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Author Topic: How HARD is specialist?  (Read 15841 times)  Share 

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kenhung123

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How HARD is specialist?
« on: November 06, 2009, 04:27:18 pm »
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Considering you are doing 5 subjects in year 12. How hard is it to be able to perform well in specialist provided you are not a maths person but you are able to do well in you study? Some people say specialist requires most study out of all science and maths and that even if your really good, you will get around 40 only? If anyone can voice their opinion on this subject that will be great.

NE2000

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #1 on: November 06, 2009, 04:31:54 pm »
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Spesh is massively overhyped imo. It's a cool subject, and it is the most difficult maths obviously, but it's not as exceedingly difficult as it was made out to be for me in years 10 and 11. It probably does require the most study out of all the science and maths subjects (apart from bio but let's stay away from that lol), but I disagree with the idea that even if you're really good you will only get 40. Like any other subject, 3 borderline A+s will for your three GAs will put you into contention for a 40. And honestly the exams aren't impossible hardcore maths, but they generally just test what's on the course with some good questions that will likely provoke a bit of thought but will also likely end up legitimately doable.

But it's very much a personal thing. Give an idea of your maths skill level, how are you doing this year in GMA/MM?
2009: English, Specialist Math, Mathematical Methods, Chemistry, Physics

kenhung123

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #2 on: November 06, 2009, 04:40:10 pm »
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MM 80's
GMA 70's

kamil9876

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #3 on: November 06, 2009, 05:23:10 pm »
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I think if visual communication scaled 10+ and all the wannabe lawyers and doctors who had no interest for the subject but did it so that they could get their degree and some $$$ then it would become the hardest subjects since a lot of people would try to rote learn every brushstroke and panic about "what are they asking me to draw?".

Be open minded to it and firstly treat it as an intellectual discipline where you gain skills gradually, then apply them to the exam rather than learn how to do an exam without thinking about the maths beforehand. This approach will make it easier than English. (success of this method was proved by one of my students :) )
Voltaire: "There is an astonishing imagination even in the science of mathematics ... We repeat, there is far more imagination in the head of Archimedes than in that of Homer."

Hooligan

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #4 on: November 06, 2009, 08:13:53 pm »
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Spesh is massively overhyped imo. It's a cool subject, and it is the most difficult maths obviously, but it's not as exceedingly difficult as it was made out to be for me in years 10 and 11. It probably does require the most study out of all the science and maths subjects (apart from bio but let's stay away from that lol), but I disagree with the idea that even if you're really good you will only get 40. Like any other subject, 3 borderline A+s will for your three GAs will put you into contention for a 40. And honestly the exams aren't impossible hardcore maths, but they generally just test what's on the course with some good questions that will likely provoke a bit of thought but will also likely end up legitimately doable.

But it's very much a personal thing. Give an idea of your maths skill level, how are you doing this year in GMA/MM?

*agrees*
¤ Kindle not a fire that you cannot extinguish ¤

mystikal

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #5 on: November 08, 2009, 05:44:35 pm »
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scaling compensates for the difficulty but it isnt 'that hard' just difficult to perfect.

Over9000

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #6 on: November 10, 2009, 08:13:47 pm »
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Spesh is about 1.6 times harder than methods.
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kdgamz

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #7 on: November 10, 2009, 09:06:54 pm »
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spesh should probably be taken if u enjoy maths...i can tell u right now that it will take a lot of ur study time if ur serious in doing well
personally, spesh is nearly all understanding concepts and a little bit (if not at all) of memorising.

