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March 28, 2024, 09:45:39 pm

Author Topic: Plz Help me with VCE Subject Selections!!!  (Read 3202 times)

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Snow Leopard

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Plz Help me with VCE Subject Selections!!!
« on: August 09, 2019, 10:31:55 pm »
+1
Hi AN,
We have to do our subject selections next week and I was wondering if I could please have some advice since all teachers are just saying "Do x subject because of scaling etc" or "Even though it scales down, you'll do well in it". For context, I'm looking into getting into medicine.

So the subjects which I'm confident I want to do, listed in order of preference are:
- Chemistry
- Methods
- LOTE 3&4 (I'm currently doing 1/2 this year)
- Biology
- Religion and Society (it's compulsory)

For the English Subject: Literature vs Mainstream:
I'm not sure whether I should do Lit or mainstream. I'm currently doing a taster of Lit instead of mainstream for Semester 2 and it's been alright. But I feel like I'm not as confident as I was in the Semester 1 mainstream English class in terms of participating in class discussions and analysing texts because this class is like all the smart English students that love reading etc in one place. My teacher told me to do Lit if it was something that I'd be able to prioritise but not to do it if it would just be at the bottom of my priorities. So I'm really not sure what to choose. On one hand, I feel like I could do better in English with less effort. On the other hand, if I don't try Lit I'll never know if I would've preferred it. Also, in a mainstream English class I'd be stuck with the kids that are doing it just because it's compulsory and could be demotivated by it. I can always try Lit for Unit 1, then if it's not for me I can go back to mainstream in Unit 2. But doing that would disorganise me so I don't think I'd want to go through that.

I still have one subject to choose but I'm tossing between:
- Another Math Subject: My teacher recommended I do Methods and Specialist. They said that I should either do Speicalist or another language for scaling for a better ATAR. Apparently though, General is super easy and doesn't require as much study. I know someone said they've stduied minimally for that and gotten like 100% pretty consistently. My math teacher didn't recommend I do General though because they said that you need perfect scores to do well in it, which I haven't been getting.

- Another LOTE subject:I'm currently studying another romance language (at Yr 10 level) but I don't know if I should continue with both languages next year. I don't know if I'd be able to handle it. Like imagine having two SACs in the same week for two different LOTE's. Both my language teachers recommend I continue with both languages but I'm still unsure.

- Another subject: Health and Human Development seems like it would help with Medicine.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2019, 05:06:44 pm by Snow Leopard »

Aaron

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2019, 10:42:56 pm »
+2
I agree with the suggestion of doing Spec over Gen/Further. Students are fooled into thinking Gen/Further is 'easier' when it's actually much harder to do well in - a) it's targeted towards a certain type of student and b) while the content may be more accessible given you have a bulk of students at the top end it's harder to separate therefore making it more difficult to achieve a high result. Errors (even minor ones) can be costly.

If you have the capacity and are (in your own opinion) 'good' at maths, then I reckon Spec is a good move. The scaling helps, but decisions should not be made based on scaling alone, ever.

I think one LOTE is enough. My personal opinion. Your workload is heavy as is.

HHD, pick it only if you are desperate and can't find anything else.

:)
« Last Edit: August 09, 2019, 10:47:19 pm by Aaron »
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Snow Leopard

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #2 on: August 09, 2019, 10:59:34 pm »
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I agree with the suggestion of doing Spec over Gen/Further. Students are fooled into thinking Gen/Further is 'easier' when it's actually much harder to do well in - a) it's targeted towards a certain type of student and b) while the content may be more accessible given you have a bulk of students at the top end it's harder to separate therefore making it more difficult to achieve a high result. Errors (even minor ones) can be costly.

If you have the capacity and are (in your own opinion) 'good' at maths, then I reckon Spec is a good move. The scaling helps, but decisions should not be made based on scaling alone, ever.

With that, I feel like I'm only 'good' at Maths because I work hard at it. Like, it's not something that I'd say comes naturally to me and it takes a while for math concepts to sink in for me. That's why I'm not really sure whether or not I should pick it.

