ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => Topic started by: Joseph41 on June 03, 2016, 12:15:38 pm

Title: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on June 03, 2016, 12:15:38 pm
You know what can be overwhelming? VCE. Year 12. The future. So why don't we try to make it easier on each other, and on future students? :)

In this thread, what I'm looking for is some general advice. For past students, one or two things that you're glad you did, that you wish you did, and that you think you probably should have done differently. Current students can also contribute to this; in fact, current students will probably have the most relevant advice. And then current/future students can also work off this advice to see what works for them. Everybody wins!

So I'll start us off.

Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Chose subjects I thought I would enjoy, rather than what would scale well or had the most prestige (whether or not I actually enjoyed those subjects was something altogether different, haha)
- Established a rough (but not stringent) routine that I could stick to during the year
- To-do lists

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Ask more questions
- Apply for more extracurricular opportunities (volunteering, leadership sort of things)
- Seek help earlier for stress/anxiety

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- Played the 'number game' (worry too much about actual SAC results)
- Prioritise VCE over my health
- Take poor results personally (I'm still working on this one)

Over to you, friends! :)

IMPORTANT: In order to ask a question, you will have to click here and make an ATAR Notes account.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: IndefatigableLover on June 03, 2016, 12:44:43 pm
Nice thread Joseph41 (time for some procrastination xD)

Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Applying for lots of different extracurricular opportunities which really helped me develop those softer skills
- Spend time looking ahead into the future (be it uni or during VCE) to give myself a rough timeline of what I hope to achieve
- Creating SMART goals
- Ensuring I stayed connected with friends whether it be from or outside of school

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Exercising regularly
- Doing subjects that I would enjoy (though that's starting to change)

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- Playing the numbers game like Joseph41
- Not having too many group study sessions (or at least have productive friends)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Cowboy on June 03, 2016, 01:00:41 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Smart study (more practice papers less making notes)
- Played heaps of inter-school sport.
- Distracted myself occasionally, with movie nights and gaming sessions

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Investigated a bit more about university
- More extra-curricular activities
- Ask more questions
- Sit at the front

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
 -Wish i didnt develop a crush on a manipulative and psycho person. Still feeling the effects to this day. Wish i could pull out but i went too deep and now its hard.
- Wish i didnt so much time with the wrong people
- Played the numbers game
- Overestimated my abilities and was crushed when they werent realized
- Think that the world owes me something. It doesnt. If you want something badly you need to work hard for it, not expect it to come you for free


Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Aaron on June 03, 2016, 02:02:40 pm
Things i'm glad I did during VCE:
- Took time out for leisure, friendships etc.
- Focused on the subjects I liked and had an interest in, and as a result scored high in them.
- Didn't play the numbers game until right at the end for IT only

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Researched course opportunities more. I always wondered how my life would be different if I went to a uni such as Melb/Monash for IT/Compsci.
- Chose more appropriate subjects that catered to my interests (this was partially due to the school not offering such subjects)
- Took maths more seriously, given it was featured heavily in my IT course and now i'm going to be a Maths/IT teacher :P

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
I guess the one big thing for me was 'stuffing around' during Year 12. I went to an average public school and the culture/norm was to not give a crap, so that's all I was ever exposed to. Having now seen it from a different light post-VCE, I appreciate VCE and regret not taking it more seriously. I finished back in 2012, so i'm hoping that I can correct some of my mistakes that I made and share my knowledge with my future students that I teach.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: pi on June 03, 2016, 05:04:08 pm
I luckily don't have too many regrets from my VCE, but great thread idea :)

Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Had a lot of fun, lots of classroom banter
- Took breaks when I needed to (Friday nights off folks!)
- Decided to sit the UMAT
- Didn't care much for rankings
- Joined AN and asked a lot of questions and hopefully helped a lot of people out

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Not neglect some subjects as much as I did
- Participated in more clubs and inter-year events
- Took the GAT more seriously (even though I didn't use it)

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- VCE Physics
- Being a distraction in the classroom, we got pretty rowdy at times
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Swagadaktal on June 03, 2016, 05:06:16 pm


Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- VCE Physics

LMAO I knew you'd write that
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: HopefulLawStudent on June 03, 2016, 05:29:40 pm
Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- VCE Physics

If only this thread had existed two years ago... but then again, being the naive little munchkin I was, I still woulda taken physics in the hopes that I'd like it. I'm still waiting for that moment where physics becomes engaging and fun and interesting though I suspect that shall never happen.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Sine on June 03, 2016, 05:39:09 pm
If only this thread had existed two years ago... but then again, being the naive little munchkin I was, I still woulda taken physics in the hopes that I'd like it. I'm still waiting for that moment where physics becomes engaging and fun and interesting though I suspect that shall never happen.
This existed 3 years ago.  :)

[Review] VCE Physics 3/4
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on June 03, 2016, 05:41:11 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Took breaks when I needed to (Friday nights off folks!)

Good one!

Or in my case, every night haha.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: stolenclay on June 03, 2016, 07:10:26 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Exercised far more (was forced upon me, but I'm glad it was)
- Pursued university extension maths (the impact on my current course plan right now was rather significant)
- Not stress

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Develop a work ethic that I could uphold in all subjects regardless of how much I liked them
- Be more active in seeking insight into career options; but also
- Be more sceptical about career advice given to me
- Consider interstate or overseas university options
- Give some more thought to holistic growth as a person

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- Coasted on natural ability (which gave very mixed results)
- Settled on an undergraduate course that compromised my interests slightly
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: strawberries on June 03, 2016, 08:54:11 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- used AN :)

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- exercise more + eat healthier (aka not so much junk food) <-- this is important!
- more extracurriculars -- good to have a balanced lifestyle :)
- have a social life/make friends - this is actually so important, I don't think I walked away from year 12 with a single friend tbh so make sure you have time for this! (and also be nice to others!)
- (controversial) stress/worry a bit more, I was often too calm
- asked more questions in class/not be scared to ask questions
- (controversial) do subjects which I was good at (e.g. maths/sciences) b/c I'd be more likely to get better marks = higher ATAR
- to-do lists
- routine/timetable
- take every SAC seriously b/c if you 'do badly' on one it can really affect your ranking/final SS (that being said, if you don't get a 'nice' SAC mark don't worry about it, focus on where you went wrong/what you can improve for the next one as there's nothing you can change now)

