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March 29, 2024, 01:28:38 am

Author Topic: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride  (Read 18751 times)

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Joseph41

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Re: Fast-forwarding to Uni
« Reply #15 on: March 23, 2018, 04:25:17 pm »
+1
Hi...

A bit of a short one for today...

This term has gone pretty well so far, but I feel like its a bit of a 'calm before the storm' moments...  ;D I just have a few more assessments to complete and a 4 exam coming up in week 10 and 11. I'm really hoping I will be able to smash them, because I have been/will continue to prepare for them vigorously - well, for Maths and English, at least.

Does anyone else have an 11 week term (because it seems really long, as Easter is in the middle of the term)?

In other news, I made it to 100 posts! I was going to post here for my 100th, but then forgot and accidentally made another post.  :'( Oh well!  ;D

On a side note,
Spoiler
I wonder if there is a way to change the name of this thread? When I orgiinally named it, I was trying to think of something cool and witty,
but ended up settling on what I have now, because I couldn't think of anything else.... It low-key looks like it's supposed to be in the university journey journal board  ;D.

A few weeks done, closer to the HSC, closer to finishing. Mixed feelings, for now! ;D

100 of the best! :)

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kauac

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Re: Fast-forwarding to Uni
« Reply #16 on: March 25, 2018, 01:29:43 pm »
+4
Hi...

This week has been a bit of a doozy...
Just been trying to juggle exam prep and my ADF gap year application proceedings...
I kept going from feeling chill, to stressed, and back to chill again, but now I think I have settled on feeling fairly normal (go figure).

My teacher ran a practice exam for the discovery creative in English last lesson, and it actually went surprisingly well. I hadn't really done any prep yet, but I managed to remember and finish my story in the time limit - with a decent mark too  ;D. This has given me a bit more confidence in English for the upcoming exam (as sometimes it feels like you can study hours of English and literally get nowhere).

For maths, I have almost finished my formula notes. I have found making them really helpful in working out which formulas I need to memorise, all in the one place. Thanks to owidjaja for the inspiration!

So glad there are only a few weeks left of school... It's not that I feel burnt out or anything, I just get into some weird hyper-crazy moods towards this end of a term haha! :D

2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #17 on: April 04, 2018, 03:57:36 pm »
+6
Hi...

Half-way through my exams! Woooo!! ;D Honestly, I haven't been that stressed for them... I think I just have been in a good mind set lately and have a good routine going!

Had Maths on tuesday, which was surprisingly straighforward. I found a mistake in one of the multiple choice questions, so I got a free mark haha.

Food tech was today, and it was just as easy as well. It was only the prelim final exam, but it was good to finish another prelim subject...

Just have English Paper 1 on Friday, and Biology next Thursday (haven't started studying for haha). I feel pretty prepared for English... I did a full past paper in the Easter Break under exam conditions for the first time, and finished everything. I was pretty glad, because over the past couple of weeks, I had lost my confidence a bit in being able to write fast/neat enough.

Hoping the rest of my exams will go just as well (probs not likely for English, but one can dream  ;D)... Then I have a nice holiday break to look forward to!
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

Joseph41

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #18 on: April 04, 2018, 04:25:37 pm »
+2
Love it - sounds like you're going really well. Keep it up! :D

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kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #19 on: April 12, 2018, 03:51:01 pm »
+4
Hi...

Exams are overrrrrrr. I mean, technically the important ones finished last friday - because the bio exam today was only prelim... Katie's exam logic: prelim = less important, so she doesn't need to stress over it.

Anyways, I have most of my marks back (except for bio)... Food Tech was pretty mint, but then again, it was only prelim (and its pretty much my bludge subject shhhhhh  ;D)  Maths and English were both decent but not anything spectacular. My creative writing was my downfall in English - but it was the one that I have spent the most time preparing for RIP!

Here's to a few weeks of less intense school work (and making drastic changes to my creative haha)!
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

Opengangs

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #20 on: April 12, 2018, 08:10:52 pm »
+1
My creative writing was my downfall in English - but it was the one that I have spent the most time preparing for RIP!
Relatable haha!! Except it was for Module B ;w; the 2017 question for Eliot was horrendous because they chose "Journey of the Magi" (ew)

Enjoy the holidays! (damn all you high schoolers; still have 6 weeks until some break ;~;)

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #21 on: May 03, 2018, 08:01:56 pm »
+7
Hi...

