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- yes yes I know AN, I'm about as consistent on here as with my VCE subjects so that sets a nice tone for this journal entry.
Hey fam bam !!!
Wow, we are here. As I am writing this, on 17/10, I am done with high school. Only 4 more exams to go until I am free. Extremely bittersweet, but I will get to that in a bit. Boy, has this year been a journey. With 4 lockdowns, so many events shifted and changed and cancelled, I can't say this is what I would think my year 12 experience would be like. I haven't updated this since June so I want to give a little term 3 wrap p before I get into Term 4, my subjects, exam prep etc. etc.
Term 3This term started off with me getting my P's! From being the person with like no hours, to somehow getting 100 hours in 6 months (my poor father who did every single one of those hours, thank you). I was shitting bricks during the exam but I passed, and I can confidently say I have grown as a driver since then. Really have not driven heaps though, furthest I have been was maybe 30 minutes to get my vaccine AHAHA. We also just squeezed in a very jumbled House Music, which I thought we did amazing in but we only came 3rd (robbed lol). We did a musical theatre number to 'Good Morning Baltimore' from High School Musical and looking back it was a great event to finish my house "career" at my school. Then, remote learning #5, for 2 weeks, then a solid 7 days at school until remote learning #6. Did almost all of my Unit 4 SACs at home, and was so bloody unmotivated. School captain stuff again was busy, we filmed 4 podcast episodes, did initiatives every week etc. The feel of these lockdowns was a lot different to the first couple, like how are we back here, and missing out on what is year 12 really f'ing sucks. No formal (yr 11 or 12), no sleepover, no netball match, no movie night, nothing. But oh boy eloise was not ready for what came next.
Term 4Started with the GAT, pretty fun! I found writing task 2 and the MCQ pretty normal, I lowkey struggled on writing task 1 but knowing my writing proficiency (thank you somewhat natural talent), I should be fine. The arts/humanities questions were wack and I guessed a lot of them, which is slightly scary considering they pertain to 3/4 of my subjects (Eng Lang, PE, French), but whatever. Its fine. Then, we finally got to go back to campus. How good it was, to see everyone, get free canteen lunches, and spend the last 2 weeks with the cohort/family I had grown up with for the past 6 years. My year level, despite the challenges, has grown really close and I am so grateful for the 83 girls that make up the Class of 2021.
The last week was our theme week, to make up for muck-p day being moved to after exams (ik, weird, don't ask lol cos idfk). Monochrome Monday, pigtail tuesday, alternate uniform Wednesday (who knew boys uniforms were so comfy), then what was supposed to be PJ thursday and crazy costume Friday. Lol.
So I got home from studying at school with a friend on Wednesday, had dinner, and was about to have a shower, and get into some study for the night. Then, I open my outlook, and see this.
"After much consideration and discussion, this afternoon we made the difficult decision to conclude our onsite teaching of all VCE classes effective tomorrow – Thursday 14 October at the conclusion of Period 6. This will allow us to minimise the risk of a COVID positive case entering our Senior School community between now and Wednesday 27 October, the date of the first VCE written examination."
No SWOTVAC, no seeing friends or teachers on-site, no year 12 breakfast, no last day, no leavers service, nothing. Absolutely nothing but a whole lot of tears. The absolute last straw. My school is in an area with relatively low COVID cases, and most if not all of my year level is vaccinated. From them telling us how good SWOTVAC would be, giving us some hope. Nothing. So or last day was Thrusdya. Rushed, but we did have some good things. Lots of photos, nice memories, watched the incredible year 12 video, opened our year 7 time capsules (my favourite line that made me sob was: When I am in year 12, I want to be the captain of the school. Well Eloise, you did that, I hope you are proud). Anyways, back into remote learning for Friday and now I have no clue how I can meet up with teachers.... fun (not).
Now onto the subjects that I have not updated for a year lmao:
English LanguageUm, idek about this subject. I'm pretty decent at it, I much prefer Unit 4 to Unit 3 (especially essays, gimme an identity essay every day of the week and I will marry you). Decent ranking, I think it was around 6 in the cohort (of around 25-30), which isn't too bad considering I am no way an English student, definitely maths/science lol. Online learning was whack, we got the SAC topics a day or two in advance and could bring in plans, hence I basically knew what I was gonna say lol.
