Evolio's VCE Journey

[Snow Leopard]

Then the following week we have a designated work experience week but I don't have to do it because I already did it in the term 2 holidays. It was at a library which is not what I wanted to do. I applied for hospitals and pharmacies but I didn't get them which was really upsetting considering I tried numerous times. I'm gonna get an adult to read my cover letters and resume so that they can tell me what to improve on. I'm thinking of applying for work experience next year for year 11. If anyone knows any hospitals or medicine related work experiences that year 11s can do please tell me!

Hey Evolio,
I've been reading you're journal which I think is great
Did you or any of your peers end up applying for work exp. in Year 11?

[Evolio]

Hey Evolio,
I've been reading you're journal which I think is great
Did you or any of your peers end up applying for work exp. in Year 11?

Thank you, Snow Leopard! That really made me happy!

I didn't apply for work experience in Year 11 or I don't know anyone who did even though I told myself that I would apply. This is because I wasn't successful in getting any placements last year for hospitals.
Are you thinking of applying in Year 11?

[Snow Leopard]

I didn't apply for work experience in Year 11 or I don't know anyone who did even though I told myself that I would apply. This is because I wasn't successful in getting any placements last year for hospitals.
Are you thinking of applying in Year 11?

Yeah I was thinking of applying, but I've never really heard of anyone doing work exp. in Year 11.

[Evolio]

I feel so terrible today. I'm not myself and I hate it.
I hate feeling this shallow way.
It's eating me up and making me cry.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
I hate it.

[lm21074]

I feel so terrible today. I'm not myself and I hate it.
I hate feeling this shallow way.
It's eating me up and making me cry.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
I hate it.

Hey Evolio.

It seems like you're going through quite some awfulness, but I can guarantee you that this is just a brief moment in time. When the wind tries to pull you away, try to hold on. The wind has strength, but hey, so do you.
Over the coming weeks, I hope you can take some time to recharge your batteries. You're almost at the finish line! You have come so far already, and we are really proud of you. We believe in you.

Hope you're feeling better today.

You've got this!

[Evolio]

Hey Evolio.

It seems like you're going through quite some awfulness, but I can guarantee you that this is just a brief moment in time. When the wind tries to pull you away, try to hold on. The wind has strength, but hey, so do you.
Over the coming weeks, I hope you can take some time to recharge your batteries. You're almost at the finish line! You have come so far already, and we are really proud of you. We believe in you.

Hope you're feeling better today.

You've got this!

Thank you for your encouraging and kind message,lm21074 !
I feel better now. Way better.
 

[caffinatedloz]

Thank you for your encouraging and kind message,lm21074 !
I feel better now. Way better.
 

Good to hear! Sending positive vibes your way. <3

[Evolio]

Good to hear! Sending positive vibes your way. <3

Hey guys!
I've been missing in action for a while. Not really a while but you know what I mean.
Yay, holidays! I've been craving a break for so long and it's finally here! I can finally recharge and do other things with my life, except for studying and doing practice exams and checkpoints and studying for SACs.
So, these holidays, I'm planning to focus on my 3 4's (obviously) and knock out some practice exams from different companies. So far, I've done the 2018 VCAA Biology Exam and the 2019 STAV Biology Exam. For methods, I've done the 2018 Exam 1, 2018 Heffernan, 2018 Insight. Our school gave us these two massive booklets for methods full of 2018 and 2019 trial exams which was awesome! I'll be really busy these holidays for methods. For biology, I've asked my dear mum to print out the biology exams.
I don't really have much to say right now. I was really looking forward to writing a really huge diary entry but I can't really think of anything now. This is what happens when you procrastinate. Your mind goes blank.
Can I just say that I hate the feeling of procrastination? I hate it. With a passion. It just makes me feel so shallow and lazy and disgusting, it makes me want to puke. Like, when I wake up at like 11, it makes me depressed for the whole day because it's been so unproductive and it feels like the end of the world and it feels like whatever studying I do is going to be worthless. Of course, that's not true but that's how my brain thinks.
Also, when I scroll through youtube on my phone, just scrolling, not even watching the video, or watching the video but then stopping halfway to search for another video. Like, I'm not even watching the video.
That's why, I've decided to stick to netflix for movies. I just finished watching American Vandal a couple days ago and it was amazing! Now, I have nothing to watch.
Yesterday, I went to the icanmed UCAT workshop which ran from 2-6 pm. I came late but that's ok. Stuff happens. Google maps happens. Your brain happens. The rain happens. The huge truck blocking the entrance happens. The fact that you've been going to school in the city for 3 years but still don't know what side tram to take happens. It's fine. I'll get there one day. I've been to 3 of their workshops before. This one was sort of like revision and a reminder that I really do not have much time left to prepare for the interview and the UCAT. I also found out that the Monash interviews are held in early Jan after year 12 but that could change. That sort of changes like everything for me because the thing I'm most scared for is the interview. Like woah! How am I going to do that? It seems so faraway but it's really not. At the workshop, they said that you should finish all your UCAT prep and interview prep before term 1 starts! That's a lo to cover and not as much time as I would have liked. I really have to start doing something.
Okay, I think I'm going to stop it here because I feel like I'm rambling. Yeah, I am rambling.
See you guys later and have an awesome holidays! Have fun!
 