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- numbers game, worrying about SAC scores/rankings/ATARCalc shit !!!!! (I probably spent more time on this than doing actual work oops :P)
- writing notes, complete waste of time - instead complete questions/write essays/whatever you need to do (however this may/may not work for others)
- (controversial) going to bed early when I could've stayed up studying
- watching reality TV shows
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: vox nihili on June 04, 2016, 11:23:50 am

Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
-swapped out of Literature into Biology
-did public speaking
-maintained an interest in the world beyond VCE
-realised that it wasn't a competition
-and for a useful study tip, spent a lot of time explain things to others (or even just a wall!)

Things I wish I did during VCE:
-didn't knock back so many social events
-too methods more seriously, maths is extremely useful!

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
-made a dick of myself at muck-up day
-procrastinated sooo much
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on June 04, 2016, 11:28:21 am
There have been some really great - and varied - responses thus far! I find really interesting the different perspectives. I would be interested in thoughts of some more current Year 12 students, and also future students!

Thanks for contributing, everybody. :)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Glasses on June 08, 2016, 08:14:58 pm
Things I'm glad I am doing in VCE:
- Using ATARNotes.
- Not getting caught up with/obsessing over study score calculations (this year).
- Using to-do lists (rather than study timetables [as was recommended by my school]).
- (Glad I did) two 3/4 subjects last year.
- Using and adding to "feedback compilation" word documents (one per subject) after completing practice essays/practice SACs (and actual SACs).
- Completing subjects I enjoy and find interesting.
- Legal via Distance Ed.

Things I wish I did (last year)/wish I was doing in VCE:
- Didn't obsess over one bad SAC mark and let it throw me off.
- Wish I was managing my stress better.
- Improving on completing SACs/exams within time constraints.

Things I did/am doing, but shouldn't have done/be doing in VCE:
- Not exercising.
- Not getting enough sleep.
- (Last year) underestimated the power of VCAA SAC moderation.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Swagadaktal on June 08, 2016, 08:32:03 pm
Things I'm glad I am doing in VCE:
- Using ATARNotes.
- Not getting caught up with/obsessing over study score calculations (this year).
- Using to-do lists (rather than study timetables [as was recommended by my school]).
- (Glad I did) two 3/4 subjects last year.
- Using and adding to "feedback compilation" word documents (one per subject) after completing practice essays/practice SACs (and actual SACs).
- Completing subjects I enjoy and find interesting.
- Legal via Distance Ed.

Things I wish I did (last year)/wish I was doing in VCE:
- Didn't obsess over one bad SAC mark and let it throw me off.
- Wish I was managing my stress better.
- Improving on completing SACs/exams within time constraints.

Things I did/am doing, but shouldn't have done/be doing in VCE:
- Not exercising.
- Not getting enough sleep.
- (Last year) underestimated the power of VCAA SAC moderation.
brah the first 3 things are the exact same thing for me.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Mhysa on June 08, 2016, 08:36:15 pm
Things I'm glad I am doing in VCE:
- Using ATARNotes.
- Not getting caught up with/obsessing over study score calculations (this year).
- Using to-do lists (rather than study timetables [as was recommended by my school]).
- (Glad I did) two 3/4 subjects last year.
- Using and adding to "feedback compilation" word documents (one per subject) after completing practice essays/practice SACs (and actual SACs).
- Completing subjects I enjoy and find interesting.
- Legal via Distance Ed.

Things I wish I did (last year)/wish I was doing in VCE:
- Didn't obsess over one bad SAC mark and let it throw me off.
- Wish I was managing my stress better.
- Improving on completing SACs/exams within time constraints.

Things I did/am doing, but shouldn't have done/be doing in VCE:
- Not exercising.
- Not getting enough sleep.
- (Last year) underestimated the power of VCAA SAC moderation.
Pls elaborate.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: heids on June 10, 2016, 06:08:51 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- didn't get on AN (just to contradict below lol, think how much time I would've wasted on here ::))
- self-directed learning - forced me to take control of my subjects and learning and figure out right from the start where I was trying to get to, and organise everything from day dot round the study design/final exam requirements
- got enthusiastic about my subjects and learning
- a lot of self-testing, self-teaching, active learning, and making notes in my own words rather than passive reading and swallowing other people's ideas whole without synthesising them

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- got on AN
- 7 subjects, 2 in yr 11, rather than only 5 in year 12
- EL rather than English
- more extracurriculars, leadership, and the social side

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- let my anxiety and perfectionism about English overtake me to the extent that I couldn't write an essay without breaking down and tended to just do NO work at all (simply stress about it instead)
- procrastinated
- procrastinated more
- and if I didn't say it, procrastinated and was lazy and multi-tasked (that's everyone's eternal curse, or maybe it's just me, tell me the day you find the magic cure)

... and I'm sure we're all keen to see more of other people's answers!
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Glasses on June 10, 2016, 06:16:17 pm
Pls elaborate.

Long story short, my 70/100 for GA1 (Unit 3) for Psych, was moderated to (at least) 95/100 (A+) post-exam. - I was rank 2 and my teacher was an insanely hard marker (which in retrospect, was a good thing); but I let this throw me off and stress me out.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: brenden on June 10, 2016, 06:52:20 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- My best, even when it wasn't good enough.
- Helped as many, many, many people from my school excel as they could
- Joined the ATAR Notes community halfway through and never left <3

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Maths Methods
- More extracurriculars/things that are fun in life
- Been more social and developed more robust/meaningful relationships

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- Sacrificed sleep for study
- Studied so unintelligently
- Spent so much time working out how to calculate study scores and everything else that the 'technical' side of VCE involves (more hours than you know).
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Le Cactus on June 10, 2016, 09:17:07 pm
I am in year 12 this year however I technically did year 12 last year in year 11 as I only had 3/4 subjects (five of them).

