Tips for Year 11

Subject selections
2016

Brought to you by year 11 2015

I N

T R O D U C T I O N

Hi Year 10,
Weve heard that many of you have been asking for advice for choosing
your subjects for the coming year. Weve decided to quickly put together this
guide for you to go through. For each subject that we currently do, there is a
description of the syllabus that you will cover for the subject, followed by
student reflections on how theyve found the classes and content. While we
hope that our opinions will give you a better idea of what to expect from a
particular course, just remember that these are our experiences and
everyone will see a subject in a different light (i.e. you may have a
completely different experience than us in the same subject if you choose to
take it).
We recommend looking at the NSGHS annual reports and looking at the HSC
results for each subject you be interested in. Here is the 2014 one:
http://web2.northsydgih.schools.nsw.edu.au/public/sites/default/files/2014_Annual_Report.pdf
How to read it: page 20 (21 on scrolling thing) has a table called KLA
performance and from there its pretty self-explanatory. The first column is the
% of band 6s that the cohort got, the second the % of band 5s and the third
the % that got a band 5 or 6 in the entire cohort (meaning every student who
did the HSC that year across the state). This gives you an indication of your
likely results and also shows the amount of effort youll have to put in to
achieve these marks. Please also remember that getting a band 5 or 6 is
actually really hard and these marks arent achieved easily so dont take this
for granted, study hard and youll do amazing :)
We also recommend that whatever subjects you end up choosing to study,
you MUST download the syllabuses and know how to read them and how to
take syllabus notes. If you struggle with this then approach someone in the
year above and they can show you what taking syllabus notes means and
also how to appropriately take notes for each subject. You should know your
syllabuses pretty well by next year (except English because thats like
impossible just learn it as you go) and it also doesnt hurt to ask for other
peoples notes JUST SO LONG AS you are making your own.
Good luck with your subjects :)

Table of contents
English
Advanced English
English extension

6
7

Maths
Doing maths?
Not doing maths?

8
11

Science
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
All three sciences

12
13
16
18
3

HSIE
Ancient History
Modern history
Society & Culture
Studies of religion (1 unit)

20
22
25
27

Economics
Legal studies

28
31

Languages
French Continuers
German continuers
Japanese continuers
Latin continuers
Open high school

32
33
34
36
36

Music
Music 1
Music 2

37
38

TAS
Food technology
Information Processes &
Technology (IPT)
Software design and development
(SDD)

40
41
43

Art
Visual arts
Photography, video and digital
imaging (1 unit)

44
45

PDHPE

46

Ending note

48

N G L

Whats the difference between Extension and Advanced English?

For a start, Extension English is a 1-unit
course and Advanced English takes
up 2 units... but their units ratios dont
necessarily correspond with their
respective
workloads!
In the HSC, it is compulsory to keep at
least 2 units of English as a subject as in
your final ATAR calculation, 2 of your
best English units will be counted (or
more, if you are an English whiz who
excels in Ext 1 or maybe even Ext 2).
The course content between Extension
1 and Advanced varies; Ext. 1 is more
based on the overarching concepts
and particular systems of thought (aka
electives, but youll learn more about
that in year 12), rather than analysis
and deconstructing texts within an
Area of study. It is therefore important
to again pursue English if you have a
genuine interest for that subject.
-

You may find yourselves scoring higher

marks in Extension 1 than in English
Advanced. However, you cant fully
rely on their Ext. 1 marks in the HSC as it
only counts as a single unit and you
are required to count at least 2 English
units. Consequently, they will add it up
with the marks in Advanced and take
an average of the two. Say, the
scaled mark in Ext. 1 was 47/50 and
the mark in Advanced was 82/100. The
system would average it so that the 2
units of English counted would end up
being 88/100, which is not a bad mark,
but there is no doubt that the mark in
Advanced English significantly pulled
down the final weighted English
mark.
There is no way of truly getting
around subjects like that, so bottom
line ensure that you have 2 secure
units of (Advanced) English!

From an anonymous Year 11 who does enjoy their English subjects J

(But forgive me if I calculated my hypothetical marks wrong because maths is my Achilles
heel)

ADVANCED ENGLISH (2 unit)

My own experience of Advanced English has been quite a positive experience
overall and the English faculty definitely puts a lot of effort into their teaching of the
subject in my opinion. Theyve designed the unit to emulate the HSC course we do
an Area of Study (ours was relationships), then study a Shakespearean text (most
likely Othello), and then do a module on poetry (Australian poet Gwen Harwood).

I find its quite different to year 10 primarily because the workload increases steeply;
where before it was like look at this quote what does it tell you about X, Y and Z, this
year its more you have to practice your essay writing every week to make sure that
you are writing really good essays. Advanced Essays have a kind of checklist to
them as well, in that there is a specific order that everything needs to go in and you
have to have certain things to get marks etc. Despite the formulaic-ness of the essay
writing, I find that because classes get smaller, you can have more time to discuss
ideas.
However, because there is so much to do in year 11 before prelim exams you really
have to do your homework and consolidate your knowledge of every lesson
because its over way too quickly! Definitely the biggest struggle of year 11 is
keeping up with your advanced work, but if you can do it youre going to be fine!
-

PM me if questions J
Lily Zaknic

ENGLISH EXTENSION (1 unit)

English Extension is definitely a subject that is pretty 50/50 some people love it and
some people absolutely hate it. Because its only a 1u subject, it only takes up 4
periods per fortnight instead of 7, meaning that you have more time between
classes to do the set work. Im one of the people who loves it simply because the first
unit was something Im totally interested in and the second unit is just really
interesting.
The first unit we looked at was appropriations of old texts to reflect the changing
social values. My class looked at Little Red Riding hood and the different versions
that have been published over time and how this reflects changing social values,
particularly in regards to gender. The second unit is post-colonialism and looking at
how ways of thinking change through the process of colonisation and
decolonisation. This is the topic that splits the grade because some find it really easy
and some very difficult. From past years experiences, Ive been told that where the
majority of the grade begins with it, about half go on to do extension 2 (more a
reflection of advanced than extension tbh) and half drop it apparently its quite
rare for people to just stick with extension 1. Its different from Advanced English in
that where advanced is more like ticking off a checklist of requirements in essays,
Extension requires a more conceptual thought and you dont have to 100% identify
techniques in your essays (great for people who can never remember techniques).
Personally, Ive found I love Extension English 1 but Im definitely not picking up 4u
(Extension 2) because I cant write the major work and the assessments are really
quite difficult.
-

PM me if questions J
Lily Zaknic

M a t h e m a t I

c s

ADVANCED MATHS (2 units) or

EXTENSION MATHS (3 units)
Maths in Year 11 is a massive step up
from junior years. Sure, there is revision,
but there are a lot of new concepts
that you learn and many things to
explore. Advanced Maths is just a
lighter version of Extension Maths and
does not deal with as many concepts
as Extension. If you feel that you may
not enjoy 3-unit maths, there are 2 unit
classes available (we have 1 this year).
One common thing about both
Advanced and Extension is that the
homework load hits you from day 1
and it never stops. Make sure youre
on top of things and you dont fall
behind, because its really hard to pick
up. Find a method of note taking that
suits you best (e.g. loose leaf, spiral
book, grid book) and my suggestion is
that you have 1 theory book to record
any class notes in and one homework
book to do your homework in. That
way, if youre behind on homework,
you dont need to worry about how
much space to leave before writing
notes (trust me, everyone has
experienced this at some stage).
Extension Maths is just taking maths to
a higher level, and if you choose to do
Extension Maths, you are in the same
class as your advanced class
(basically your class learns both the
adv. And ext. content at the same

time with the same teacher). There is

no need to get two separate books for
Advanced and Extension Maths, as I
had previously thought J. Classes are
graded (we have two top classes this
year taught by Mr Trenwith and Ms
Everingham).
The biggest new topic that will hit you
is calculus, and that happens at the
beginning of Term 3. It is very
enjoyable, and I wont spoil it for you.
And yes, to answer a frequently asked
question, the top 72 people ranked in
3U maths have the chance to do 4U,
but thats a bit far off so dont worry
too much ;). And you dont get ranked
yet (on your report) unless you ask for
yours during parent teacher interviews
^_^. Remember, you get the first 3
weeks of Year 11 to change subjects if
you feel like 3U maths is not for you
and you want to stick to 2U, so dont
worry! Maths fills up a lot of your
timetable: you end up getting a lot of
double periods in a week and
consecutive days of maths, hence
why you need to keep up with the
homework.
Maths is probably another one of my
favourite subjects, and I do find it very
enjoyable. Good luck to you all and
feel free to pm me with any questions!
-

Amy Yu J

Maths is a very proportional (haha)

subject, you get what you put in so
keep that in mind if you pick up 3u/2u
that being one of the few 3 unit
courses offered to year 11 (the other is
3u English), it will take up more of your
time than 2 unit subjects, think double
periods, consecutive days of math. It
moves extremely fast generally and
many
students
fall
behind
in
homework so start early on, keep
organised and make time for a bit of
math homework everyday. As long as
you practise by doing all your
homework,
doing
exercises
the
teachers set in class, and going over
past papers you should be fine.
In a typical lesson, my teacher will set
up some warm up questions, then go
through theory/proofs and then hand
out sheets which you will most likely
have to finish/revise at home!! Dont
leave them in your folder for later
even if you think youve already gone
through it in tutoring etc. it is still good
to DO the questions, if you look at it
and think too much effort then you
should definitely do it to revise over
things you could have forgotten.
All the teachers vary in pace, so
depending on who you get you could
be faster/slower but dont stress too
much about it! Dont worry about
going fast, because going slow and
understanding the concept is much
more important than rushing through
-

topics you only have a flimsy

understanding of. My teacher is
relatively quite slow (personal opinion!)
but she goes through it slowly to make
sure everybody understands and I
dont feel like were disadvantaged or
anything so dont stress about speed.
You will run out of math books really
quickly so I recommend bulk buying,
you dont have to use grid books for
every single topic, lined paper is fine
and having a theory, a homework,
and a corrections book is very helpful.
So what I do is (idk if this is best
method!) we get dot points of the
syllabus with attached homework, so I
paste that into the back of my book
and start working through the
homework at the start, crossing off
questions as I go. If I finish all the
questions in a particular chapter I tick
it, if I miss a few questions I write it in a
sticky note and put that in my book. At
the end of the topic I go through the
questions I couldnt do and retry them
and ask the teacher about the
remainder.
Try to do all this at least a week before
the exam so you have a week for past
papers and revision i.e. doing
chapters/topics with the most missed
questions! Good luck! I hope this gave
you a better understanding of what
3u/2u maths is like in year 11 J. Please
message me if there are any other
questions ^.^

Jessica Kong

10
Maths in Year 11 has probably been one of the subjects that I have enjoyed the
most. This is because (while of course you have to commit A LOT OF TIME), it is a very
concrete subject where if you write the right answer, it is right, unlike other subjects
like English, Modern, Eco. In Junior Years I was very far from being considered good
at Maths, but I still took 3u maths, and it has been challenging, but still quite
rewarding for me. So if any of you are worrying that maths might be too challenging,
dont worry because it truly, truly, truly is practice. I am sure that it is highly likely that
most of you have an inclination towards maths, but it is those who practise, practise,
practise that are set apart from others. So definitely be ready to download loads of
maths tests, understand why you made a mistake. 50% understanding of your
mistake is not enough; you really need to 100% understand your mistake, and 100%
understanding of how to correct the mistake. But basically make sure you do all of
your homework, do at least all of the previous maths tests when preparing for a test,
and have genuine interest/engagement in class. But also, it is really important for
you to know how you learn best!! J Feel free to message me any questions you
have!
-

Lily Pan

Hii! Maths takes a lot of your time; you are expected to do around 2 hours of maths
homework/looking over class work every night so there will be a lot of work to do,
and its not always going to be easy. Personally, I thought the jump from year 10 to
year 11 was quite astounding (probably because I didnt do much homework then),
but its really important that you keep up with your homework, study notes and
creating good study habits now! TIP: Create a maths dictionary! Using large palm
cards write down formulas, notes and an example of a single topic/idea and
rearrange them in alphabetical order, so when coming to exams you can revise
topics really easily (: However with all that said, its an incredibly fun subject, and you
get to use another part of your brain which is methodical and relaxing in some
ways! Feel free to message me too (:
-

Joanna Fu

Cant fit maths into your timetable?