[Evolio]

Yay congrats. It's nice that it is all starting to wrap up!

Have you started exam prep for any other subjects?

I'm so sorry this reply is so late!
I've started biology exam prep, which is going okay I guess.
Trying to do the VCAA exams first.
How are you going with biology exam prep? What's your plan?

[Evolio]

Hey guys!
What's popping?

I've been meaning to update and here I am!
So, the first week of the holidays has flown right by. Only one week left and we're plunged into the depths of school life again.
I've done about 6 exams for methods (exam 1 and 2) and 5 exams for biology in the five day weekday period of last week. I've been doing one VCAA biology exam each day, not in timed conditions and finishing a methods exam each day as well, sprinkled with a bit of organic chemistry in the afternoon so my day is not saturated with only 3 4 subjects.
Yesterday and today, I've been feeling out of it. Watching youtube videos and watching tv series and movies and just not studying that much.

I've found that guides, particularly Cookiedream's guide to medical entrance really motivates me! Like, even though I've read the guide before, I've been reading snippets of it this past week and it's just reignited that aspiration to become a doctor! It's like this magical feeling. This may sound weird, but it feels like it's my destiny to become a doctor! Like, I can't really imagine myself doing anything else. Literally, I can't. It was really amazing to read her guide as it made me realise my goal and my dream and how it is real and I can achieve it if I have the willpower to. It's also made me way happier as before this enlightenment, I was like yep, I want to get a 99.95 ATAR because that's the highest achievement and it would mean so much to me. But, now, I'm saying I want to get that 99.95 ATAR and get into Monash Medicine. Like, there's a specific goal there this time, you know? I have a tangible goal to work towards instead of a vague number.

For exercise, I usually use FitnessBlender's youtube workouts but I've decided to try something new and I've started using more of Popsugar's workouts as I think the different environment and the different exercises used in the workouts are a good change. I will go back to FitnessBlender though. One day. I'm still doing Yoga With Adriene.
 I like having that balance between hard-core, sweaty, painful exercise workouts (more physical) and the humble yoga practices where I focus on nourishing my mind and connecting my breath to body movements where I still am getting a workout.  I actually quite like my new system! Yoga, exercise, yoga, exercise. It's turning out great!
What type of exercise do you guys usually do and what's your favourite routine you like to do?

I think I'll sign off here and see you guys next time because, again, I think I am rambling. Might update soon!
 

EDIT: I also had the realisation that I need no HAVE to make error books for biology and methods. I think it'll be really useful to write down all your mistakes from doing VCAA exams and SACs!

[Geoo]

Haha, you're way ahead on the bio prac exam count, I haven't started. Keep up the work, and I admire you still fitting fitness in, it has been one of my biggest struggles this year and I am not doing any at the moment......

