Owlbird's Journey!

[caffinatedloz]

What's the AGAT?

The AGAT is a test that our school runs for Year 10's that is a 45-minute version of the GAT and helps them to stream classes.

[Snow Leopard]

How's Yr12 been going Owlbird83?

[Owlbird83]

Hi SnowLeopard, thanks for asking! It’s been mainly good! 

I know I have thoroughly neglected this journal oops. I keep thinking of writing, but I don’t get around to it.

This year has mainly gone against my expectations in that year twelve has not been as stressful as I expected it too be. However, recently I have felt like the days are flowing faster and the time until exams has been decreasing at an alarming rate.

Today I actually burnt a piece of paper that I wrote all of my worries on haha. My brother thought I was weird. I read about it and thought I’d try it for fun. Did it help? I can’t really tell you, maybe. But there is a lot of research on how your mind can be influenced and tricked into believing things. I also did a ten minute meditation, which I never do, but it definitely made me more relaxed! We did some meditation the other week in my English class and it totally boosted my mood! Again, there’s the placebo effect where maybe the fact that I expected meditation to calm me down was the reason my brain decided to do it. I’m probably overthinking. At the start of the year I decided to have such a positive mindset and reaction to everything, but I think that it’s slipping a bit. I have to try and maintain a good mindset.

My school has practice exams on in the holidays, and today were the first ones. I had methods exam one and also English. They went better than I expected them too! My friends decided to do a ‘quote vomit’ beforehand and we were meant to go around a triangle and say quotes, but my mind kept going blank, and I was not feeling good about it, but luckily when I went into the exam I remembered some. Argument analysis is the best! (unlike the other two).

I am both happy and disappointed with my Navy gap year application. I was called two days ago to say that I was a successful candidate, which I was really grateful for, but I need to take another test for asthma after failing my first one, and so I think I am unlikely to get in.

My fitness is not going that good. I hardly did any excersize for about two months, until the start of September. I blame the cold weather, I am not really a winter person, and the cold makes me just want to sit under many blankets. I finally pushed myself to jog around the block and have done that a few times in the warmer weather. My flimsy arm muscles I built have degraded back to nothingness. I can now to about two pushups, I really have to work on that, in case I end up getting through to the defence force fitness test.

The non-holidays! My methods teacher instructed us to do nothing except study, (I think it was only semi-serious), whereas my English teacher told us to make sure we rest a bit if we are feeling drained form the term and also to do a spring clean to clear our heads and make us feel more in control. I agree with this, cleaning and organising your desk/room makes everything better! I am so proud of my desk it looks amazingly organised (not that I ever study on it, I always study on the dining table). My holidays have been moderately productive. I really have to work on doing a little bit for each subject everyday, because I know that seems more logical and better for the long term, but I can’t help only studying for the next thing coming up. I was only doing English and Methods because of the practice exams today.

Improving my social skills!
Towards the end of last term I think my self esteem might have dipped a bit and I started thinking I was uninteresting and boring to talk to. I think I have mostly overcome this, at least I have tried to, because that kind of mindset causes a vicious cycle where by believing that others find you uninteresting causes you start to act that way and put less effort into interactions. I read something ages ago that sort of relates: when you are getting to know someone or talking to someone, if you make a comment about something such as them being a kind person or that you get along really well with them, even if it is not true, people will start to act kind or act like you know each other well, (or something like that). Also, I have noticed that if I believe someone has I higher expectation of me, I tend to be more interesting/talkative. When I begin talking to someone new and I immediately label myself as shy or awkward or project those vibes, I tend to act that way for the rest of the conversation. However, in interactions that begin in a more high energy way or I initially project myself as more confident, I put in more effort to stay that way and don’t let myself fall into just listening. One thing I must do though is to stop saying ‘yeah’. Surely there are many more potential replies to someone than just ‘yeah’. Also I need to have opinions! Opinions are what makes people interesting and individual (imo). When people ask my opinion on things I have to stop defaulting to ‘yeah its good’. It’s funny how stuff we learn at school teach me things about life in unexpected ways. For example, for English, some feedback on my practice essays were that I need a stronger sense of voice; an opinion. Also, for my Japanese Oral, I have to expand my answers and give extra details, like what I should be doing in real life!

