Secondary 2 Streaming

[werrelecat]

:imdrowning: He more interested in medicine but he has taken triple science to support that. so now, he wants to take the social studies subject that i doable and easier than the rest and lastly to support law :siam:

[cherrygal]

Hi werrelecat

Hope this helps. I researched a little and saw an online forum where students advised their juniors.

History - heaviest load
Geography - application based
Literature - lightest and no continuation required at JC (but needs lots of flair)

In terms of difficulty hard to say coz it depends on preference. So the students advised just take what he likes. Humanities at sec school has no effect on subject combi at JC.

So based on load, most popular combi is triple science and geography SS (and literature if you want 9 subjects).

[cherrygal]

Can I ask if it’s safe to just take 1 humanities subject?

[sharonkhoo]

cherrygal:

Can I ask if it's safe to just take 1 humanities subject?

Depends on confidence level. For the 6-subject calculation (O level), one has to be a humanities subject, so some people will want a \"spare\" just in case. IP schools will also have requirements about how the GPA (or equivalents) are calculated.

If your question is related to subject choice at A level - it doesn't matter. Taking a humanities subject in sec school is not a requirement for taking it at A level.

[cherrygal]

Thanks slmkhoo. Worried that kid might pick the wrong one if there’s only one humanities subject.


Is it better to take 2 humanities then drop 1 at Yr4 or Sec 4 if can’t manage?

Do most science students switch their humanities to economics in JC?

[jtoh]

cherrygal:

Thanks slmkhoo. Worried that kid might pick the wrong one if there's only one humanities subject.


Do most science students switch their humanities to economics in JC?

Not necessarily. It depends on the interest of the student. Although many students do take Econs, because it's considered more 'sciency' as opposed to the traditional humanz subjects of Lit, History and Geo.

[jtoh]

werrelecat:

Hi, my son is in Sec 2 currently in O level track. He is wondering what SS Elective, Lit, Geog and History is the most suitable in terms of difficulty and the benefits that he has in jc or uni or in certain industry like law and medicine

Just go with his interest and what he's more comfortable academically at. There's no real advantage to taking a specific elective in preparation for Law, although people say Lit and History are more relevant. Anyway, you don't need to have taken any of these subjects at O level to take them at JC level, based on the JCs I'm familiar with.

[sharonkhoo]

cherrygal:

Thanks slmkhoo. Worried that kid might pick the wrong one if there's only one humanities subject.


Is it better to take 2 humanities then drop 1 at Yr4 or Sec 4 if can't manage?

Do most science students switch their humanities to economics in JC?

There's no \"wrong\" choice for humanities, unless the student picks one that he absolutely hates! But hopefully he should have done some research before choosing it. I personally don't like the \"take 2 then drop 1\" option as it increases the workload in the first year, which makes it hard to focus. Better to select one based on interest (which makes working at it less onerous) and then stick with it.

It does seem that many Science stream students take Econs as their contrasting subject at A level as it seems closer to sciences, but by no means all. My daughter's class had students taking Geog or various 3rd languages as the contrasting subject.

[sharonkhoo]

jtoh:

werrelecat:

Hi, my son is in Sec 2 currently in O level track. He is wondering what SS Elective, Lit, Geog and History is the most suitable in terms of difficulty and the benefits that he has in jc or uni or in certain industry like law and medicine

Just go with his interest and what he's more comfortable academically at. There's no real advantage to taking a specific elective in preparation for Law, although people say Lit and History are more relevant. Anyway, you don't need to have taken any of these subjects at O level to take them at JC level, based on the JCs I'm familiar with.

Agree. It really doesn't matter. I know many lawyers from science stream and doctors - and in my time, there was no contrasting subject requirement, so they didn't take a humanities subject at A level at all.

What a student takes at O level really doesn't impact what he can study later on except if the schools restrict it (eg. must take O level something in order to take it at A level). That mainly applies to Maths and Science subjects, not humanities. And now that students can only take 2 science subjects at A level, entry to university is even more flexible. One of my daughter's classmates has got into medicine without having taken A level Bio.

[phtthp]

Are IP students allowed to take Econs as an elective in their Year 3 & 4 subject combination, so that this will ease (pave) the way for them to take H2 Econs later on in Junior College, since H2 Econs is a very popular subject combination taken (selected), at JC level ?


For O-level students -
Throughout entire Singapore, there are only four O-level Secondary schools, that permit students to take O-level Economics. These 4 Secondary schools are

- Presbyterian High

- Temasek Secondary

- Westwood Secondary and

- Tanjong Katong Girls Secondary
(Not Tanjong Katong co-ed Secondary)


So, if you happen to be a student studying in any of the above 4 priviledged Secondary schools that do offer O-level Econs (2286), do take up the opportunity : because Econs (2286) can be used to substitute (replace) Humanities (Literature/ Geog / History) subject, especially if you already have the intention (inclination, interest or planning ahead) to take up Econs subsequently in a JC later on, after completing your O-level. Then, this O-level Econs (2286) would have already provided you a good, strong solid foundation towards your H2 Econs in JC. A sharp contrast to many other O-level students who had not yet learnt, nor touched base with Econs, before.

Contrast this situation (scenario) with many O-level candidates : who had studied (mugged) so hard for Literature / Geog / History at GCE-O-level, only to \"throw away\" (dis-continue) what they had learnt in Sec 3 & 4, should they decide to take up H2 Econs, at JC1 and JC2 level, instead.


this Econs (2286) refered to : has got Nothing to do with Home Economics.

below is the link, to detailed SEAB 2018 GCE O level Economics (2286) exam syllabus.

https://www.seab.gov.sg/content/syllabus/olevel/2018Syllabus/2286_2018.pdf