Hi guys! As evident, there is a lot about maths.
I currently do extension 1 maths, and the school actually couldnt fit it into my
timetable because I have one more subject than everybody else. As a result, I do
maths via Distance Education high school. Basically, they send you packets of work
and notes and stuff, you do the work and send it back. You can call/email your
teacher for help. If you are super keen on doing an extra unit of maths, like I was,
that just cant fit into your timetable. Dont stress! There is an alternative way! Just
make sure to speak to the school. In year 12, as I do an accelerated subject, Im
able to re-join NSG maths J
Email: izzie.healey@gmail.com , call/text: 0422343274 or pop up if you have any
questions!
-

10

Izzie Healey J

11

NOT DOING MATHS?

So I know that some people are
absolutely amazing at maths and
many people genuinely enjoy it, but
often I find that there are a lot of girls
at NSG who just do it and they dont
really enjoy it or do well at it. Im one
of the girls who dropped maths this
year (one of maybe 5 or 6) and I dont
regret it at all. Its not that Im bad at
maths its just that I didnt get how it
was taught at this school and because
I didnt do tutoring I found it really hard
to keep up. I also had a consistent fail
average of less than 50% pretty much
every year because of that (I used to
be good at maths tbh). Because I
dropped maths I do a lot of other
subjects that are really just super
content heavy and the amount of
paper I get every day is amazing, but I
dont regret it for a second. Its quite

intimidating dropping maths at NSG

because youre pretty much
expected to do maths and if you drop
it you can feel quite alienated but I
found because everyone knew how
rubbish I was at maths (for my year 10
yearly I had a beautiful score of 24%),
it really wasnt a big deal for me. Yes I
get weird looks when people realise I
attend a selective school and dont
do maths but it hasnt impeded me in
any way.
If you feel you want to drop maths
because you just cant do it anymore,
dont feel scared and youre welcome
to PM me and ask any awkward
questions about it and dealing with
other people wondering why you
dropped it etc. dont be shy J
-

Lily Zaknic

S C I E N C E

11

12

BIOLOGY (2 UNIT)
Preliminary Course
Patterns in Nature
Looking at cells, diffusion, osmosis, cell membrane, plants and animals obtaining
nutrients from their environment through certain structures, gaseous exchange,
respiration systems, chemical transfer, mitosis etc. Test for this unit.
Local Ecosystem
Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, abiotic and biotic factors, adaptations, food
chains, human impacts, symbiotic relationships etc. Excursion to the Badu Wetlands
(Sydney Olympic Park Mangroves). There is a written (10 page) assessment task, and
test for this unit.
Life on Earth
Studies the formation of life on earth and the differences between old earth and
modern day earth. It explores the Earths first organisms and evidence that supports
this. You also look into fossils.
Evolution of Australian Biota
Examines the evolutionary changes in Australian flora and fauna, and the
adaptations that they have developed over time.

Hi guys!
Biology is my absolute favourite science. It gets quite a bit of flack because it
supposedly doesnt scale as well compared to other sciences, but the things you
learn in here are absolutely amazing. A tip from me - dont choose subjects that you
dont have at least a little bit of interest in. I had chosen biology ever since I did it in
year 10 and my heart was set on it. If its interesting to you, pick it and the marks will
come. I know that maximising your ATAR is important and I know that it means a lot
to all of us, but do not pass up on a subject you love, I cannot stress this enough.
In terms of studying for biology, its quite a lot of content, but the theory is just so
incredible that its super easy to remember. Of course, learning about a leaf in year
11 isnt all that good, but when you start to learn about genetics and how youre
born and why you are what you are, its absolutely incredible. Pracs are pretty
standard - just know general prac rules that you can totally revise whenever you
want (because I dont know them). You get to go on cool excursions and in year 12
you get to look at a real electron microscope thats like 1.4m tall. Biology usually has
quite a small cohort compared to other sciences so everybody is super supportive of
each other and its really really nice to see everyone helping out.
Please feel free to email: izzie.healey@gmail.com, call/text: 0422343274 or pop up
on Facebook! Im up to answering anything - like what did I have for breakfast this
morning? Tim Tams. Good luck for year 11!

12

Izzie Healey :)

13

Biology for me is not my favourite subject but it is one of simplest to study and one of
the most interesting because its pretty logical and applicable to the world around
us. For the first two modules of the preliminary course (Local Ecosystem and Patterns
in Nature), there is a lot of prac based learning as well as theory which makes the
course pretty easy to understand because its something that you get to do in real
life and not something that you read off a textbook. The last two modules are mostly
theory based learning there isnt much prac action but the theory in it is really
interesting. Also, what you need to learn is outlined in the syllabus so when making
notes all you have to do is open the textbook, look for the information that the
syllabus tells you to find and then write about it or refer to your pracs that youve
done.
Biology is interesting because it isnt about looking at the details but looking at the
bigger picture like origins of life and how the environment interacts with each other.
To be honest, I didnt really enjoy biology at first because I kind of thought it was
really easy and wasnt very interested but once I actually paid attention and put
myself into it, it was pretty fun and I did pretty well. So like every other subject I think
its really up to how appealing the course is to you!
-

Elizabeth Kim

CHEMISTRY (2 units)
Chemistry is a subject that can either
get you really good marks or mediocre
marks if you dont know how to
properly prepare for it. The teachers
that teach Chemistry this year include
Ms Spillane, Mr Simpson, Ms Quach
and Mr Kulesz. There are 4
modules/topics in the Preliminary
Course, which will be discussed in
further detail below. It is more content
heavy than Physics. Something that
you should do for chemistry (and any
other science) is start writing a set of

dot point notes and keep them up to

date (discussed below). That way, you
dont lose track of what you have
learnt and what you havent, and by
writing them, you become refreshed.
You should start studying for a
chemistry test more than a week
before the actual exam, because
there is actually a lot that can be
tested and many ways they can do
so. Each topic goes for about 8-9
weeks.

13

14

Preliminary Course
Topic 1: Chemical Earth
This topic is about understanding the properties of elements, compounds found in
mixtures that make up the Earths materials, as well as the separation of substances
through understanding their physical and chemical properties.
This is basically revision of the chemistry that youve learnt from year 7-10, so dont
stress if you havent been listening for the past 4 years. c; This topic covers the basics
of Chemistry. Its probably the easiest of all the topics because it is just revision with a
bit of new content. There is a test in term 2 on this topic.
Topic 2: Metals
In this topic, you learn about the weird and wonderful things about metals: its
structure which makes it have weird and wonderful properties and reactions with
metals, and basically anything metals that is dealt at a chemical level. A new
concept pops up here in this topic: the mole. It is a bit hard to grasp at first, but it will
soon be important and you will get very used to using this weird unit.
The assignment that comes with this is pretty content needy; its mainly research (10
pages max) so start it early!
Topic 3: Water
Water explores the bonding and interactions between molecules and why
substances may or may not dissolve in water, as well as the fabulousness of water in
general. This topic by far is probably the hardest Chemistry topic but basically if you
understand it, youre set! The main reason why people find this one a bit challenging
is because they dont fully understand the structure and bonding of water, and to be
honest, it is quite hard to. Your teacher should explain this very well to you, so dont
worry too much :)
Topic 4: Energy
Energy is mainly about photosynthesis and fossil fuels and is basically the year 10
chemistry stuff you did but to a higher level, hence why it is not much of a challenge.
You learn how to name and draw hydrocarbons, learn about allotropes and what
they are, combustion reactions, etc. Some of it ties back to the chemistry that was
done during the year, so all good :)

First of all Im just going to say Im not the best at chemistry I didnt even know that
the melting ice caps are not the cause of rising sea levels (Ms Spillane had to explain
this to us haha). Like many other subjects you should be doing some reading outside
of class- with chemistry its a good idea to use your resources and read the schools
textbook after class, just to reinforce what you cover so you can remember it more.
This is particularly important if, like me, there are still parts you dont fully understand
or you find hard- reading the section and worked examples really helps me :) Also
dont try to do your dot point notes in one go, they take much longer than you
expect! Its easier said than done but try to do them throughout the year. Its also a
good idea to check the syllabus and mark off where you are up. Keep in mind that
chemistry is a prerequisite for quite a few university courses, so do your research.
Have fun choosing your subjects and feel free to ask me anything- I also do bio and
PDHPE. :D
-

14

Audrye Fung

Adding on to what Audrye talked

about above, I recommend writing
notes for chemistry based on the
syllabus dot points (which you can find
on the BOSTES website), because
pretty much all of the questions asked
in exams will be based off those dot
points. This goes for all sciences, and
Im sure plenty of other subjects as
well. Also try to start doing these as
early as possible, because if you try
doing all of them at once, it tends to
get tedious and can take days to
complete notes for one module. So
get started on these as early as
possible, and I also recommend trying
to source a copy of Conquering
Chemistry (the textbook) as well,
because the textbook NSG hands out
(Jacaranda) is just okay.
Also, try not being put off the subject if
you dont get the teacher you want,
especially if youre passionate about
the subject. But if you find that you

really dont like the subject, dont be

afraid to drop it. If it ends up being a
prerequisite to what you want to do in
university, there are always bridging
courses that can get you up to speed.
You might as well spend your energy
on a subject youre actually
passionate about.
Overall, chemistry is one of my
favourite subjects (if not my fave)
because I feel like what you learn in
chemistry is very applicable to real life
situations. I find it so interesting to get
into the nitty gritty about what things
are made up of and how the world
works on an atomic scale, and how
thats reflected in everyday
observations. Additionally, a significant
part of the course is practical work
(same as many of the other sciences),
so if you like being hands on, this might
be for you!
If you need any more info, just ask c:
-

Lucy Chen

On another note for chemistry, or generally speaking for all your subjects, it is
important that what you do is ultimately something you should find interesting. There
are some people who score within the Band 6 range in Year 11, and there are some
who perhaps pass the semester with a Band 5 mark. However, how they achieve in
Year 12 (the year that COUNTS!) will come down to how much they enjoy and are
motivated to do a subject. Some people become too complacent and others lack
motivation, so the key to performing well in the end is to enjoy a subject!
-

From an anonymous Year 11 who enjoys chemistry, not physics and therefore did not select
physics

15

16

PHYSICS (2 units)
This subject is the second most popular
out of the sciences available and it
mainly involves a lot of applying
mathematical skills into problem
solving. The teachers that teach
Physics this year are Mr Donald, Ms
Foley and Dr Melville. There is both the
theory to learn and there are
mandatory pracs that you complete in
class as part of the syllabus (and there
is a prac test in term 3 year 11 that
tests your skills during pracs).

A reason why students dont do

physics is because they find it too
hard. The main reason for this
assumption is that they dont know
how to apply their knowledge to
formulas and use them to find the
answer. Most of the formulas you learn
in physics are on a data sheet that you
will be given during your exams, so
dont stress! The only thing you need to
do is figure out which one to use. A lot
of revision from Year 10 happens:
dont worry if you dont remember
anything, because you do it all again!

