2 3/4s in year 11?

[renae.kara]

hi!
wanting advice on whether doing 3/4s in yr 11 is a good idea. im currently in year 10 where i am doing 1/2 legal and hhd but not enjoying hhd so won't be doing it as a 3/4. i am definetly wanting to do legal 3/4 next year but i have asked the vce coordinator whether i am able to pick up 3/4 bisman in yr 11 as i have heard it is a good subject to pick up without 1/2 and i am interested in it. is the workload too much doing 2 3/4s aswell as 4 1/2s in year 11? i am aware that i can't neglect my 1/2s a lot as they are important foundations for yr 12. also is picking up bisman a good idea considering i havent done 1/2?
these are the other 1/2 subjects i am planning for yr 11: psych, politics, further/methods, english/englang (also bisman if i dont do 3/4)
i am planning to do law in uni although this might change so other concerns of mine is whether doing methods is a good idea considering i dont need it to get into law and i could get a higher score in further bringing up my atar anyways? also, any advice on how hard it is to get a 30 in eng lang because i dont want to do it if it jeopradises my chances of getting into law.
any advice would be helpful! currently dying because i dont know what to choose!!

[mabajas76]

Ok Wow, that is certainly...ambitious.
First thing first: Organize the year 11 subjects you are going to do.
There is a big difference between further and methods, in content, study methods, difficulty, preconception etc. Do NOT underestimate further, many see it as a bludge subject but the exam marks HARSH on account of the contents easiness, which in itself is still not like something u can BS through. It requires attention and work and is often taken for granted. On that note however, Methods is still harder, both in work load, content, exam etc. However in terms of a uni, if u feel like u don't want to pursue law, methods can land u in another course in science for example which further won't. But also the methods untis 1-4 are some of the most interconnected vce subjects, the 1/2 is critical for the 3/4 and u can not miss anything. So because of this, I would recommend further.
English or English Language. Surprisingly difficult question, if u only have experience doing english, maybe stick to that? English language is difficult beyond what people give it credit for, it doesn't require u to read books, and u can't do well by drilling exercises but it requires u to keep up to date with the world, learn new skills like writing analytical commentaries, lots of new vocab etc. However its workload is fairly light personally, especially for the 1/2 as I feel like the teachers for eng lan especially r pretty chill. However, only like 2000-3000 kids do the subject. As a result, to get above 40 u must be in like top 200-300 students, so it isn't THAT hard to do 30 in, but plz don't underestimate it. For this one, have a chat to ur teacher, look at the SD to see if ur interested in the subject, (in terms of how interesting I feel like it is polarizing, u either find it really fascinating or completely boring). Look at ur current english scores, what books u may have to read, the students in ur class etc.
Now for the main issue, the 3/4's...
I get wanting to do 2 3/4's but based on what u have said, I would ask why? There r only 3 advantages in doing a 3/4:
You are really good/interested in the subject
Want experience in the subject (If this is ur only reason don't even bother applying)
Doing a uni extension, work load reduction, 6 subjects etc.
If u want to do law, and u r really passionate about it, then absolutely do it next year, then apply for a uni extension and do that as ur 6th subject in year 12. It counts towards ur atar, is objectively easier to get a higher SS increment in and makes u desirable/stand out as a uni candidate. Also counts towards degree. But if u do 2 3/4's, then one of ur subjects won't count IF you do a uni subject.
Also, for the love of all that is holy in this life, do not underestimate vce. I am sure u have gone through HS getting great grades without trying and had some teachers swooning over ya, but VCE is hard. No ifs, no buts, alot of kids go in there feeling great just to burn out, get disappointed as they don't know how to deal with failure, and then fail in something that actually matters. Doing 2 3/4s is hard, don't care how smart u r. Doing one that u have never looked at before is just kinda naive. Like do it if u r really committed and confident, but be warned that the benefit for doing 3/4 bis does not seem worth it for somebody not interested in pursuing the field, do bis man as a 1/2 and law as a 3/4, then follow one of 2 paths:
Year 11: Law 3/4, psych, politics, further, eng(undecided),bis man
year 12: psych, politics, further, eng(undecided),bis man OR drop one of these if u don't want it, which u can do thx to the 3/4 u already did.
Or for year 12 do: psych, politics, further, eng(undecided),bis man, Law uni and drop one of the other 3/4 subjects. 1 uni subject and 4 3/4's is pretty managable.
Going from somebody who is at a year 10 standard, then thrusting them at a year 12 standard for 2 subjects just is not very wise, maybe if u had done bis man 1/2 but u didn't.
TLDR: Just do Law, choose further, talk to teacher about english  +look at SD, consider a uni extension subject.
I just do not see the benefit for u doing 2 3/4's