Things I'm glad I did:
- Picked biology. I was so indecisive about picking this subject after doing 1/2 in year 10. I tried dropping it twice but I'm so glad that I kept at it because it ended up being my best subject in the end.
- Practise exams. I did so many that I seriously contemplated holding a memorial for all the trees that sacrificed their lives for the 'noble' cause of VCE.
- Mastered the basics of math. Sounds weird but as a math tutor I had to go over topics such as fractions, multiplication of decimals, etc., countless times. This stopped me from making those simple little mistakes that cost marks in exams and SACS.
- Stopped doing things that stressed me out unnecessarily. I quit my school production because the politics of it can get pretty overwhelming and I used the hours and hours that would've been use to teach 50 students with 2 left feet box steps.

Things I wished I did:
- Asked more questions. Don't be like me and worry about annoying teachers by asking too many questions.
- Stressed less. Self explanatory.

Things I did but probably shouldn't have:
- Compared myself to others.
- Obsessed over scores, numbers and percentages. Still working on this.
- Let people psych me out. (As a pretty sensitive person, I struggle with people who try to get into my head to mess with me. Please don't be the person who's tactic for achieving success is to put others down.)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: NerdyPi on June 10, 2016, 09:57:39 pm
Long story short, my 70/100 for GA1 (Unit 3) for Psych, was moderated to (at least) 95/100 (A+) post-exam. - I was rank 2 and my teacher was an insanely hard marker (which in retrospect, was a good thing); but I let this throw me off and stress me out.

Thanks so much for posting this, it actually just made me feel so much better about being 1-2 marks below the 2015 A+ cut off for chem and physics  :D
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: zsteve on June 11, 2016, 08:07:46 pm
Here's mine :D

Things I'm glad I did:
- Did subjects I loved. Period.
- Did a uni extension subject - this was awesome for a great number of reasons. Loved it all year through, it probably helped me not go insane from the repetitiveness of other VCE subjects.
- Worked hard on Englang, even when hope seemed gone.
- Went to ATARNotes revision lectures (!!!)
- Logged my performance and progress (SAC marks, practice exam performance, etc.) This is important so you can monitor your own progress throughout the year.
- Get really good with the CAS. Despite my disapproval of the CAS being introduced to VCE, it's important to take as much advantage of the computing power of the CAS for methods/spesh. There are a huge number of tricks to increase speed as well as to be able to verify answers quickly.
- Used ATAR Notes (both to ask/answer questions, but also chill/procrastinate when I saw fit haha)
- Helped whoever I could, whenever I could.

Things I wished I did
- Done two uni extension subjects instead of one.
- Not done all my subjects in one year (although this was beyond my control)
- Spent less time with my head in the books, more time with family and friends.

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done
- Stressed/studied so hard for the UMAT. For me at least, the more I studied for the UMAT, the worse I became...
- Allowed things like losing a few marks on a SAC perturb me in a disproportionate manner (i.e. stressed so much about SAC marks)
- Not exercised
- Looked at AN exam discussion boards after each VCE exam (now at uni, I'm learning to simply move on)
- Played the numbers game
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Swagadaktal on June 11, 2016, 08:30:21 pm
- Looked at AN exam discussion boards after each VCE exam (now at uni, I'm learning to simply move on)

If you don't mind me asking, considering that you did so well in your exams wasn't it reassuring to see that you did well on the exams? Or did you want to get perfect score in all exams?
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: HopefulLawStudent on June 12, 2016, 12:51:14 pm
I'm still in Year 12 but thought I'd chuck in my 2c anyway.

Things I'm glad I am doing in VCE:
- Using ATARNotes.
- Became a Kwonger (network of high-achieving friends who’ll one day rule the world, probably + freebies = HELL YEAH)
- Literature
- Refused to be one of those uber-competitive kids that won’t even let you come within 2km of their study notes just in case you learn some hidden VCE secret that’ll guarantee you a 99.95 ATAR
- Deleted Facebook
- Chose not to take up a school leadership position (decided my resume didn’t need the added boost and I didn’t need the stress)
- Surrounding myself around supportive people and ditching the haters/frenemies/passive-aggressive “why are you upset and so ungrateful, I would kill for those marks!” people.
- Considering interstate universities
- Chose not to do medicine despite the parental pressure + pressure from extended family.
- Not working

Things I wish I did (last year)/wish I was doing in VCE:
- Wish I did 3 Unit ¾ subjects last year/wished my school had offered it to us in my year
- More extracurriculars

Things I did/am doing, but shouldn't have done/be doing in VCE (but will probably continue to do anyway):
- Not socialising enough
- Stressing too much about stuff I can’t change
- Not sleeping enough
- Writing a million and one essays for English
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: AngelWings on June 12, 2016, 03:49:25 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Kept a notepad and pen around me a lot (I have a lot of rogue ideas and forget things very easily.)
- Have/had a great community and social network, including AN.  :-*
- Persisted through VCE (i.e. survived it) What? It's an achievement within itself!
- Keeping tabs on things and reassessing my life every so often
- Did subjects according to what I knew I could do well in and what I wanted to do.
- Chose to do Further in Year 12 rather than in Year 11.

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Maintained a better health and exercise regime
- Did VCE Biology
- Relaxed a bit more
- Do more extracurricular activities
- Maintained a better sleep pattern
- Be more certain about things

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- Overthinking/ stressing over everything
- Sacrificing everything for VCE and was too VCE-minded
- Giving up halfway through exams and ended up procrastinating instead
- Not practising exams to time enough
- Caring about what everyone else thought about me and adhering to others' methods, instead of doing things my way.
- Continuing Unit 2 Economics. (It turned out to be kind of a blessing in disguise.)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Swagadaktal on June 12, 2016, 04:21:33 pm
Quote
- Keeping tabs on things and reassessing my life every so often
Yoo this is actually the best thing ever. Reassessing life - it's always extremely beneficial to just take a step back and think critically about life (vce and otherwise is there an otherwise?