Preliminary Course
Topic 1: Moving About
This topic deals with mainly forces, Newtons Laws, collisions and safety devices (LOTS
OF FORMULAS TO LEARN HERE, but they give you a formula sheet in exams so dont
freak out too much). Many people find this hard because they dont know how to
apply the formulas and the numbers in the question freak people out, but once you
figure out which number fits into what pronumeral and find the appropriate formula,
youre set! This sections mostly about formula application rather than the content.
Topic 2: The World Communicates
This topic is all about waves (light, electromagnetic, sound, etc., + stuff on
reflection/refraction). Its mainly revision of year 10 work (which is why it is probably
the easiest topic out of the course). There arent many formulas to remember here,
its all basically drawing and finding out angles :)
Topic 3: Electrical Energy in the Home
This topic is about electricity (stuff you learnt in year 10 is gone through here again
such as series and parallel; ammeters and voltmeters) but in just more depth. This one
is a bit more math-orientated: only a few formulas to remember and lots of pracs with
circuits.
Topic 4: The Cosmic Engine
This topic is about space and its wonders :) its covered more in depth than the year
10 astronomy course, and is packed full of THEORY. This basically means there is
heaps of stuff to remember about scientists, as well as features such as the Big Bang
Theory and the life cycle of a star, and you just have to remember it all. There is about
2 formulas you really need to know here, and they are E=mc^2 and V=HoD (you will
learn about these dont worry :)) If your class doesnt end up getting through this
entire module, dont worry, because you dont need to know any of it for year 12
physics c:

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I do both Chemistry and Physics, and to be
blunt, I enjoy physics much more than
chemistry because I find more logic in
things and Im the more math-orientated
person. Since I had been exposed to the
things I had been learning this year back in
Year 10, I sort of had the feel of how it
would go ahead.
Something that I think is really important is
that the teachers stick a lot to the syllabus
- something you should all start doing in
any science you choose to do. My teacher
for physics is Mr Donald, and he is an
amazing teacher who has both the quirky
side and the learning side, something that I
liked in a teacher. I find all the topics that I
have learnt extremely interesting and I like
how I can link everything that I learn to real

life situations e.g. we learnt about

electric circuits and the dangers in a
household circuit, and in turn, we learnt
about the effects it would have on people
if they did get shocked.
Overall, physics is my favourite subject out
of the ones I do, and it is always fun to
have a bit of a mix of prac and theory in a
lesson (usually something that is important
that you have just learnt will be followed
by a mandatory prac which the science
faculty can test you on). Physics is one of
my favourite subjects, and you should
consider it. If you have any questions, feel
free to pm me or any other physics student
:)
Good luck on choosing :)
-

This is going to contradict what Amy wrote

in her reflection a bit, but these are just my
experiences so take them with a grain of
salt.
Although
Im
not
a
very
mathematically
inclined
person,
the
majority of my subjects are HSIE subjects, I
really enjoy physics; its definitely one of my
favourite subjects - if not my favourite.
Background knowledge from year 10 really
did help a lot, but dont feel too stressed if
youve missed some content because you
will revise all the relevant material from
junior years at the start of each topic. In
Physics, its so important to make sure you
understand everything as everything builds
on something else, so you have to remain
active within the class - dont be afraid to
ask questions or have a go at a question
your teacher asks the class, even if you
dont know the answer! (But honestly that
goes for all subjects.)
Honestly though, I havent always been the
biggest fan of physics, at the beginning of
year 9 (prior to my truly serendipitous
introduction to the subject) I thought itd be
just boring mix of science and math neither of which had I ever really displayed
any aptitude for- however its so much than
-

Amy Yu

just calculations (although these do make

up a large portion of the subject), its also
full of fascinating explanations about the
universe in which we live in and tries to
answer why the universe is the way it is.
It does get hard at times. There will be times
where you just dont get why something is
the way it is and you will stare blankly at the
page for what seems like hours at end and
wonder why you are even doing this
subject - but to be honest, when you do
finally get it, it feels amazing.) It really is a
great subject and I would highly
recommend this subject, even if you arent
sure if your math is good enough or if youre
not that scientifically inclined as long as
youre interested, keen to learn and dont
mind having to do mental gymnastics as
you try to figure out what is the real
definition of impulse and what it actually
is.
Good luck choosing your subjects! (Also,
feel free to pop up on Facebook/ask.fm/
any social media/ school if you have any
questions, queries or qualms!)

Angela Shaw

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ALL THREE SCIENCES

Are you thinking of doing all three sciences?
Aloha! So above is some really great information and insight on doing the science subjects
in Year 11 (as you have probably read). But Im here to give you some insight and advice if
you are thinking of taking up all 3 sciences next year. I am one of a few girls in my grade
that has taken up all three sciences this year and my experience has been wonderful so far
:) But if you are a girl who is thinking about doing this as well, let me give you some tips.
Firstly, think about why you want to do three sciences anyway. If you are looking for high
marks, a gateway into medicine or a great ATAR you have come to the wrong place. To be
able to do three sciences you have to really enjoy all the sciences and understand the
commitment you are placing yourself under. Like all subjects, it is hard work and you have
to be confident in yourself that you can handle it. It is easy to be confident and interested
in things you love, and it is very hard if you arent enjoying the courses at all. So honestly
think about the reason why youre choosing all three sciences.
Secondly, be prepared that youre going to be surrounded by science basically 24/7. If
currently you feel tired and bored doing your science homework, maybe choosing all three
sciences isnt for you. Because once you do chemistry homework, you have bio homework
to do, and then you have physics...so there is really no escape. I know it seems kind of
nerdy and lame but science needs to get you excited or curious to learn more. If youre not
getting the memo here, if you dont like science and are doing it for the high scaling or
whatever, youre not going to do as well and you could in a subject you really like.
And I think this is the most important tip of all, dont let others tell you what you like or should
or should not like. It goes both ways here. Don/t be swayed by people telling you to do
science or all three sciences when youre not 100% sure yourself. But also dont be swayed
by people telling you, you cant do three sciences even where youre 110% sure you want
to. The execs might tell you that its too stressful and that youre just doing it for the ATAR
blahdiblahdiblah. But if youre sure you want to and you have the right determination,
mindset and willingness to do so, you can do it.
When I said I wanted to do all three sciences I got a lot of why? and are you doing it for
the scaling? and thats too stressful, dont do its etc. And my response was always, I
enjoy science. Am I not allowed to pursue the subjects I enjoy because they are all
coincidentally sciences? I dont find sciences hard or stressful because I enjoy it, and I dont
understand why doing three sciences is any harder than doing any other three subjects.
When I chose three sciences I had to do a little talk with Ms Melky, which you may or may
not have to do with some other exec, but if youre confident in your choices, the execs will
get that from you and realise that your reason for doing three sciences goes beyond the
ATAR and high marks.
So yeah, just a few tips :) if you have any further questions feel free to ask me on Facebook
or at school. Dont be shy!
Good luck and go science! Woo~
-

Sophie Hu :)

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Hey! Im another one of the people who decided to take on triple science in year 11! So
Sophie did a really good job in helping you decide whether or not triple science is for you,
so Im going to focus more on what its actually like doing it, but first, a little about how I
ended up doing this. Right now my subjects are 3 English, 3 Maths, Biology, Chemistry and
Physics, but originally I replaced Physics with Society and Culture. I wanted to do triple
science except I was scared it was too much for me. It wasnt until halfway through Term 4
that I realised that I hate writing essays and I was like lol ooops. SOCO has a lot of writing
in it so I decided not to go down that route. On the first day back (Term 1) I changed
SOCO to Physics and nobody questioned me and I didnt need the little chat with the
execs. BUUUUTTTTTTT, I did go to Mr Kulesz (our year advisor) about it in Term 4 multiple
times and he looked through my performance and my marks and said that I could do it if I
wanted to. So that was all the confirmation that I needed. If you want solid numbers, I was
consistently getting above 90% and my average was 95% (hehehehehehe its a different
case now). Im only telling you this because I reeeaalllyy wanted solid numbers to
determine whether or not I had the capacity to do triple science back in year 10. I urge
you to consult a science teacher before choosing to do triple science.
I hear you asking what its really like doing triple science? The answer is.ITS NOT AS SCARY
AS YOU THINK! It is no big deal (as Sophie tried to tell me multiple times haha). Honestly,
everyone makes it out to be something that requires more effort than Einstein put in to
figure out E=mc2, but its really not. To be REALLY honest with you, I have a lighter workload
than basically all of my friends. For the most part, you have no assignments; just once a
term, you sit down and do a test and thats it. Term 1 is stressful because you have to write a
report and sit a test for each science but from then on its cruising. In term 2, my exams
finished in Week 6! The only thing with the sciences is that its basically all self-study. Dont
expect your teachers to teach you everything that is in the syllabus...they simply dont have
the time. They expect you to read the textbook in your own time and have study groups for
each science. So if you are prepared to be self-motivated and self-accountable, then you
are prepared to do triple science. In saying that though, I would be a complete hypocrite
as my preparation for a test is literally making my notes the night before and reading
them on the train to school. You could get away with this but dont expect amazing marks.
Science is all about the effort you put in: the more effort you put in, the better the results. Its
as simple as that and it applies to everyone no matter how special you think you are.
A huge part of the triple science life is writing up your syllabus dot point notes. LET ME TELL
YOU A PIECE OF INFORMATION THAT WILL SAVE YOU GODDAMN LIFE: YOUR SYLLABUS IS THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. You need to know those couple of pages
better than you know the actual content of each subject. It guides your study, and if you
are really smart (you are.), you can predict the questions they will give you or guide your
answers to questions in a way that will score you marks. You need to be prepared to marry
your syllabuses. I kid you not. When its Valentines Day, a triple science kid will ditch their
boyfriend and go on a date with their syllabuses.
Another thing you need to be prepared for is the ultimate confusion, frustration and overall
ASDFGHJKL; of doing three sciences. I dont even think of my subjects separately
anymore...I just label it as science. Im not going to lie; sometimes Im sitting in Biology
thinking Im doing Chemistry. Everything kind of just blurs together, BUT this can be good.
You will notice that one science will help you understand the other, so everything ends up
working in your favour. Now earlier I mentioned that most of the term is going to be pretty
chill, but in those three weeks of exams... prepare to flip tables, get no sleep and start
spontaneously screaming at nothing. It is stressful: once your first exam is over there is no
relief, instead you think Oh the joy of doing this all over again...twice. It is in those

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moments that you regret everything and then you question life itself and you become
convinced that the world as you know it, is actually just a simulation like in the Matrix, but I
urge you to carry on.
If you like science, and you are good at science, then just do triple science! Im going to
carry it into year 12 if that makes any of you feel better and you will find that school just
becomes more enjoyable when you are doing the subjects that you like! Just one last note:
remember that if you are doing subjects like me (and what most triple science students
take), you are literally only doing Science, English and Maths, all day everyday. It is limiting
in that sense and you will feel like violently releasing this confinement onto your classmates,
but it is rewarding!
I hope that this helped you (I know that I wished something like this was around) and I
REALLY hope to see some triple science students sprout from your grade. If you have any
questions to ask; Facebook me, approach me or ask me in skywriting :)
I expect to be seeing you with your syllabuses in hand, ready to take on triple science!
-

H S I

Sriddy (Sridharnya Sirikrishnabala)

ANCIENT HISTORY (2 units)

This is a little less commonly taken than
modern history simply because of the
greater workload and that there is so
much to learn but youre really only
assessed on a little bit of it. This subject
really looks at past societies and their

20

dynamic, and also looks at the nature

of historical inquiry.
Degrees this would be useful for:
Arts/History, Education and Classical
Studies.

21

Preliminary Year
Core 1: Investigating the Past
This unit looks at research methods in studies of
ancient history generally archaeological
methods and the ethical considerations of
studying the past (human remains etc.).
Case Study 1: Ancient Human Remains
This unit looks at how bodies are preserved
over thousands of years in different conditions;
generally bog bodies. (Warning: the pictures
from this unit are kind of gross - basically
leather skin)
Case Study 2: Boudicca
In theory this unit is meant to look at Boudicca
and the revolt but really it looks at Roman
Britain and a little bit of Boudiccas revolt.

