Non-Maths HSC (1 Viewer)

v26

New Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
17
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
I want to drop maths completely for my hsc which will leave me with : BUS, ECO, LEGAL and 4 u ENG (since I got invited)
With maths though I'm getting 80s which sounds okay but majority of the class gets 90s-100s as the tests at our school are relatively easy, meaning I'll prob be ranked out at 20-30. For the others though I get over 95 in the subject and am I'm ranked from 1-3
So I just want to know three things really:
1) Are there examples of ppl who got high ATAR/UAI without doing maths?
2) What do most ppl get in Ext 4 Eng?
3) Should I keep 12 or go to 10 as planned?
 

saberbladexx

Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Messages
376
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
If you dont mind the workload, why not just keep maths till the yr 12 half yearlys and go from there?
 

-may-cat-

Tired Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
3,472
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
While it does depend on what you consider a high UAI, i got 94.65 without any maths.
 

annabackwards

<3 Prophet 9
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
4,670
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
Lots of people get a high UAI/ATAR like -may-cat- without maths :)

I recommend that you only drop maths if the workload is too much, as saberbladexx suggested.
 

ninetypercent

ninety ninety ninety
Joined
May 23, 2009
Messages
2,148
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
1) Are there examples of ppl who got high ATAR/UAI without doing maths?

Yes, but there are few that get above 99 without doing maths. By all means, it is possible, but rare.

2) What do most ppl get in Ext 4 Eng?

umm.. as in the school or the state. My school is in the top 40 and the average is around 85.

3) Should I keep 12 or go to 10 as planned?

Depends. Are you consistent? Do you mind doing an extra 20% for your hsc?
 

Sean432

Member
Joined
Sep 19, 2009
Messages
98
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2009
While it does depend on what you consider a high UAI, i got 94.65 without any maths.
Why do people that have finished the hsc still go on boredofstudies? Im really struggling to understand.
 

-may-cat-

Tired Member
Joined
Feb 1, 2008
Messages
3,472
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Why do people that have finished the hsc still go on boredofstudies? Im really struggling to understand.

1. I like to use the university forums.
2. I like to use the non-school related forums.
3. Surely the best people to give advice on completing the HSC/starting university would be those who have gone through the process themselves.
 

jenga218

Member
Joined
Jul 15, 2009
Messages
34
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
I, for one, am very glad that there are people like -may-cat- still hanging around Bored of Studies.

I'm dropping maths next term - I was only doing General and I wasn't even doing that good. I think I should be able to do better with a lighter workload (and it looks like my French Extention class will easily take up all that time anyways). I only took it for year 11 because at my school it's on a line by itself.
 

v26

New Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2008
Messages
17
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Thanks all, I for one am happy that users like may~cat stick 'round to give advice :), and am also sure that like her if i do drop maths, I could achieve something high but possibly not a 99+ like ninetypercent said.

hmmm, maths took most of my workload in yr 11, so I might take your advice saberbladex and stick with it in t4 at least until I can tell how I might go in the ext 2 eng course.
 

Schoey93

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
988
Location
Western Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
1) Are there examples of ppl who got high ATAR/UAI without doing maths?

Yes, but there are few that get above 99 without doing maths. By all means, it is possible, but rare.

2) What do most ppl get in Ext 4 Eng?

umm.. as in the school or the state. My school is in the top 40 and the average is around 85.

3) Should I keep 12 or go to 10 as planned?

Depends. Are you consistent? Do you mind doing an extra 20% for your hsc?
On your answer to 1), if a person does not do maths, but takes subjects they enjoy which all have similar or better scaling than 2U Mathematics (and there are quite a few subjects that do scale better or similarly, e.g. Modern History, some languages, sciences), I believe he should be just as capable of getting an ATAR of 99+ as someone who does maths.

To the OP:

1) There are many people who achieved high ATARs without maths. Last year a girl at my school received a rank of 96.2 without doing maths.

2) The majority of people who studied English Extension 2 last year (51.58%) recieved a Band E3 (equivalent to a Band 5). 30.39% of the course candidature received a Band E4 in 2008. This indicates that in 2009 and subsequent years, the majority of the English Extension 2 course candidature will probably receive Band E3s.