The process of reflection is where you gain the most out of something.

It's like doing a practice exam vs correcting it - doing it is only half as beneficial as marking it and learning from it afterwards.

You miss out on  a lot by not taking a step back and reflecting.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: chickennugget on June 12, 2016, 07:24:45 pm
- Chose to do Further in Year 12 rather than in Year 11.
Do you mind elaborating on that please?
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: tashhhaaa on June 13, 2016, 12:57:13 am
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Formed really good relationships with my favourite teachers
- Had a leadership position
- Joined AN
- Wasn't affected by people around me who didn't take things seriously
- Spent more time on the subjects I really enjoyed, even though I bombed the English exam
- Did really well in most of my SACs because they saved me in the end
- Cared about my ranking and made sure it was the best as I could make it in all my subjects -- this was incredibly important being from a low-performing school
- Made informed decisions with my VTAC preferences because my personal research was more reliable/correct than the career's counsellor's 

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Maths Methods
- Study for the UMAT
- Exercise
- HHD in Year 11 (however no one from my cohort did a 3/4 in Year 11/we didn't have the option, and in hindsight that was probably for the best as the cohort before us performed badly...)
- Spread my time more evenly across my subjects
- More essays for English (did about 2 - 3 for the exam lol)
- Memorise my context piece (regretted not doing this as soon as I saw the ID&B prompt) but this is generally regarded as a bad thing... just be more prepared than I was for the exam
- Develop good study habits
- Practise exams, especially with simulated exam conditions
- Studied consistently/revised to prevent forgetting everything by exams like I did
- Receive tutoring

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- Maths Methods
- UMAT
- Procrastinate (a lot)
- Let things get in the way of my study/didn't give it 110%, and therefore didn't achieve my "full potential"/what was expected of me from myself and others
- Spent a lot of time on ATAR Calc and researching uni courses
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: AngelWings on June 13, 2016, 05:53:47 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Chose to do Further in Year 12 rather than in Year 11.
Do you mind elaborating on that please?

Story time!
Alright, just so this makes sense, I'll put down what my VCE course looked like:
AngelWings' VCE subjects
Year 10 1/2s: Psych, General Maths, CSL
Year 11 1/2s; Eng Lang, Chem, Methods, JSL, Economics
Year 11 3/4: only Psych
Year 12: Eng Lang, Chem, Methods, JSL, Further.
So you can see that I gave up two 'advanced' subjects after Year 10 (italicised). Why?
Reasons
1. I sucked at CSL and was starting to hate it. I had only done it out of parental pressure and a few smaller reasons.
2. I had considered a career in commerce in Year 10. In fact, I was fine being your 9-5 office worker and was striving for it. I thought I was very average and boring. That's why I said this later on:
- Caring about what everyone else thought about me and adhering to others' methods, instead of doing things my way.
as one of my biggest regrets.
I decided to do Economics*, because Bus Man wasn't as appealing. I wasn't willing to drop any of my other subjects, so that left no room for Further. I figured I could pick up Further again later on.
3. I didn't really see how I would care about Further. I thought it would end up being a bludge subject. 
4. I just wanted to focus on Psych. Psych had cost me a lot of time in Year 10 and I figured it would project into even more time in Year 11 (as Units 3/4), since it had a lot of content and I'm not the best at those. I was much more interested in Psych and really just wanted to keep it.
5. Further just was a filler. It wasn't important for later studies (I needed Methods and Eng Lang, potentially Chem - I didn't want to limit many options).

In retrospect, I see that I made the right choice. (I ended up caring and enjoying it.) It was:
- the right subject to comfort me whilst my other subjects made me feel overwhelmed.
- a good break from said subjects.
- something that my friends and I did in common. (My friends were/ are humanities-based or very artsy people.)
I had interest in my other subjects, but I had little talent and these were supposedly still my best subjects besides Further, so that was saying something!

I definitely think that if I had chosen to do Further in Year 11, that I would've been very unhappy, not done as well as I could have and I would have no choices in Year 12 that I would've been happy with (only Bio, but I had mixed feelings there **).

* I dropped Economics for Further in Year 12 for several reasons. Nevertheless, I learnt a lot of study techniques and content there, so I don't have any hate.
** I regret not doing VCE Bio because it contained some of the content which they rushed in first-year (e.g. immunology). However, I still think I wouldn't have chosen Bio if I were to do VCE again, since I wouldn't have coped with something too content-heavy alongside my other subjects.


If you still have any questions, feel free to PM me about my experiences.

Reassessing life - it's always extremely beneficial to just take a step back and think critically about life (vce and otherwise is there an otherwise?

The process of reflection is where you gain the most out of something.
It's like doing a practice exam vs correcting it - doing it is only half as beneficial as marking it and learning from it afterwards.
You miss out on a lot by not taking a step back and reflecting.

Well said. Reflection is often forgotten in this cut-throat world we live in. It's the step that people don't take to see where their mistakes lie and what they need to do to initiate change. It's sometimes hard to because we get so caught up in our own little bubbles that we forget our place in the grand scheme of life. That's when we really need to reflect and pick ourselves up again.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: clarke54321 on June 13, 2016, 09:23:55 pm
I'm still in year 11 but thought I'd join in  :)

Things I'm glad about doing during VCE:
-Completing lots of practice essays and questions to give to teachers
-Asking questions on AN
-Using goals to keep me motivated
-Helping others out when I can
-Doing 2 3/4 subjects
-Getting tutors to maximise my potential
-Learning not to listen to toxic teachers (ie. those ones who are obsessed with marks  :-\)

Things I wish I was doing during VCE:
-Being CALM
-Not letting sac scores affect me too much
-Asking more questions in class
-Not thinking too much about my final study scores

Things I'm doing but probably shouldn't be doing during VCE:
-Spending a lot of time on AN
-Putting study before a lot of social events
-Day-dreaming too much about my dream career (lawyer  :D)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: geminii on June 13, 2016, 09:38:35 pm
I'm in Year 11 too  :P

Things I'm glad about doing during VCE
- Trying to figure out what I'd be interested in doing in university
- Keeping my options for my 3/4 subjects next year flexible
- Doing 2 3/4s this year, so less pressure in Year 12
- Going to the TSFX lectures
- Going to the ATAR Notes lectures!!