So it's been a while... Holidays were pretty intense (in a good way) as I was away a lot...I went to a conference in Katoomba for one weekend, and then my duke of ed hike was in the second week of the holidays... The hike was really fun! We went to a place called Newnes, which is an old coal mining town. In addition to the strenuous hours of walking duke of ed requires, we visited a glow worm tunnel, historic ruins, and a cool abandoned property (which we didn't realise was private property until we left it, oops!  ;D)

I did manage to get a bit of study done - I structured my notes for bio and food tech - a real time saver. Did a bit of English, finished my AOS notes, a little maths. Nothing too consuming... Kinda didn't get around to my creative though, but I have a few ideas brewing.

This week has been pretty hectic! I got my bio prelim exam back, and super happy with that. We started the HSC component for bio and food tech, and I am really enjoying bio atm! On Wednesday, our food tech class went to Sydney tower buffet for a tour and a meal - as we are learning about the Australian Food Industry. It was super fun, and the food was pretty cool! I even got to try an oyster (and it was actually pretty ok  :)). Today I had my assessment day for ADF. It has been a long day - I got up at 5am to catch train, didn't get home til 5.30pm rip! I think it went well - the interviewer recommended me for the next stage, just have to send a few medical reports back before anything can progress.

So I actually haven't had that much time this week to do school work, but I am planning on catching up this weekend hopefully. Not too much stuff to do atm, just have a food tech assignment and an english listening task in a few weeks... Have been in a pretty good rhythm with balancing school work lately, so I don't want upset it back procrastinating too much haha. And of course, I want to use my less busy periods to brush up on my weaknesses (enter: the creative).

 ;D Keen for an early night, my brain and eyes are fading as I write this. Doei!
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #22 on: May 30, 2018, 06:53:06 pm »
+3
Hi...

Feel like I haven't been on AN in ages!

I have been tracking pretty well lately, nothing major has happened recently...

English has been a bit funny lately, because it seems that the less I try, the better I do (classic sign of an over-thinker  ;)). I would like to eventually see some improvement in my English marks, as they have been consistent since my first HSC assessment (just got marks back for my 3rd), but I need to remind myself that they are actually pretty good marks, and consistency can be a good thing. I have made some progress on my creative and am pumped to continue yet, however I haven't had as much time to spend on it as I would have liked...

Food tech is going alright (pretty straight-forwards, as usual). We made oreos yesterday to compare domestic vs industrial manufacture, and they are so moreish!  Really loving the content for Bio lately, and I have developed an amazing ability to crank out bio research assessments. Maths is going well, almost finished all of the content. Have a test in a week and a bit, feeling pretty confident about it (but just hope I don't make too many silly mistakes - seems to be about 99% of where I lose my marks in a test).

In other news, I decided to withdraw my application for the ADF gap year. Because I wasn't able to get my first preference due to a medical condition, I came to the conclusion that I didn't want to take the other jobs away from those who would be really passionate for them (whilst they would have been a great opportunity). Keen for early applications for my preferred uni courses, but why does august seem like an eternity away??

And something really exciting: Have confirmed that my graduation trip will be to JAPAN for 2 weeks!! So excited for this, and I have been binge-watching Japan travel blogs!! Also, my school formal date was confirmed today, and it is the day after my last exam - food tech. I literally don't finish the exam until 5pm, and then have my formal in less than 24 hours! YAY! - but eek, cause its going to be very hectic!!

So yeah, a random bunch of my thoughts lately - hope what I have written actually makes sense!
Only 6 months till freedom!  :)
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #23 on: June 16, 2018, 08:33:51 pm »
+2
Hi...

School hasn't been too intense lately, which is good! I have finished most of my assessments for this term, except for an English speech and a bio prac. I am hoping to use the next few weeks to focus on revising content and other specific areas i.e. creative writing for English.

I thought I was making progress again with creative writing, as I had come up with a whole new story, but then, my teacher didn't think it would work. So, it's back to the start again. Funny thing is, it's not that I am that bad at creative writing. In fact, I would consider myself a very creative person (it's probably hard to believe by my subject choice, but I'm a hardcore perfectionist, so any major works would have been problematic). I think the issue for me is coming up with a good plot, and science fiction is not helping the process (even though it's my fav genre to read). So my teacher has just asked me to change genres  :'(. I'm just hoping that the next one I write will be a) not cheesy, b) 'knock-your-socks-off' worthy, and c) the one I will be able to use for the rest of the year.

Enough about creative writing, really happy about my  recent maths test. It was just a topic test for trig and exponential/logarithmic functions, but I wasn't expecting the mark I got, so it was a lovely surprise! Brings my average up to where I would like it to be heading into trials (and hopefully I can maintain this). But best of all, my maths average is finally > my english average, reflecting how confident I feel in each subject.

Bio is going well, I have found the latter half of the genetics topic really interesting! For my research assignment, I turned Watson, Crick, Franklin and Wilkins into the Fantastic Four, for some random reason. I have this weird knack for making analogies for bio, but it actually really helps me to remember things. I think I should definitely do this more often, since bio can be a bit of a content dump at times!