SAC Marks - U3 78/100 (A), U4 91/100 (A+)
The trial exam was decent as well, got 56/75 (75%), which I was happy with considering my AC was utter rubbish (got 10/15 oop). That would get be between a 36-40 (with no SAC scaling), which I would definitely be happy with. The exam is way too close, and my teacher hasn't sent me back anything in a week (given her 2 essays and 2 SAQs so that's great), so if anyone has any EL marking services (paid or free, I'm desperate at this point), please lmk!
FrenchBonjour? Sometimes I am like, what is this subject honestly. For our discussion, my class discussed
la situation dans les banlieues difficiles parisiennes (situation in the disadvantaged suburbs of France), and my sub-topic was women in the workforce. I really enjoyed researching but left so much of it to the last week lol. My oral skills were pretty atrocious until about 2 weeks before my oral, which was on Friday 15th, the day after my last day, where something just clicked. I actually felt pretty confident for this, although the night before and morning I was so so so scared. It was pretty good! I had two nice assessors, who were fast but understandable, and didn't ask too weird a questions. I am super happy that I can say I can hold a 15-minute conversation in French with two native speakers, that is not easy!
SAC Marks - U3 42/50 (A), U4 42/50 (A)
Trial exam was umm interesting, got 67% overall, which showed I need to work on my listening ASAP. Also, long-form readings are weird but I think a bit of study will help improve the exam result to hopefully about 75%? Who knows but I do enjoy learning a language and despite all the challenges, je ne regrette pas de chosir cette matière (I do not regretting choosing this subject)!
ChemistryRemind me why I did this subject again. Oh boy, how boring to learn. I ended up zoning out for possible the entirety of U4 online, so learnt everything with VolkScience (what I would do without you). I also f'ed up the AOS3 SAC, lol the one that is supposed to be the easiest, yeah no hahah. Exams are okay for this subject, remind me a bit of methods, which I enjoy (I am truly missing maths in my life cries). Almost guaranteed a bottom 2, so doesn't matter too much
SAC Marks - U3 85/100 (B+) U4 78/90 (A)
Trial Exam - 90/120=75%, nearly an A+ and nothing extremely bad, just working on worded responses and spectroscopy (lol wtf is that AHHAHA)
PEOh the subject with the ups and downs. I really enjoy the content, but for some reason everything has just left my head, I lowkey feel so stupid doing this subject. It is supposed to be my easiest, my trip to a raw 50, but no. I was slightly gutted to find out I didn't get the dux for PE, a year 11 did. Cries. Marks arent too bad but needs a lot more work before the exam in 3 weeks, a lot more.
SAC Marks U3 92/100 (A+) U4 92/100 (A+)
Trial Exam - 109/120 (89%) wtf man how um are you sure??? That would get me about a 45?
OKay then sis pop off?
UniI got into ANU! My first preference is a flexible double degree which I will be undertaking, in what idk yet HAHHAH. I, unfortunately, cannot start in Actuarial Studies (need spesh lol), but will aim to transfer into this as I am pretty sure that is what I want for my career. I will combine this with either commerce, PPE, science but who knows honestly.
I also submitted VTAC, with my first 3 preferences (and only ones I really need considering I am pretty much guaranteed a 94 ATAR with my two past scores of 42 and 45 plus my SAC results) being Commerce/PPE at Monash, Commerce/Science at Monash, and Commerce at Melbourne. Still may change these though, who cares.
A message to all of the Class of 2021, you all rock. Seriously, we have done the hardest years of schooling in a pandemic and did year 12 with no exam changes or SD cuts. You are all so resilient, kind, and persistent. I truly believe you can do what you set your mind too and I wish you nothing but the best for your future. And to my past self (or present, or future, idk), Eloise, you are so strong. You have done these years with little support, with so much shit going on, and you have come out with so much invaluable experience and hey have been recognised for some of it too. Full colours in house, sport, service, 4 academic awards, 2 citizenship awards, 3 major sport awards, duke of ed, NYSF, PYOE, 2040. You are so strong, so worth it, and you deserve everything you have. Don't settle for anything but the best, continue to be your generous, kind, gentle, loving self.
Signing off,
Eloise 💙