and just left it there/and didn't start my memorisation process until March 1st. A bit of a default on my part) Moreover, I'm starting to lack interest in Modern as the days drag on. I'm finding it hard to comprehend the complexity of war for WWI (for example, the Schliffen Plan and all that hammer swing/hinge nonsense) and the complexity of Weimar Republic politics. I don't really like the teacher either. Not that it really matters. And I also sit alone in class. I know that shouldn't really matter either, but I'm the type of person who works better in the presence of their friends.

THE PROBLEM with dropping down the 10 units, is that I have no guarantee if I stuff up in MUSIC 2 (not worried about my other subjects, which is just a lot of reading and regurgitation) That would mean I'd have to COMPLETELY AND CONCISELY brush up on my pitch/melodic dictation skills if I want to get above a 78, simply because I can ace all sections of the Aural exam, but melodic dictation is worth 8 - 10 marks. Stuffing up that would decrease my marks from a potential 90 to a 70 dramatically. That's the only part of Music 2 that I'm very, very weak at. I can manage to get a 2 notes right out of 8 if lucky.

Can someone please help me? I don't know what to do...

P.S: Please don't tell me to drop a 1 or 2 unit of English to get down to 11 units - the problem isn't my units, it's the fact that I'm really struggling to comprehend Modern History. It's not the workload either, because I think 3 humanities are quite manageable, as long as I enjoy all of them. The problem is, I'm faltering in enjoyment for Modern.

Hey! Welcome to the forums!
Everything palebluebot says is really good advice!
I also don't know anything about music, i can personally relate with subjects not being good anymore etc
I did Information Processes and Technology (IPT) in year 11 and everything about it was horrid for me, there were ZERO positives. So when a subject is like that where you're just not enjoying it, it is really just taking up your time.
If you feel that you could do better in music than modern, then that should be reason enough to drop it because if you keep it and you get like a 50 and do WAY better in music then what was the point in keeping it?
And yes, if you get study periods then the time that would be spent "slaving away" in modern would be better spent with your other subjects.

Hope this helps! 

[Mada438]

Thanks for the quick responses!

Yes, dropping Modern would give me double the amount of study periods I currently have. (which sounds awesome). However, I need to find a way to convince my mum. She's always pushed for me to do 12 units because it's a "guarantee" and the students who do 10 units are the "dumb" ones who can't "manage their time properly" (her words, not mine). 

(more) help?!!?

Utlimately this your decision, not hers. So if you want to do it then she can't really stop you.
I take slight offence to that as i went from 13 units to 10, and im not dumb at all and i can manage my time fine.
That's her opinion, and while you can take that into consideration it doesn't define your decision.
If she won't let you do it at all no matter what yet you still want to then take it up with your school and see what they say