Food tech is, well food tech. I enjoy it, and getting to cook something each week is a nice break from the rest of my subjects. I don't spend too much time on it, as the content is pretty self-explanatory. Though, I probably do need to start doing more practice questions - and write my study notes for Food Manufacture.

Keen for monday, as our class is running 'Cultural Day' at school, where we are selling lunch orders from different cuisines, and also dressing up in traditional costumes - I'm wearing a kimono. Our class will be going on a cultural trip in the july holidays to Vanuatu, so the day will be raising money for some of the local schools we will be visiting. The trip is 5 days long, with about a day on either side including travel, but's its in the last week, right before school starts. Although it takes up a big chunk of the holidays, I'm not too worried that I won't be able to study as much. I still have the other two weeks for my four subjects, and my trials should be spaced apart. Maths and english will be first, as they are not compressed, then the other two. Anyways, it hasn't really sunk in that I am going yet, but I know it will be an awesome time! And it will be a good (but intense) week to rejuvenate before the chaos of term 3 & beyond.
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #24 on: June 26, 2018, 09:02:59 pm »
+2
Hi...

School has been pretty basic, and I just went to an UOW info session, so I have given myself the rest of the night off.  :)

At the session, I was fortunate enough to be able to have a good chat with a fourth-year student doing the exact degree I am aiming for (B Nutrition & Dietetics), so it was great to hear some insight into this particular degree, instead of generic info from a careers rep. Definitely will apply for early entry, as I don't want to take any risks - and I mean, who doesn't love early relief?  ;D On a side note, I went to USYD for the first time last week for an ETA English day, so it was good to scope the place out. Though one thing that annoyed me was that the benches in the lecture rooms (chemistry and 1 other building I can't remember the name of) were really far away from the seats and I had to really stretch to be able to write! Not sure if I could survive 5 years worth of those lecture rooms  :o (as an alternative course).

Keen for the ATAR notes lectures in the holidays! Definitely going for english and bio, not sure about maths yet (gotta check the dates). Trying to convince some others in my class to go, but they are not very interested, oops.

A random fact I found out last week: HSC results release day will be my last day in Japan, and ATAR results release will be when I am literally on the plane on the way back. Not sure if I will look at these straight away,  I would rather have a chilled end to my holiday :) - and of course, I want a day in between finding out each, so I can fiddle with ATAR calculators to my heart's content.  :)
« Last Edit: June 26, 2018, 09:04:51 pm by kauac »
2018: HSC

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2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #25 on: July 16, 2018, 11:12:10 am »
+4
Hi...

Holidays have been pretty neat so far!

1 week in, and I am actually surprised at how much I have achieved! Have written a few english essays, my mod b notes, revised my other english notes, have done maths past papers, a bio past paper, and worked on my food tech assignment, which btw, has been a real pain! Its due early next term, on food product development, but we had go through the whole design process, including multiple surveys, making three different pie recipes with sensory evaluations, before optimising the product and then having an in class practical the make it again! I'm glad this is the last food tech assignment (except the trial, of course), as I find the practical assessments slightly stressful! I mean, they are pretty fun, (but tedious).

I have been trying to pace myself in the holidays though... Have a good routine where I do all of my school work in the mornings and then relax in the afternoons, so it doesn't feel like each day is clogged up with studying. In my spare time, I also found a formal dress, which is pretty exciting. Though I must say, its kind of sad that the formal shop industry is dying from all of these online stores! I always prefer to try something on before I buy it, so I honestly don't understand how people can just buy their formal dress online haha.

Also got my mod b speech back at the end of last term, and I am really, really happy with my results.  :) I kinda knew that I would do better in this assessment than my others because I'm pretty practiced in speeches/performing, so glad that my marks reflected my confidence towards it.

Finally, less than one week count down until I leave for Vanuatu.  ;D We were given the itinerary at the end of last term, and it's actually pretty cool. We will be visiting some local schools and villages, a hospital, a Bible translator, as well as doing a bit of sight seeing too! I actually mostly packed already, so feeling pretty prepared and pumped to go! So keen to have like a whole week where I don't have to think about schoolwork at all!

Will be at the lectures tomorrow! Though, no one knows what I look like, so I will be there incognito.  ;D
« Last Edit: July 16, 2018, 11:14:31 am by kauac »
2018: HSC

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2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #26 on: July 20, 2018, 08:41:44 pm »
+3
Hi...

It's come to that time - my flight is in less than 24 hours!! Still feels pretty surreal to be going, so I think I will get a bit of a shock when I arrive haha - in the middle of the night!