3) It's your decision. It doesn't really matter either way. If you do 10 units, I recommend you work hard and seek assistance from your teachers when needed to maximise your marks. If you do 12 units, do the same. If it's too much work you can drop a subject.
Remember though, it is only the HSC. Too many people believe it is more important than it is (you don't need to have completed the HSC to attend university or TAFE...and even if you never go to uni or TAFE you are by no means a failure).

I hope this helps. One last thought: if you're only doing English Extension 2 because you were invited to the class, perhaps you should reconsider your decision. In my opinion, you should only do it if you believe in your creative or analytical ability and are willing to create a sustained composition and are excited by the thought of doing so.
 
Last edited:

ninetypercent

ninety ninety ninety
Joined
May 23, 2009
Messages
2,148
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
Thanks all, I for one am happy that users like may~cat stick 'round to give advice :), and am also sure that like her if i do drop maths, I could achieve something high but possibly not a 99+ like ninetypercent said.

hmmm, maths took most of my workload in yr 11, so I might take your advice saberbladex and stick with it in t4 at least until I can tell how I might go in the ext 2 eng course.
if you do really well in all your other subjects, 99 + is still possible.

but what ATAR are u aiming for?
 

harry4

Member
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
128
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
why would anyone want to do the HSC without math. it is by far the best subject
 
Joined
Aug 4, 2009
Messages
687
Location
NSW
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
To OP:

Imo, it not only depends on the workload but also how much you like it. The HSC year is a time when you're going to need to do all you can to stay as motivated as possible. For me, a big part of that was picking subjects I enjoyed. The more you like a subject, the more likely you are to work at it and therefore do well in it. My advice would be not to pick things simply because you think you 'should' - I know a fair few people who did and they ended up being really unhappy. Plus, it doesn't matter what subjects you do in the end, as long as you do as well as you need to to get where you want. It sounds to me like you're a bit of an all-rounder but that maths is still below your other subjects - my friend was like that and she ended up dropping it. For me, there was no question - maths was my absolute worst - it had to go.

Hope that helps.
 

Drongoski

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2009
Messages
4,255
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
quite apart from ATAR, without at least 2U maths, you lock yourself out of many courses @ uni should you have change of plans later on - can't rule this out. You are not weak in maths and so have no compelling reasons to drop it; besides ATAR shouldn't be your sole consideration.
 

Schoey93

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
988
Location
Western Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
why would anyone want to do the HSC without math. it is by far the best subject
I think that a lot of people lose interest in math as many teachers do not teach it a fun, interesting way. Some teachers describe math as something serious, which turns people off it, instead describing it as a fun, natural way to solve problems and discover patterns.

Some people do the HSC without math not because they dislike math, but simply because they have other subjects that they would rather do, and do not have enough units left over to do math (I am one of those people). Math is also a subject that can be self-taught, as can many other subjects. There are online forums where people can discuss math, such as this one, if they are teaching it to themselves (this can be used to replace the class discussion that they would miss).

Remember too that you may think math is the best subject, but that is a matter of personal preference. Some people prefer say, Biology, or Psychology. Everyone has their own special interests.
 
Last edited:

Schoey93

Member
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
988
Location
Western Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2011
quite apart from ATAR, without at least 2U maths, you lock yourself out of many courses @ uni should you have change of plans later on - can't rule this out. You are not weak in maths and so have no compelling reasons to drop it; besides ATAR shouldn't be your sole consideration.
That is incorrect... very few universities in Australia have prerequisite subjects anymore (ANU does, for some courses, and there may be some other universities that also have prerequisite subjects). In NSW, I do not believe that there are any universities which have prerequisite subjects.

Many universities also incorporate introductory mathematics courses into their undergraduate science degrees, such as UWS's "Fundamentals of Mathematics" course. The OP could decide to do a course with mathematics as assumed knowledge and this would be fine, as their year 11 studies would give them an appropriate mathematical background. He could revise HSC mathematics by following the course in a textbook during their first year of undergraduate study, or he could take a bridging course for six weeks before starting the degree.

It also doesn't look like the OP will choose a course that has mathematics as assumed knowledge, as he is taking commerce subjects.
 
Last edited:

Deer

Premium Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
700
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
Have to say it,

Daniel Swain got 100 without any maths or science. Best example.

Drop it, you can still acheive a very high ATAR without it. There are subjects that scale better than 2U maths, thus clearly you don't need it to get a high ATAR.
 

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

Top