help on what subject to drop (1 Viewer)

[sukan]

I got my ranks for semester 1 and since trials are coming up I want to drop a subject but i dont know what to drop. Im planning on dropping either chem or physics, physics im ranked 1/19 with an average mark of 66 but in chemistry im ranked 7/28 with an average mark of 83. Could anyone help me with this?

 

[jimmysmith560]

I believe that there are some things to consider with respect to your case which will hopefully assist you in making an informed decision.

Physics:

It is important to stress the fact that you are currently ranked first in this subject, which is favourable in terms of obtaining the highest possible Assessment Mark (the mark that reflects your internal performance and contributes 50% of your HSC mark), provided you are able to maintain this optimal rank by performing at an equivalent level in your trial exam. Coupled with favourable performance in your Physics HSC exam, you can maximise your chance of achieving a good HSC mark in this subject, particularly in the event that you achieve the highest Examination Mark (the mark that reflects your external performance and contributes the other 50% of your HSC mark) in your cohort, which seems possible given your current rank in this subject.

Chemistry:

Your average mark and current rank in Chemistry can potentially indicate two things:

• Your Chemistry cohort is more academically capable than your Physics cohort.
• The assessment tasks/exams for Chemistry are easier than those set for Physics at your school.

If the first aspect is true, you may wish to consider keeping Chemistry on the basis of a better-performing cohort, the positive effect of which may be reflected in your Assessment Mark. However, keep in mind that, in such a case, there would be an increased reliance on elements that are beyond your control, such as the performance of your peers (which involves fully trusting other students), as opposed to having to worry about your own performance only in the case of Physics.

If the second aspect is true, then you should probably consider dropping Chemistry, since a favourable rank is definitely more advantageous than a better average raw mark. Raw assessment marks have no effect beyond determining a student's rank in a particular subject, making higher ranks an essential component that contributes to favourable performance.

I hope this helps!

 

[sukan]

I believe that there are some things to consider with respect to your case which will hopefully assist you in making an informed decision.

Physics:

It is important to stress the fact that you are currently ranked first in this subject, which is favourable in terms of obtaining the highest possible Assessment Mark (the mark that reflects your internal performance and contributes 50% of your HSC mark), provided you are able to maintain this optimal rank by performing at an equivalent level in your trial exam. Coupled with favourable performance in your Physics HSC exam, you can maximise your chance of achieving a good HSC mark in this subject, particularly in the event that you achieve the highest Examination Mark (the mark that reflects your external performance and contributes the other 50% of your HSC mark) in your cohort, which seems possible given your current rank in this subject.

Chemistry:

Your average mark and current rank in Chemistry can potentially indicate two things:

• Your Chemistry cohort is more academically capable than your Physics cohort.
• The assessment tasks/exams for Chemistry are easier than those set for Physics at your school.

If the first aspect is true, you may wish to consider keeping Chemistry on the basis of a better-performing cohort, the positive effect of which may be reflected in your Assessment Mark. However, keep in mind that, in such a case, there would be an increased reliance on elements that are beyond your control, such as the performance of your peers (which involves fully trusting other students), as opposed to having to worry about your own performance only in the case of Physics.

If the second aspect is true, then you should probably consider dropping Chemistry, since a favourable rank is definitely more advantageous than a better average raw mark. Raw assessment marks have no effect beyond determining a student's rank in a particular subject, making higher ranks an essential component that contributes to favourable performance.

I hope this helps!

yeah my chemistry cohort is really strong and both assessments for chemistry were really simple, as a pose to physics were in each assessment only 2-3 were passing. I was leaning more towards chem to drop, but imma wait till my at3 results and see how they pan out. thanks for the response

 

[dan964]

I got my ranks for semester 1 and since trials are coming up I want to drop a subject but i dont know what to drop. Im planning on dropping either chem or physics, physics im ranked 1/19 with an average mark of 66 but in chemistry im ranked 7/28 with an average mark of 83. Could anyone help me with this?

Good idea to wait until AT3 if you bomb either.

Honestly I would drop Physics if you aren't expecting you or your cohort to do well in HSC.
Raw assessment marks do have an impact on more than just rank. The relative distances between marks do matter, as obviously the closer spaced a cohort is, the rank is less relevant. However in Physics, while you may be rank 1, it appears your cohort is barely passing. The real question is whether you can pick up the slack for the HSC or not in that subject. If you are expecting your cohort to perform poorly and more importantly you don't do well in AT3, then I would drop Physics. If you maintain top rank then you aren't affected by your cohort as much.

Chemistry on the other hand, is dependent on your cohort performing strong in the HSC, if your cohort performs poorly then it will affect your cohorts moderation negatively. However, because you are in the top 7 of the class, the impacts of moderation are less likely, if your raw mark is an indication of your HSC mark (usually your HSC mark will be higher depending on the difficulty of the exams).

Probably more importantly, keep the subject that interests you more, in terms of future prospects, and you find the easiest to study and prepare for.
At the end of the day, it is probably better sitting a subject that you were satisfied at the end of it, rather than persevere through for the sake of it.