I am actually really proud of myself for knuckling done this holidays to do some of the study tasks I have put off for ages. Really happy with how my creative is tracking... Especially with some lovely positive feedback from my friend who was a 4 unit English student last year!  :) All my notes are up to date and even managed some past papers for each of my subjects. Now I won't have to feel a single inch of guilt for not studying for entire week, since I have already worked so hard.  ;D

I went to the ATAR Notes lectures on Tuesday, and was a pretty sweet day! Didn't even get lost getting to UTS from central, which is astounding, considering my sense of direction ( I will definitely be getting 'Lost in Japan' in a few months hahaha). Loved the interactive marking that Emily did, and it was cool to hear the study methods from someone who topped the state. Naomi had some great insight onto the tricky parts of Bio, and had some nice revision for Malaria - which is lovely, considering I am going to a country that is full of it!! :o A bit disappointed I didn't have time to get to Jamon's Maths lecture, I'm sure it would have been bomb!

So that's it for me tonight. I won't be around the forums for a while - definitely will have no wifi while I'm there. For those of you who have school next week, and if your trials start next week, I am deeply sorry! I will send you all some chill island vibes from Vanuatu.  ;D
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #27 on: August 04, 2018, 11:20:25 am »
+3
Hi...

Back from Vanuatu, launched straight back into the hectic course of term 3! I officially got back last Saturday, but haven't been on the forums really much since... Had a bit of reverse culture shock coming back to Australia, and I needed to get my act together for school!

Was such a wonderful experience for the short time we were there! I learned so much about the Ni-Van culture and everyone was so friendly and easy to talk to! One thing I loved about being there was that it was probably one of the only places in the world where you can visit as foreigners, but the locals treat you like family.  :) It probably also helped that we lived like the locals - more than just your typical 'tourists' haha. It was pretty freeing travelling on the back of a truck everywhere we went - the locals would always smile and wave to us (yes, no seatbelts and basically no road rules in Vanuatu ahahaha!)

I've really been missing the sense of community, and the simple, yet fulfilling lifestyle they have. Makes me wonder a lot of my own concerns are really not important in the scheme of life...

Anyways, my trials are not until week six.  :o So, I still have plenty of time to prepare, though I still have a few assessments for my compressed courses due before then... I am not too concerned about anything at this stage, (we'll see about that when I get closer to trials haha), as long as I keep consistently on my game in revising. I also have to be super careful on the forums ATM, cause I am pretty sure we will be using the CSSA papers, but after the official CSSA trial period, so I don't want to accidentally come across any info from the exams!!

Also, super pumped for university-related stuff! I've already submitted my UAC application. I actually put USYD's B Science/M Nutrition & Dietetics on my preference list, (even though the ATAR was previously 97) because the 2018 UAC guide showed they still let people in under the cut-off - around 92, from memory. And I will hopefully be accepted for the Future Leaders Scheme as well. So, I do have a chance, which is nice.  :D

I have started my UOW early admission application, which opened on the same day as UAC, but I have been chasing some biology marks. It's pretty annoying, because I haven't received any results back from HSC biology, even though I did two assessments last term. So I basically have no idea how I am tracking in the subject at ALL, 4 weeks out from trials - eek! Anyways, hoping to get that application done soon, well-before the cut-off date. Also not sure whether I should apply for scholarships now, as I will likely be taking a gap year - or whether I should wait until just before I start at the end of the gap year? I'll have to look further into it.

So yeah, a mixture of hype from Vanuatu and uni stuff, and a bit of anticipation leading up to trials. Oh, and of course, some nostalgia as my last term of school goes by.  ;D
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD

PhoenixxFire

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #28 on: August 04, 2018, 01:16:27 pm »
+1
Quote
Also not sure whether I should apply for scholarships now, as I will likely be taking a gap year - or whether I should wait until just before I start at the end of the gap year? I'll have to look further into it.
There are a lot of scholarships that can be deferred if you take a gap year, but also some that can’t so definitely take a look at the terms and conditions for the scholarships you want to apply for.
2019: B. Environment and Sustainability/B. Science @ ANU
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2021: B. Paramedicine/B. Nursing @ ACU Canberra

kauac

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Re: The HSC Marathon: Stride by Stride
« Reply #29 on: August 04, 2018, 04:57:43 pm »
0
There are a lot of scholarships that can be deferred if you take a gap year, but also some that can’t so definitely take a look at the terms and conditions for the scholarships you want to apply for.

Ah, ok! Thanks for clarifying. Will definitely have a thorough look back at the requirements when I have finished juggling my other applications.  :)
2018: HSC

2019: Gap Year

2020-2024: B Science / M Nutrition & Dietetics @ USYD