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March 29, 2024, 08:46:26 am

Author Topic: How hard is doing both Methods and Specialist at the same time  (Read 2295 times)  Share 

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huy03456

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Hi guys!

I'm a year 9 and we are selecting our subjects for next year at the moment. I am having trouble choosing an early VCE subject, idk whether to choose biology or Maths Methods next year and thought I could use your help.

So I am doing year 10 maths and year 10 science this year.

I have come up with a mini plan, if i choose biology units 1&2 next year it means I will study 10 accelerated maths which takes bits and pieces from Methods and Specialist to help prepare us to do well in those subjects. My teacher said, if I do VERY well (like probably a continuous 95+)  in the tests for 10 accelerated maths, they may consider putting me in for Methods 1&2 early as well,  and letting me complete 2 VCE subjects early.
But, If I don't do too well it would mean I'd have to study both Methods and Specialist together in years 11 and 12. and I was wondering how difficult that would be.

digdog123

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Re: How hard is doing both Methods and Specialist at the same time
« Reply #1 on: August 03, 2020, 10:21:57 pm »
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Hi guys!

I'm a year 9 and we are selecting our subjects for next year at the moment. I am having trouble choosing an early VCE subject, idk whether to choose biology or Maths Methods next year and thought I could use your help.

So I am doing year 10 maths and year 10 science this year.

I have come up with a mini plan, if i choose biology units 1&2 next year it means I will study 10 accelerated maths which takes bits and pieces from Methods and Specialist to help prepare us to do well in those subjects. My teacher said, if I do VERY well (like probably a continuous 95+)  in the tests for 10 accelerated maths, they may consider putting me in for Methods 1&2 early as well,  and letting me complete 2 VCE subjects early.
But, If I don't do too well it would mean I'd have to study both Methods and Specialist together in years 11 and 12. and I was wondering how difficult that would be.

hey huy!

im doing both methods and specialist this year, and its honestly not too bad. As long as you enjoy (or can tolerate) lots and lots of maths and you do the work, its definitely manageable. Doing specialist also helps solidify (some) stuff from methods. For example, if you're able to diff in specialist, you'll have no trouble with the methods stuff. If you can do methods early, that would be really helpful as well.

All the best!
-Digdog123
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Re: How hard is doing both Methods and Specialist at the same time
« Reply #2 on: August 04, 2020, 05:47:42 pm »
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Hello,

I was in your position last year. I am doing methods in year 10.

Let me just say that doing methods 3/4 and specialist 1/2 in year 11 is a pretty big advantage as opposed to those doing methods 1/2 and specialist 1/2 in year 11 as a lot of the content in methods 3/4 is similar to 1/2. A lot of the content in specialist is completely new. But if you do both 1/2 at the same time, you effectively have to learn two whole new things. Not impossible, just something to keep in mind.

If you do 1/2 methods in year 10, then you are undeniably in a better position than those doing specialist 1/2 and methods 1/2 in year 11.

Also, methods 3/4 should make specialist 1/2 a little easier  ;)

Best of luck

keltingmeith

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Re: How hard is doing both Methods and Specialist at the same time
« Reply #3 on: August 04, 2020, 07:45:47 pm »
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So like, my perspective as someone who did methods 3/4 and specialist 3/4 at the same time. I'm not gonna say I'm right and others are wrong, but I find this posts are constantly occupied by people who did methods 3/4 and THEN did specialist 3/4 the next year - and they always say the same thing. "I think doing methods first really helped with specialist", "I definitely think I scored better in specialist because I'd already done methods", "I don't know how I'd feel having to study for 2 maths subjects at the same time, doing them subsequently definitely worked for me".

As someone who did "2 maths subjects at the same time" - tbh it didn't feel like that at all. By the time I was covering topics in methods, I'd already seen them and understood them in specialist. Until probability, there was nothing methods could throw at me that I hadn't already seen and understood from before. It didn't feel like studying 2 subjects, I was studying 1.5 subjects - and tbh, doing specialist at the same time I reckon incredibly inflated my methods scores. Like, maybe specialist will be slightly easier if you do methods first, but you'll definitely be able to do less study for methods and do better in methods if you do specialist at the same time.

nekoeater

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Re: How hard is doing both Methods and Specialist at the same time
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2020, 09:03:08 pm »
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Hi  :) I did methods in yr 11 and am doing specialist this year. Doing methods in year 11 has massively helped me in specialist this year. That being said, I feel like methods takes a lot of maturity, which I didn't have in year 11. I really under-performed during most of my SACs, and I think if I have done it this year I would have gotten a higher score, so consider your maturity level before you settle on doing methods in yr11.

On the other hand, I think I would be overwhelmed and stressed if I was doing methods + specialist this year. I would have to put much more sweat into specialist on top of studying methods. However, that may be because I'm just a poor studier and don't manage my time very well. One of my friends is doing specialist + methods this year, but her other subjects are studio arts and revs which she has a passion for and comes naturally.  If your other subjects are relatively light or you really enjoy then, and you have the motivation, it's very doable  :)
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Sine

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Re: How hard is doing both Methods and Specialist at the same time
« Reply #5 on: August 04, 2020, 10:56:53 pm »
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Hi guys!

I'm a year 9 and we are selecting our subjects for next year at the moment. I am having trouble choosing an early VCE subject, idk whether to choose biology or Maths Methods next year and thought I could use your help.

So I am doing year 10 maths and year 10 science this year.

I have come up with a mini plan, if i choose biology units 1&2 next year it means I will study 10 accelerated maths which takes bits and pieces from Methods and Specialist to help prepare us to do well in those subjects. My teacher said, if I do VERY well (like probably a continuous 95+)  in the tests for 10 accelerated maths, they may consider putting me in for Methods 1&2 early as well,  and letting me complete 2 VCE subjects early.
But, If I don't do too well it would mean I'd have to study both Methods and Specialist together in years 11 and 12. and I was wondering how difficult that would be.
Seems like everyone is saying doing methods 3/4 in yr 11 and spec 3/4 in yr 12 will significantly help you

Personally, I don't think there is an enormous difference. As said above methods 3/4 is likely going to help you with spec the following year but also leaving methods for 1 more year could also potentially improve your methods score given you get an extra year of mathematical experience and maturity. I did methods/spec together in year 12 and I thought of them as two distinct subjects but they both complemented each other well since there was a bit of overlap between them e.g. probability/statistics/calculus. I doubt doing either spec/methods earlier would have changed my scores that much outside of normal exam variation.

I think if you are only doing only one 3/4 in year 11 I would be using that to do a theory-heavy subject where you need to do a bit of memorisation. Just so I am clear I don't think doing methods in year 11 is bad just that it is possible it doesn't significantly increase your score in spec. However, doing something like biology I think it would be more manageable to score higher in year 11 when you have only that to focus on.