[beep boop]

hi!
wanting advice on whether doing 3/4s in yr 11 is a good idea. im currently in year 10 where i am doing 1/2 legal and hhd but not enjoying hhd so won't be doing it as a 3/4. i am definetly wanting to do legal 3/4 next year but i have asked the vce coordinator whether i am able to pick up 3/4 bisman in yr 11 as i have heard it is a good subject to pick up without 1/2 and i am interested in it. is the workload too much doing 2 3/4s aswell as 4 1/2s in year 11? i am aware that i can't neglect my 1/2s a lot as they are important foundations for yr 12. also is picking up bisman a good idea considering i havent done 1/2?
these are the other 1/2 subjects i am planning for yr 11: psych, politics, further/methods, english/englang (also bisman if i dont do 3/4)
i am planning to do law in uni although this might change so other concerns of mine is whether doing methods is a good idea considering i dont need it to get into law and i could get a higher score in further bringing up my atar anyways? also, any advice on how hard it is to get a 30 in eng lang because i dont want to do it if it jeopradises my chances of getting into law.
any advice would be helpful! currently dying because i dont know what to choose!!

hi renae,

I'm a year 11 currently doing 2 3/4's. u sound rlly optimistic which is good, however, doing any 3/4 during year 11 is a lot of work.

I'm going to be very realistic with u here and no sugarcoating. ask urself, are u managing ur time effectively rn as year 10? are u procrastinating a lot? do u have a study timetable? how are u scoring on ur sacs? how are u managing ur other yr 10 subjects?

u said u were unsure wether u wanted to further or methods. assess ur math strengths, r u doing well in maths rn? vce maths is very different from yr 10 maths.

even though i said this before, the workload is a lot.  when u enter yr 11, can u effectively work on ur 1/2s and still prioritise ur 3/4's at the same time?

since  u mentioned that u want to go into bisman without doing 1/2 u still have to make sure to look over 1/2. compared with your classmates, even tho u can still 3/4 without 1/2, they still are ahead of u. will u dedicate the time to do this and also look at 3/4?

i hope i don't sound too harsh, its just the reality of it.

[ramuneer123]

Hi

I am currently in yr 11 doing 2 unit 3/4s further math and BM.
As a whole I think it's certainly doable and there are a lot of advantages of doing 2 vce subjects, for example, you get a feel of how vce exams and you build discipline for vce which will help you in yr12.
As for doing BM 3/4 without doing 1/2 I think it can be done. Unit 1/2 busman really isn't a foundational need for 3/4 busman. There may only be 1 key topic you may need to study (Corporate Social Responsibility) but you get lots of opportunities to learn that in unit 3/4.
In terms of workload, by completing 2 unit 3&4s in yr11 you are making year 12 less stressful for you.

Overall, it certainly is doable, it just takes a little more effort.

[renae.kara]

Ok Wow, that is certainly...ambitious.
First thing first: Organize the year 11 subjects you are going to do.
There is a big difference between further and methods, in content, study methods, difficulty, preconception etc. Do NOT underestimate further, many see it as a bludge subject but the exam marks HARSH on account of the contents easiness, which in itself is still not like something u can BS through. It requires attention and work and is often taken for granted. On that note however, Methods is still harder, both in work load, content, exam etc. However in terms of a uni, if u feel like u don't want to pursue law, methods can land u in another course in science for example which further won't. But also the methods untis 1-4 are some of the most interconnected vce subjects, the 1/2 is critical for the 3/4 and u can not miss anything. So because of this, I would recommend further.
English or English Language. Surprisingly difficult question, if u only have experience doing english, maybe stick to that? English language is difficult beyond what people give it credit for, it doesn't require u to read books, and u can't do well by drilling exercises but it requires u to keep up to date with the world, learn new skills like writing analytical commentaries, lots of new vocab etc. However its workload is fairly light personally, especially for the 1/2 as I feel like the teachers for eng lan especially r pretty chill. However, only like 2000-3000 kids do the subject. As a result, to get above 40 u must be in like top 200-300 students, so it isn't THAT hard to do 30 in, but plz don't underestimate it. For this one, have a chat to ur teacher, look at the SD to see if ur interested in the subject, (in terms of how interesting I feel like it is polarizing, u either find it really fascinating or completely boring). Look at ur current english scores, what books u may have to read, the students in ur class etc.
Now for the main issue, the 3/4's...
I get wanting to do 2 3/4's but based on what u have said, I would ask why? There r only 3 advantages in doing a 3/4:
You are really good/interested in the subject
Want experience in the subject (If this is ur only reason don't even bother applying)
Doing a uni extension, work load reduction, 6 subjects etc.
If u want to do law, and u r really passionate about it, then absolutely do it next year, then apply for a uni extension and do that as ur 6th subject in year 12. It counts towards ur atar, is objectively easier to get a higher SS increment in and makes u desirable/stand out as a uni candidate. Also counts towards degree. But if u do 2 3/4's, then one of ur subjects won't count IF you do a uni subject.
Also, for the love of all that is holy in this life, do not underestimate vce. I am sure u have gone through HS getting great grades without trying and had some teachers swooning over ya, but VCE is hard. No ifs, no buts, alot of kids go in there feeling great just to burn out, get disappointed as they don't know how to deal with failure, and then fail in something that actually matters. Doing 2 3/4s is hard, don't care how smart u r. Doing one that u have never looked at before is just kinda naive. Like do it if u r really committed and confident, but be warned that the benefit for doing 3/4 bis does not seem worth it for somebody not interested in pursuing the field, do bis man as a 1/2 and law as a 3/4, then follow one of 2 paths:
Year 11: Law 3/4, psych, politics, further, eng(undecided),bis man
year 12: psych, politics, further, eng(undecided),bis man OR drop one of these if u don't want it, which u can do thx to the 3/4 u already did.
Or for year 12 do: psych, politics, further, eng(undecided),bis man, Law uni and drop one of the other 3/4 subjects. 1 uni subject and 4 3/4's is pretty managable.
Going from somebody who is at a year 10 standard, then thrusting them at a year 12 standard for 2 subjects just is not very wise, maybe if u had done bis man 1/2 but u didn't.
TLDR: Just do Law, choose further, talk to teacher about english  +look at SD, consider a uni extension subject.
I just do not see the benefit for u doing 2 3/4's