So I went to the Atar Notes Lectures last weekend! English was surprisingly good, I learnt more than I expected to! Methods was not that good because I zoned out for a lot because I was tired because it was the second lecture in the day, and methods : (, but the presenter was so cool! . Chemistry was really good revision, it refreshed a lot of concepts in my brain!
Surprisingly, the highlight of the lectures was talking to random strangers sitting next to me! I try to push myself out of my comfort zone and do things that make me uncomfortable, because that’s the only way to make them comfortable! I had conversations with four people over the course of the two days, and it was really enjoyable! Also, after being with the same cohort of kids for six years, it’s really refreshing to get to know completely new people! And it definitely got easier to talk! Sometimes when the challenge to myself enters my brain to say something to someone, my heart starts beating crazily fast as I think ‘okay now’ … ‘say it now’ … ‘quick before you lose the chance’ and my heartbeat increases with speed the longer I wait. This time it was better though, I tried to break the ice before my brain realised I was going to put myself in a potentially life threatening situation, avoiding the release of (too much) adrenaline to ‘fight or flight’. The first person I spoke to was coincidentally a forum member! If you are reading this hi! Also, the second person I spoke to was a guy, which is double the scariness!

I was proud of myself, not that it’s big, but I’m trying to appreciate small victories. On Sunday, I was waiting for my mum and brother on a bench in the city, and these people came to the bench and were opening some kind of combination safe thing stuck to the bench and I asked them what was inside, just with out thinking, the words flowed out! You may be know picturing me as socially inept, because I am praising myself for speaking to a random person in the streets, but it was the fact that I felt no hesitation or nervousness, which was different to normal. I am socially inept though. (Think positively, stop labelling) . (It turned out to be a safe for their apartment key in case you were curious).

School!
(Btw I am using exclamation mark to try and make myself excited! )
Physics and chemistry are both going good! They are my favourite subjects and I am hoping to get over 40 for both. However, I know that I haven’t been revising all the content as much as I should have been. During the last week of school I had a methods and chem sac and that it all I was focusing on up until then. Physics I have gotten the top score for a couple of sacs, and also my best friend has also for some other sacs. How cool is food chemistry! I love how it relates so much to life! I have been eating more citrus than usual, because vitamin C is cool!

Methods!!!!! Yay methods!!!  The worst So fun!! I am disappointed in myself with methods. I don’t know if I already said this in a previous post, but I have been in the accelerated maths class for four year and have always been in my teachers ‘list of fourties’, but this year I sort of stopped enjoying it as much and I haven’t been putting as much work into it, because I would rather study for other subjects. She said I am on the border of her list of fourties, but I think I have dropped off. I want to get a fourty because I don’t want to let her down, but I don’t know if it’s possible. By that, I mean I don’t know if I’m willing to put in the effort to make it possible. I did slightly better on our last sac, probability, I got about eighth in the class.

English! I have been working harder in English this year because I really want to get a good score in it. Interesting fact: my teacher said that each year people who tend to get certain scores sit in certain locations in the room, and she can almost predict our scores from where we sat. I think that’s pretty funny! My aim for my study score has increased throughout the year from a 30 to a 40. I think aiming for a 40 might be a bit of a stretch though, maybe 37?

Japanese! I probably haven’t been working as hard as I should be. I reluctantly entered the Japanese speech contest and came first in the environmental division! I was so nervous, my cheek and mouth was involuntarily having a party and I couldn’t stop them from shaking with fear (oops that sounds a bit drastic, it wasn’t as bad as last year I think). I’m glad I entered though, because it forced me to memorise a lot of my detailed study. I really should have memorised everything by now but I still don’t feel uber confident. My mock oral is next Thursday, so I hope that will force me into memorising. Japanese is the subject I neglect a bit, I have been doing homework for other subjects in some of the classes. My dad has been telling me to work on my Japanese though, because his students are way ahead of me. I am aiming for maybe 41 (hopefully).

I feel like that sums up my life mostly!
Enjoy the rest of your holidays/nonholidays!
Good luck for exams! 

Thanks again SnowLeopard for prompting this journal entry, I probably wouldn’t have written otherwise, and it was enjoyable to write! 

[Snow Leopard]

Hi SnowLeopard, thanks for asking! It’s been mainly good! 
I am both happy and disappointed with my Navy gap year application. I was called two days ago to say that I was a successful candidate, which I was really grateful for, but I need to take another test for asthma after failing my first one, and so I think I am unlikely to get in.

Good luck! I hope it goes well.

cleaning and organising your desk/room makes everything better!

I agree an organised desk = a organised mind.

Also, for my Japanese Oral, I have to expand my answers and give extra details, like what I should be doing in real life!

