Advantages

• Gaining an ENTER increment, i.e. a boost to your ENTER, of up to 5.5

• The transition and up hill battles faced in Unviersity is made MUCH easier! You meet new people who are different than high school, you learn how it is self disciplined learning that is, up to YOU to work/nobody chasing after you for late work

• Gain a head start to your University course, that is being allowed to skip ino 2nd year if you get into the course initially

• You can use MANY of the items learned at University in your year 12 subject or vice versa, e.g. in Philosophy, Literature, English, Mathematics, Economics. This can boost your year 12 results by applying your knowledge from the enhancement subject!

• It looks good for your resume, as well as future job prospects! Imagine saying to your employer "I extended myself by undertaking an enhancement subject in year 12 ON TOP OF my 4-6 subjects!"

• You can see first hand if the course is the right one for you, before being put into it AFTER year 12! So if you find "History" at the University level boring, or not for you, you can change course/career paths BEFORE you get into University, saving a lot of hassle.

Alternatively, you may find you REALLY want to do it as a course.

Disadvantages

• It is REALLY difficult to manage it if you do MORE than 4 subjects in year 12, in my opinion. Completing the homework is easy, however REVISING, for your tests and exams, as well as fully comprehending the COURSE is difficult. In University, you tend to cover 1 chapter PER lesson, compared to VCE where its 1 chapter every 4-5 weeks! Also, your extension program exams are at the SAME TIME as your year 12 ! Which is extremely difficult to plan for

• If you undertake a Uni subject in year 12, and find half way through that it is not for you, it will show on your record as "withdrawn or fail" depending on the University. You only have until a set date, early in Semester one to withdraw without it showing! This risks your name looking bad at the institution. Although I would check the fine details before.