Benefits of taking advanced units? (1 Viewer)

someth1ng

Retired Nov '14
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
5,558
Location
Adelaide, Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2021
so basically if im doing 1901/02 im pretty screwed if i want a D and im not crazy good at maths...
It depends on what they're doing it - it is all standards based now so the person next to you has absolutely no bearing on your mark, there's no bell curve. Perhaps they will adjust marks more like how HSC is done but I'm not sure.
 

pHyRe

Active Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Messages
520
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
i thought there was a bell curve at usyd to prevent grade inflation?
 

LoveHateSchool

Retired Sept '14
Joined
Jan 30, 2009
Messages
5,136
Location
The Fires of Mordor
Gender
Female
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2016
How about if your aim is to simply get as high as a GPA or WAM as you can?
It's a mix of strategics I think-knowing when to do a normal unit to get a higher mark or when the Adv unit will help you kick up. For instance, doing Adv Geos for me was great because I much prefer independent assignment work which played to my strengths. Or when the scaling was in action, SSP bio had great scaling as far as I can tell. Whereas some of my other Adv units, though rewarding I feel I would have done better in normal.

But to get the highest WAM you can; it's excellent subject choice/balance (play to your strength-if you can ace an XYZ unit go do it) and hard work obviously as well.
 

bangladesh

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2012
Messages
1,028
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
It's a mix of strategics I think-knowing when to do a normal unit to get a higher mark or when the Adv unit will help you kick up. For instance, doing Adv Geos for me was great because I much prefer independent assignment work which played to my strengths. Or when the scaling was in action, SSP bio had great scaling as far as I can tell. Whereas some of my other Adv units, though rewarding I feel I would have done better in normal.

But to get the highest WAM you can; it's excellent subject choice/balance (play to your strength-if you can ace an XYZ unit go do it) and hard work obviously as well.
ARGHH decisions...
 

anomalousdecay

Premium Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
5,769
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Quick question - is advanced math needed for electrical engineering?
At UNSW higher Physics is a requirement in semester 2 only (because in higher physics b there is a lot on electromagnetism in Physics in semester 2 which is a foundation of electrical).

I'm guessing it would complement doing higher with higher in some cases (though probably not necessary).
 

someth1ng

Retired Nov '14
Joined
Sep 18, 2010
Messages
5,558
Location
Adelaide, Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2021
Ah fuck. I really hope that the new system works towards the advanced students' advantage
I just checked with the Faculty of Science - your raw marks are simply added together now, no scaling at all.

It should be noted that advanced is sometimes marked harder and sometimes easier. For chemistry, it seems that the coursework is harder and you are marked harder.
 

bangladesh

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2012
Messages
1,028
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
I just checked with the Faculty of Science - your raw marks are simply added together now, no scaling at all.

It should be noted that advanced is sometimes marked harder and sometimes easier. For chemistry, it seems that the coursework is harder and you are marked harder.
uhm... what the fuck....Should i drop down to normal maths then?
 

Obvious

Active Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2010
Messages
735
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Uni Grad
2016
Time to start sharpening your pitchforks guys.
 

HowToNoob101

Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2013
Messages
56
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
There's no advantage marks-wise.
Wow wtf.. I kept the advanced Maths thinking there is at least some benefit mark wise... LOL
Guess I'm f*ed this semister for math then hahahahha

Edit: It's too late to change to normal now isn't it? Since the last day to drop a unit was 15 days ago..
 
Last edited:

bangladesh

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 11, 2012
Messages
1,028
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
Wow wtf.. I kept the advanced Maths thinking there is at least some benefit mark wise... LOL
Guess I'm f*ed this semister for math then hahahahha

Edit: It's too late to change to normal now isn't it? Since the last day to drop a unit was 15 days ago..
I dropped down yesterday. Think there's still time if u do it tomorrow.
 

Librah

Not_the_pad
Joined
Oct 28, 2013
Messages
916
Location
Sydney Australia
Gender
Male
HSC
2014
First year math units are definitely scaled, i'm 90% sure that i barely passed in terms of raw marks for MATH1902 or even failed and ended up getting a distinction.

There's no scaling for CHEM1901, but they make it so it's almost impossible to fail and tbh, most questions aren't very difficult.

Biology, i don't believe is scaled, since the exam is the same whether your doing regular, advanced or SSP. (save a few prac multiple choice)

If you had the option to do PHYS1901 or PHYS1001 do PHYS1901, some of the exam questions are actually easier than the ones in PHYS1001 + it's scaled.
 
Last edited:

RealiseNothing

what is that?It is Cowpea
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
4,591
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
First year math units are definitely scaled, i'm 90% sure that i barely passed in terms of raw marks for MATH1902 or even failed and ended up getting a distinction.

There's no scaling for CHEM1901, but they make it so it's almost impossible to fail and tbh, most questions aren't very difficult.

Biology, i don't believe is scaled, since the exam is the same whether your doing regular, advanced or SSP. (save a few prac multiple choice)

If you had the option to do PHYS1901 or PHYS1001 do PHYS1901, some of the exam questions are actually easier than the ones in PHYS1001 + it's scaled.
Maths isn't scaled, not even first year.

They mark more leniently and have a new way of assigning marks to each question.
 

RealiseNothing

what is that?It is Cowpea
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
4,591
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2013
I left some questions blank lol
All the 2nd and 3rd year lecturers I've had say it isn't scaled and when my friend group went and checked our exams after results came out, the mark we got was our final mark for every single exam.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top