Any advice in general for LOTE's. How do you find balancing one in Yr 12 and is there anything you would've done differently for it from the start of this year/ when you were doing U1/2?

Great job on improving your social skills!

[Comet striker]

Ey wassup owlbird,
I'm here checking out all the journals and I c yours. How you doing ma dude? I've been pretty grateful for that guide you posted on the Biology thread. Came here to say I appreciate it.
Keep doing wht you're doing ma dude <3
Alucard

[Owlbird83]

Good luck! I hope it goes well.
I agree an organised desk = a organised mind.
Any advice in general for LOTE's. How do you find balancing one in Yr 12 and is there anything you would've done differently for it from the start of this year/ when you were doing U1/2?

Great job on improving your social skills!

Thanks! 

I think one thing I would have done differently is to start memorising my detailed study earlier in the year. The oral exam has really crept up on me (mine's in week two next term), and although it only counts for 12.5% for Jap, I am way more nervous for it than the written one. I guess learning it too early isn't good because you might forget it, but with memorising speeches, I have learned that you need it to marinate in in your brain for at least 2 weeks or more I think, so you can move it into your long term memory or something. I haven't researched this enough, so I can't say it like it's a fact but from my experience, I might practice the speech a tonne for a few days and I still cannot say it without forgetting bits and pausing, but then after maybe a week or two without that much more practice it flows out much more easily.

Also, I think it's good to finish learning the grammar before the start of year 12, so you can focus on doing practice exams and working on your detailed study in year 12, (I know some schools do this, but not mine). Make sure you feel confident with the grammar patterns.

This is sort of Japanese specific, but I really should have learnt all of the kanji earlier in the year. I am still not confident with writing them all, so it was a mistake to leave it until this late when I am busy with other subjects.

Good luck Snow Leopard! I hope this helped a little.

Ey wassup owlbird,
I'm here checking out all the journals and I c yours. How you doing ma dude? I've been pretty grateful for that guide you posted on the Biology thread. Came here to say I appreciate it.
Keep doing wht you're doing ma dude <3
Alucard

Hi Alucard! Thanks for your reply!
I really appreciate your appreciation! I'm so glad you found it helpful! 
Good luck for the exam!!

[caffinatedloz]

Today I actually burnt a piece of paper that I wrote all of my worries on haha.

That sounds super cathartic.

I also did a ten minute meditation, which I never do, but it definitely made me more relaxed! We did some meditation the other week in my English class and it totally boosted my mood! Again, there’s the placebo effect where maybe the fact that I expected meditation to calm me down was the reason my brain decided to do it. I’m probably overthinking.

Meditation in class- that's cool. Does that happen often or was it just a one off?

English! I have been working harder in English this year because I really want to get a good score in it. Interesting fact: my teacher said that each year people who tend to get certain scores sit in certain locations in the room, and she can almost predict our scores from where we sat. I think that’s pretty funny! My aim for my study score has increased throughout the year from a 30 to a 40. I think aiming for a 40 might be a bit of a stretch though, maybe 37?

Wow that's crazy, but probably also right. I guess she thinks people sitting in the middle of the front row will be trying the hardest? Maybe you're doing well and working hard because of all of those awesome debating skills.😝😂

I feel like that sums up my life mostly!
Enjoy the rest of your holidays/nonholidays!
Good luck for exams! 

Enjoy your first day back at school!

[Owlbird83]

That sounds super cathartic.
Meditation in class- that's cool. Does that happen often or was it just a one off?
Wow that's crazy, but probably also right. I guess she thinks people sitting in the middle of the front row will be trying the hardest? Maybe you're doing well and working hard because of all of those awesome debating skills.😝😂
Enjoy your first day back at school!

Hi Laura! Thanks for your reply! 
The meditation was just a one off, I think someone randomly suggested it and my teacher was like 'sure why not', I want to do it more often! They actually used to run meditation at lunch last year but I never could go because it clashed with clarinet choir! I say this, but I never do it at home though. That should be a goal: do more meditation. But I have been trying to do more yoga!

I hope you enjoyed your first day back too!

Its weird how at the start of term things just go back to normal like the holidays never happened!
It was really fun seeing you guys at the lectures! Sorry if I was stuffing my face with pizza for most of the time. Free food just tastes double as good as regular food! 

I had my second or third last band rehearsal today after school. I feel like I should be more sad, but I honestly don't really feel that emotional or anything. The end of year concert is soon, which is exciting!

