does scaling REALLY matter?

[TheStallion]

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Originally Posted by MissGiggles

i got accepted into double extension english. woo! sounds like a bludge.

I highly doubt an extension subject is a bludge - and if by 'double' you mean 4U, then it's definitely not a bludge.

[Jade ED]

Yes and no...It works out that if you do well at a subject, then it won't really hurt you in scaling. But, if you take...say, maths, just for scaling but do really badly, you will be scaled down.
Take what you're good at and you'll be fine.

[Shadowdude]

Extension 2 English sounds like a bludge - but it isn't. You are forewarned. You write a story, yes, that's the 'easy' part - or so I've heard. Then you have to do research on how you came up with that and why you did that blah blah blah blah...

Of course, that only applies if what I interpreted as 'double extension english' is Extensions 1 and 2 respectively.

[MissGiggles]

yes by double extension english i mean 2U extension english next year. i want to write a story strongly influenced by the drama movement known as the theatre of the absurd, and that is influenced in turn by the theatre of cruelty (so fun to perform) and existentialist philosphy.

er, whoops, i'll only have 13 units next year. just checking if everyone's paying attention....i must have counted religion as two so it looks like i'll need half of chem. i got the test back first period today and i got 44%. eep! looks like i should lower my expectations of what uni course i want.

update at 5:30pm: got my maths scores back. my scores were (out of 10 each): 3,2,4,0,4,0,3 and 3, adding to 19/80 (24%), so any choice about staying in advanced has been taken away from me. i was on the list to be asked to move down and the coordinator looked shocked when i said she'd already moved me from extension. she asked what school i was from so i said a few slack things about the feeder i'm from, and then my teacher and the coordinator tried to reassure me it's possible to get a good (they didn't want to say brilliant) ATAR doing general, getting me over the line for medicine much easier than continuing to fail advanced. at least with the less stress i can concentrate more on chemistry and improve all around

[Schoey93]

Originally Posted by lyounamu

scaling matters, yes. But the extent of how much it matters depends on how well you do in that subject. If you beat the bell curve (i.e. getting better marks than most people in the course), you won't be scaled down too much.

That's why we all say: do subjects you like (because you are far more likely to work harder and better in that sub) or do subjects that you are good at.

If you have 2 subjects and if you like them equally, choose subject that is deemed more "useful" for your uni course or as a last resort, choose the subject with higher scaling

Um, Namu...the Board of Studies got rid of the Belle Curve, mate... that was why they reformed the HSC from 2001... the marking process was unfair because marks were pre-decided by a Belle Curve... i.e. 5% of people got Band 6 even if in reality 12% of the course candidature achieved a raw mark equivalent to 90 aligned, e.g. a raw mark of 87 and so on.

[Schoey93]

Originally Posted by MissGiggles

yes by double extension english i mean 2U extension english next year. i want to write a story strongly influenced by the drama movement known as the theatre of the absurd, and that is influenced in turn by the theatre of cruelty (so fun to perform) and existentialist philosphy.

er, whoops, i'll only have 13 units next year. just checking if everyone's paying attention....i must have counted religion as two so it looks like i'll need half of chem. i got the test back first period today and i got 44%. eep! looks like i should lower my expectations of what uni course i want.

update at 5:30pm: got my maths scores back. my scores were (out of 10 each): 3,2,4,0,4,0,3 and 3, adding to 19/80 (24%), so any choice about staying in advanced has been taken away from me. i was on the list to be asked to move down and the coordinator looked shocked when i said she'd already moved me from extension. she asked what school i was from so i said a few slack things about the feeder i'm from, and then my teacher and the coordinator tried to reassure me it's possible to get a good (they didn't want to say brilliant) ATAR doing general, getting me over the line for medicine much easier than continuing to fail advanced. at least with the less stress i can concentrate more on chemistry and improve all around

Sorry. I'm just going to keep asking you (in written word only): are you Riley F from MCK school???

[MissGiggles]

no, i'm from SFX College, a Marist school if that means anything to anyone out there. i'm considering dropping drama because i really don't want to do the group work and chances are i'll get scaled down anyway. the frees can help me catch up on sleep from ext. 2 english lol...that's what the rest of the class does!

and i am finding it a complete bludge so far sorry guys. yeah it's time consuming and i'm juggling 13 units on a 12 unit timetable but i can do it half asleep because i just need my imagination and write everything down as i think it.

my HSC is going to be fail with general maths and drama

[Shadowdude]

Well, if you do well in it - it won't affect you.

Still, I advise anyone against doing any General/Standard subject.

[sikhman]

Extension 2 English sounds like a bludge - but it isn't. You are forewarned. You write a story, yes, that's the 'easy' part - or so I've heard. Then you have to do research on how you came up with that and why you did that blah blah blah blah...

it is a bludge, if you don't care too massively about your marks, or you're naturally talented at writing (although research can get annoying)

[shuttle_bus5]

Originally Posted by MissGiggles

my HSC is going to be fail with general maths and drama

I know 3 people that have achieved 98+ with general maths and drama counting towards their 10 units. One of the girls was from SFX about 2 years ago

[MissGiggles]

Originally Posted by sikhman

it is a bludge, if you don't care too massively about your marks, or you're naturally talented at writing (although research can get annoying)

what do you mean, "if i don't care massively about my marks"? it scales great, i don't have a job or *sigh* a social life so i have plenty of time to fake research about my idea (i mean, my idea is based on a dream i had, not any "stimuli" i found), and my library technician mother made me read "Emma" by Jane Austen at 8 as well as paying for me to go to drama lessons the last two years, so this is perfect for my ATAR. my stepmother has been bugging me to write since she found a story i started and forgot about.

I know 3 people that have achieved 98+ with general maths and drama counting towards their 10 units. One of the girls was from SFX about 2 years ago

was she the girl short listed for onstage this year? she was bloody amazing according to our teacher. i'm definately nothing more than average since my group work and Boal essay were lower.

[shuttle_bus5]

Originally Posted by MissGiggles

was she the girl short listed for onstage this year? she was bloody amazing according to our teacher. i'm definately nothing more than average since my group work and Boal essay were lower.

nahh not this year. I think she did her HSC in 2006. Maybe 2007, not 100% sure. But yes it is still possible to get a high UAI with general maths and drama. Scaling has little effect once you start getting marks in the 90's / high 80's anyway, so i wouldnt worry to much about it.

[imoO]

it matters only if you let it get to your head.

[sikhman]

what do you mean, "if i don't care massively about my marks"? it scales great, i don't have a job or *sigh* a social life so i have plenty of time to fake research about my idea (i mean, my idea is based on a dream i had, not any "stimuli" i found), and my library technician mother made me read "Emma" by Jane Austen at 8 as well as paying for me to go to drama lessons the last two years, so this is perfect for my ATAR. my stepmother has been bugging me to write since she found a story i started and forgot about.

ext 2 doesn't scale that well - you need 47+ to do well. And, to frame it differently, I enjoyed Ext 2 as something to do, not as a subject, and I did it because I enjoyed it. I wasn't fussed about ticking boxes for markers etc. hence it was a pretty big bludge for me

[Tofuu]

i think scaling does matter in a way
Its because some subjects you can get better marks since you won't get scaled down as much
But then if you do crap in that subject scaling wont matter
In my opinion only go for scaling if you are stuck on a choice eg you like subject A and B, but you only can pick one(because there will be too much load if you do both or something), and lets say subject A scales better, so you would pick that one