✩ Chocolatemilkshake cartwheels through VCE and beyond ✩Chapter 1: An IntroductionGood morning and happy new year to all of my fellow AN readers, About time I created one of these, not just to document 2020 but also to reach out and get to know all you guys on the forums better. I’m officially in year 12 this year and have been on Atarnotes for the past 2 years (mostly hanging around the bio forum, a big thank you to all the users who have answered so many of my questions). And if you are wondering, yes, I am definitely the type of person that starts a journal on the 1st of January simply because it gives me some sort of aesthetic pleasure.
Subjects So, my subjects, I figure I better do the generic thing and write them all down, with a little description if you feel like reading
Biology (2019): I adored biology last year, it was absolutely one of my favourite subjects. I was lucky enough to receive a study score of 50 (check out my guide
here ). It really confirmed that my passion lies within the sciences. I particularly loved the immunology unit and learning about the adaptive immune response (which is just incredible! I still can’t get over how perfectly such a system is designed!). If you guys have any questions about how to study for bio or content questions, feel free to ask
.
Chemistry: Chemistry is my favourite subject and I’m really hoping it will be my best next year. One of the reasons I enjoy chemistry so much is because it interweaves both application questions and content-based questions. Skill-wise, it is almost like a mix of bio and maths, both of which I’m fairly good at. Stoichiometry is also strangely satisfying.
English: I absolutely love reading, but such a love unfortunately does not transfer to writing english exams. However, I believe myself to be relatively competent in constructing fluent essays, I simply need to do way more practice under timed conditions. In fact, English ended up being one of my best exam results last year (2019 is officially a thing of the past!).
French: French is my hardest subject by far. It is challenging for me personally because it lacks one simple answer, unlike the majority of my other subjects. Nevertheless, I’m determined to prove myself wrong and hope to work really hand next year in French in order to achieve even a tiny bit of fluency in the language.
Methods: All through school I have always loved maths and been mostly top of my class. However, this year, I don’t really know what to expect, especially since my school isn’t particularly strong in mathematics. I’ll just give it my all and see where it takes me.
Specialist: I’m a little terrified of specialist, mostly because I know that it is highly competitive and also because I wasn’t accelerated or pushed to do better early on like many of those who are strong in mathematics. I also didn’t do Unit 1 and it’s hard to know if I’ve missed any important concepts. I guess all I can do is try my best (any tips for Specialist or French would be much appreciated).
Spare timeI adore gymnastics but don’t do it super competitively, I mostly do it for fun and because my life wouldn’t be the same without it. Plus, who wouldn’t want to have the ability to just flip on the grass every once in a while? Gym is a fantastic way to relax and forget about the stresses of school. I also love Doctor Who (10 is the best, 11 is a close second. The Ponds are my favourite, but I will never forget Rose or Donna), reading (fantasy and sci-fi mostly, but I can appreciate a good classic) and walking. I’m an earlier riser (always up at 6am), I play the violin and am in multiple school bands. I also work at a cafe.
Goals and AmbitionsMy goal for this year is to walk into my exams satisfied with the amount of effort I have put in throughout the year. Atarwise I’m aiming for a 99.00+ but I understand that circumstances can change and that it’s okay if this goal changes throughout the year too. I don’t really know exactly what I want to study in university, most likely biomedicine as I know that I’ll really enjoy the biology and chemistry focused subjects. But right now, I’m totally open and am not even near having a set pathway.
And thus, my journal commences.
I'd love to answer some questions to get to know you guys better!
✩Chocolatemilkshake ✩