AAAAHHHHH!! THE ORAL EXAM! is in like 10days  It's come so quickly! At my mock oral, I was given the advice to be more confident in myself- which is also a challenge in everyday life, so ... But I wasn't feeling that good about it up until just before, when my dad was practising with me in the car on the way home from band, and I actually could answer the questions. My main worry is that nerves will incapacitate my face and vocal chords. But, positive mindset, it'll be fine!!...

I got my results back from the Physics and Methods practice exams we did at school on the holidays and they weren't that bad! For the physics I was second? in the class, and my friend (who beat me by two marks) and I are waiting to find out if anyone in the other class beat us.(I'm too competitive) The methods ones were alright.

My friends are planning to stay in a holiday house for a few days after exams - (sorta like schoolies but instead of parties and drinking we'll be playing boardgames and beach volleyball and doing yoga and cooking). I'm so excited! We are still researching where to go but I'm super excited about it, and hopefully knowing that I have that to look forward to will motivate me more. I have been more motivated recently though. Last term around the middle I was feeling pretty drained and didn't have the energy to study, but hopefully that feeling has been washed away for good.

Hope everyone had a good start to the term! 
I will try and update this journal after the oral exam, so I may or may not be freaking out! 

[Owlbird83]

Hi everyone! How are you! I hope you had a good start to exams today, or if you don't do English, Goodluck!   

I wrote this two weeks ago and didn't post it, but here are my belated thoughts on my Jap oral:
I had my oral for Japanese (today), and I am really happy with it! – (two weeks ago). Almost all of the questions that they asked were ones that I had practiced the answer to! There were a few false starts, some pauses and some weird improvised answers to the few unexpected questions, but ultimately, good!!
Also, I was very nervous, but not as nervous as I know I can get. Yes, my face was trembling a bit at the start, but it went away. My heart was beating super fast the whole time, but not as fast as it could get! The assessors were both super nice, and laughed a couple of times when I attempted to say something funny, so that was nice! I also remembered to smile, which was something I struggled with in the practices. It went so much better than the mock oral!! Apparently, smiling and stuff rather than looking like you would rather not be there, can make around a 10% difference to your marks, so it’s pretty important.

Spoiler

My advice on dealing with nerves!
It may not work for everyone, but it works (to an extent) for me. Deny any nerves, don’t say you’re nervous, act very chill, don’t scrunch up your body language as if you are nervous, tell yourself and others you are excited, don’t tell people that you are scared, focus on the positive adjectives such as confident, relaxed, excited. I know these things are probably not true, but you can trick your brain into believing they are.
Deep breaths.
Yoga! I did some morning yoga that was very good in helping wake me up and be a bit more calm.
Freestyle dancing. Probably not for everyone, but very fun to release some nervous energy.
Avoid others beforehand.

Spoiler

fun excerpt
Examiner: What's your opinion on this?
Me:
Examiner:
Me:... it good

I have been going to school to study everyday in the silent study area, which is a good thing for me, because I find it hard to make myself study when I am at home. However, yesterday, the day dragged on, and I started getting bored, I reread both my texts though (Black Diggers and The Longest Memory) and also went on walks with my friends, which was nice. My brain was attempting to find the tiniest ways to procrastinate. I had forgotten to put on deodorant, so my brain decided that I could walk to the shops and buy some deodorant, which would use up some time, so my friend and I walked there and back. It was such a nice temperature yesterday with the wind and the warmth. I also kept drinking a lot of water so I had an excuse to get up from my seat and go to the bathroom every so often. I have had clarinet choir practices at lunchtime too, so they are fun. I never really appreciated them that much, but now that school is over for year twelves I feel like every clarinet rehearsal is an extra thing I can enjoy before I leave the school. One of the year 8s asked me why I was still at school, and thought I was in Uni now haha.

So… the English Exam! I’m so relieved English is over!!! It went really good though!! I started nervous crazy smiling when I first flicked though to look at the prompts! The prompt for section A (Rear Window) was basically word for word the prompt to the practice exam I wrote on Sunday! I am so grateful to my teacher because she had said she had a feeling that the topic would come up on the exam and it did! Also for section B, the topics was really good, I had written a couple of essays on change, and it was my best topic I think! The analysing argument section is always my best section, but I felt like since the article was so bland, I didn’t particularly write anything particularly significant that sounded good. I spent like 50 mins on the first article though, and then went over the hour with my hand buzzing furiously trying to finish, I forgot the image in the second article though oops. I guess it’s no use aiming for a study score now, but I’m hoping for 38 or 39. A 40 would be super cool, but I’m not sure it’s possible.