Thanks for this really helped me see the opposite side to what some other posts about doing 2 3/4 subjects in yr 11 have said. In regards to reasoning, it is to free up some time and subjects in year 12 because doing 4 would be a great advantage to doing 5 but having said that I have to make sure to consider the down sides. One more question, will doing further instead of methods really restrict me if I end up not wanting to do law because I understand I am still young and this might change. Is it better to do it just incase? Thats what I am tossing up. Thanks again!

[renae.kara]

hi renae,

I'm a year 11 currently doing 2 3/4's. u should rlly optimistic which is good, however, doing any 3/4 during year 11 is a lot of work.

I'm going to be very realistic with u here and no sugarcoating. ask urself, are u managing ur time effectively rn as year 10? are u procrastinating a lot? do u have a study timetable? how are u scoring on ur sacs? how are u managing ur other yr 10 subjects?

u said u were unsure wether u wanted to further or methods. assess ur math strengths, r u doing well in maths rn? vce maths is very different from yr 10 maths.

even though i said this before, the workload is a lot.  when u enter yr 11, can u effectively work on ur 1/2s and still prioritise ur 3/4's at the same time?

since  u mentioned that u want to go into bisman without doing 1/2 u still have to make sure to look over 1/2. compared with your classmates, even tho u can still 3/4 without 1/2, they still are ahead of u. will u dedicate the time to do this and also look at 3/4?

i hope i don't sound too harsh, its just the reality of it.

thanks so much and can i ask what subjects you are doing this year? also how are you coping and was it hard to make the decision to do 2 3/4s?

[beep boop]

thanks so much and can i ask what subjects you are doing this year? also how are you coping and was it hard to make the decision to do 2 3/4s?

I'm actually doing 7 subjects this year. Even though I'm doing another subject out of school, the school still makes me do it anyways.  However, I get to drop it next year.

The subjects I'm doing are:
Vietnamese second language  (3/4)
bio (3/4)
chem
eng lang
methods
spesh
religion and society (the one I'm dropping next year)

in terms of coping, it wasn't that great. i had a burnout during the first semester, because of the constant load of work and things to catch up on. i didn't give myself a break. don't do that . i finally got one after school holidays after the unit 1 exams. the only thing that kept me sane was my calender, because i recorded all the important dates knowing i wont remember them. get into the habit of using a diary or even using  a calender like me.

personally, i don't like keeping up ahead. my bio teach goes on about this, however, if up date. by up to date, doing all the hw, chapter summaries and using edrolo.

hope this helps
beep boop over and out

[mabajas76]

Thanks for this really helped me see the opposite side to what some other posts about doing 2 3/4 subjects in yr 11 have said. In regards to reasoning, it is to free up some time and subjects in year 12 because doing 4 would be a great advantage to doing 5 but having said that I have to make sure to consider the down sides. One more question, will doing further instead of methods really restrict me if I end up not wanting to do law because I understand I am still young and this might change. Is it better to do it just incase? That's what I am tossing up. Thanks again!

Great question! Methods is generally required for any engineering, science, some commerce and information courses. There is typically a bridging program which means if u didn't do methods, there is a subject or 2 which will cover what u need to know should u decide to change ur mind.
But if u really feel committed to law (Some people do just know what they want to do, in prep I said I wanted to be a scientist, that has never wavered then stick to further, it has some great use of real life stats which may be useful in terms of interpreting graphs and understanding finance which may have more application to law than methods, since further is more related to real world, every day math. And again, objectively for less work u will be able to score the same or higher, but keep in mind that methods scales a fair bit, this is only irrelevant if u manage to get into the 40's when the scaling decreases by a fair chunk (something u would learn about in further in terms of statistical deviation).
Out of curiosity does ur school make u do 6 subjects in year 12? If not then doing just 1 3/4 should allow u to do 4 subjects in year 12 unless u want that extra 6th subject, but a)Can be filled by a uni subject or b) only contributes max of 5 so only worth it at the competitive high end.
Hope this helps!