Using your prelim marks to Decide what subject to drop in year 12.

Finishing your prelim exams means that you are officially getting closer to year 12! For some students, this also means deciding whether to drop a subject before starting their HSC journey. While your prelim marks can help you make this decision, they shouldn't be the only thing you should consider.

Your marks are definitely a good starting point. Look across your subjects and identify where you performed strongly and where you struggled. If one subject is consistently much lower than your others, despite putting similar amount of effort, it may be worth considering whether keeping it in year 12 is the best option.

However, dont automatically drop your lowest mark subject. Think about why you received that mark. Did you actually struggle with the content? or did you study too late? Did you run out of time in the exam? Was there one assessment that bought your overall mark down? These are problems that can be improved in year 12.

You should also consider how much you enjoy each subject and how much time it requires. A subject that might be one of your strongest, but if you dislike it and spending hours forcing yourself to study for it, keeping it may not be the right decision. While on the other hand, a lower mark in a subject you enjoy may be worth keeping it if you know exactly what you need to improve on!

Most importantly, think about your overall workload and your future studies. Dropping a subject can give you more time to focus on remaining subjects, particualy if one subject is taking a large amount of stay time. However, also consider what you might want to study after School. Some university courses may recommend or require certain hsc subjects, so make sure dropping a subject won't limit your options later. Even if you are unsure about your future career, keeping subjects that relate to areas you are interested in can help keep your options open.