Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides for Preliminary HSC? (1 Viewer)

[cs01001]

Hey,

We will be starting school in roughly 2 weeks and a little more. I am just wondering if any Year 12s or past students can recommend us any good textbooks to buy for the Preliminary Year.

My subject choices are:
- 2U Advance English
- 3U Maths
- 2U Chemistry
- 2U Economics
- 2U Business Studies
- 2U Geography

Thanks

 

[cs01001]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Some Excel ones are good, but a lot of them are just too brief, especially Chemistry. What about Conquering Chemistry Prelim 4th Edition and Chemistry Contexts 1 2nd Edition, are they any good?

 

[Kujah]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Maths: Excel, Cambridge, Fitzpatrick, Maths in Focus, Understanding Maths
Chemistry: Conquering Chemistry, Chemistry Contexts, excel

Honestly, I think you should try and wait til the school supplies you with a textbook so you would then know the books that you dont need to buy.

Be sad if you have two copies of the same textbook

 

[IceOnFire]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Economics - Leading Edge, Updated Economics
Business Studies - Jacaranda, Maybe leading edge (It's not that good though)

Definitely NO excel books for those two subjects. They have barely anything in them.

I wouldn't recommend getting too much extra study guides/textbooks for the preliminary course. Save your money for the HSC books, where it really counts.

Get perhaps an extra study guide/textbook for each subject that you think will be really helpful and can be used in combination with the textbooks that are given in your school.

Hope that helps.

 

[SoulSearcher]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Cambridge 3 Unit for 2 unit and extension 1 maths, that's all you need once you know the basics.

 

[dr baby beanie]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

You might want to wait and see what your school gives out, so you don't end up buying the same one.

Chemistry: Kiss notes are awesome!
Economics: Leading Edge
Maths: I found Excel sufficient, good explanations, worked examples, practise questions, practise exams but by all means get others if you want.
Business: ?Jacaranda?

 

[pritnep]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

I wouldn't recommend getting too much extra study guides/textbooks for the preliminary course. Save your money for the HSC books, where it really counts.

Get perhaps an extra study guide/textbook for each subject that you think will be really helpful and can be used in combination with the textbooks that are given in your school.

I 100% agree. I don't think people should be rushing out and buying excel guides just for the sack of having the backup especially for preliminary. I think if you are going ot buy study guides do it when you actually need them and most people that buy study guides can afford to buy them at any time so the whole 'it's on sale now' debate doesn't stand.

You can get throughout both preliminary and hsc without ever having looked at a study guide but my suggestion would be to not buy study guides for everyone subject but wait and see what you might need the extra help on first, especially for preliminary where it doesn't matter once it's over unlike the hsc to a degree.

 

[Kujah]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Would using your own notes, and doing past papers be as effective as getting a study guide and/or a textbook?

 

[dr baby beanie]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Would using your own notes, and doing past papers be as effective as getting a study guide and/or a textbook?

Yes/No it does depend. It depends how accurate your notes are from what the teachers tell you (or wherever you get ur info from). A text book is good as a guide, it helps fixing up queries on points you don't understand.

There aren't many past papers for prelims but you could bug your teachers for them but it most textbooks there are practice sections/questions.

 

[pritnep]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Would using your own notes, and doing past papers be as effective as getting a study guide and/or a textbook?

If you make your notes and summaries in line with the syllabus dot points then yes it would. Many people buy study guides and use them to replace making study notes while others use them as a guide. It really depends on how you are going to use and rely on them for how well they will work for you.

Past papers can be very effective but you need to gain them (usually try asking your teachers or even year 12 students for year 11 exams) and you need to have the prior knowledge first.

 

[missAy]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Text books aren't that important esp for prelim.

You could borrow text books from your friends and family for a night or two to write notes and stuff - I'm sure they'll be more than willing to lend them to you.

Raid your town library or school library and see what they've got to offer.

Hope this helps.

 

[Kujah]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

The library has so many textbooks that i never knew it had :rofl: The only problem i hate about borrowing is re-newing it again and again. That's why I just borrow a book, and return it at the end of the year

 

[Kujah]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Haha, that's why i barely borrow from the local library. Luckily school library doesnt fine students cause their books are overdue

 

[slowjam10]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

hehe.. i borrow books and just return return them at the end of the year aswell, sometimes the librarian sends around overdue notices in homeroom but nobody ever pays attention to them. Do any of you ever make requests for your library to order books? ...just curious

 

[pritnep]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

My parents are divorced. My mum is disabled, so she has a pension. I am on a maccas salary. I can't afford it.

Also acceptions to any rule. Best of luck with preliminary and HSC you seem like you have the determination, now you just need the marks.

That's like my school. But then nobody really borrows books from the school library (I go to a public school and I'm not even sure some of the students can read, lol) so being late wouldn't be a huge deal to them.

My school (my old school now, I Need to stop living in the past) tried to fine me for over due books as I have a habit of once I borrow them I don't renew them and only return them after I am finished with them. But I returned them and they dropped the matter.

The school also had textbooks to borrow in the library which was helpful at times for those that need them or you could use them in the study center.

 

[dr baby beanie]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

Also acceptions to any rule. Best of luck with preliminary and HSC you seem like you have the determination, now you just need the marks.

tut tut spelling: exceptions

If you keep books for long enough they start to read your name over morning assemblies infront of the whole school - a very effective way of returning books before their due dates.

 

[pritnep]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

nit picking .

Oh that is mean but more then likely I would just keep them longer.

 

[Kujah]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

My school seems pretty slack now.
They might send you out a slip during roll call, but that is only after you have had the book for about 3 months.
What I get annoyed about is you can make holds at our school library!
It is so irritating.

Yeah, thats like my school. They give us slips at roll call, and the teacher reads it out in front of the class, and then gives it to us. I dont usually care about it, but then when they threatened me that i couldnt sign out with library books not returned, i returned them

What do you mean by holds? Like reserving them, or like you borrow books for an extended period of time?

 

[dr baby beanie]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

nit picking .

Oh that is mean but more then likely I would just keep them longer.

They don't actually do that at my school I was just saying from other instances (long story), if they did we'd be on assembly forever!

 

[shortay26]

Re: Recommended Texbooks/Study Guides?

where do u buy study guides/excells from?