Over9000

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #8 on: November 10, 2009, 11:19:31 pm »
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Hi guys, im doing spesh this year and I was just wondering if I shud do spesh next year. Ive herd from ppl that spesh can get pretty tricky so I was wondering how much from spesh is carried
on to spesh next year, like is the stuff ive done in spesh this year relevant to spesh if I do it next year. Also, would I be able to cope with spesh next year if im averaging 80% in spesh this year. Sorry guys, im just worried, dont want to pick a subject if im gonna struggle in it too much  :-\
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xvce2009

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #9 on: November 11, 2009, 10:22:31 pm »
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OVER9000, having done Specialist Maths this year I can say personally it was a really interesting subject. If you are decent at maths, and if you enjoy a bit of maths from time to time, doing Specialist Maths can be really rewarding. After doing Specialist, you will also realise that Methods also becomes extremely easy. Specialist covers most of the Methods course, with mainly just the topic of probability which stands out alone for Methods. Considering you are averaging 80%, I think that is more than enough to continue with Specialist.

Comparing Specialist with General Maths in Year 11 I can say that some of the year 11 material is irrelevant, however, a lot of the theory learned in Year 11 is relearned in Year 12 and applied to more complex and difficult analysis problems. Year 11 General Maths is kind of like the grounding knowledge you will need to take on Specialist Maths. The topics which will be covered again are trigonometry, calculus, complex numbers, vectors and dynamics, but at a more complex level. This theory is re-taught in Year 12, however this time you will actually apply these concepts to questions, often utilising many of the 'ideas' you have come to learn to answer an analysis question or short answer questions in the final exams.

As kdgamz has said, Specialist is largely a 'concept' subject. You must understand the concept behind the maths to do well in it. Although doing 100 trial exam papers may help you understand how to do specific questions (which will help you for Exam One), if you do not understand the particular concepts, you will struggle to work through harder and more unique VCAA analysis questions in Exam Two. Overall though, I would say if you work consistently through the year, by the end of the year you will come to enjoy doing Specialist Maths rather than fear it.

Just my two cents :)

Over9000

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #10 on: November 11, 2009, 10:25:56 pm »
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OVER9000, having done Specialist Maths this year I can say personally it was a really interesting subject. If you are decent at maths, and if you enjoy a bit of maths from time to time, doing Specialist Maths can be really rewarding. After doing Specialist, you will also realise that Methods also becomes extremely easy. Specialist covers most of the Methods course, with mainly just the topic of probability which stands out alone for Methods. Considering you are averaging 80%, I think that is more than enough to continue with Specialist.

Comparing Specialist with General Maths in Year 11 I can say that some of the year 11 material is irrelevant, however, a lot of the theory learned in Year 11 is relearned in Year 12 and applied to more complex and difficult analysis problems. Year 11 General Maths is kind of like the grounding knowledge you will need to take on Specialist Maths. The topics which will be covered again are trigonometry, calculus, complex numbers, vectors and dynamics, but at a more complex level. This theory is re-taught in Year 12, however this time you will actually apply these concepts to questions, often utilising many of the 'ideas' you have come to learn to answer an analysis question or short answer questions in the final exams.

As kdgamz has said, Specialist is largely a 'concept' subject. You must understand the concept behind the maths to do well in it. Although doing 100 trial exam papers may help you understand how to do specific questions (which will help you for Exam One), if you do not understand the particular concepts, you will struggle to work through harder and more unique VCAA analysis questions in Exam Two. Overall though, I would say if you work consistently through the year, by the end of the year you will come to enjoy doing Specialist Maths rather than fear it.

Just my two cents :)
Thanks yeah. I just hope the stuff ive done this year in spesh will help me for spesh next year, im not too bad at iut but I hope it doesnt get much harder like ppl say it does. And yeh hopefully methods next year is like methods this year, I didnt find methods too hard so im hopin methods next year will be similar to what ive done this year (methods 3/4).
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THem

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #11 on: November 11, 2009, 10:26:32 pm »
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LOL

d0minicz

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #12 on: November 11, 2009, 10:27:26 pm »
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ok
Doctor of Medicine (UoM)

kendraaaaa

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #13 on: November 11, 2009, 10:28:24 pm »
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lolwut.

you raff you roose.

/0

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Re: How HARD is specialist?
« Reply #14 on: November 11, 2009, 10:29:40 pm »
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wut