I think one LOTE is enough. My personal opinion. Your workload is heavy as is.
Yeah, this is why I'm not sure about doing two LOTE's. But like the language co-ordinator was like to me: do Spec and French and don't do Biology. But I don't think that'd be a smart move since I think Bio would help me with Medicine.

On the other hand though, I feel like LOTE click for me more quickly that Maths.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2019, 11:01:09 pm by Snow Leopard »

zuijinde

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2019, 11:31:23 pm »
+1
- Another Math Subject: My teacher recommended I do Methods and Specialist. They said that I should either do Speicalist or another language for scaling for a better ATAR. Apparently though, General is super easy and doesn't require as much study. I know someone said they've stduied minimally for that and gotten like 100% pretty consistently. My math teacher didn't recommend I do General though because they said that you need perfect scores to do well in it, which I haven't been getting.
You probably should not look at scaling. Though it is enticing, if you end up doing bad then it would not have been worth it. I wouldn't say General/Further is easy but definitely more relaxed - you probably don't need to exert as much energy compared to other subjects. I would recommend you do spesh ONLY if you are capable to do it (that is, physically and mentally). I took unit 1 for spesh then dropped it because it was insane, plus I didn't really enjoy it because the topics were a bit plain. General is a great topic to do if you want to put a bit more focus on your other subjects.

i]- Another LOTE subject:[/i]I'm currently studying another romance language (at Yr 10 level) but I don't know if I should continue with both languages next year. I don't know if I'd be able to handle it. Like imagine having two SACs in the same week for two different LOTE's. Both my language teachers recommend I continue with both languages but I'm still unsure.
Do you have any experience in the LOTEs at your school? One of my highschools offered Mandarin Chinese, so something that helped me a lot was actually being Chinese (well, I'm Cantonese so it was a little bit harder to study). I was doing great but decided to drop it before I entered VCE because I absolutely hated studying it. LOTE is great to do if you have a passion for it.

Snow Leopard

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2019, 11:47:37 pm »
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You probably should not look at scaling. Though it is enticing, if you end up doing bad then it would not have been worth it. I wouldn't say General/Further is easy but definitely more relaxed - you probably don't need to exert as much energy compared to other subjects. I would recommend you do spesh ONLY if you are capable to do it (that is, physically and mentally). I took unit 1 for spesh then dropped it because it was insane, plus I didn't really enjoy it because the topics were a bit plain. General is a great topic to do if you want to put a bit more focus on your other subjects.
Do you have any experience in the LOTEs at your school? One of my highschools offered Mandarin Chinese, so something that helped me a lot was actually being Chinese (well, I'm Cantonese so it was a little bit harder to study). I was doing great but decided to drop it before I entered VCE because I absolutely hated studying it. LOTE is great to do if you have a passion for it.
I've been doing my first LOTE since Yr 7. Then, I started doing my other LOTE since Yr 9 because that's when it was offerred to our year level. I've continued to do both of these languages and am currently doing 1/2 of LOTE 1 (which I've been doing since Yr 7) and Yr 10 of LOTE 2 (which I've been doing since Yr 9). I don't actually natively speak either of these languages nor am I from these countries. Although, I wasn't born in Australia and only came here when I was 5, so I had to learn English. I think this is what makes it easier for me to learn languages. Also, I guess I am passionate about languages. But would 2 languages be too much for me?

I reckon you can always give yourself a challenge and see how it works out. Most students who do spesh aren't natural-born maths geniuses with ungodly high IQs. If you're interested in it and is willing to put in the effort, then why not go for it?
But is it worth doing if you don't need it as a prerequisite. Like, is it worth the extra effort? I guess I'm also kinda scared of the teacher not explaining concepts which they would expect us to know and that I'd fall behind and do badly in it alongside all the other kids that know these simple concepts inside out.