Case Study 3: Colosseum

This is a brand new unit changed from The
Augustan Age and so we havent had the
chance to experience and reflect on this unit
yet.
Core 2: Historical Investigation
This is a research essay where you are
permitted to investigate an area of ancient
history that interests you. Most people look at
Egypt because its not something we study.

As I do both histories, I personally find

Ancient History to be the more
challenging of the two. Theres
definitely a greater workload in that
there is so much content to cover and
some of it is non-assessable but you still
need to know it. Despite this, I find that
the classes are smaller and so you
build better relationships with your
teacher and classmates. Its definitely
easier to communicate your ideas in
class because theres a possibility for
almost anything and its more about
discussing evidence and how it could
be used to reconstruct the past.
-

HSC Year
Core: Pompeii and Herculaneum
This unit explores geographical context,
sources and evidence, and
reconstructing and preserving the past.
Topic 2: Ancient Societies
HAS BEEN IN THE PAST: Spartan Society
(geographical setting, social structure,
the economy, culture, everyday life). This
is subject to change however and not
100%
Topic 3: Personality Study
HAS BEEN: Agrippina the Younger
(historical context, background and rise
to prominence, career and evaluation).
This is subject to change however and
not 100%.
Topic 4: Historical Periods
HAS BEEN: Julio-Claudians (development
of the principate, the empire). Subject to
change and not 100%.

However, it does also depend on the

teacher you get and how you commit
yourself to the course. If you want to
do well in Ancient you HAVE to
prioritise it. There is just so much stuff to
cover and so little time because prelim
year is only 3 terms and HSC theres
just so much content its ridiculous. You
also have to be pretty disciplined in
that you will have to study a lot and
keep on top of your homework. Its a
great subject but it comes with
challenges!
PM me with questions about any
humanities subject :)

Lily Zaknic

21

22

MODERN HISTORY (2 units)

This is quite a common subject to take and really expands on your ability to write
historically. It keeps you studying past events in order to answer questions about
political relations today and is quite useful in gaining a well-rounded understanding
of the world.
Degrees this would be useful for: international studies, law, economics, history/arts
and education.

Preliminary Year

HSC Year

Case Study 1: Yankees and Confederates (US)

This topic looks at the South and States rights,
slavery and human rights, the North and
national unity, and the results of the Civil War.
You do NOT get to re-enact the War devo.
Case Study 2: The Cuban Revolution
This topic looks at the forces leading to the
1959 Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro and
leadership, the key features of revolutionary
Cuba and the Cuban influence in Latin
America.
Core 1: The World Beginning the 20th Century
This topic looks at the nature of European
society, imperialism, emerging forces and
ideas, and the causes of WWI. Basically a lot
of Downton Abbey if thats your thing!!

Core: World War I (source based)

This unit looks at the War on the
Western Front, the home fronts in
Britain and Germany, turning points
and the Allied victory.
Topic 2: Country Study
HAS BEEN IN THE PAST: USA 1919-1941
(politics in the 1920s, the Great
Depression, US Society, US foreign
policy). This is subject to change
however and not 100%
Topic 3: Personality Study
HAS BEEN: Gorbachev (historical
context, background, rise to
prominence, significance and
evaluation). This is subject to change
however and not 100%.
Topic 4: Peace and Conflict
HAS BEEN: Cold War (Origins of the
Cold War, Development of the Cold
War, Dtente, Renewal and End of the
Cold War). Subject to change and not
100%.

Core 2: Historical Investigation

This unit is done alongside study for something
else; its not a huge separate thing. You can
do research into any area of history you like
AS LONG AS its modern (1800 onwards
basically).

My preliminary experience doing Modern was amazing! I had an amazing teacher,

Ms Silk (sadly left), and she always found new ways to engage us with the topic. Like
all subjects, you benefit the most when you strongly engage with the topic and Ive
found its really diversified my knowledge of the world. Its a fairly straightforward
topic so its easy to understand in that there is generally always a right answer. The
workload isnt as much as Ancient History (I do both), but its always good to be
keeping up to date with homework and doing the readings they set you (if you like
handouts, DO HSIE SUBJECTS).

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23

The historical investigation is your chance to engage with an aspect of modern

history that you really find interest in or to just look at something you had no idea
about before. I looked at monarchical history in Russia (tsarism) as the prelude to the
Russian Revolution, and doing this in consultation with my teacher allowed me more
independence in my own study and developed my research skills. Because its my
favourite subject I cant really fault it but I do know that quite a few students in my
grade also hate it for their own reasons (most likely the effort and the essay writing).
Yes modern does have a lot of essay writing, especially in the HSC! For the HSC year,
Ive gotten a lot of feedback from other grades and many of them have said that
its the most difficult subject (but also most of them say they are bored by it which is
pretty much why they find it difficult). Other students have found that the course
isnt difficult due to their ability to keep on top of their subjects and study hard.
Most people underestimate the amount of essay writing you have to do and you are
required to write historical essays. If you cant write one right now or you feel you
missed out because you didnt do elective history, dont worry! The HSIE faculty are
really good with this stuff and they teach you how to write historical essays well
before your first exam. I personally find it one of the most rewarding subjects I do
and you develop your essay writing skills really well and generally just learn to love
history and the subjects you do! I highly recommend everyone to take Modern
because there isnt an intense workload, the subjects covered are great, the
teachers and faculty are amazingly dedicated and you come out with a renewed
understanding of how the world came to be in this place.
PM me with questions about any humanities subject :)
-

Lily Zaknic

Ill start off by saying Modern History is my favourite subject; its very interesting, has a
specified structure, the faculty at NSG is pretty organised, the percentage of band
6s is relatively high (49%), it changes the way you think about the world and can also
help with your other subjects (Economics and English) in my opinion. I did elective
history in year 9/10, and I loved it for the research, essay writing, engaging teachers
who are so passionate about history, all of that is present in modern history!
So originally I was debating between Modern, Ancient and Chemistry, and these
were the differences I ascertained, okay firstly Modern has a lot of recent
information, so theres lots to research, different sources, more relevant to how
events have shaped our current society, the scaling is higher (not an important
factor but it is good to know), however in the HSC theyre both structured the same
like 3 hours written examination.
Anyways its a very straightforward topic, you can basically guess what the question
will be about and the history staff will give you HEAPS of notes. I have Ms Clatworthy
and what generally happens in class is she goes through a PowerPoint while
speaking and you take down notes. Dont only take down notes from the slides; the
things that she says are different so it is important to ENGAGE which will only really
happen properly if you like the subject. I know that some people memorise essays
for Modern, but sometimes the question could be a little bit different so make sure
you do address the actual question using the TERMS of the question. Its quite simple
in terms of English, as long as you have the proper structure, using correct
terminology you should be fine.

23

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Personally Im not particularly strong at English but this year Ive gotten pretty good
marks for both Economics and Modern! So dont worry about that I know theyre on
the English side but the most important thing is structure and addressing the
question! Be prepared to research in your own time, read the handouts, make notes
if that helps you remember things, I like to write down notes of everything I research
about the topic then go through all the resources on the LMS. This might sound like a
lot of work but again liking the subject will make it enjoyable learning!
Also Crash Course History is a great way to get a general idea of whats happening,
giving you points to research, sparking your curiosity! Modern doesnt really require
more work than the other subjects (in terms of time math definitely takes up the most
because of the huge amount of homework) but the assignments definitely cannot
be done the night before, maybe a week before. This is generally due to the
bibliography, in both Modern and Ancient you need to do a historical project with
annotated bibliography, 1500 essay about a topic in history etc. So yes it is a lot of
effort, but if you enjoy it (a good indication is elective history) then you will feel its
worth it! Please message me if there are any further questions :)
-

Just going to add something small to

what has been previously said. If any
of you are being dissuaded against
choosing Modern because you think it
may require great English skills, it
actually really doesnt. In my opinion,
the English you use to write Modern
essays are MUCH different to the
English you would use in Advanced/Ext
English. The English you use in modern
is much more direct and conclusive,
whereas the language you use in
English is much more investigative, and
abstract. Modern is kind of making a
judgement on information that is
concrete, whereas English is like
creating your own ideas because you
never really know what the author is
trying to say. (That doesnt mean you
dont have to write a lot though!! As
said before, you have to practise
writing critically a LOT).
Also, be prepared to truly understand
and invest time into researching your
topic. I find that (if youre not going to
memorise an essay), you get much
-

24

Lily Pan

Jessica Kong

better results if you truly UNDERSTAND

the topic. If you are using a bunch of
terms (because there are a LOT of
new terms) that you dont really
understand, it could be taken in the
wrong context and that could have
some consequences! But other than
that, Modern has been the shining
pinnacle of my studies in Year 11. Its
fun, its applicable to other subjects
(ancient, eco) and its applicable to
the real world!
Lastly, if you enjoyed elective history,
modern history is like that but even
more cool and fun!!!!! Modern history is
soooo
fun,
and
rewarding!
In
comparison to subjects like math
where nobody really understands the
real world application of the subject,
you kind of leave your modern
classroom every day being more
informed about the world, and why
things have happened in the world.
Feel free to message me if you have
any Qs! :) & GOOD LUCCCCK

25

SOCIETY & CULTURE (2 units)

This is a HSIE course that looks at the
societies and cultures that we live in
and interact with on a daily basis. Its
quite a unique and conceptual
subject that requires a lot of personal
reflection. Often studying for this is
quite easy because once you
understand the concepts and how to
apply them its fairly straightforward.

However, this is not a subject for

everyone because there is no
formulaic response; you have to be
able to be able to think outside the
box and really apply yourself to reap
any kind of benefit from the subject.
Degrees this would be useful for: arts,
commerce, psychology, education,
law and social sciences.

Preliminary Year

HSC Year

Topic 1: The Social and Cultural World

This unit you learn the basics that carry on
throughout prelim and HSC year. You
learn about how to research, core
concepts and how to look at the world.

Core 1: Social and Cultural Continuity

and Change
This unit reinforces what you learned in
topic 1 of prelim year and expands to
look at societal continuity and change in
a particular country.
Core 2: Personal Interest Project
This isnt a specific unit but carries
throughout the entire HSC course. You
conduct independent research on a
personal interest and produce a unique
piece of research as a major work.
Depth Study 1: Belief Systems
This unit explores in depth the nature of
belief systems (religious and non-religious
[ideologies]) and a focus study is taken
in relation to a belief system, usually
Islam.
Depth Study 2: Popular Culture
This unit is pretty huge and looks at the
popular cultures that people engage
with around the world. Usually a focus
study is taken in relation to Bollywood
but this will change to Hip-Pop.

Topic 2: Personal and Social Identity

The best unit! Everything you learn in this
unit is related to your own life and allows
you to reflect on how you have come to
be who you are. You also get to do a
mini-PIP on a personal interest!
Topic 3: Intercultural Communication
This unit is a bit confusing but basically
looks at how people communicate
across cultures and how
miscommunication can occur due to
lack of knowledge of other cultures.