I actually have the best exam timetable! I have methods next week then the week after chem and physics, then the week after Jap. My methods teacher saw my timetable and was like, well you’d better get 40s in everything then, because you have week gaps in between. One of my friends will have finished her exams by next Thursday, but she has two days with two exams!

[Owlbird83]

Hi everyone!! 

I had my physics exam this morning (2nd last exam), and am now sitting in the science centre and I’m cold.
…
I went to find a heater, but it didn’t turn on, so I went to the pres space, which is equally cold. Oh well. Hopefully typing this will generate a bit of extra body heat. The pres space is completely empty, which is super weird, because it’s the largest room in our school and it’s set up in exam conditions. In the window on the left the coordinators are talking. I’m only a tiny bit scared because one of the coords walked past me a few times when I was sitting and eating in the science centre, which is against the rules and she has told me off for it before, but I didn’t engage in eye contact, and tried to look cold (not hard) and maybe she took pity on me because I’m in year 12 doing exams?

I didn’t bring any Jap stuff today, and thought I would relax, because I still have a whole week to study, and it’s the exam I’m feeling the least stressed about. I have thoroughly neglected it over the past 3 weeks though (actually sorta the whole year). I did a lot of practice exams at the start of this year though, because it’s different to the others in that you don’t really have a tonne of new stuff to learn. Hopefully I can get a 40!

Methods exam
Very not good, definitely one of my 10%s. Hopefully I can still scrape a 35? I’ve said this before, but I’ve let down my teacher who has believed I could get a 40 for the past 3 years, (excluding this year probably).

Chem
AHHHH. I was hoping chemistry would be my best subject. It’s the subject I have spent the most time studying for and was maybe in the top five in the cohort. I think my teacher was expecting me to get a 40. I did a lot more practice exams for chem than my other subjects. I felt like the exam was super long and I rushed a lot. After discussing it afterwards, I realised I made some dumb mistakes, and I had skipped a few questions too because I was running out of time. I spent way too long on the multiple choice, (maybe just under an hour). Also, I had to pee really bad, and so I had a toilet break which cost me about 5 mins or so. It’s really unusual because I’m normally super paranoid about going to the toilet right before. Maybe it’s because I had a smoothie and kept drinking water the whole morning. The examiner/supervisor was nice because she did a bit of a jog with me toward the toilets, even though she was old.

Physics!!
Yay! The exam I’ve felt the best about! It was so much shorter than chem, and I had time spare at the end. There was nothing I found particularly difficult. The 4 mark one about the Xray diffraction and finding the frequency stumped me a lot, and I came back to it at the end and was super mad at it. I spent like 20 mins trying to think of how to do it, and then it finally came to me!! And so I’m really happy about that. From some of the discussion, I know there are a few things I’ve gotten wrong, but hopefully I didn’t make any calculator error (which I always seem to do). But because a lot of people found it easy, it’s gonna be more competitive, so hopefully I can get maybe in the low 40s? I wanted to beat bio, so maybe over 42?

I just realised I’m not really cold any more! Is it a secret heater, or maybe typing does generate a lot of warmth haha.

I’m really looking forward to going to Phillip island with my friends!! It’ll be so cool to relax and be independent! And I have so many crafty projects I want to do after exams. I have to find a part time job as well.

Thanks for reading!!
Owlbird! 

(I was recently told that I use a lot of exclamation marks!)

[Erutepa]

Hi everyone!! 

I had my physics exam this morning (2nd last exam), and am now sitting in the science centre and I’m cold.
…
I went to find a heater, but it didn’t turn on, so I went to the pres space, which is equally cold. Oh well. Hopefully typing this will generate a bit of extra body heat. The pres space is completely empty, which is super weird, because it’s the largest room in our school and it’s set up in exam conditions. In the window on the left the coordinators are talking. I’m only a tiny bit scared because one of the coords walked past me a few times when I was sitting and eating in the science centre, which is against the rules and she has told me off for it before, but I didn’t engage in eye contact, and tried to look cold (not hard) and maybe she took pity on me because I’m in year 12 doing exams?

I didn’t bring any Jap stuff today, and thought I would relax, because I still have a whole week to study, and it’s the exam I’m feeling the least stressed about. I have thoroughly neglected it over the past 3 weeks though (actually sorta the whole year). I did a lot of practice exams at the start of this year though, because it’s different to the others in that you don’t really have a tonne of new stuff to learn. Hopefully I can get a 40!