[Evolio]

Haha, you're way ahead on the bio prac exam count, I haven't started. Keep up the work, and I admire you still fitting fitness in, it has been one of my biggest struggles this year and I am not doing any at the moment......

Hey! 
Thank you! That means a lot!  . There have been times when I was tempted to drop exercising and yoga. But, I am glad I stuck to my habit. 
It's ok. Even fitting in 5 mins of a workout is great! Amazing! This is going to sound cliche but anything is better than nothing! Think of it like this. Exercising helps and motivates you to study! It literally increases your concentration! Your mind will be refreshed and ready for anything! So, it's an added bonus for revising for biology! It will help you and guide you on your road to success!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Venter Outer-er
I feel dead, look dead and am breathing deadness right now. If anything, I think the holidays have drained the energy from my soul and mind. For example, when I reached the short answer of the practice biology exam, I was literally skimming for the ‘easy’ or ‘1 mark’ questions because I just could not be bothered! So, leaving that exam not even half-finished, I moved onto the methods exam 1 booklet our school gave us. I looked at the rest of the questions on the exam, was like ‘yeah right!’ and moved onto how to differentiate a simple function. I think I have become lazier. Especially for methods.
Like, all my methods friends have finished the exam 1 booklet and they’ve been stressing about the methods exam. Then there’s me who hasn’t even finished the exam 1 booklet and am stressing even more. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to others and just stay attuned to my own progress and stuff. But, that’s really disheartening, given that they’re ‘those’ people who achieve 90% and above on their SACs and don’t think that’s good.

Literature
On a happier note, I had my Lit Excursion today which was cool! We travelled around the city and learnt lots about Aboriginal history and artwork and were released early! So, technically, my first day of school is tomorrow. Yay. Well, I have a free first period so it’s not that bad but still ...oh no ...specialist.Okay, to be honest with you, I don’t really get what we’re doing in Literature. Like, I feel that we’re doing really random stuff and aren’t even studying our assigned text? What’s up with that? So, I read the whole book for nothing? We bought it for nothing?

Methods
I’ve got some exciting news for methods! So, in tuition, we did an exam 2 mock exam and I got 91%! Yay! Way higher than exam 1 which is weird but a pleasant surprise! Yeah, it might not have been that hard but still! If I start achieving that mark on my practice exams, hope may not be lost for methods. But rekindled. For motivation’s sake, I’ve kept the goal of achieving raw 50 in methods. Yeah, it probably might not happen. But, you never know. VCAA’s scaling and moderation is a curious thing.
I feel so done for methods and doing those trial exams have really made me realise that methods is H A R D! Like, no joke. Those exam 2 application questions always have me drilling my eyes into the question, trying to break it down into a million pieces to make it easier to understand but sometimes it just never works! Your mind has to be like Albert Einstein’s in my opinion to understand methods. It’s just mind-boggling! All of a sudden, even the methods exam 1 is starting to get hard. Everything is getting hard.

Biology
Okay, I’m actually moderately happy! I’ve done all the VCAA exams up until 2010, currently doing the 2010 exam 1. I’m actually doing stuff for biology! Isn’t that amazing! My stack of exams is slowly increasing in height every day and it’s making me motivated. I think I’m putting more effort into biology because it’s easier, like I even made an error book for it, but like I’m happy with my progress.

Specialist
Let’s not go there. Haven’t finished off all the exercises and have an exam in like 18 days. I’m dead now. Deader.

Chemistry
I have an exam this Friday. I don’t want to fail it. My goal is in the 90s for chemistry as I’ve gotten two 90s in the subject. Now, that’s good, for me. Our exam score goes to our 2020 Chemistry 3 4 teacher so double motivation. During the holidays, I’ve been trying to understand and learn organic chemistry naming and drawing compounds as I still cannot wrap my head around it. I just don’t get it. I’m good with the mathy parts of chemistry. Yay stoich, moles, latent heat. No yay organic chemistry. It’s messing with my brain. If anything, that’s going to bring me down in the exam. EEEEK.

Psychology
My first class of the week was today but I missed it because of the excursion. Sad sigh. It’s probably my favourite subject. Our next class is Thursday which is like a million years away.