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26

I found doing the subject quite enjoyable and it really wasnt that hard for me
because Im a conceptual thinker and it came quite naturally to me once I had
mastered the basics. However, this isnt a subject for everyone because its quite
conceptual and you have to think outside the box. You are expected to apply
yourself every lesson and the major PIP isnt something to be undertaken lightly. Its
not all bad though; I found the PIP experience was the best part of my high school
education because it was the only time Ive been able to conduct research into a
major personal interest without limits. It really strongly improved my writing skills and
Ive improved so much in other subjects because of it. When I handed it in I almost
cried because you take pride in it: youve literally spent 6 months researching and
conducting primary research and 3 months writing up your findings and editing it
and making it perfect and it almost becomes a part of you. I did my PIP on how the
way popular culture depicts gender subsequently influences our internalisation of
gender norms and constructions of gender in romantic relationships (it might sound
really complex but its easy to understand once you get to HSC year. I find that most
of the non-accelerated students actually love Society and Culture (or soco as we
affectionately refer to it) just because our teachers are amazing and teach it in a
really simple way so that we can understand it.
We also have pretty small classes so we grow and develop together and feel
comfortable discussing ideas. Talk to the accelerated girls in your grade to gather a
picture of their experiences, but I can honestly say that if you are a conceptual
thinker and are genuinely interested in the social and cultural differences that
influence you and your wider society, this is a subject for you! Its also not as much
essay writing as you think (the new HSC exams will be structured as follows: Core
study - 8 multiple choice, short answer questions to the value of 12 marks, Depth
Study 1 - 5 mark and 15 mark option, Depth Study 2 - 5 mark and 15 mark option).
This model is emulated in our trial exam so if you have any further questions about
the exam styles and study requirements for HSC year etc. then PM one of the
accelerated girls in my grade!
PM me with questions about any humanities subject :)
-

26

Lily Zaknic (accelerated class)

27

STUDIES OF RELIGION (1 unit)

Studies of Religion is another HSIE
faculty course that explores the nature
of religion in contemporary society
and the relevance of religion to our
own lives. You explore two religions
(religious traditions as they are called)
and examine the principle beliefs of
each school of thought to properly
understand them.
Nature of
Religion and
Beliefs
Religious
Tradition Study 1
Religious
Tradition Study 2

This is increasingly useful when

examining religious discourses in the
media and understanding the
misinformation commonly spread
through sensationalised media.
Degrees this would be useful for: arts,
education, law (religious studies) and
social sciences.

The focus of this study is the nature of religion and beliefs (what is
religion, characteristics of religion etc.), including Australian Aboriginal
beliefs and spiritualties, as a distinctive response to the human search
for meaning in life.
The first religious tradition usually studied at NSG is Islam. If you have Ms
Hakimi as a teacher she can give you personal reflections on her
experience as an adherent to add to your notes.
The second religious tradition we study is Buddhism (usually - they can
change)

The religion class started off quite big for a senior class this year (around 16 I think), but in the
first three weeks of people switching up their subjects because there were muddle ups, our
class numbers rapidly dropped to of 6 people. As one of the smallest classes in the school, its
definitely been a lot easier in terms of communicating ideas and having a little classroom
community, but it has also been a lot harder in terms of class contributions.
Most people were originally doing it as a filler subject so they didnt have to do 13 units and
have no frees (as a 1u subject, religion only has 4 periods a fortnight, not 7), but realised
there was no point in applying themselves to a subject they were only doing for 3 terms.
Personally, I havent found religion to be the absolute most amazing subject just because I
realised too late my lack of interest in the subject (I am interested in religion, but having
already covered Islam in another subject I found I quickly tired of both subjects).
There is A LOT of homework in religion!!!!! Fair warning. I do quite a lot of content heavy
courses but find most of the time I dedicate to studying for religion is actually me catching
up on the homework I hadnt done rather than actually studying. Basically, dont do it as a
filler subject if you can avoid it because its not a subject to be taken lightly: you have to
make sure you are always 100% on top of your homework and Ms Hakimi expects you to be
involved in class discussions as much as possible, but she is an absolutely amazing teacher
and when you study Islam she can tell you quite a lot of her personal experience with Islam
to add to our own study notes!!
PM me with questions about any humanities subject :)
-

Lily Zaknic

27

28

ECONOMICS (2 units)

Preliminary Course

HSC Course

Introduction to Economics
The focus of this topic is the need for choice by
individuals, businesses and governments. Their
decisions determine the nature of the economy and
create the diversity of economies found in the world.

The Global Economy

Focuses on the operation of the
global economy and the impact
of globalisation on individual
economies.

Consumers and Business

The focus of this topic is an investigation of how
consumers and businesses make decisions about the choices they face, recognising that in a market
economy both are motivated largely by self-interest.

Australias Place in the Global

Economy
This topic examines Australias
place in the global economy
and the effect of changes in the
global economy on Australia.

Markets
The focus of this topic is the operation of markets. The way in which market prices are determined and the
need and means available for governments to
intervene in markets are highlighted.

Economic Issues
This topic focuses on the nature,
causes and consequences of
the economic issues and
problems that can confront
contemporary economies.

Labour Markets
The focus of this topic is an examination of a factor
market the market for labour resources. The
contemporary institutions and outcomes of the labour
market are key elements.

Economic Policies and

Management
This topic focuses on the aims
and operation of economic
policies in the Australian
economy and hypothetical
situations.

Financial Markets
The focus of this topic is the operation of financial
markets in Australia, the contemporary institutions and
the controls existing in the market that influence
market outcomes. The different types of markets and
the influence of the Reserve Bank of Australia on
interest rates are of central concern.
Government and the Economy
The focus of this study is the role of government in a
mixed economy. The main concepts are
management of the economy, and problems and
issues arising from the free operation of markets.

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29

Economics is not your usual subject. For those who think its similar to legal studies and
business studies, I can tell you right now its totally different. Quoting Ms Kelly, Economics
is a university course. In other words, youll be pushed a lot and you will be covering a lot
of content in each lesson. For those of you who arent good at coping with pressure, I
would say this subject isnt for you.
What you will realise, is that after you get spoon-fed the basics in Term 1, its pretty much
self-study. Because theres so much content you have to cover in three terms, one of your
topics end up being self study at home. For me, I picked up eco because I really liked the
subject and to do this subject, you really need to like it or youll end up collapsing under
the pressure. Trust me; that ended up happening to a lot of people I know.
Eco is a really fun subject and you learn a lot during the course. It takes bits and pieces
out of legal studies, financial studies and business studies and applies those bits and
pieces into the economy. Economics, to me, its a story in a way. How does the economy
thrive, how it grows.
Moving more towards the learning aspect, its really easy at first. You cover a decent
amount of content in each lesson and you dont feel much of the pressure. However,
towards the end of Term 1 and beginning of Term 2 onwards, you start to feel the pressure
from the amount of content you cover in each class and the amount you have to review
after each lesson. When the self-studying phase starts, it gets even more stressful to the
point where you wish you chose a different subject.
Despite this, if you do your studying and dedicate roughly 5-7 hours a week to studying
and revising for eco (that doesnt mean studying ahead, that will actually give you a
disadvantage because you dont get to understand the concepts in depth), then I can
guarantee that you will get the marks you want in Economics.
Im not trying to put anyone off choosing Economics; I love this subject and how
interesting it is to me. But if you cant cope with pressure but really want to do the subject
(like me last year), then Ill let you in on a little tip I use to study. For each topic, type
everything into 1 document. So every lesson, just open that document and start typing
(using a new page for each sub-part of the topic e.g. Document: Business Firms, Pg 1:
What are firms? Pg 2: Supply Curve). And no matter what, dont miss any lessons. Even if
you get that sick feeling at the pit of your stomach before each class because of all the
pressure youre under. Push through it, and youll be fine.
Lets compare this to maths. Think about the amount of homework you get after each
lesson (say roughly 1-2 exercises), and then think about the amount of content you study
in the actual class that day. Thats about the amount you cover in one period of
Economics. Like I said in the What its like section, its not easy and to get good marks
you need to put in a lot of effort. In fact, I would actually go as far to say that Economics
needs more effort than other subjects. Economics is university study. What you learn in the
Prelim and HSC course is basically what you end up covering first year in uni (according to
Ms Kelly). So yes, a lot of effort is needed to stay in this course. The moment you decide to
stop studying and listening in class, its over for you. (Im not even exaggerating).
Email/find me or any other eco student if you have any questions~
Email: emma.zhang@education.nsw.gov.au
Best Wishes :)
-

Emma Zhang

29

30
Economics is one of my favourite subjects; it links into the real world and you can see how
it relates and influences your future especially in terms of where you as an individual fit into
society. I also do Modern History, which actually relates and helps me quite a lot in
economics! Ive realised that subjects do tend to overlap a little bit, and a good
understanding of similar subjects can aid in others. So I chose economics because Im
thinking of pursuing a career/degree related to finance/commerce/corporate world as
well as having a passion for societal issues relating to how money is distributed. Personally I
think the best thing about economics is that it combines social sciences and math, so
once you understand and remember the content/statistics, even if you dont express it
with big fancy words like in English, you will still get full marks! There is a bit of calculation
involved but its very basic and for the short response questions you have a given formula
for each answer; define term, explanation, evidence etc. So I think its a great bridge
across your subjects.
There is quite a lot of content involved and you do have to self-study a bit at home, this
includes lots of reading. Also there are many terms commonly used in economics, this
jargon is not that common in everyday conversations lol so be prepared to Google a lot
of the terms AND incorporate that into your answers appropriately!!! Also its not really a
topic you can study the night before (actually now you cant study for any subjects
overnight), so be prepared to sacrifice some time a week just for economics which is easy
if you genuinely enjoy the subject. Also not related to economics specifically but please
do not choose subjects if you are not genuinely motivated to do so!! I chose chemistry,
thinking I could study hard and get good marks despite hating it/doing badly in year 10
despite being told to only do subjects I wanted. NO!! I think according to Matrix
Economics is the highest scaled humanities subject? (Somewhere in their website) But this
was not a major factor in my decision. If it was (like chem) I wouldve given up by now, so
please make sure it is something you actually want to do! Also I know that quite a few
people who do commerce end up doing economics, or those who hated commerce
think that economics will be similar and end up avoiding it for that reason. NO! My
teacher, and a few other students say that commerce is very different from economics,
which is related to the study of human choices, and the effects it has on the economy.
It requires a bit of maturity too, think middle-aged activities, read the newspaper in the
business section, download CNBC and Bloomberg apps which give you notifications on
whats happening in the world, read your textbook not just before the exam but generally
if you have a bit of time. All in all you can drop economics, but it does require a lot of
effort/dedication which comes easily if you are genuinely interested in the subject, English
doesnt have to be extremely good as long as you have a structure, you will get full marks
(just like modern history), maths is pretty general too (percentages and fractions mainly)
but the ideas can be pretty sophisticated and you do have to think about it in your spare
time not just rock up to class and do the homework.
All the best!!
-

30

Anonymous

31

LEGAL STUDIES (2 units)

Preliminary Course
Core Part I: The
legal system

Syllabus:
Basic legal concepts
Sources of contemporary Australian law
Classification of law
Law reform
Law reform in action

Core Part II: The

individual and
the law

Your rights and responsibilities

Resolving disputes
Contemporary issue: the individual and technology

Core Part III: Law

in practice

The Law in practice unit is designed to provide opportunities for

students to deepen their understanding of the principles of law
covered in the first sections of the course. This section may be
integrated with Part I and/or Part II.

Legal Studies is an interesting subject, you

learn about laws, why we need them,
who makes them and so on. BUT Legal
studies isnt a very intense or quite
engaging subject, personally for me. The
content you learn isnt very challenging,
a lot of the beginning content reminded
me of Year 10 Commerce when we
learnt and Law and Society. It is good to
learn about the things we discuss in legal
studies however I personally would not
recommend this as a subject choice; the
content is very easy which might appeal
to you, which is fine. I am really harsh in
saying that on the other hand; if you
want to choose a subject where it is really
laid back, not intense and not
challenging, go for it.

moral understanding of Laws and

deepen to an extent your knowledge
about the need for laws, how our Legal
system works and so on.

If youre considering Legal Studies

because youre interested in maybe
doing something to do with Law after
school, legal studies can give you a

I wish you guys luck for choosing your

subjects and please contact me if there
are problems :D

Overall, I want to point out and

emphasise that I have found that Legal
Studies is not for me and this is a narrow
perspective of someone who is not very
engaged with Legal Studies.
So I would definitely recommend asking
questions to me about Legal Studies if
you have any because my opinion might
vary with others. If you are interested in
Legal Studies, please also ask other Year
11s who do Legal Studies as that would
provide another perspective too.