Things I wish I was doing during VCE (and what I WILL begin doing right now!!)
- Asking my teachers for help, if I don't understand something
- Doing more practice questions, and exams in timed conditions
- Making use of all my resources - Checkpoints, practice exams
- Using time effectively

Things I'm doing and probably shouldn't be doing during VCE (and what I WILL stop doing now!!)
- Going on YouTube WAY too much
- Spending too much time on my phone
- Not taking VCE as seriously as I should, and then being disappointed with SAC marks as if it's not my fault (:'()
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Swagadaktal on June 13, 2016, 10:59:05 pm
-Day-dreaming too much about my dream career (lawyer  :D)
nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo never stop that
in year 12 you're going to have some downs - some are going to be horrible but i just day dream about my future and everything suddenly becomes alright. it makes everything a tad less insufferable and gives you a reason to keep moving forward when all the signs are telling you to stop :)
Keep day dreaming!
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: zsteve on June 14, 2016, 01:18:48 pm
If you don't mind me asking, considering that you did so well in your exams wasn't it reassuring to see that you did well on the exams? Or did you want to get perfect score in all exams?

Ok, so I knew I did well in all (or most) of my exams. After exams I'd binge use AN exam discussion threads, just to relieve suspense. Looking back though, it's probably better to move on from a perspective of healthy mental state. And anyway, in life, you have to face it- what's done is done, and you need to move on. I guess I should have taken it as an opportunity to practice that.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: rosalie.brown on June 14, 2016, 03:58:00 pm
Hi everyone!  :)

I'm a Year 11 student and would also like to share my thoughts...

Things I'm glad about doing during VCE:
(i) Considering potential university courses and career options
(ii) Undertaking two Year 12 subjects in Year 11
(iii) Attending ATARNotes Lectures
(iv) Browsing the ATARNotes forums - I have actually found these forums an immensely helpful resource. I once considered the possibility of tutoring but I feel that it is no longer necessary now that I can simply ask a question on the forums.
(v) Reflecting on each of my SACs (in particular for Units 3 & 4 subjects), practice exams and essays in order to evaluate any strengths, weaknesses and potential areas for improvement.  :)

Things I wish I was doing during VCE:
(i) Practicing piano...on a more regular basis - hehe.
(ii) Establishing a more regular, consistent study routine.
(iii) Asking more questions!
(iv) Maintaining more of a balance between exercise and study.
(v) Reading more novels for leisure.
(vi) Actually participating in A-Grade debating as opposed to simply timing the debates...

Things I'm doing and probably shouldn't be doing during VCE:
(i) Listening to music whilst studying...hehe. (I usually consider listening to music counterproductive - some may disagree)
(ii) I become quite disappointed in myself when I don't achieve a high enough/perfect SAC score and so feel obliged to "play the numbers game". I should probably make more of an effort to change my attitude...perhaps I would perform to a higher standard!

---
I also wanted to mention that I am in awe of the Class of 2016 - they have been such incredible role models over the past six months to us Year 11 students. You are such an inspiring and truly wonderful group and I look forward to see what you all achieve in the future.  :)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: pi on June 14, 2016, 04:35:45 pm
What you're in Year 11 now... Seems like only yesterday you were posting as a Year 9 hahaha. Gosh I feel so old now LOL
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: upandgo on June 14, 2016, 05:31:13 pm
im currently in year 12 but i thought id give this a shot  :P

Things I'm glad I did/am doing during VCE:
- create an atarnotes account
- study 2 VCE subjects in year 10 + 11. although it was challenging at times, it allowed me to develop my study habits early and made year 12 less stressful/more enjoyable
- discover what i'd like to study at university (commerce/law)
- exploit practice questions for SACs and exams
- teach myself the course content for each subject, instead of relying on my teachers to do so
- made goals and ensured that i never lost sight of them
- wake up at 9am for practice english exams  ::)

Things I wish I did during VCE (and fully intend to do so before the year ends!):
- ask more questions in class (namely in methods)
- send more essays/prac. exam questions to my teachers instead of thinking i'll annoy them if i do
- go out more/socialize instead of staying home and studying
- find time for relaxation/leisure activities without feeling guilty that i should be studying
- balance time for all my subjects, rather than focusing on the subjects i find easy/interesting
- put more effort into maths methods

Things I do/did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- stress insanely over every SAC
- sacrifice sleep for study
- neglected biology for accounting in yr 11
- picked subjects im good at instead of what i found exciting (eg, less maths/science subjects and more english)
- rejected a leadership position for the sake of more study time
- not seek help for my mental health issues sooner/prioritise VCE over my health
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Maz on June 14, 2016, 06:34:30 pm
I'm doing year 12 this year  :)
Things I am doing
- ATAR NOTES  :)
-Asking a lot of questions (and by a lot, I mean that I'm pretty sure my physics teacher is sick of my asking questions haha  :P but he always encourages it...so that's where I am for 50 mins of every one hour period haha)
- stay ahead of school (that way if a hard topic comes up and I find I need to spend more time on it than everyone else, I am able to  :) )
- ask around friends/previous year 12 s for exams/prac tests a: though I've been in tutoring since year 10
- have a clear goal in mind
- AND: It's my first year in high school that I don't have anorexia (in case it wasn't obvious to anyone, grades improve dramatically when you have the energy to actually learn, rather than spending looooong hours learning things that everyone else does in a short period of time. Not eating+ heavily excerciseing+being underweight+fainting don't allow for good marks!  :)

