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March 29, 2024, 09:53:43 am

Author Topic: Need Help with HSC study habits  (Read 1253 times)

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darthone

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Need Help with HSC study habits
« on: February 08, 2020, 09:52:25 pm »
+1
Hey guys,

Im graduating this year, and Im having lots of trouble studying for the HSC. I am very demotivated and I find myself unable to study. I think its due to procrastination or the fact that Im still unsure of what to do in uni (basically I have no goals to study towards).
I do the bare minimum, that being homework + Tutor homework.

I do English Advanced, Mathematics Ext 2, Chemistry and Economics, and for my school, its one of the top 10 in terms of HSC ranking (I will not state my school, as I am quite embarrassed about this situation). By the way, I go to tutoring for all four subjects.

Ill put the questions below, ask me some that you think are necessary too:

Basically...

How do I start studying?
By reducing procrastination? I understand that setting goals is one way, but I has never seemed to work for me. Maybe im not setting them correctly?

How do I motivate myself?
Is it through finding a uni course? Im thinking Engineering, but it's not something I'm passionate towards and 100% sure on.
Im bad at English (I put a lot of effort a few times and still got bad marks, resulting in a confidence loss) and Im afraid it will drag down my ATAR. I feel like that maybe causing me to subconsciously give up on studying. In addition, I feel like I'm already behind others, causing a confidence loss.

How should I study?
I understand that homework isn't enough to get above 90 for my ATAR, and I need some guidance on that.

More importantly, why do I find it hard to study? Why am I like this??

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, I really appreciate it.

No flex intended.

jamonwindeyer

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Re: Need Help with HSC study habits
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2020, 01:00:38 am »
+8
Welcome to the forums!! I could probably write for an hour on your questions but to get you started:

How do you start studying?
Get a routine! I wrote this guide which might help, just decide what you want to do and try to force yourself to do it. Once you get rolling it is easier: https://atarnotes.com/study-timetable/

How do I motivate myself?
Exploring where you want to go next year might help! Otherwise, involve others. Tutoring is a great help here obviously, but try forming an English study group or meeting up with a mate to review Eco every few weekends, etc. Accountability will motivate you!

How should you study?
You can be as creative as you like! Focus on doing things which actively test your knowledge and require you to apply it/use it - Don't just copy notes. Here are some ideas! https://atarnotes.com/ways-to-study/

Why do you find it hard to study?
Because you are a normal high school student, haha! Studying isn't meant to be easy, and for some it is harder than others. Very few people can just immediately be the 'ideal studious student.' Dealing with procrastination and related things is totally normal and part of what the HSC offers you - A chance to figure out how YOU work, so you can work more productively at university/workplace next year :)

Good luck!

angewina_naguen

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Re: Need Help with HSC study habits
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2020, 07:55:52 am »
+5
Hey guys,

Im graduating this year, and Im having lots of trouble studying for the HSC. I am very demotivated and I find myself unable to study. I think its due to procrastination or the fact that Im still unsure of what to do in uni (basically I have no goals to study towards).
I do the bare minimum, that being homework + Tutor homework.

I do English Advanced, Mathematics Ext 2, Chemistry and Economics, and for my school, its one of the top 10 in terms of HSC ranking (I will not state my school, as I am quite embarrassed about this situation). By the way, I go to tutoring for all four subjects.

Ill put the questions below, ask me some that you think are necessary too:

Basically...

How do I start studying?
By reducing procrastination? I understand that setting goals is one way, but I has never seemed to work for me. Maybe im not setting them correctly?

How do I motivate myself?
Is it through finding a uni course? Im thinking Engineering, but it's not something I'm passionate towards and 100% sure on.
Im bad at English (I put a lot of effort a few times and still got bad marks, resulting in a confidence loss) and Im afraid it will drag down my ATAR. I feel like that maybe causing me to subconsciously give up on studying. In addition, I feel like I'm already behind others, causing a confidence loss.

How should I study?
I understand that homework isn't enough to get above 90 for my ATAR, and I need some guidance on that.

More importantly, why do I find it hard to study? Why am I like this??

Thanks for taking the time to read my post, I really appreciate it.


Hey, darthone!

I'll just add a few things to all the amazing advice that Jamon's already suggested  :D

How do you start studying?
I actually wasn't a huge fan of study timetables (*gasps all around*) because I found them to be really restrictive and more than often I would make them and stick to them for at most a fortnight before deciding to ditch them. What you could also try is making checklists for yourself to get motivated. In my HSC, I would put ten things on that list, starting with my "non-negotiables" like work shifts, family gatherings for the weekend etc. and then filling up the rest of it with miscellaneous study commitments. This ranged from getting homework for the week done for my subjects, to watching revision videos on Youtube for content I was struggling with. I would also have an extension activity if I could for the week and if I got it done, would give myself a reward like being able to go out the following weekend or to read a book I liked :) If you find that study timetables help in getting you into routine, fantastic! This is just another alternative worth considering if you're aiming for self-discipline and prioritisation based on your particular week ahead ;D

How do I motivate myself?
I mentioned briefly how I would reward myself and this also applies to how I would punish myself too if I didn't get what I wanted done for the week. I think my worst punishment was no WiFi for a weekend and I remember this being really bad because one of my major works were due the following Tuesday so I felt the consequences heavy there  ::) Of course you don't have to be as intense as this; even something as small as rewarding yourself with 2 hours of non-study fun like watching Netflix is worth investing in as a goal to work towards. While, for many, having a university course in mind might be what motivates them, I certainly didn't have an idea at all what I wanted to do post-HSC and instead focused on smaller goals, getting by day by day and coming to realise where my passions and strengths truly resided over time. That might be the case for you too so it's entirely up to you!

