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March 29, 2024, 10:50:22 am

Author Topic: Is it too risky to complete 5 subjects instead of 6?  (Read 11842 times)  Share 

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hannahj8710

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Is it too risky to complete 5 subjects instead of 6?
« on: November 12, 2018, 09:13:06 pm »
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Hi,

So this year I completed 3/4 further maths and am expecting a study score in the low to mid 40’s. I also did 5 year 11 subjects: English, literature, methods, legal studies and global politics. I am not doing well in methods and want to drop it. Unfortunately, my school’s timetable is changing next year so that we can only do a maximum of 5 subjects.

If I drop methods, I can either complete 4 subjects next year (therefore finishing with 5 3/4’s) and have a free block where I can make sure that I am doing amazing in my other subjects, or I can try and pick up a subject at 3/4 level, therefore finishing with 6 subjects. The problem with the latter option is that I can’t find any subjects I want to pick up, since I need to be interested in a subject in order to do well. The only one I would like to pick up is History of Revolutions (but I don’t know if I can get in because the class is full) but I’m worried that the workload may be too much and won’t be worth the 10% increment.

My dream uni course requires a 90 ATAR, so which option would be best:

- 4 subjects (5 in total) + a free block that I can use to maximise my scores in other subjects
- 5 subjects (6 in total) so that I can get a 10% increment for the 6th subject

Will only completing 5 subjects in total hinder my chances of getting a 90?

Thanks so much

brenden

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Re: Is it too risky to complete 5 subjects instead of 6?
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2018, 09:25:00 pm »
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I'd personally recommend just taking 4 in Year 12 and focussing on what you can. That's what I did, and it worked for me. It's probably a matter of preference more than anything else but I do think that 5 is that "sweet spot". 4 is risky, 6 pretty cautious when you don't necessarily want to study that sixth subject, which could be a whole lot of unwanted work for a fraction of a reward.

I vote for 5 total.
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vox nihili

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Re: Is it too risky to complete 5 subjects instead of 6?
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2018, 09:41:19 pm »
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There's not a lot of added benefit in taking a sixth subject, to be perfectly honest. A sixth subject just adds an extra subject into your bottom two, which means maximum 5 extra points on your aggregate (if you get 50 in everything). Average SS is 30 though, so a sixth subject is really equivalent to the difference between a 30 and 33 in one of your top four.
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