Lois Kim

31

32

L A N G U A G E S

FRENCH CONTINUERS (2 units)

Bonjour! So you are considering French?
French is definitely like all the other languages a very rewarding subject. Senior french is
definitely a step up from what you have learnt in junior years. Usually many languages are
a very small class - this year we only have four! The classes are a lot closer knit and it is a lot
easier to approach the teacher about any questions and trust me there will be lots! In
senior school, you will spend a long time on tenses especially (and this is a bit more
complicated than the passe compose and the future proche). Some tenses you learn will
be the future simple, conditional, past conditional. But no worries, all of these tenses are
examined through closely! Yeah aside from the tenses, class will still be quite similar to
junior classes, you will still be practising your listening, reading, writing and speaking the
only difference is you will be looking at harder material.
Continuers French is more focused on your personal life, like your future, your past everything and anything about yourself! That is ultimately what you will be preparing for in
the HSC. You will also be looking into past HSC Continuers paper in year 11, so even if your
results are not exemplary its okay! You will still have a year and a bit to work up to it!
I personally find French extremely rewarding as in our four student class, our group is
extremely close and we can easily have our individual issues addressed! For example,
recently my classmates and I requested the teacher to go over articles (des, de la, de l,
le, la, le) because even after 4 years we were still unsure about it!
So ultimately, if you are sitting on the fence about whether you want to do French or not I
would say you should definitely go for it! The classes are definitely not nearly as heavy
loaded as your other subjects like maths or English, but you will need to be a lot more
disciplined. It is also an extremely, extremely rewarding subject, it is a subject you can
directly use after high school (not like maths lol) and the close attention paid when
learning tenses will definitely help your English too!
It is also okay if you havent been to exchange before, as especially in a small class the
teacher will recognise everyones capabilities and she will help you out!
If you have anymore questions message me anytime!
-

32

Jiamin Chen :)

33

GERMAN CONTINUERS (2 units)

Hallo!
Interessiert ihr euch fr Deustch? ;)
The German Continuers course is really
mostly about learning the language to a
point of easy conversation. You learn
many many grammar structures and
words, just as you would to learn any
other language. We often alternate our
lessons between going and learning
grammar from a textbook (which is
reallllly outdated so very funny) and with
practising exam technique, reading
educational articles, talking about songs
and a whole heap of fun cultural stuff!

The main sort of topics that we cover are

about your personal world. So most of
what you learn is really good for
everyday conversations. Like what do
you want to become in the future, what
are you hobbies etc.
Our tests are reading, writing, listening
and speaking. This is good because you
have a lot of tests that are all low in their
percentages that count to the total mark,
but it also means that there are a lot of
skills that you need to build upon. If you
like German, and are interested in their
culture, and have done it for 2 years
already, then go ahead!!! :D

My class has 6 people and in general German does not run that often :/ but this means
that the class will be quite small and very very close. Due to the size, our class also has only
5 classes with the teacher and two extra study periods. Im not sure if that would happen
in your year though. This is actually quite all right though; because with a small class, we
get to know each other really well and help each other. We all know each others
weaknesses and try to explain things. In our study periods, we like to go and do our own
research on some cool grammar structure or go over whatever people arent quite
comfortable with yet.
The study load of German really depends on the person. It is very light for me, because i
have contacts in Germany (because of exchange yay) and so I practise with them every
now and then. I have a real passion for German so i learn it easily hehe. You will be
expected to probably make your own sort of rule book to learn the language better, do
homework every couple of days (its not much though), practise your speaking, and writing
the occasional paragraph.
We like to go on excursions like going to the movies!!!
If youre interested, go for it!
PM me if you have any questions/ want to chat in some Deutsch!! Ich freue mich auf
deinen Nachricht
-

Kat Katchalova

33

34

JAPANESE CONTINUERS (2 units)

JAPANESE CONTINUEARS PRELIMINARY SYLLABUS:
http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/pdf_doc/japanese-continuers-st6-sylfrom2010.pdf (dont worry its not long, and includes grammar points, topics, etc. to learn)
The Japanese Continuers course relies
quite heavily on what youve learnt in
Stage 5 so if you are thinking of doing this
next year, you should definitely keep
focusing! Most of our Year 10 class are
currently doing Japanese Continuers and
we are a very big class (around 20
people). During the year, we go through
Mirai 5 and we are expected to be up to
Unit 8 by the end of Year 11.
Part 1 is Exchange Students where we
learnt about introducing ourselves and
communicating
various
requests,
gratitude etc. and rules, which include
Japanese house rules and Japanese
school rules. Part 2 is Family Life and
Celebrations where we learnt about
expressing feelings, various holidays in
Japan, giving and receiving (a major
part!) and asking for opinions, giving
opinions, making comparisons and
others. Part 3 is Leisure and Fitness and

I was probably one of the average

students in my Year 10 class but I really
enjoyed Japanese so I took it up this year
and I dont regret it. Our classes are pretty
similar to Year 10 so some lessons going
through the textbook, speaking and
writing practice and various fun tasks to
do. The tasks we get set during the
holidays are really enjoyable, for example
our Term 1 holiday task was to go to a
Japanese restaurant in a group and make
a presentation.
During the first half of the term, it is very
relaxing and lots of student teachers come
-

34

Jessica Kuang

Unit 7 of this part contains quite a lot of

precious knowledge (likes and dislikes,
preferences) and we learn about sports
and health. This course also contains a lot
of grammar and kanji that you have to
remember.
In regards to tests, we have four tests listening,
speaking,
reading
and
responding and writing - each term. The
listening and reading and responding
tests are quite similar to Year 10, however
speaking is much longer and it is 5
minutes individually. This year we had
take home writing assessments for our first
two terms.
At the end of the year of course are the
yearly preliminary exams, and Japanese
continuers totals about 2 hours for
listening, reading and responding and
writing all together. The yearly speaking
exam is about 7 minutes long.

in and its quite fun however near the end

of the term, it gets very intense and there is
a lot of speaking and writing practice that
you should do and hand in.
Though Ms. Mizoshiri is kinda scary at times,
shes really quite helpful so hand in your
writing and she will give you good
feedback :)
If youre currently thinking about doing this,
it is one of my favourite subjects but you do
have to put effort into it but it is very
rewarding!
Message me if you have any questions :)

35

Japanese is a really enjoyable subject and we have a really great teacher as well (Ms
Mizoshiri). This course is basically done the same way as the year 9/10 course so the
structure doesnt really change and you dont many differences to adapt to. Exams are
similar to 9/10, so one for each section; reading, writing, speaking, listening but they arent
strenuous to study for I guess. Anyway sorry not much to say but pm me if you have any
questions!
-

Uki Chan

IF you are considering whether you want to continue Japanese in year 11, think about
why first. Is it because you just need a language for HSC, or to fill up your units etc.? IS it
because you are genuinely interested in learning about the Japanese language, culture,
food (who doesnt love Japanese food lets be honest) and Japan in its global context?
Of course if you did not hesitate to choose the second option, then you should definitely
continue.
Ive been studying Japanese since year 8, and Ive enjoyed every moment of it, really. Mrs
Mizoshiri is a great teacher who is enthusiastic and proactive in organising all these
incursions, excursions and other events for us--even the school trip to Japan!
The dedication and effort is definitely needed: taking lots of notes, grammar points,
vocabulary lists, practising to write kanji characters are few of the things we do very often.
Its also good to study in your own time at home, whether it is through drama, YouTube,
music, podcasts or blogs! Just because youre not putting pen to paper doesnt mean
youre not studying the language, and you can be enjoying yourself whilst immersing in
the culture. Language studies are one of the only subjects where you can say that youre
watching an interesting drama (etc.) and get away with it! (Disclaimer; depends on your
parents ofc)
Tip for improving plain form writing skills: Make a penpal! Or a language partner! Go find
sites for language exchange, or download apps like Hellotalk (android/apple! Dont worry
this isnt a sponsored post HAHA). I made penpals when I was in year 8, and its just so fun
talking to students from Japan who are of similar age. You can help each other out and
learn their slang, phrases often used by young people, etc. Message me if you need any
suggestions (lol).
I was lucky enough to host a Japanese exchange student who came to our school back
in 2013 for 3 weeks, as well as go on a 2 month exchange to TOKYO last November. Hands
down the best experience of my life (so far). The chances and experiences and memories
you make are invaluable, and the people you meet there will become your close friends.
Seriously. I send so many letters to my friends there still, and my host family is bae. I ate
too much mochi, experienced Christmas (so anticlimactic because I went to school but it
was so funny) and New Years, watched a movie in Japanese where I couldnt understand
half of it but was totally worth it, went to a $1 per plate sushi train, loaded myself with
green tea kit kat, went to school with tartan blazer, rode a bike to school everyday...the
list goes on (and I could talk about it forever so if youre interested in exchange, you can
talk to me/message me)
SO YES! You should do Japanese continuers, mastering the language will take you to a
great many places! Choose it because you want to :)
-

Melissa Park

35

36

LATIN CONTINUERS (2 units)

I really enjoy Latin, and particularly being
able to translate ancient texts. It is a lot of
work so be prepared for lots of grammar and
vocab class tests haha. I have Ms Restuccia
and she is a really good and thorough
teacher and she explains all the grammar
really well. Latin is about building on the
basics (as with most subjects) so I
recommend consistently revising, but the
way Ms Restuccia structures classes sort of
forces you to do that.
At the start of the year we continued Oxford
Book 3 and worked on revising all grammar,
and then we began poems by Catellus and

Ovid. Poetry is a lot harder to translate than

prose but it also is great if you love English
because you get to also analyse language
techniques. We have just started the Areiad
by Virgil and I find it amazing how we are
reading something written hundreds of years
ago, as well as how accessible the stories
and writing still are. You dont get to do as
much culture as in junior years as it becomes
much more literary based.
Overall I find Latin really rewarding, and it
definitely gives back what you give in. If you
love the language and are willing to work Id
100% recommend it :)
-

Annika Jorgenson

OPEN HIGH SCHOOL & SATURDAY SCHOOL

So for all you people there who are
unsatisfied with the language choices the
school provides and wishes to do other
languages, this is the place for you. From
beginners languages to Heritage and
background courses, quite a few girls in our
grade commute to Saturday and outside
school courses.
Open high school is where you are taught
through long distance means across the
Internet or through the phone. Since there is
no physical teacher there, it is very much
independent. Of course, if you are doing a
language that is being taught by one of the
LOTE staff, you can always ask them for help.
Courses taken by girls in our grade include
Beginners Japanese, Beginner French, &
Heritage Korean etc. Phone lessons are held
during your free periods.

Saturday school of languages is a class that

is held on Saturdays. It is a 3-hour class to
substitute a weeks worth of lessons. They are
held in a variety of schools across Sydney, so
choose one that is closest to you. Most of
them start from 8:30am and go until
11:45am. Many girls in our year are in the
Strathfield Girls High School Heritage Chinese
class. Of course, other languages are offered
and they can be found on the BOS website.
If you wish to apply for either of these, speak
to the LOTE staff for enrolment details. You
will be required to do 14 units for the first 3
weeks of Year 11 so that your enrolment to
the outside of school hours course is settled.
Afterwards, you can choose to drop your
units and end up with 11 free periods a week
(it feels really good lol).

