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March 30, 2024, 01:32:54 am

Author Topic: Subject Selection? Don’t make my mistakes.  (Read 1010 times)

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JR_StudyEd

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Subject Selection? Don’t make my mistakes.
« on: May 20, 2019, 08:48:40 pm »
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Hi. I’m a Year 12 who already regrets their subject selections. I’m quite frankly barely making it out alive in one subject and struggling for both interest and understanding in two others. Let’s go through each of these three, reflecting on what I could have done differently and what you can learn from my experiences.

But as for me, there isn’t much choice but for me to keep on enduring till the end. I am seriously regretting not choosing more humanities subjects. I hope you who are reading this don’t end up with this feeling which I experience as I type this up.
Yes, I know, there will always be dull moments, but my struggle has lasted too long for it to be considered normal, hence why I’ve posted about this.

Maths Methods
-   I literally chose it because it ‘opened up more course options than Further Maths’. Going into Year 12, I didn’t bother to challenge this.
-   My Year 10 Maths teacher said I was capable of Methods, so I took her word for it.
-   I went OK in 1/2 Methods, despite a foreshadowing of the perpetual suffering I experience right now in 3/4 Methods.
-   Seriously struggling now, and I’m not at all a Maths person.

Chemistry
-I remember choosing it because I was ‘interested in what makes up the substances around us’, or something like that.
-Found out quite recently that I’m not a Science person. Don’t know if this is an excuse for my struggle and apathy.
-I’ve also recently given up on undergrad med, so even the uni prerequisite factor is out the window.
-Like Methods, the struggle is real for Chem

Biology
-This was a reserve subject for me in the Year 11 subject selection process (going into Year 12). If things had gone to plan, I would be studying Geography instead of this.
-Content-heavy, but unlike Psych, it is much harder to get my head around
-Like the above, I’m not a Science person.
-I think I chose this because I was interested in the science of life or something.

I would personally replace Bio and Chem with something like History: Revs or Legal Studies. I have an academic interest in the humanities, but unfortunately through a combination of both internal and external factors, I stuck with the status quo from Year 11, and didn’t change a single subject (well, except Geo 1/2 to Bio 3/4).

I suppose my final words are to not to be afraid to change your subjects and for you Year 11s (and some Year 10s) out there, please do PROPER research to ensure that you’re fully informed about the subjects you will be studying for Year 12.
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EverySecondCounts

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Re: Subject Selection? Don’t make my mistakes.
« Reply #1 on: May 20, 2019, 09:08:22 pm »
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Yep,

I agree with this, it's best if you find your interests earlier and then determine what subjects align with those interests. Plus you don't have to have wait to enroll in the subject to determine if it's for you. I'd probably recommend looking through the study design and notes based on the subjects so you can can avoid wasting a semester/year having to do a subject you don't have an interest in.

But if you find yourself stuck in a subject you don't like, think of the real world applications and build an interest from there. I would also endorse the idea of taking a difficult concept and breaking it down to it's basics - Feynman Technique. Anybody can learn anything, I understand people have preferences, but that doesn't mean you should write yourself off for the subject. With the right techniques and persistence, anything is possible. 

« Last Edit: May 20, 2019, 09:13:26 pm by EverySecondCounts »