Yeah bio definitely helps with med and other health science courses, but I think learning a language could be more useful in the long run and also applies much more broadly. Like, if you wrote that you did biology on your resume it wouldn't be as effective as saying you can communicate in another language.
But with that, wouldn't one language be impressive enough?  Like how much would a second LOTE actually make you stand out.
« Last Edit: August 10, 2019, 12:00:39 am by Snow Leopard »

zuijinde

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2019, 12:20:30 am »
+1
I think this is what makes it easier for me to learn languages. Also, I guess I am passionate about languages. But would 2 languages be too much for me?
Well, now it really depends. Are you doing two languages as a recreation/for VCE only or will you continue to study it in the future?
I personally wouldn't do two languages as I think the amount of vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure would be difficult to remember, however, I am not sure how competent you are so there's a different level of intensity for your question.

Snow Leopard

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2019, 01:12:39 pm »
0
Well, now it really depends. Are you doing two languages as a recreation/for VCE only or will you continue to study it in the future?
In the past, I thought I'd only be doing languages in VCE but then I heard that you can do a concurrent diploma in languages alongside Medicine. But I'm still unsure if I'd want to continue with languages at Uni because wouldn't Medicine be hard enough without languages on the side.

I personally wouldn't do two languages as I think the amount of vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure would be difficult to remember, however, I am not sure how competent you are so there's a different level of intensity for your question.
Yeah, I think I agree with that but my teacher's for both languages are like: "Since you'll have already done Units 3/4 of LOTE 1 in Yr 11, it's basically the same process for when you do Units 3/4 of LOTE 2 in Yr 12". So now I'm really unsure whether to continue with both languages.

Pro's of Only doing LOTE 1:
- I can focus on perfecting my skills in it without having to worry about another LOTE
- I wouldn't get confused between both of these languages

Con's of Only doing LOTE 1:
- I might've had the potential to do well in LOTE 2 as well

Pro's of Doing LOTE 1 and LOTE 2:
- Both of these languages are similar and learning one concept in one LOTE might help with the other LOTE

Con's of Doing LOTE 1 and LOTE 2:
- I might get confused and mix up the languages
- I might not have as much time to focus on LOTE 1 which would be my 3/4 since I'd have 1/2 of LOTE 2
« Last Edit: August 10, 2019, 01:15:06 pm by Snow Leopard »

Snow Leopard

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #7 on: August 14, 2019, 05:05:08 pm »
+1
Hey guys,

So I'm pretty sure I've ruled out doing Specialist Maths because:
- I don't need it as a prereq
- I'd rather focus on Methods and put my energy into that rather than having both Methods and Specialist and getting mediocre results for both of them.

However, I'm still unsure about whether to do Lit or English.
Pro's of Lit:
- I can challenge myself
- I enjoy reading books and Lit involves looking more closely at novels etc
- It scales by 1 and might possibly have a less competitive cohort as English which everyone must do.
- The class I'm in/ the students may encourage me to work harder.

Con's of Lit:
- I'll be in a class of really smart kids which could make it harder to get a good score/ranking.
- It may take up a lot of my time
- It might be harder to get a better score in
- I'm not sure if Medicine at Monash (undergraduate) accept it since their website says
Quote
30 (out of a score of 50) in English
(If there are any med students reading this, could you please give me some clarification)

Pro's of English:
- It might be easier for me to get better marks/rankings in since everyone has to do it.
- It provides a wider variety: you look at novels, you do language analysis etc.
- Medicine at Monash should accept it as a prereq

Con's of English:
- My class may have a lot of bad/distracting kids in it
- Everyone has to do it, so there might be more competition in terms of rankings etc
- It gets scaled down by like 1 (I think?)

So far I've gotten one assessment back for Literature and I got an OKAY mark. Not the best, not the worst. This is similar to my average for last Semester for English so in terms of marks I'm not sure which one I'd do better in.

I'm still unsure about whether to do LOTE 2 or another subject.

I'd appreciate any advice as I have to make my subject selections by tomorrow.
« Last Edit: August 14, 2019, 05:58:14 pm by Snow Leopard »

AngelWings

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Re: Plz Help me with VCE Subject Selections!!!
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2019, 08:14:08 pm »
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Re: English vs Lit
You sound more interested in Lit based on that pros and cons list, so I’m going to say do that due to interest. (Don’t pick a subject purely for scaling.)