Things I wish I did
- ask more questions early on in the year rather than spend time trying to wrap my head around the idea myself
- do more practice essays (though literature is my strength so this is a minor detail)
- socialise- I have zero social life
- exercise: I pretty much just study  :P
- timing myself during tests

Things I do/did but probably shouldn't have done
- not spending like half an hour after every test (of which there are around 8 in a 2 week period) calculating what my grade is now, then what it would be if I hypothetically got, 'this %', 'x%' and y% in the next test
- stressing
- not listening to anyone when they tell me that study breaks are good. I'm one of those 'study in 8-hour blocks people'  :P
- letting my well-known perfectionistic nature make me worried when i drop a few marks (even when i get the highest mark)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Swagadaktal on June 14, 2016, 07:04:16 pm
I'm doing year 12 this year  :)
Things I am doing
- ATAR NOTES  :)
-Asking a lot of questions (and by a lot, I mean that I'm pretty sure my physics teacher is sick of my asking questions haha  :P but he always encourages it...so that's where I am for 50 mins of every one hour period haha)
- stay ahead of school (that way if a hard topic comes up and I find I need to spend more time on it than everyone else, I am able to  :) )
- ask around friends/previous year 12 s for exams/prac tests a: though I've been in tutoring since year 10
- have a clear goal in mind
- AND: It's my first year in high school that I don't have anorexia (in case it wasn't obvious to anyone, grades improve dramatically when you have the energy to actually learn, rather than spending looooong hours learning things that everyone else does in a short period of time. Not eating+ heavily excerciseing+being underweight+fainting don't allow for good marks!  :)

Things I wish I did
- ask more questions early on in the year rather than spend time trying to wrap my head around the idea myself
- do more practice essays (though literature is my strength so this is a minor detail)
- socialise- I have zero social life
- exercise: I pretty much just study  :P
- timing myself during tests

Things I do/did but probably shouldn't have done
- not spending like half an hour after every test (of which there are around 8 in a 2 week period) calculating what my grade is now, then what it would be if I hypothetically got, 'this %', 'x%' and y% in the next test
- stressing
- not listening to anyone when they tell me that study breaks are good. I'm one of those 'study in 8-hour blocks people'  :P
- letting my well-known perfectionistic nature make me worried when i drop a few marks (even when i get the highest mark)
same. except im pretty fat (and getting fatter tbh im shoving cakes down my throat left right and centre) no ragrets through it's fking great and im so happy when i have cake

So happy to see that you overcame anorexia! Hope you're feeling much better :D

you goo gurl :)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Maz on June 14, 2016, 10:42:07 pm
same. except I'm pretty fat (and getting fatter tbh I'm shoving cakes down my throat left right and centre) no ragrets through it's fking great and I'm so happy when i have cake

So happy to see that you overcame anorexia! Hope you're feeling much better :D

you goo gurl :)
Thankyou  :)  I am very happy when i am around cake as well....though not as happy as I am now with a mug of hot chocolate in my hands...perfect for this cold weather  :)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: heids on June 28, 2016, 01:00:41 pm
Sorry, but I was just reminded of one vitally important thing I missed.

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done:
- Gave my contact details to TSFX.

amirite? ::)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: zsteve on June 28, 2016, 02:19:58 pm
Sorry, but I was just reminded of one vitally important thing I missed.

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done:
- Gave my contact details to TSFX.

amirite? ::)

Defs ;) same here haha
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: anna.xo on June 30, 2016, 12:41:09 pm
Sorry, but I was just reminded of one vitally important thing I missed.

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done:
- Gave my contact details to TSFX.

amirite? ::)
Things I'm glad I did;

Not give my contact details to TSFX ;)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on July 20, 2016, 10:13:31 am
Things I'm glad I did:
- Go to a lot of open days!

Things I wish I did:
- Ask more questions at said open days!
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on February 15, 2017, 11:06:06 am
Bump! I'd love to get some fresh insights from those in the Class of 2016, now that you've had a little bit of time to digest things. :) And, of course, I'd love to hear from anybody else!
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: HopefulLawStudent on February 15, 2017, 11:45:55 am
Things I’m glad I did during VCE:
- Choose subjects that I loved
- Not to allow my family to influence my choice of tertiary courses
- Delete Facebook (to eliminate the distraction but looking back, I think I used VCE as an excuse to delete toxic people from my life – absolutely no ragrets there)
- Spec and Methods in Year 11
- 7 subjects
- Joined ATARNotes
- Found a hella amazing English tutor
- Maintained a supportive af network comprising of old and new friends

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- A language
- Sleep more
- Eat more and eat heathily

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- forsake sleep for study on way too many occasions
- Not dealing with stress/anxiety well enough
- Wrote too many English essays in order to deal with said stress
- Not socialise enough/go to any parties at all during Year 12 (seriously like my biggest regret)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on February 15, 2017, 11:58:02 am
Things I’m glad I did during VCE:
- Choose subjects that I loved
- Not to allow my family to influence my choice of tertiary courses
- Delete Facebook (to eliminate the distraction but looking back, I think I used VCE as an excuse to delete toxic people from my life – absolutely no ragrets there)
- Spec and Methods in Year 11
- 7 subjects
- Joined ATARNotes
- Found a hella amazing English tutor
- Maintained a supportive af network comprising of old and new friends

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- A language
- Sleep more
- Eat more and eat heathily

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- forsake sleep for study on way too many occasions
- Not dealing with stress/anxiety well enough
- Wrote too many English essays in order to deal with said stress
- Not socialise enough/go to any parties at all during Year 12 (seriously like my biggest regret)

Awesome! Thank you, HLS. :)

It's interesting that you think you wrote too many English essays; do you think that had a negative impact in the end?
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: FallingStar on February 16, 2017, 06:35:12 pm
Since many things have already been covered, I may repeat some stuff.

