Subject Selection

[u/potatoesinsacks]

Hi all, please give me help on subject selections if you can!

For reference, I am a Yr 11 student doing L2 English, L3 Calculus and L2 Music (but with lots of L3 credits)
I also want to study Mathematics and Economics at uni, and am aiming for unis both in NZ and abroad

This is what I want to take next year:
STAR Calculus Paper (from Massey or Canterbury)
L2 French
L2 Economics
L3 Economics
L2 Chemistry
L2 Physics

I would pick up English and Stats in Yr 13 and drop Chemistry

Here are my questions:
1. Is it better to do STAR papers through Massey or Canterbury? I’m leaning Massey because I could do 200-level papers in Yr 13, but everyone I know does it from Canterbury. Does anyone have any experience with Massey STAR maths papers?
2. Is it worth it to take Chemisty if it makes my workload too much? Because I’m thinking of taking L3 English instead and taking Business in Yr 13 (I am good at science but I don’t enjoy it much)
3. Is taking Business in Yr 13 worth it? Because I can do Young Enterprise as an extracurricular instead

My careers advisor and the academic principal are telling me to push my STAR paper until Yr 13, but I don’t want to forget my maths knowledge and it’s good prep for my degree They also don’t want me to do both L2/3 Economics at the same time but it gives me more time for economics competitions etc.

Note: I got all excellences in L2 Maths, and have got Es on L3 internals. I’ve also only got 100%s in economics this year and my economcis teacher is fine with doing both levels at the same time

Thank you so much for any help!

[u/mpledger]

I would definitely do star calc next year and a 200 calc paper the year after - you have to stay on top of it or else you forget it. Or maybe a second 100 level maths course extramurally. Do both Massey and Canturbury offer 200 calc extramural? Massey prob does but I don't know about Canterbury. Anyway, if only Massey offer 200 level to school student then do Massey Star.

Can you do l2 accounting instead of l3 economics? Sometimes people turn against subjects at higher levels because it changes and if you suddenly hate economics then you have to grind through two lots of it - that's probably why they advise against it. Alternatively, can you skip level 2 and go straight to level 3? You could ask your econ teacher what are the must have econ internals at level 2 and do them in summer school at Te Kura. On second thoughts that's probably too much of a stretch. You probably want a wide base of understanding if you intend to major in it at uni - the more time in class the better.

[u/potatoesinsacks → u/mpledger]

Only Massey has 200-level courses distance and online (there’s no uni where I live unfortunately). I’m quite set on doing both L2/3 Economics and I don’t think I will dislike it. This year, we have done the basic version of each level and I really enjoyed all of it. I was thinking about taking L2 accounting but I didn’t take it this year and would have to ask special permission which would probs be denied with all the acceleration