Taking up Unit 3/4 without doing 1/2?

[Liv.]

Before you ask me if I'm insane, our school didn't offer 1/2 and the only way you get into 3/4 is if your Methods teacher recommended you to do Specialist 3/4.
So I'm hoping to get an idea on how hard it would be to catch up to 3/4 Specialist having not done 1/2?

I've got the 1/2 textbook and hopefully over the summer holidays I'll go through it sparingly to at least get the concepts.
Any clues you guys can give me about what follows on strongly so I can concentrate on those areas?
Many thanks in advance

[TrueTears]

Personally I didn't find GMA that helpful. Really most of the things you need will be covered in 3/4. So I suggest just go straight into 3/4.

[Liv.]

Ah ok then.
I guess that's a good thing ;3
Thanks for the info

[minilunchbox]

Our school doesn't offer GMA either. But yeah, my sister did 3/4 without GMA (different school, but that's irrelevant) and got 40. So you'll be fine.

[Hooligan]

At my school, I found GMA helped a lot. Our teacher chose the exact topics we'd be studying in 3/4 and skipping chapters that would be irrelevant for 3/4, and so when I entered Spesh this year, there were only a few new concepts... like implicit differentiation, related rates.... but the majority we covered in GMA, so yes, I would recommend GMA.

[Liv.]

@ Hooligan:
Well I didn't have a choice in GMA I'm afraid.
Any chance you could tell me the chapters/topics that were relevant for 3/4?

@minilunchbox

Ah that's comforting to know

[THem]

@ Hooligan:
Well I didn't have a choice in GMA I'm afraid.
Any chance you could tell me the chapters/topics that were relevant for 3/4?

@minilunchbox

Ah that's comforting to know

Vectors and complex numbers.
Although I don't remember going too far in this during GMA.
I'm not sure if people in GMA do kinematics?

IMO: just go ahead and start the 3/4 text book on the holidays instead of the 1/2. This will be easier if you get a tutor to help you out with questions and understanding as well.

[TrueTears]

@ Hooligan:
Well I didn't have a choice in GMA I'm afraid.
Any chance you could tell me the chapters/topics that were relevant for 3/4?

@minilunchbox

Ah that's comforting to know

Vectors and complex numbers.
Although I don't remembering going too far in this during GMA.
I'm not sure if people in GMA do kinematics?

We did basic vectors and kinematics but not complex. These are all covered in great detail in 3/4 anyways so no need to learn it from GMA.

[Liv.]

@ Hooligan:
Well I didn't have a choice in GMA I'm afraid.
Any chance you could tell me the chapters/topics that were relevant for 3/4?

@minilunchbox

Ah that's comforting to know

Vectors and complex numbers.
Although I don't remembering going too far in this during GMA.
I'm not sure if people in GMA do kinematics?

IMO: just go ahead and start the 3/4 text book on the holidays instead of the 1/2. This will be easier if you get a tutor to help you out with questions and understanding as well.

Ah alright. I'll do just that
Thanks~

[GerrySly]

I never did GMA, my Methods teacher told me to do it so I said why not, it's not too hard if you've got some dedication. I don't do Physics either so kinematics, mechanics, complex numbers and vectors were all things I'd never heard of but weren't too hard to learn.

Just go hard, use your holidays to your advantage

[Liv.]

I never did GMA, my Methods teacher told me to do it so I said why not, it's not too hard if you've got some dedication. I don't do Physics either so kinematics, mechanics, complex numbers and vectors were all things I'd never heard of but weren't too hard to learn.

Just go hard, use your holidays to your advantage

Ah I see. I do physics so I guess it'll help a bit 8D
Definately utilising my holidays. Well as much as I can anyways.
(Parents pulling me overseas >.<)

[Hooligan]

@ Hooligan:
Well I didn't have a choice in GMA I'm afraid.
Any chance you could tell me the chapters/topics that were relevant for 3/4?

*opens up GMA book and checks*
Topics (we did in GMA, that were relevant to Spesh; although as THem suggested, go grab the Spesh book, and start that too):
- Algebra I & II (basic; just to get you started)
- Surds, rationalising....
- Transformations
- Circular Functions I & II
- Trigonometric ratios & applications
- Vectors
- Polar coordinates & complex numbers
- Loci
- Kinematics
- Statics of a Particle (Mechanics)

Then, when you're introduced to Spesh, the new things you learn are:
- Additional Differentiation & Anti-differentiation techniques (if you're doing Methods)
- Vector Functions/Calculus
- Dynamics (more intense)

btw, these topics are chapter names for the Essentials book if you've got that. xD

[liv]

if you are doing crap in gma (ie everyone gets below 70% except the two freaks of the class) should you do specialist 3/4?
no-one understands kinematics in our class! is that bad?
i am so scared.

[TrueTears]

if you are doing crap in gma (ie everyone gets below 70% except the two freaks of the class) should you do specialist 3/4?
no-one understands kinematics in our class! is that bad?
i am so scared.

I think it just takes practise. The more you do, the better you will get and hopefully come exam time you will have mastered everything

[THem]

if you are doing crap in gma (ie everyone gets below 70% except the two freaks of the class) should you do specialist 3/4?
no-one understands kinematics in our class! is that bad?
i am so scared.

All I can say is specialist takes a lot of work.
When I did GMA, half the class went to further, the other to spesh.
A lot of people in further who have always struggled with Maths, found that they achieved high sacs and decent exam scores. I think that 5/6's of my class would of been better off in further but if you put in the effort to specialist, you'll do well and the scaling is a major bonus. ( Downside to further is that if you don't achieve a very high score, it scales down a bit. To give a rough comparison, a 40 in specialist is probably equivalent to a 48-49 in further ( also specialist goes above 50))