Methods exam
Very not good, definitely one of my 10%s. Hopefully I can still scrape a 35? I’ve said this before, but I’ve let down my teacher who has believed I could get a 40 for the past 3 years, (excluding this year probably).

Chem
AHHHH. I was hoping chemistry would be my best subject. It’s the subject I have spent the most time studying for and was maybe in the top five in the cohort. I think my teacher was expecting me to get a 40. I did a lot more practice exams for chem than my other subjects. I felt like the exam was super long and I rushed a lot. After discussing it afterwards, I realised I made some dumb mistakes, and I had skipped a few questions too because I was running out of time. I spent way too long on the multiple choice, (maybe just under an hour). Also, I had to pee really bad, and so I had a toilet break which cost me about 5 mins or so. It’s really unusual because I’m normally super paranoid about going to the toilet right before. Maybe it’s because I had a smoothie and kept drinking water the whole morning. The examiner/supervisor was nice because she did a bit of a jog with me toward the toilets, even though she was old.

Physics!!
Yay! The exam I’ve felt the best about! It was so much shorter than chem, and I had time spare at the end. There was nothing I found particularly difficult. The 4 mark one about the Xray diffraction and finding the frequency stumped me a lot, and I came back to it at the end and was super mad at it. I spent like 20 mins trying to think of how to do it, and then it finally came to me!! And so I’m really happy about that. From some of the discussion, I know there are a few things I’ve gotten wrong, but hopefully I didn’t make any calculator error (which I always seem to do). But because a lot of people found it easy, it’s gonna be more competitive, so hopefully I can get maybe in the low 40s? I wanted to beat bio, so maybe over 42?

I just realised I’m not really cold any more! Is it a secret heater, or maybe typing does generate a lot of warmth haha.

I’m really looking forward to going to Phillip island with my friends!! It’ll be so cool to relax and be independent! And I have so many crafty projects I want to do after exams. I have to find a part time job as well.

Thanks for reading!!
Owlbird! 

(I was recently told that I use a lot of exclamation marks!)

Well done on your exams!!!
I seem to have gone about the same as you in chem methods and physics - that is to say dissapointed by chem and methods and very suprised by physics. Hopefully both methods and chem turn out alright and that we are perhaps making it out worse than it actually is.
Good luck with your Jap exam and with the more immediate stuggle of staying warm!

[caffinatedloz]

I’m really looking forward to going to Phillip island with my friends!! It’ll be so cool to relax and be independent! And I have so many crafty projects I want to do after exams. I have to find a part time job as well.

That sounds like so much fun!! You'll have to show us some pictures of your crafty projects.

Good luck preparing for Japanese!

[Snow Leopard]

How'd the Japanese exam go, Owlbird83?

[Owlbird83]

How'd the Japanese exam go, Owlbird83?

Hi Snow Leopard!!

It went really well! Apparently it was an easy exam this year, which is not the best, because I know I definitely lost some marks, and plus I always lose marks from writing wrong particles/kanji, but mainly, it was pretty good! I think normally 10 marks can be lost to still get a 40, but since it's easier this year, it's most likely less than that, so although a 40 would be nice, I'm predicting a possible 37?

I actually freaked out about a week before the exam, because I did last year's practice exam, and got a score that correlated to a 33 SS. I had done zero Japanese since the oral, and completely focused on all of my other subjects because I didn't feel like Jap was that bad. So after that, I studied the most I had all year I think, and did 7 practice exams in 3 days plus writing out the kanji/words I'd gotten wrong 20 times each. Then the day before, I also spent the whole day at school doing more parts of exams, but I was very tired and my hand was sore from writing, and I don't think it was helpful. I'm grateful to my dad for being strict and motivating me to study so hard those last few days though, because I didn't really have a good mindset, and thought I couldn't really be bothered and that no extra study would help me improve, and was ready to accept the possible 33.

Wooo! Exams over!!

I made a large list of things I wanted to do after exams. I haven't done any yet though. My main priority is getting a part time job. I have applied for heaps, so hopefully someplace accepts me!

Today was such nice weather! I had a good day because I always feel happy when it's sunny and warm! I went with my family and did some bushwalking, and then we went to a market and bought heaps of cheap fruit and vegies. And then I went for a run and did some yoga! I feel very productive!

[caffinatedloz]

I feel very productive!

It sounds like you were very productive! You must be enjoying your freedom!!

Best of luck with the part-time job situation!