Yertle's VCE Journey

[Yertle the Turtle]

^Really nice to see this updated again! When are you back in the country?

Right now, actually. Got home at 11:30 last night, getting today off school as I only got up 10 mins ago. Good to be back!

[not.yet.a.nerd]

🐢 🐢 🐢 I found you some more turtles!
Random question but what does your study set-up look like? 

[Yertle the Turtle]

Thanks for the turtles...

I don't really have a fixed study set up per se, stuff just happens in any order that I want, I'm really disorganised, but at the moment things are still going pretty well. How about you?

[Yertle the Turtle]

So it was first day back today, and I discovered that tomorrow we are going into the city to watch Invictus *yay* and then go to a lecture *boo* comparing Invictus and Ransom. That should be pretty interesting, but that takes up 5 out of 6 periods, and the last one is... English I miss out on double Chem for this

Otherwise it was nice to get back, discovered that in the one week I was away the Methods class got through the whole of normal distributions and for the first time in VCE Methods I am behind...

Physics we're halfway through the Practical Investigation which the teacher held up for me while I was away and we'll be getting back to that soon. There's an upcoming Chemistry SAC, on nomenclature of organic molecules and spectroscopy techniques, which should be good, but I wasn't at all happy with my Chem mid-year practice exam. "I hate the NEAP exams!!!" I did pretty badly, but then so did the whole class. Must do better, Yertle!

Really glad I'm not doing the UMAT, but good luck to all those who are, I might try to think of you...

[Yertle the Turtle]

So, the lecture/movie was today, and it went pretty well. We lost 5 students in catching the train, which was pretty funny, and was enough to question the organisation of the group, but anyway... The movie was good, I've already watched it, but only in English style, in other words you start, and then the teacher stops it to mention a theme or a quote to take down, and then you start again, but stop again, stop, start, stop, start, ad infinitum. Therefore, it was very nice to see it in cinema style. The lecture was ok, even if the lecturer did her level best to put me to sleep. Then, after all, we got back too late to have a proper period 6, so me and a friend went and played pool in the common room instead of doing English On the whole it was a really good day, though the weather on the way home was terrible, really really wet and cold. Ah well...

[Bri MT]

I found my spectroscopy etc. SAC to be fun. (Yes, I found a SAC fun...) So hopefully you have a similar experience with yours.

What are you doing for your EPI?

[S200]

OK.A couple of points. this is the first time that I have read through anyone's Journal fully...
It's actualy awesome.

#1... What are your key takeaways from Ransom/Invictus?

#2... Going back to the start... Do you have family background in India, or just friends?
Just nosy. You can ignore if you wish...

#3.... Mind=Blown!. Yertle is Marvin K mooney!
I need to keep up to date here!!!!

[Yertle the Turtle]

I found my spectroscopy etc. SAC to be fun. (Yes, I found a SAC fun...) So hopefully you have a similar experience with yours.

What are you doing for your EPI?

Spectroscopy has been the most fun part of the course so far, it's really fun! I'm actually looking forward to the SAC for once. For the Practical Investigation (I'm assuming that that's what EPI is?!) in Physics I'm dropping cars down a ramp from varying heights and measuring how far they go to discover what affects the distance they will travel, change in height, mass, etc. It's going pretty well at the moment.

OK.A couple of points. this is the first time that I have read through anyone's Journal fully...
It's actualy awesome.

#1... What are your key takeaways from Ransom/Invictus?

#2... Going back to the start... Do you have family background in India, or just friends?
Just nosy. You can ignore if you wish...

#3.... Mind=Blown!. Yertle is Marvin K mooney!
I need to keep up to date here!!!!

I'm glad you enjoyed it and well done for the courage to read it.
1. Invictus/Ransom both feel like they leave a message of hope in other people, which is something that I really needed They're about forgiveness and courage, and I found that pretty interesting.
2. I don't have family in India (yet), but we do have a lot of friends and my older sister has a boyfriend there, so that's why we go mostly.
3. Yeah, it's true. It seemed to take a lot of people a long time to pick it up, but well done!

btw, congrats on 500 posts!