We also have a HSC Journey Journal here on the forums which you can create your own space for sharing your thoughts and study life. I find that logging my progress also helps me feel more motivated to get things done!

As for English more specifically, this guide and this guide both cover effective study approaches and mindsets for conquering the subject  ;D

How should you study?
Will 100% recommend all the guides Jamon has already posted but this one in particular because studying is such a diverse practice and should be tailored around your individual needs and interests. One thing that really helped me was learning the content and then teaching it to someone else as a way of studying. It was much easier to identify gaps in my knowledge and to figure out what I needed to revise further on. My younger sister basically learnt the entire SAC syllabus and content off of me by the end of my HSC! Find someone to study with and see if this is something that might work for you  :)

Why do you find it so hard to study?
I'll echo Jamon's words here as well because studying isn't always something that clicks with everyone instantly. I loved, and still love, studying so it was almost second nature for me to do all of these things. That doesn't mean I haven't faced demotivation and procrastination because they've both manifested in my high school and university lives at some point. What matters is that you've identified them and are now seeking ways to overcome them  :) It's all about working hard, asking questions and learning more about yourself as a student, and as a person, at the end of the day  :)

If you have any further questions regarding subject content, do ask heaps here on the forums! We're here to help and look forward to hearing more about your HSC journey!

Angelina  ;D
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Bachelor of Music (Music Education) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music

fun_jirachi

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Re: Need Help with HSC study habits
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2020, 01:30:48 pm »
+4
Hi there!

Just want to add a few things in because I was in a very similar situation this time last year (very similar subjects, top 10 school, lack of motivation and lack of a goal).

How do I start studying?
Reducing procrastination is often ineffective because you can and will find ways to procrastinate. I'm not quite sure what you would do, but for me it was always a rabbit hole on YouTube or something. The last resort is to start studying is when the inevitable panic kicks in (oh no! exam's two weeks away - something of the sort) and you have no other choice but to study. The best way of doing so, however, is motivating yourself with your peers around you, who are clearly also very smart. Not wanting to fall behind can be a good motivator, or ask them to help you! It's also important to do at least one extracurricular you like - having that release often makes it easier for you to study later on. Once you get the hang of this, later on in the year it just happens - you'll sit down and study without realising.

If you're down on motivation, it's best to take care of yourself, and back your ability - a good takeaway is if you know your stuff to a reasonable extent (which I'm sure is a safe assumption here!), you shouldn't get away with no study, but you should definitely prioritise your wellbeing first, then your study should take care of itself in due course (whether it's because of motivation or panic)

How do I motivate myself?
Most people in my year had predetermined courses and goals set in stone. They used this to work when they didn't want to and so on. This sort of goes hand in hand with the first question - if you don't have goals or can't set and meet them, look for something rewarding that happens if you study, whether it's bragging rights over your mates (which was definitely a thing for me at school) or some other reward (self-rewarding, perhaps). Finding a uni course is also not necessarily an answer - if you're not 110% banking on it, then it won't motivate you. It's not something you should be worrying about; many from my school including myself are still winging it - you'll find something eventually.

With English, I've found that turning everything into a bit of a joke or having discussion with friends helps. I never liked English and I was always average - turning everything into a joke gave me incentive to ridicule a subject and make it fun to study, while having discussion with friends took a more serious approach and helped me develop my own ideas. I feel like people think they're bad at English because they feel the marks vs. effort is skewed - which for me, it definitely was, because teachers have different preferences and ingrained biases - it will be better in the HSC both because the exams are slightly easier and the marking is consistent (you will do better than you think!). Don't give up though, there's still plenty of time to work it into something better. It's also never too late to push in a subject, regardless of how far behind you perceive yourself to be.

How should I study?
I feel like telling someone how to study is the worst possible advice because everyone is different and thus has different methods of study. This also sounds like a cop-out though, but everyone will find their own ways to be efficient and effective when studying. What remains consistent though is doing practice questions and practice exams to gear yourself up for exams.

Why do you find it hard to study?
I hate to say it, but literally because your brain finds everything else more attractive. Study is a long-term gain, and we honestly find it hard to invest in those. This is the same for everyone - even the grinders going for the super-high ATARs find it hard, they just have releases from studying and a carrot on a stick in front of them. Essentially they've worked out what works for them - and it's not a bad thing to have not done that yet, because everything is always changing - the one constant is that studying will always be a tough proposition.

Hope this helps :)
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mashal hameed

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Re: Need Help with HSC study habits
« Reply #4 on: March 20, 2020, 02:17:30 pm »
+1
My school has the option to pick a teacher as a 'mentor' to help you get through y12 by being someone you caa talk to, help you get a study plan etc. If your school doesn't have one similar, you can ask your year advisor and they can be someone who helps you set up a plan to study and also ensure accountability.