Open High School: https://sites.google.com/site/theopenhssydney/

Saturday School: http://www.sscl.schools.nsw.edu.au/

36

37

M U S I

MUSIC 1 (2 units)
Music 1 is a more relaxed version of Music
2 with a lot more freedom for you to do
what you want. It still requires some
knowledge of aural, composition and
performance but you can choose
whatever topic you like. For example, this
term Im doing music of a culture (that
being K-pop), Belinda is doing Technology
and Lily is doing Romantic.
Each term for your chosen topic, you
have to do an analysis of roughly 5 pieces
for your aural + musicology, a composition
and a performance.
-

For example, this term for K-pop, Im

analysing the 5 pieces Sorry Sorry (Super
Junior), Harry Haru (Big Bang), Adore U
(Seventeen), U&I (Ailee) and Damaged
Lady (KARA), then writing about how they
define K-pop and how they are similar. For
my performance, I am performing an OST
(original soundtrack) from a Korean
drama, a pop song and possibly a power
ballad.
Music 1 is a lot more lenient and while it
doesnt scale as high as Music 2, it is
definitely a subject that gives you more
freedom and time for your other subjects.

Emma Zhang

37

38

MUSIC 2 (2 units)
So to outline the topics covered during
Music 2 in prelims: Baroque period (theres
a test on this), Classical Period (this is just
to
learn
about
musicology
and
compositional techniques) and Music of a
Culture (this kind of like a pip and theres
a 20 minute presentation at the end of it).
For me, music was a pretty straightforward
experience, since I already have most of
the knowledge from AMEB theory and
such. The hardest part for me was
probably putting words down onto paper
since you will be required to answer
questions in regards to the concepts of
music. Theyll be handouts on this so dont
stress and just follow the template. If
anything else, I found keeping up with my
own practice for my instrument more
difficult, but I highly doubt anyone in your

year (Year 11 of 2016) will struggle with

that since you all seem to work super hard
on personal practice.
If anything, music has been a really
relaxing learning experience for me and I
think Ms Masterson holds food parties in
her senior classes (Ms Cleghorns a bit
more strict with food but as long juniors
dont see you eat...) Tip for analysis: get to
know your chords and cadences really
well. It really helps for you to understand
harmony
quickly
and
identifying
techniques from there on will be a breeze.
Also, brush up on your sight singing; its
worth quite a bit of your mark. If youre
bad with singing, whistling will do too :D
Feel free to find me on Facebook :) I
basically live there
-

Xixi Wen

If you are reading this, then you are considering Music 2, and if you are considering music
then I suggest you take your instrument (s) out and start practising - yes, right now! Okay,
perhaps later, but if not practise, then ensure that you at least have musical lessons. That
may sound like a given, but it is a mistake that many students (including myself) did not do
until music became a source of stress - and that is something that shouldnt happen. It is
alright if youre not the most organised person when it comes to your practise schedule now,
but be sure to get rid of those bad habits by the time you begin the preliminary course.
In the end, Performance is just one of the key areas of assessment, along with Musicology,
Aural Skills and Composition. The rest of the areas you will learn throughout the year, so its
perfectly fine to not know the principles of composition or musicology etc. That is the true
reason why I suggest that you start practising now, as that is one of the things that you can
prepare for while youre at it. For now, good luck!
-

38

Anonymous

39

Hi guys!!
The most difficult thing with music, in my opinion, is keeping up the practice of your
instrument ;) If youve already completed the AMEB theory and have quite a good grasp
of musical concepts, then its completely fun. Music is a tough subject, and personally I
think it is one of the most demanding in terms of performance AND knowledge. Its
rewarding, hella fun and your class becomes really really close because we all have
different strengths and weaknesses. Classes are usually small as well, so thats extra
bonding. Ms. Cleghorn lets you eat food in class!!!!
What Im struggling with most at the moment the theory/musicology part. If you havent
come from doing year 9 and 10 music (like myself because I switched into the Society and
Culture accel class), I strongly suggest doing Music 1 (which is similar, just a little bit easier
and less of a workload) because otherwise you will most definitely struggle with the
amount of knowledge that youre expected to already have a grasp of.
Ultimately, remember that music comes from the heart. If you love music but you think the
subject isnt right, dont force yourself to pick it for the sake of doing it. You have to love it
and you have to be willing to put in the hard yards. Its an extremely rewarding subject
and (especially when you start doing compositions) it will push you into achieving things
that you have never ever dreamed of! My opinion - if you are planning on it, just go with
Music 2! At the beginning of year 12 YOU DO HAVE THE OPTION TO DROP TO MUSIC 1, OR
DROP MUSIC COMPLETELY (thats not recommended ;) )
Please feel free to email: izzie.healey@gmail.com, call/text: 0422343274 or pop up on
Facebook! Im up to answering anything - like what did I have for breakfast this morning?
Tim Tams. Good luck for year 11!

Izzie Healey :)

TAS

39

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FOOD TECHNOLOGY
In all honesty for food technology to be worth doing you need to have an interest in nutrition
or something of that nature. Lessons pretty much consist of class discussions following the
structure of the textbook and a variety of worksheets based on the textbook content. Its a
pretty straight forward course and if youre interested and willing (as it is quite content dense)
it isnt hard to do well and the vast majority of people will end up with Band 6 results so if you
have the time then dont be concerned about the difficulty of the subject. However, you
really will regret it if all youre interested in cooking because there are a few pracs but its
probably 1 a fortnight if that. That being said, if you cant cook to save your life thats also
perfectly fine because you will not once be assessed on your ability to cook (only your ability
to stay organised and plan ahead whilst cooking, so its irrelevant what the food actually turns
out like). If youve done food tech in year 9 and 10 youll know that the assignments are pretty
full on but if you start early enough youll be perfectly fine and youre always more than
welcome to ask (I think everyone in our current class would be happy to help) for help from
our class with assignments as we would have already done them.
That being said, dont be scared off if you havent done food tech since year 8. The prelim and
HSC course is very repetitive and covers quite a lot of the same stuff as year 9 and 10 but in a
lot more depth so dont worry at all if you havent done it before (the one thing I would suggest
is perhaps asking our class or someone who did do it in year 9 and 10) for a set of notes just to
skim over to get a vague idea of some of the content. In terms of teaching style here is my take
on it: Ms Cole-Harper knows her stuff and she is a truly lovely person but her teaching style is not
for everyone. Our learning is pretty much straight from the textbook but is supplemented by a
LOT of class discussion and classes are pretty relaxed. Often we will get some worksheets to
take home and do and the next lesson will just be going through and discussing that worksheet
and that section of the textbook. For me personally, sometimes if Im tired I find I tune out a little
during class discussion (one ear is always listening though to keep on track) but it is pretty easy
to catch up as long as you are diligent - now please dont get me wrong, Im not saying you
should tune out or not listen in class, there is a lot of discussion that can help your understanding
but at the same time dont freak out if you do because it is an easily self-taught subject. I think
thats it but Im sure Ill add some more.
Dont be shy to ask questions, even if you want to pop up on Facebook or email me. Phone no:
0410351524, email: rachel.s239@gmail.com
- Rachel Stock
Hiii :) basically what Rachel said, its easily self-taught and has pretty chill lessons. Assignments
are pretty much always long but if you did food tech in year 9 and 10 its really just the same
assignments (so far) extended and with a tad bit more difficulty. If you want to pursue nutrition,
this is a really good subject to familiarise yourself with basics.
Note that universities dont require food tech in any of their courses :( but nutrition does
require chemistry. Doing both would be a good combo because youll understand more of
the scientific stuff that we cover (not that we cover a lot ^^). Its a really fun subject and we
still have pracs and everything to complement the topic we are doing and I encourage
people to choose it if its something you enjoy!!
PM me if you have any questions! :D
-

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Uki Chan

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INFORMATION PROCESSES & TECHNOLOGY

[IPT] (2 units)
Hi there!! I did this as an accelerated
subject in year 9-10!
IPT is one of those somewhat strangely put
together subjects. In essence its all about
computers - how they work, why they work,
how people use them, how they connect
with each other etc. In the prelim course,
you study mostly the 7 information
processes. These are the things that convert
data (raw facts such as binary numbers)
into information (something that has a
meaning to someone). First you learn about
what an information system is, who
interacts with it, and what is involved, and

then you delve quite technically deep into

each information process. All your curious
questions about how a CD retains
information will be answered!
In the HSC course, there are about 5 topics
that you learn. There is also a major project
you need to do, where there is a wide
variety of options in which you can choose
your medium to be (e.g. database,
website, magazine, game, movie, etc.).
You learn to use programs (mostly Adobe)
and you will find yourself familiarising
yourself with these programs for the
duration of the project.

Course Outline
Project Management
This topic is very self-explanatory, but however has a lot of stupid content that must
be memorised. Here you learn about how to actually manage a project, so who is
involved and what do they do. It tries to relate this to the real world.
Information Systems and Databases
This is all about databases, which can be quite bland, but it does give you a big
insight into how most of the websites on the internet hold your information. It really lets
you understand the technical wonders!!
Communication Systems
This was probably the hardest topic, but also the most interesting because it really
explained a lot of things about how the world works. It teaches you all about
computers connecting to each other in the whole web of the internet on a technical
scale. Have you ever wondered what https was? Well find your answer here :)
Transaction Processing Systems
This is all about money ;) and online shopping which isnt too bad. You need to learn
intimately how credit cards and ATM machines work and learn how to draw a
flowchart for the processes that occur.
Multimedia
This is the fun one which is very straight forward, because you mostly just learn about
movies and images and how they are displayed and made using computers.

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I really quite liked IPT because it was really
general but also very specific about
computers. Also the projects were really
fun! If you like computers, and are
interested in how the modern world works in
terms of technology, then take IPT.
The theory can be dry and tedious, at
times, but its quite easy to understand. Just
remember to take good notes, and start on
your projects as soon as you get them! If
you have done IST, there is probably a lot of
-

overlap in what you learnt in terms of

databases and hardware and software (or
so I heard).
I have 3 books of hand-written notes, and a
lot of printed papers and notes that I want
to sell, so if you are taking this subject, and
want some good quality BAND 6-worthy
CHEAP notes, then feel free to PM me
huehue. (Thought I might as well advertise
here!) Also if you have any questions in
general!

Kat Katchalova

Hi Guys!
I did IPT purely as a backup 2 units for my HSC (in case something happened and I didnt do
as well as I wanted to). To be quite honest I wasnt expecting to learn a great heap - my mind
wasnt set in that direction and I wasnt particularly interested in computers and whatnot.
One thing I learnt from IPT that will indefinitely benefit me in future years is WRITING NOTES AND
STICKING TO THE SYLLABUS. Write your notes according to each dot point in the syllabus
(directly underneath them) so you dont miss out anything. This is an important skill I have
acquired and am (trying to) use this method for my subjects now. Not much to say (Kat has
said everything), but feel free to pm me if there are questions!
-

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Amy Yu

43

SOFTWARE DESIGN & DEVELOPMENT (SDD)

SDD is quite a self explanatory subject. You learn about planning and making software, while
also making a bunch of projects! Theres not really much to elaborate about really, mostly just
that the whole syllabus is quite outdated - most of the stuff it talks about is not relevant to
modern day software coding.
About the theory, it is very very dry. There are many diagrams that you have to learn to draw,
there are many stupid things in the syllabus like social and ethical issues (GROAN) and HISTORY
OF SOFTWARE (GROAAAAN) but the rest is about how software is planned, who is involved,
how does the computer work (in quite a bit of detail), how does the computer actually
understand a programming language, and how does a programming language create the
magic that is software. To learn this, you get three textbooks to study from, most of which are a
bit out of date and iffy, but they do the job. There are not many tests in the prelim course (2 in
total, and one of them is 10% lol), so your notes dont have to be super detailed. There is not a
lot of vital content that is hard to understand, just quite a bit of silly little things, and some
slightly challenging diagrams (but nothing is really tooo bad).

Three Assignments for Preliminary Course (all group assignments)

Educational Package
A phone application

A dynamic website

I made a German learning game to help

beginners learn German!
I made a mental health tracker. This can
actually be played on my phone! If you want
to see come up and talk to me in the
playground and Ill be happy to show you!
We havent finished this yet, but its basically
a website that is connected to a database.
Its alright.