Things I’m glad I did during VCE:
 - Worked on it even though I didn't get the ATAR I wanted. I am currently doing a course on doing well in uni (run by my uni) and noticed that many of the skills you learn during VCE actually carry over to university, believe it or not.
 - Did Chinese (although controversial, this subject was a test as to how I react being thrown into the deep end as I've quit in year 7 and then relearned it in year 10, doing unit 1/2. I did go to China prior to that but that still doesn't prepare you for such a big jump.)
 - Learnt a few motivational songs to get me ready for the exams (but don't sing them during the exam, even in your head. Sing them before the exam).
 - Stayed in the school library to avoid the distractions that family often bring (when they are on the TV all afternoon) and, to have a restricted access to the Internet (which helps reduce distractions).

Things I wish I did during VCE:
 - Take some stress management courses or have some stress management strategies
 - Realise earlier that ATAR does not matter as much as I thought. People in my course have came through TAFE by getting a High Distinction in their (related) TAFE subjects, even though they did not have enough ATAR to get into the course straight out of high school
 - English Language instead of normal English
 - Seek help more often.
 - Find quieter places to study. This was very difficult as many of my school cohorts prefer the noisy, extroverted environment but I find it too distracting to work in.

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
 - Fussing about ATARs and SACs (like others said, played the numbers game). Seriously, it adds unnecessary stress and VCE is stressful enough by itself.
 - Not having a plan for immediately after the exams (which ended up as a boring, tedious affair as a result).
 - Procrastinate by surfing the Internet about stuff unrelated to my studies.
 - Not taking time off studying, especially close to exams.
 - Prioritising certain subjects over others.

Final words: Whilst you can gain an insight as to what these other students have said, you have to work out what works for you. Never ever use a strategy just because they've worked for some high achiever.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on February 22, 2017, 10:03:37 pm
- Stayed in the school library to avoid the distractions that family often bring (when they are on the TV all afternoon) and, to have a restricted access to the Internet (which helps reduce distractions).

Yaaasss, I absolutely feel this - I did the same thing! ;D

Quote
- English Language instead of normal English

Why's that, out of interesting?

Quote
- Seek help more often.

100%, absolutely. Such an important aspect in so many areas of life - you might as well start early! ;D

Quote
- Not having a plan for immediately after the exams (which ended up as a boring, tedious affair as a result).

What would have you done, in hindsight?

Quote
Final words: Whilst you can gain an insight as to what these other students have said, you have to work out what works for you. Never ever use a strategy just because they've worked for some high achiever.

I toootalllly agree with this, too. Thanks for the insight! ;D
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: K888 on February 23, 2017, 11:12:19 am
Figure I might add my 2 cents to this discussion :) I struggled with my regrets because in the end, I got an ATAR that was beyond my wildest dreams, so whilst there is stuff I could have done, is there a point in fretting over it? I wouldn't change my VCE experience for the world (minus the personal crap outside of school that happened), I'm now doing the course of my dreams and have so many good memories to look back on.

Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Paid attention in class (honestly, the key to success is paying attention. It removed the need to do so much work at home)
- My friends and I had a rotating roster for someone to bring cake one day every week
- Made an effort to have a good relationship with teachers
- Didn't let the pressure of VCE get in the way of my friendships
- Took days off studying
- Had a part time job & played sport
- Had a pretty chilled attitude in the lead up to exams (partly because I was sort of like "ah screw it I'm so over this" haha), it made the whole process 100% easier
- Spoke to people when I was struggling instead of suffering in silence
- Revolutions in year 11 (was easily my fave subject, but it has so much content, so doing it in year 11 meant I got to focus on it entirely and actually enjoy it)

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- I wish I was actually organised
- I wish I lived in the moment a bit more and embraced every moment...the year goes so quickly
- Study ahead of time (& complete assignments ahead of time) instead of doing things last minute
- Talked to more people! It's the last time your cohort is together as a group, so definitely make an effort to speak to people that you wouldn't usually speak to

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- Got Netflix (and binge-watched season 1 of the crown when I should have been studying for my french exam)
- Procrastinated SO much
- Used my frees for non-academic purposes
- Methods (my teacher was awesome but honestly, that subject was just depressing)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on February 24, 2017, 04:33:38 pm
^Awesome! ;D Nothing wrong at all with having few regrets - I'm sure many would love to be in that position haha.

Quote
- Paid attention in class (honestly, the key to success is paying attention. It removed the need to do so much work at home)

100%. This is so fundamental, but it makes such a difference!

Quote
- I wish I was actually organised

Yeah? What would you do if you had the time again? Like, how would you go about it?

Thanks, K888! ;D
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: sweetiepi on February 24, 2017, 05:01:23 pm
My 2 bob into this haha

Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Joined AN
- Took study breaks
- Went to sleep early/woke up early (can't say the same now- I've been waking up late for the past 3ish months, God help me next week then :o )
- Getting along with my teachers, listening to all their advice.
- Paying attention to class
- Using mind-maps, flashcards and posters to aid my studies :)
- Got involved in a few outside-school activities.
- Listen to the radio to hear out for current events

Things I wish I did during VCE:
- Made a study timetable that stuck
- Kept my room clean (It's legit still a mess hahaha)
- I wish I kept psych. Enough said :P
- Took more photos. There is always a lot of memories and photo ops to be had. ;)
- Utilise my whiteboard a lot more often

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
- I should of never taken my spares/study periods as times to do other stuff
- Studied on my bed, when I couldn't be bothered studying at my desk
- Getting more stressed about assessments than I should of.
- Booted my younger siblings out of the room when I was studying. (to be fair, 4 and 5 year old kids don't understand hahah (although my 15yo sister does))

My final remark:
There is definitely fun to be had in year 11 and 12. Cherish it. :)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on February 25, 2017, 11:49:18 am
My 2 bob into this haha

A very valuable two bob, my friend!

Quote
Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
- Joined AN

What was the best thing about this, do you think?

Quote
- Got involved in a few outside-school activities.

