Chem or ancient?! (3 Viewers)

[LoveHateSchool]

Mmmm.... thanks for that So... do you reckon that in terms of workload and difficulty, it is harder to get a Band 6 in chem? Do you have to be a science whiz or naturally talented in Chem to be able to excel in it? Do you necessarily have to LOVE it to get a band 5/6? Also... I'm worried about time management because my society and culture P.I.P will take up a huge portion of time.

It really depends on you. I'd say for the same amount of effort in a history opposed to chem (Modern for me, I did both Chem and Modern) I would end up with better marks. If you're naturally talented in one sub over the other, you will often find it easier in the one you are naturally talented in. Also consider, if you like a sub more you will probably study more effectively for it or more often. Like case in point, I studied the most(or close to my most studied subject) for maths in yr11/12 because I am not very naturally good at it, and it was still my 9th/10th unit in counting ATAR where other subs I put less effort in and did better.

I'd say with Chem you don't have to love it to get a band5/6, the only part I liked was Acidic Environment and aspects of Industrial-I found parts of it very dry. Though pracs were fun. My chem mark didn't end up going to my ATAR at all Though I did chem as a pre req because I'm studying it in first year uni.

Ancient.

I did both chem and Ancient. Though I was good at Chem (topping it in prelim...), it took up 60% of all my HSC study. Ancient took barely any effort at all, yet it was still one of my highest marks.

This is pretty much the experience I had-it's all dependent on where your natural strengths lay.

So you can't just really learn all the dot points and study hard to get that Band 6? Or is it something you can't quite prepare for?
So you believe it is super time consuming? Do you think I'd be able to cope with 2 unit maths, advanced english, bio and society and culture's P.I.P along with chem? Do I have to really LOVE it and be intelligent at calculations to ace it??

I'd say, chem you really can't just rote learn the dot points because it is alot about applying your knowledge. If it's time consuming depends on you. I'm not naturally great at maths but I found chem calculations ok. Work load is dependent on you-my HSC load I did all those subs bar Society and Culture, but I also had modern, ext1 english and ext2 english which requires a major project not unlike a PIP.

The answer to this is very simple.
If you want to do anything scientific at university then you should do chemistry. It is the best and most well structured science course in the HSC IMO. HSC Chemistry is assumed knowledge for many science-related courses at university.
If you do not want to do science at university then do ancient. Don't get mad at me but I find history very useless.

Funny you find this as I am very happy I took Modern in my HSC because it was a nice balance of structuring arguments, writing, using evidence etc. I think there are great skills to be learnt from history and again, I am doing a science course at uni lol. It is not useless at all, and also what makes it ever more useful if it will be a greater subject to help in her ATAR aim for whatever she wants to do in uni.

Well OP, you want to a science/med course, it is probably best to do chemistry, as long as it won't be an inhibitor in getting the ATAR you want. Cause otherwise you'd potentially have to bridge it before going anyway, and you should probably have an interest in chem to go into a science course. The HSC chem course is better than the prelim imho.

 

[Miss-Indecisive]

Thanks for all the help guys... but I'm still partially doubting myself. AGain. I'm still not sure about chem or ancient. I'm awesome at rote-learning...and I don't know if one can rote learn and excel in chem?
I'm not sure if I'll be capable..there's no way I can tell until I sit my half yearlies which are end of the term. But by then, it's too late to change subjects because this week is IT. I'm fearing that although my interest in ancient isn't THAT great, and i'm not a science whiz, I may regret not doing ancient because it's 'easy marks'? AH SO FRUSTRTATED. IS THIS EVEN NORMAL??

 

[Lieutenant_21]

Thanks for all the help guys... but I'm still partially doubting myself. AGain. I'm still not sure about chem or ancient. I'm awesome at rote-learning...and I don't know if one can rote learn and excel in chem?
I'm not sure if I'll be capable..there's no way I can tell until I sit my half yearlies which are end of the term. But by then, it's too late to change subjects because this week is IT. I'm fearing that although my interest in ancient isn't THAT great, and i'm not a science whiz, I may regret not doing ancient because it's 'easy marks'? AH SO FRUSTRTATED. IS THIS EVEN NORMAL??

You definitely can rote-learn and excel in chemistry.
Have a look at the success book of past papers, most of the answers are written responses but it is easier for me to understand the concepts and not memorise everything because memorising everything is time consuming.

 

[Miss-Indecisive]

You definitely can rote-learn and excel in chemistry.
Have a look at the success book of past papers, most of the answers are written responses but it is easier for me to understand the concepts and not memorise everything because memorising everything is time consuming.

Hahaha what a relief! Of course I'll actually try to understand the concepts as I go! Thank you so much for everything! Really appreciate the help

 

[Miss-Indecisive]

Oh and one last question about chem. Do we have to memorise experiments we do in class for the HSC exam? :O Hope that's not the case..