So my class for software has 4 people in it. This is very small and personal, and quite fun! I like
software mostly because I did IPT the year before, when it was accelerated, and that means
that I get computers. Also the practical assignments are really fun, and its great to be able
to show people what you made, and say yes I made that phone app with only my own
words.
The theory is somewhat of a downside to me, but if you just take it as it is, then it is alright and
you just need to get through it. If you choose this subject, Mr Boland will probably freak you
out and tell you that you should only do this course if you are seriously thinking about doing
computer sciences in university. I disagree, because I have NO DESIRE to do that, but I still
really enjoy this subject! You do NOT need a prior knowledge of programming languages
(even though that is quite helpful), because you will learn it while doing your assignments! If
youve ever been interested about the back end of your computer, and how it all works, then
software could be for you! There is a downside though: you will probably have class while
some juniors are cooking food and it will smell good hahaha :)
-

Kat Katchalova

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44

A R T

VISUAL ARTS (2 units)

Lots of fun :) VA tends to collect an eclectic range of people, and youll find that classes are
generally very lively, and its like a miniature community in itself. I feel, in particular, the
closeness of this community distinguishes VA from my other classes, which have a much more
competitive HSC/mark-centric feel. Its good to take a break from all of that, and if you are
considering doing VA, dont hesitate - because you may want a break from all the
teachers/students pushing the assessments-assessments-marks-ATAR mantra (unless of course
you are that person propagating said mantra).
There is a focus on art making, but the specifics differ across the years (from what Ive
gathered so far).

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45

PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO & DIGITAL IMAGING (1 unit)

Preliminary Course Only
The material you will learn in photography is very fluid and could be very different to what we
did, as the teacher taught us what we wanted to be taught and personalised her classes to
suit us, however below is what skills we learnt, how the classes were structured and what our
assessments were.

Preliminary Course

Term 1
We learned the basics of how to use a camera, and how to use a camera on manual
setting (F-stop, aperture, focus etc). Each lesson for the majority of the term consisted
of the first 15ish minutes sitting in class learning a new skill and then the rest of the
lesson was used to go out into the school and take photos (applying our new skill)
before uploading it to our websites. We also learnt how to manipulate light and then
took photos for the school website.
Assessment:
1. Notes on two photographers and discussing the frames in relations to their work
2. Taking 8 pairs of photos, however each pair had to be the same photo except
taken under different lighting conditions
Term 2
The assessment we had to do for this term was working on filming scenes based off
Jarryd James Do You Remember music video, before editing the footage
individually to create 10 different versions of a short film using the same footage. We
brainstormed as a class what we wanted our film to be about. We developed our
personal scene and storyboard, filmed and directed our own scene, filmed our
classmates scenes and acted in scenes. We also had to find royalty free music and
edit the final video (which was shown in assembly).
Term 3
This term were doing portraiture after we were told that we couldnt do wet
photography (aka dark room) since it was too hard to get all the equipment on short
notice.
Photography is probably my favourite
subject. I am very passionate about it so it
rarely feels like a class for me and I look
forward to it every week.
Whilst the assessments are stressful since
you have to put in quite a bit of effort to
make them perfect (aka its not an essay
you can write the night before, you have to
wait for the right lighting conditions/spend
hours editing a video etc.) they dont
always feel like assessments because I

enjoy it.
I love the subject as well since its a fairly
small class so were all very close and its a
very supportive, fun environment. The
teacher is amazing and really makes me
love the subject even more.
Honestly if you guys have any questions feel
free to send me a message on any social
media :)
-

Cordelia Hsu

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PDHPE (2 units)
This subject (I feel) is completely different to
the things you learn in junior years. For each
topic (Core or Option), you get about 2-3
critical questions to explore in depth, and
its not your typical dont have sex or
dont do drugs stuff. It goes into much
more detail than that :). For those of you
who didnt do PASS in Years 9 and 10, its
not a disadvantage: you go over the stuff
again.
Our PDH teacher this year is Ms Milne, and
she has a beautiful teaching strategy. She
has work booklets that specifically cover

every dot point of the syllabus and she

teaches you from those. They have been
designed to help us learn theory and
practise
writing
things
in
exam-like
conditions. It is mainly theory, but there are
pracs you do, mainly in The Body in
Motion and Fitness Choices. The 2 options
that NSG chooses to do are Fitness Choices
and First Aid.
Degrees this would be useful for: health and
sports sciences, medicine, nursing and
education.

Preliminary Course
Core 1: Better Health for Individuals
This topic is probably the driest of all the PDH topics as it is all theory and is just learning
about health and connecting it to society and how we can change it. There is heaps
of stuff to learn here, but Ms Milnes notes are so good they serve as my notes for
exams :). The assessment that is linked to this, though, is easy, so dont stress!
Core 2: The Body in Motion
Judging by its name, you can probably guess that this is about your body, and we
zoom into the specifics of the different systems of your body (e.g. circulatory,
respiratory). You are also required to learn how the heart works and there is a
component of physics in this topic (its very small, dont worry too much). Much more
fun than the first topic, and there are pracs linked to this one 8)
Option 1: Fitness Choices
This topic is just mainly pracs as you just experience different sports, some of which
you may have never done before. You learn about some of the individual and group
sports that exist, as well as looking into the ones that are emerging e.g. spin class. The
assessment to this is pretty long and is time consuming, so start early :)
Option 2: First Aid
The name says it all ^^ e.g. CPR

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When I first told people I did Chemistry, Physics and PDH, they all gave me this look and
asked me Oh, you do PDH?, or in the in the case of me telling an NSB my subjects, they
would have said wow u dropkick lol. But dont be deterred by it. I used to feel really
awkward about telling people my subjects, but Ive grown to accept my subjects and love (to
a certain degree) all of them.
PDH is probably the most relaxing subject out of all the ones I do and it gives me space and
time just to chill a bit. I was pretty keen on taking Geography at first (but we didnt have the
numbers) so I went for PDH instead, and I dont regret it at all. We are a small class of the most
diverse people I know and we are all pretty tight with each other :). The pracs are usually very
fun and enjoyable: a bit like PE in junior years. DT4 has pretty much become my haven from
the wild things that happen in Year 11, and Ms Milne is pree chill with us. Also if you want to eat
you should make a schedule so a few people get to eat one day for the week ;)
I do a weird combination of subjects, I know, because every time I say I do 3,3, chem, phys,
theyre expecting an eco which never comes, and no regrets because PDH is an awesome
subject. If you need help, feel free to pm me or find me at school. Good luck :)
-

Amy Yu

PDHPE gets a really bad rep at school because the initial experience of it in years 7-10 is
basically dont do drugs dont have sex dont talk to strangers. Ive found though that year 11
PDHPE is one of the most challenging subjects I do, but by far the most rewarding. Every single
time I tell people I do PDH everyone goes oh, what a white girl subject (like a race 100%
needs a subject to go with it) but that hasnt stopped me from really engaging with it and
loving every day. Our class is pretty small so were all quite open with each other and Ms Milne
always tells us funny stories that make us laugh and enjoy the lessons. The first unit can seem a
little repetitive as it does look a little bit at health promotion, but I havent been able to find
fault with it so far. I was quite apprehensive about having Ms Milne as a teacher, I will admit,
because I really wanted Ms Polly, but shes definitely become one of my favourite teachers.
Shes structured and sticks to the syllabus 100% even when she shows us fail sports videos and
she finds ways to justify throwing and catching eggs on the senior lawn even when It goes in
our hair. Its quite syllabus based and it definitely gets a lot harder in HSC year from what
previous students have told me but its absolutely the most rewarding subject I do!
PM me if you have questions :)
-

Lily Zaknic

I did PASS as an elective and really enjoyed it so I chose to do PDHPE (this was one of the first
subjects I decided to do). The teachers probably told you that PASS is really different but in my
opinion its quite similar. The first unit (better health) is more like year 10 PDHPE BUT the 2nd
unit is definitely heaps more fun! We covered quite a bit of it in PASS already so I found it pretty
easy. Thats not to say that people who dont do PASS are at a disadvantage because you go
through it again (some of the stuff in the PASS booklet mightve come from here actually).
Year 11 PDHPE is not like PASS where theyll tell you the ratio of prac and theory lessons, but
basically expect mainly theory! You get some prac lessons in the 2nd unit but most pracs are in
the fitness options one. For the fitness options unit you will probably get to have an excursionthe 11s before us got to go to Flipout and Crossfit (our PASS class got to tag along yay!).
Dont feel weird about asking me any questions :) PDHPE is probably my favourite subject so
youll mainly hear positive stuff from me but yeah :)
-

Audrye Fung

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E N D I

N G

N O T E

Its best to download the syllabuses for the subjects youre interested in and look at the
content of what you will be covering and see if thats something you could devote yourself to
for 2 years.
Feel free to ask the year 11s any questions you have at all about subjects and make sure you
pick subjects youre 100% sure you can devote yourself to because theres no point in doing
something you dont want to do (you wont do well!).
The most important things to take away from this are:
1. Be disciplined! It is a big jump from year 10 to year 11 and the workload increases
steeply - dont underestimate it.
2. Do something you want to do. If you dont like it, you wont do well and if you dont do
well you wont get a good final mark/ATAR. Also, senior classes are capped at 21, so if
you do a subject just for the sake of it, someone might actually want to do the subject
but could miss out on doing it.
3. Dont do subjects based off scaling. It doesnt matter if 4u maths has amazing scaling, 0
still scales to 0. Its all about your rank - if youre ranked 1st, you will, in the HSC,
automatically receive the highest mark of your school cohort regardless of what your
actual mark is (unless you bomb basically - but you wont). So you can do something
like Food Tech which everyone thinks has bad scaling, but if you rank 1st and are
consistently getting good marks, youre going to get a band 6 compared to someone
who does 4u maths and has average marks and a middle ranking.
I know that high-scaling subjects exist for a reason, but I have a friend called Cameron
Allan (FB him if you must). He went to high school in Newcastle, and did no maths or
science. His HSC consisted of 4U english, legal studies, economics and (I think) music.
He got 99.95. NO maths, NO science, no *high scaling subjects*, and 99.95. It can be
done. Being top is top, regardless of the subject; so pick your passions and do your
absolute best, and in the long term you will be happier. Another example of this is Thea
Ross from last years HSC. She did no maths or science (3u English, modern history,
ancient history, soco, PDHPE, history extension (year 12)) and because she was
extremely disciplined in her subjects and studied really hard she got an ATAR of 99+ all
band 6s etc.
4. Actually read the student reflections on the subject - if they all love it then it might be a
strong chance that youll enjoy it too if your interests are similar to them. Conversely,
you dont have to 100% rely on our reflections to make your decision on whether you
will enjoy the subject; these are just some of our experiences and who knows, maybe
youll have a totally different opinion! Dont be afraid to come up to us and ask to talk
more about subject options or have a look at our notes/assessments to get what kind of
stuff you would be doing!

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5. Dont be afraid to talk to someone! There are teachers, prefects, execs, counsellors;
the list goes on! If you are finding anything to be a struggle, feel free to talk to anyone!
The worst thing that happens is that you dont get the answer you wanted, or worse,
continue to feel bad/stressed/sad/angry, which will eventually affect you in the long
term.
6. Apparently (and we are all hoping this too) the jump from year 10 to year 11 is the
biggest one in your school lifetime. If you are overwhelmed in year 11, dont worry! It
only gets easier in year 12 :)
Good luck in getting your subjects and good luck for next year!!
Your friendly year 11s xx

YOU CAN DO IT!

This long-as-hell document was compiled and edited by Amy Yu & Tiffany Nguyen, and organised/formatted by Tiff Nguyen
[never again, holy crabs].

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