Need help with VCE subject choices

[Mackenzie Aps]

Hi am new to this forum and I know there's probably alot of similar questions, I am in Year 10 and considering subject choices for Year 11/12 VCE.  My strengths and interests are many and I am quite strong academically - I have always been above average in Maths, (was A/A+ up until end Year (9) but not as strong with results this year, I am currently doing Maths Methods 3/4 prep however not in the top 10% of the schools current Year 10 cohort, who are really advanced and will all most likely go on to do MM 3/4 in Year 11, as many will do Spech 1/2 in Year 11.  I'm thinking of doing MM 1/2 next year instead of 3/4 as I only have been averaging B+.  MM is a prerequisite for the courses I am looking at too.  Careers advisor said don;t need to do Spech as I have many other interests in subject choices. Would I have been better of considering putting myself on the line with 3/4 in Year 11 so that my scores would be scaled up if they all do well, or is it unlikely that I will get a high raw score because there are so many above me that will get top scores, or better doing 1/2 in Year 11 and 3/4 in Year 12 which will give me more of a chance to get my work knowledge and ability up there to be in the top 10% of the remaining MM cohort at my school in Year 12.
Next is English - I am tossing up between Lit and English. I think Lit sounds more interesting and I understand it is more reading and analysis - can you go wrong with Lit i.e. if I don;t do as well in one assessment or in general with Lit does it affect the rest of the unit?  As English I understand there are different components i.e. Li, Poetry, Persuasive, Creative writing etc.  I enjoy English and have usually excelled with A/A+. I did creative writing as an elective in Year 8 and Mythology (Homer) in Year 10.  Also thinking of trying Chemistry ( initially I was going to pick Biology as this was my best unit in Science) however Chem leaves me in the picture in case I consider a Med/Bio Med type course for Uni. So thinking of trying Chem Unit 1 and see at the end of semester if I am to continue with Unit 2 or pick up another subject.  I do like my sciences and know Chem and Physics are hard, but I did get A's in my tests in both of these. Same principle with Physics as in Spech, isn't prereq for anything and I have many subjects and interests. Next French,, which is a no brainer, definitely doing and have strong interest and excelled in with A/A+.  I was then thinking of 20th Century history in Year 11 and if History is still a go for me then doing Revolutions in Year 12.  Love history and studying the wars, usually do well around B+.   Then as my Year 11 3/4 subject I was advised to do Legal studies as I also have an interest in this area - did it for 5 weeks with my Commerce elective and did A+ in my test - also like Accounting and Economics but had to limit my Humanities subjects.  So, I am an all rounder, strong academically, enjoy writing and essays, strong analytical and numeracy skills. So I think these subjects might cover all grounds? Would love some insight as I am worried that some subjects to scale down and not sure how it relates to how the other students at my school doing these subjects works.

[Bri MT]

Hey!

Personally I would be inclined towards doing methods 3/4 in year 11 as doing a unit 3/4 sequence early can be a great way to learn how to study and better prepare you for year 12. I also found that that made my year 12 less stressful as I already had a study score done & had better understanding of the types of marks I could achieve.

I only did units 1&2 of lit and found that performance across different assignments was pretty consistent for each person in my class BUT this might've just been at my school so don't rely too heavily on this. Are you able to talk to anyone studying lit at your school to see what their experience is? From what I've heard how lit is taught can vary a lot between different schools.

My only subject that scaled down was psych and that was by like 0.3 or something BUT it's also completely possible to score highly while picking subjects that scale down. I would highly encourage you not to consider scaling much, if at all, when making your subject choices.


Good luck & remember that units 1&2 don't contribute to what ATAR you get - it's not ideal but you can change subjects in year 11.

[Mackenzie Aps]

Thanks Bri MT, yes I will aim to talk to English teacher and others about their experience with Lit.  The careers advisor suggested I perhaps do Legal Studies in Year 11 as my 3/4 subject, and not Methods, as they looked at my marks of B's/B+, even though Year 10 has been my weakest year in Maths / maybe bc I'm in the 3/4 prep class and the work is alot harder.  Maybe I have lost some confidence in that I'm not at the same ability anymore as the top 10/15% cohort within my school. I'm not necessarily looking at scaling but rather a balanced mix. I was more concerned whether generally you would scaled up if your cohort is strong when doing in year 11, or whether I would have a stronger mark in Year 12,

[Mackenzie Aps]

And I also have back up's in Year 10 - so incase I am not content with say Legal Studies, or don't want to continue a subject, that in Semester 2 of Year 11 I could maybe pick up another subject eg. Biology, Accounting, Economics if it is on at the same time of the timetable. So I don;t know if MM if I did consider doing 3/4 in Year 11, I would be able to drop and just do 1/2 - I would then have to pick another subject and catch up?

[Bri MT]

Thanks Bri MT, yes I will aim to talk to English teacher and others about their experience with Lit.  The careers advisor suggested I perhaps do Legal Studies in Year 11 as my 3/4 subject, and not Methods, as they looked at my marks of B's/B+, even though Year 10 has been my weakest year in Maths / maybe bc I'm in the 3/4 prep class and the work is alot harder.  Maybe I have lost some confidence in that I'm not at the same ability anymore as the top 10/15% cohort within my school. I'm not necessarily looking at scaling but rather a balanced mix. I was more concerned whether generally you would scaled up if your cohort is strong when doing in year 11, or whether I would have a stronger mark in Year 12,

No problem at all

The system is designed to try and be roughly level whether you're a high rank in a low-performing cohort or a low rank in a high performing cohort. Technically this process is adjustment not scaling (scaling is the statewide process of adjusting study scores based on the strength of whole subject cohorts) - hence the confusion on my part. Imo you should ignore the technical side (as that's hard to predict) and focus on which environment you think will be best for your learning.

I might be projecting onto you too much, but if I had repeated units 1&2 of a subject due to scoring 'only' B's in the advanced maths class I would find it hard to focus when restudying because I wouldn't feel like I was learning & that would significantly impact my motivation, concentration and marks. Have you talked to your maths teacher about this? They probably have a pretty good idea of where you sit and whether you'd learn much from doing 1&2 next year.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it doesn't look like you've studied units 1&2 of legal? It seems like you're someone who wouldn't struggle too much with missing 1&2 but in that case, I would lean more towards methods. Otherwise, I would focus on which one you care about more and/or feel more motivated about (assuming that you decided you would significantly benefit from redoing methods 1&2).

[kirsten.boyle]

DO WHAT YOU LOVE!!!! anything else will bore the hell out of you and make it incredibly hard.

[s131330]

In regards to doing a 3/4 subject in Year 11, I've found that it isn't that much different to my 1/2 subjects, just slightly more work. From others, I've heard that doing one earlier can help to take some of the stress of Year 12. It feels like there's less pressure, because if you don't do so well, you can either repeat the subject in Year 12, or just let it contribute for the 10% and have a go at getting a better score in something else. Would highly recommend it even if its not in Methods!
As for Lit and English, I chose Lit and I'm really enjoying it. If you enjoy analysis and placing the text in context with greater society, Literature is definitely for you! I chose it because I love sociology, but it wasn't offered at my school. It's been really enjoyable and I'm definitely continuing next year.
Concerning the rest of your subjects, make sure to choose ones you'll enjoy, not just ones you're good at. If you enjoy the subject, you're likely to do better anyway!
Hope this has helped a little bit!