[Yertle the Turtle]

Random motivation spiel

I'm a very cynical person, and for me whenever I start to lose faith in people, there's one thing that can restore it. I always watch Spor Delisi's Fair Play videos, and they make me cry. It's so good to realise that people are actually nice!

School stuff:
Well the first week back was pretty good, got a couple of SACs back, my worst score for T&T since the start of Unit 1, a B+, but I wasn't too upset about that. However, the English creative SAC I got really mad about because I only got 80% (marginally above the class average) despite the teacher only putting positive feedback on the response! This always bugs me with English, I always get given 70s or 80s, but there's never any reason given. The comments always say "Good job" etc., never anything negative, but I never get the really good marks. I've basically given up caring about English, I just hate it. That's all I can say about it. *shrugs*

Today was our school Talent Show, and 7 out of 8 Yr 12 guys took part in a medley of the songs "Sweet Child o' Mine", "Eye of the Tiger" (which I'd never heard before, but it's awesome), "Shooting Star" and "What does the Fox Say?", and it was awesome. We didn't even get an 'honourable mention', but everyone liked it, I hear.

The Physics Practical Investigation is nearly done, just a double period tomorrow to type it up, so I'll be glad when that's done, though I hope our teacher is marking them, because otherwise I'm screwed for Physics, and that would make me so mad, and destroy the faith in people I've spent so long building up

Chemistry SAC in 2 days, and then about a week until the next Methods SAC, and the Spesh SAC is coming up then too... ARGH! Not very happy right now.

cy@ l8r

[S200]

btw, congrats on 500 posts!

Thanks Bro!

What are you doing for your Prac?
Oops. Actually read the post rather than just glancing at it... 

Do you just drop the cars from the very top of the ramp, or use a ruler to measure the height?

[Joseph41]

Re: English marks, have you asked your teacher why you're dropping marks? Sorry if you've covered this already haha.

[Yertle the Turtle]

Thanks Bro!

What are you doing for your Prac?
Oops. Actually read the post rather than just glancing at it... 

Do you just drop the cars from the very top of the ramp, or use a ruler to measure the height?

First I measured the top of the ramp, and then dropped them all from the top.

Re: English marks, have you asked your teacher why you're dropping marks? Sorry if you've covered this already haha.

I have complained about it a couple of times, and never get a satisfactory answer. There is never any serious reason given that I can understand, and that makes me quite mad. I just wish I knew why I lost the marks. But I will try again.

[Joseph41]

^Yeah, I reckon it's worth persisting with (respectfully and within reason). Definitely understand the frustration!

[sarangiya]

I have complained about it a couple of times, and never get a satisfactory answer. There is never any serious reason given that I can understand, and that makes me quite mad. I just wish I knew why I lost the marks. But I will try again.

Definitely can relate. You must be used to getting the "well, it was really good but we don't want to give you full marks because you'll get too complacent" BS too!
How about getting two of your pieces, and asking the teacher what was different between them? Forcing them to compare might also force them to justify their marking lol.
Good luck anyway!

[not.yet.a.nerd]

Today was our school Talent Show, and 7 out of 8 Yr 12 guys took part in a medley of the songs "Sweet Child o' Mine", "Eye of the Tiger" (which I'd never heard before, but it's awesome), "Shooting Star" and "What does the Fox Say?", and it was awesome. We didn't even get an 'honourable mention', but everyone liked it, I hear.

Woah- are you saying there are only 8 guys in your year level?

However, the English creative SAC I got really mad about because I only got 80% (marginally above the class average) despite the teacher only putting positive feedback on the response! This always bugs me with English, I always get given 70s or 80s, but there's never any reason given. The comments always say "Good job" etc., never anything negative, but I never get the really good marks. I've basically given up caring about English, I just hate it. That's all I can say about it. *shrugs*

That sounds pretty annoying. How can one improve without some criticism as feedback? My English teacher is the opposite, rather than say what we've done well, they like to point out all the flaws. So I can be a bit disheartening if you don't do well, and confusing if you do do well.