Med accepts English and/or its equivalents, from memory, so it doesn’t matter as long as you do at least one of these and satisfy the 30 raw SS (and pass 3 units), you’ll be good to go.

If you find that you’re not satisfied with your English subject, you’ll be able to switch in and out of it between units (unless I’m mistaken and you’re taking Year 12 English/Lit next year), as long as you’re taking one of them at any given time.

Re: Taking LOTE 2
Depends on the languages themselves and whether you enjoy them. I personally did Chinese and Japanese but dropped Chinese after U1/2 due to disinterest. (I went on to do a minor in Japanese at uni.) I didn’t really find that I mixed the languages up.

I can see your dilemma. Two LOTEs can be hectic if you’re not great at managing the workload, especially given your other subjects. If you’re competent enough and enjoy both LOTEs equally, I don’t see a reason to quit either and would let you try doing both for a little (like a semester) to see how you go. However, if you feel this is personally too much for yourself, drop one and pick another subject you believe you’ll enjoy. Depends on how you’re feeling about the workload and your own skill set. (Sorry, not exactly the most helpful response there.)
« Last Edit: August 14, 2019, 09:58:55 pm by AngelWings »
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chopsticks

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2019, 11:39:23 pm »
+1
Hey guys,

So I'm pretty sure I've ruled out doing Specialist Maths because:
- I don't need it as a prereq
- I'd rather focus on Methods and put my energy into that rather than having both Methods and Specialist and getting mediocre results for both of them.

However, I'm still unsure about whether to do Lit or English.
Pro's of Lit:
- I can challenge myself
- I enjoy reading books and Lit involves looking more closely at novels etc
- It scales by 1 and might possibly have a less competitive cohort as English which everyone must do.
- The class I'm in/ the students may encourage me to work harder.

Con's of Lit:
- I'll be in a class of really smart kids which could make it harder to get a good score/ranking.
- It may take up a lot of my time
- It might be harder to get a better score in
- I'm not sure if Medicine at Monash (undergraduate) accept it since their website says  (If there are any med students reading this, could you please give me some clarification)

Pro's of English:
- It might be easier for me to get better marks/rankings in since everyone has to do it.
- It provides a wider variety: you look at novels, you do language analysis etc.
- Medicine at Monash should accept it as a prereq

Con's of English:
- My class may have a lot of bad/distracting kids in it
- Everyone has to do it, so there might be more competition in terms of rankings etc
- It gets scaled down by like 1 (I think?)

So far I've gotten one assessment back for Literature and I got an OKAY mark. Not the best, not the worst. This is similar to my average for last Semester for English so in terms of marks I'm not sure which one I'd do better in.

I'm still unsure about whether to do LOTE 2 or another subject.

I'd appreciate any advice as I have to make my subject selections by tomorrow.

Hey,

From what I've seen around, Lit obviously requires work. However, for English, you essentially have to follow a specific structure. For Lit, you can go all out, as long as you can deeply analyze the texts. I think you should choose your subject based on your interests. If you think Lit is more enjoyable, then do that. If you're interested in a subject, chances are that you will invest more time and effort into it and do better. Even if it's a lot more work, if it's enjoyable then it will be easier to cope with the workload.
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Snow Leopard

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Re: Subject Selections Advice for VCE
« Reply #10 on: September 06, 2019, 12:04:27 am »
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Hey,

From what I've seen around, Lit obviously requires work. However, for English, you essentially have to follow a specific structure. For Lit, you can go all out, as long as you can deeply analyze the texts. I think you should choose your subject based on your interests. If you think Lit is more enjoyable, then do that. If you're interested in a subject, chances are that you will invest more time and effort into it and do better. Even if it's a lot more work, if it's enjoyable then it will be easier to cope with the workload.
Yeah, in the end, after having a discussion with my English/Lit teacher, I decided to go with Lit and see how it goes. If it's too much for me or I find that I'm not really enjoying I can always try to change it for English either during headstart or before Unit 2. But hopefully all goes well and I stick with it!