If you are in year 11, read this first. (1 Viewer)

[withoutaface]

I've created this to hopefully stem the flow of "I'm in year 11, should I do 4u?" threads that have been coming into this forum of late.

Points to note:

1. Your 3u marks should be up around 70%. This is by no means set in stone, because of varying test difficulties etc, but if, for example, you're getting 40% in 3u I'd strongly advise you against 4u.
2. You should love maths. Nothing else, unless you are extremely talented, will give you enough motivation to get through this course.
3. You must be prepared to give a substantial amount of your study time to 4u (50+% of your study time should go to 3 and 4u study).
4. If your teacher says you're not 4u material, they're probably right.
5. If you can't get through the course without spending $100 a week on tutoring, don't do it.

FAQ
Is 4u hard?
Yes.
Is it rewarding?
Yes.
Will I have to have early morning/late afternoon classes?
Depends on your school, but if you're at a selective school or a school with a lot of people then probably not.
Does 4u scale well?
Only if you work hard. Doing a subject just for the scaling is never a good idea.

If anyone wants to suggest anything else to add to this thread just post it underneath.

 

[velox]

Slide Rule, you will find that the BOS can restrict you. If the school doesn't have the capacity for you to do the subject (i.e class is full), they can restrict you. Trust me i've been down that avenue and you wont get anywhere.

 

[KFunk]

Threatening to contact the BOS worked for me; it took about a four or five week fight to get into 4-Unit (because we were "full"). If there's a will there's a way.

 

[velox]

I actually asked BOS, but oh well, maybe your maths teachers aren't as informed as ours.

 

[Sparcod]

That's so stupid.
A 4-unit student going to tutoring. I don't why its funny. If you do 4-unit, you don't need help, you should be doing everything by yourself. Also, 4-unit students are smart. They don't need them. ONLY DO IT IF YOU ARE SMART.

 

[velox]

Meh, guys in top 5 in my school go to tutoring. And they will get 95+ in 4u.

 

[Sparcod]

FAQ...
at the average selective school, how many students do 4-unit maths?


what is the drop-out rate out of 4-unit maths?


how's it different to 3-unit maths in terms of content?


what if you fail IT?

 

[joeylike2hiphop]

r u serious

Meh, guys in top 5 in my school go to tutoring. And they will get 95+ in 4u.

man that is so fucken good!!!are your 4u exams really easy?

 

[David_O]

I've found Sydney Boys papers considerably harder than CSSA when it comes to non-conics questions.

man that is so fucken good!!!are your 4u exams really easy?

He's probably referring to HSC mark though.

 

[KFunk]

FAQ...
at the average selective school, how many students do 4-unit maths?

I go to an average selective school and about a third of the students in year 12 do 4-unit maths.

what is the drop-out rate out of 4-unit maths?

I suspect that this might be quite variable. At my school something like 5% of students that take 4-unit mathematics end up dropping the course.

how's it different to 3-unit maths in terms of content?

It is far more intensive. It really requires you to develop your ability to sustain a mathematical argument. The algebra is harder. Where 3-unit often gives you numbers to work with 4-unit seems to have more theoretical exercises where you deal with 'n' (or however they want to represent a variable quantity). The thinking is more abstract and you run into infinity more often. The relation between 4-unit and 3-unit in terms of content:

Graphs ---> A lot more depth than basic 3-unit graph drawing. More a tool than a topic.

Complex Numbers ---> This is probably the most unfamiliar topic. Different to topics in 3-unit.

Conics ---> Like parametrics but much harder... Conics is the devil ( in case you didn't know).

Polynomials ---> Harder polynomials.

Integration ---> Harder integration. Once you've done this you kill 3-unit integration.

Volumes ---> There is a lot mroe to this than basic 2/3-unit volumes. It often involves derriving the integral for a volume from scratch using limits etc. You can deal with non-circular cross sections (eg. parabolic or triangular cross sections).

Mechanics ---> Similar to 2/3-unit particle dynamics but much harder. The algebra can be pretty intensive in this topic.

Harder 3-unit ---> This one speaks for itself.

(*Note: the above is full of generalisations)

what if you fail IT?

Then it sucks to be you . Should that happen you should be thankful that your 3U mark counts for 2 units (which is a bonus given the scaling) and keep the difficulty of the course in perspective.

 

[Sparcod]

Thanks. Is Extension 2 maths the hardest subject of them all (and the one that gives the best scaling)?

 

[David_O]

EE2 Maths is most definitely NOT the hardest subject of them all; I'd say something open ended like EE2 English tops it. The scaling is quite good (whether it is the best varies from year to year, but it's always up there).

 

[velox]

It depends on your definition of 'hardest'

 

[ishq]

Thanks. Is Extension 2 maths the hardest subject of them all (and the one that gives the best scaling)?

No.
It depends on what you're good at.
And some languages scale more.

David is right - EE2 takes a lot more out of you.

 

[jellibelli]

im in yr 11 doin 4u early. i derno how im goin tho. wats with the scaling? if i get bout 85 4 raw mark is that ok?

 

[velox]

Raw mark yeh unless your school makes easy tests.

 

[Sparcod]

I go to an average selective school and about a third of the students in year 12 do 4-unit maths.




I suspect that this might be quite variable. At my school something like 5% of students that take 4-unit mathematics end up dropping the course.



It is far more intensive. It really requires you to develop your ability to sustain a mathematical argument. The algebra is harder. Where 3-unit often gives you numbers to work with 4-unit seems to have more theoretical exercises where you deal with 'n' (or however they want to represent a variable quantity). The thinking is more abstract and you run into infinity more often. The relation between 4-unit and 3-unit in terms of content:

Graphs ---> A lot more depth than basic 3-unit graph drawing. More a tool than a topic.

Complex Numbers ---> This is probably the most unfamiliar topic. Different to topics in 3-unit.

Conics ---> Like parametrics but much harder... Conics is the devil ( in case you didn't know).

Polynomials ---> Harder polynomials.

Integration ---> Harder integration. Once you've done this you kill 3-unit integration.

Volumes ---> There is a lot mroe to this than basic 2/3-unit volumes. It often involves derriving the integral for a volume from scratch using limits etc. You can deal with non-circular cross sections (eg. parabolic or triangular cross sections).

Mechanics ---> Similar to 2/3-unit particle dynamics but much harder. The algebra can be pretty intensive in this topic.

Harder 3-unit ---> This one speaks for itself.

(*Note: the above is full of generalisations)



Then it sucks to be you . Should that happen you should be thankful that your 3U mark counts for 2 units (which is a bonus given the scaling) and keep the difficulty of the course in perspective.

Can you tell me briefly what each of these topics are about and what they involve? complex numbers? conics? mechanics?

 

[jarrypan]

5. If you can't get through the course without spending $100 a week on tutoring, don't do it.
I don't agree with this idea. it is a total waste, how about the poor students, should they abandon the chances to study?
And I think if you can understand all the question the teacher teaches, you will do well in 4U

 

[jellibelli]

the tests arent easy, they're alright like not realli realli hard. i derno. i got 103/120 n im comin 10th. I might move up a couple of places, but the marks dont scale that much right?

 

[The Intergrator]

. If you can't get through the course without spending $100 a week on tutoring, don't do it.

That's Bull. The person who has tutoring in my class is third from the bottom.