St Johns
I completed the Provide First Aid Course on Saturday! It went for 4 hours. We had to do a multiple choice test, practice CPR skills and review how to administer an epipen and ventolin. I thought I would absolutely bomb the multiple choice test, but I did alright. 4 wrong.
I don’t think I’ll be coming back to St Johns until Presentation Night which is basically Awards night. That was too bad because we’re doing our proficiency badge in caring for animals! And one of the youth leaders were going to bring their dogs. Extreme sadness.

We have people coming over. It’s like 7:42 already and there’s no one here yet. We’re celebrating a festival. It’s getting dark and…
Have I told you guys about the screams that pierce the air (and my eardrums) during the day? My house is literally in front and center of the park(with a playground). And from when I wake up, to like 10 pm at night, there are always kids screaming and yelling and talking and yelling and screaming and kicking! And it’s so annoying! There are also teenagers who play basketball and who yell and scream and laugh and it’s annoying. I mean no offense but I literally need extreme quiet to study and even in the library, there are always people talking so my home is the best place. You know I love you neighbourhood kids/teens!
Even at night as I rest my head on the pillow, I hear the comforting thud or bounce of a basketball on the ground as I drift away into my dreams. It sort of lulls me to sleep. I think the same person shoots hoops at like 10 pm at night. What dedication.

Okay, I was going to post this later in the week when I have edited it. But, I’ll post my incessant and detailed rambling now to be read by the wide public.

See you guys!

[J_Rho]

Venter Outer-er
I feel dead, look dead and am breathing deadness right now. If anything, I think the holidays have drained the energy from my soul and mind.

I feel this in my soul! Honestly same I also have 3 assignment due Thursday and have only started one and I have NO motivation!
Love reading your journal ! Its awesome hear about other peoples VCE adventures

[Owlbird83]

Hi Evolio! 

Exercising helps and motivates you to study! It literally increases your concentration! Your mind will be refreshed and ready for anything! So, it's an added bonus for revising for biology! It will help you and guide you on your road to success!

You are so right! Keep it up! Do you have any Yoga with Adriene videos that you have done recently and recommend? 

If anything, I think the holidays have drained the energy from my soul and mind.

Same, I sometimes prefer school over weekends because when I'm at school I know I'm being productive, but weekends I feel like I have to keep studying or I feel guilty. I hope you get some more energy, and remember to take breaks!

Have I told you guys about the screams that pierce the air (and my eardrums) during the day? My house is literally in front and center of the park(with a playground). And from when I wake up, to like 10 pm at night, there are always kids screaming and yelling and talking and yelling and screaming and kicking! And it’s so annoying! There are also teenagers who play basketball and who yell and scream and laugh and it’s annoying. I mean no offense but I literally need extreme quiet to study and even in the library, there are always people talking so my home is the best place. You know I love you neighbourhood kids/teens!

That's interesting, I have never stopped to consider the effect of parks on houses near by. That would be annoying when you are trying to study and 10pm is pretty late!

Good luck for exams!  I hope you have a good first week back!

[Evolio]

I feel this in my soul! Honestly same I also have 3 assignment due Thursday and have only started one and I have NO motivation!
Love reading your journal ! Its awesome hear about other peoples VCE adventures

Thank you!
I'm excited whenever you post a new journal entry! I always look forward to reading the next update! 
By the way, how are you going with biology exam prep?

Hi Evolio! 
You are so right! Keep it up! Do you have any Yoga with Adriene videos that you have done recently and recommend? 
Same, I sometimes prefer school over weekends because when I'm at school I know I'm being productive, but weekends I feel like I have to keep studying or I feel guilty. I hope you get some more energy, and remember to take breaks!
That's interesting, I have never stopped to consider the effect of parks on houses near by. That would be annoying when you are trying to study and 10pm is pretty late!

Good luck for exams!  I hope you have a good first week back!

Well, the 31 day Yoga revolution videos are pretty good! And the 31 days of yoga!
And this is probably my favourite practice of hers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3D7vKvtok