What sorts of things? Like, clubs?

Quote
Things I wish I did during VCE:

- Took more photos. There is always a lot of memories and photo ops to be had. ;)

I love this one - and I don't think I've heard it before. Great advice! :D

Quote
- Utilise my whiteboard a lot more often

Seriously can't emphasise enough how effective a well-utilised whiteboard is. ;D

Quote
There is definitely fun to be had in year 11 and 12. Cherish it. :)

100%. Thanks, insanipi! ;D
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: K888 on February 25, 2017, 02:10:25 pm
Quote
Yeah? What would you do if you had the time again? Like, how would you go about it?

Well, I think I really should have used my diary...I used it at the start of the year but ditched it pretty quickly (mind you I did just opt to type things into a note on my laptop instead, but I really think I should have actually used my diary).
I also should have set aside actual times where I would do study/homework, not just do it at variable times, because then once you're in a routine it's so much easier to do day in, day out without much thought.
I think I also should have been more organised in terms of staying up to date with things like chem questions/using checkpoints - I'd smash out a lot, then leave it for ages and do nothing, then repeat the cycle, instead of just doing a steady amount on a regular basis.

So yeah, really should have been more consistent I guess? Would have made things easier and made for a few less late nights...but still, what I did in VCE doesn't keep me awake at night or anything, overall I'm very happy with how I approached the year :P
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: sweetiepi on February 25, 2017, 02:19:36 pm
What was the best thing about this, do you think?
Hmmm, the best thing imo is being part of a rad community, need I say more? :)

What sorts of things? Like, clubs?
Things like being a survey panellist last year for a uni (who were looking for VCE kids at the time) (Seriously got so many freebies for doing one survey/month hahahahaha, not regretting that, at all :p) and indeed being part of a club which gave greater insight into the world of pharmaceuticals (run by Monash, obviously haha). :)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: NAT0003 on February 28, 2017, 09:47:29 am
I'm in year 11. Why does vce feel like such a torture and nightmare. Like seriously, so many sacs, exams,  feel so overwhelmed. And at the end of year 12, we get an atar an everyone judges us by that. And then there is scaling, the whole vce system is just horrible :(
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Maya24 on February 28, 2017, 05:19:38 pm
I'm in year 11. Why does vce feel like such a torture and nightmare. Like seriously, so many sacs, exams,  feel so overwhelmed. And at the end of year 12, we get an atar an everyone judges us by that. And then there is scaling, the whole vce system is just horrible :(

Im in the same boat as you. Its torture.
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: K888 on February 28, 2017, 11:24:01 pm
I'm in year 11. Why does vce feel like such a torture and nightmare. Like seriously, so many sacs, exams,  feel so overwhelmed. And at the end of year 12, we get an atar an everyone judges us by that. And then there is scaling, the whole vce system is just horrible :(

Im in the same boat as you. Its torture.

It's too late at night for me to post an appropriate reply but I will say if you need someone to talk to, feel free to send me a PM! Happy to chat about anything and help you guys :)
Will post a reply to this tomorrow (if I find the time :P) & I'm sure there will be some words of wisdom from other users as well :)
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: appleandbee on March 01, 2017, 06:27:44 pm
Things I'm glad I did during VCE
-Planning my study around 'to do' lists, so listing out tasks for the day such as 'watching videos, understanding and writing out notes for Spectroscopy for Chemistry' , it really provides more direction and breaks everything down
-Focused on conceptual based learning like actually understanding the logic behind the content, as well as doing wider reading and researching. Not to the point of spending time on things that are irrelevant, but instead those that add more depth to your responses (like researching the cultural and historical landscape and literary critiques on novel in English) or helps you understand the content better (like proofs in maths like partial integration)
-Being involved in a few extra-curriculars such as cello, social service, yearbook, debating, house activities
-Researched and applied for overseas and interstate universities (I didn't end up accepting the overseas offers mainly because of financial reasons, although I wished I accepted ANU, but applying is still still a great experience. Don't be afraid to do things off the beaten track if you find a path/degree/uni that suits you, I feel like this forum has a habit of bringing down people who do so)
-Developing mental strenght and grit (in the words of social psychologist Angela Lee-Duckworth) although I probably acquired such things earlier on through a difficult upbringing rather than VCE)
-Watching Steve Jobs' Stanford commencement speech and JK Rowling Harvard one. Although I still fear failure, they are both inspiring and down to earth. TED talks are great too.
-My english and maths tutors who tutored me even though I was poor. The things they've taught me (mainly the conceptual approach) gave me a great foundation in the areas of relevant studies such as philosophy and maths.

Things I wished I did
-handled crippling anxiety a bit better
-did VCE Physics (and maybe Global Politics) because I may major in Physics
-put more effort into Chemistry (did very little study for the last 2/3 of the year, due to poor SAC marks, having 3 teachers and knowing that it was going to be my 6/7th subject. I got an ok score- below 40.). I'm not advocating for spending heaps of time on subjects that you hate or know that it's going to be a 5th or 6th, but at least invest some developing a foundation, understanding some key basic concepts etc. A subject can end up being useful to your future studies (such as is the case for me with Chemistry). Many Science students I know regret not taking maths seriously enough because of its application in the natural sciences. Many Politics+History students I know wished that they put for effort into maths because economics complement those disciplines.
-Developing a strong work ethic for subjects I didn't enjoy much so that I can still do well in them. Especially in uni, you'll may have to do subjects that you don't enjoy or are very badly taught. Since uni grades are measured in WAM your worst subjects will be weighted equally unlike VCE. 
-Explored and utilised visual learning techniques (mind-maps, diagrams, flowcharts). I'm currently experimenting with them.
-Did sport and exercise (completely neglected those two things during VCE)
-Seeking help from teachers and asking questions in class (I've always felt quite insecure about what I don't know even though it's always going to be much more than what I know)
-Put more effort into school debating. I didn't realise that I was going to spend but 10 hours a week on debating related activities (uni debating, personal practice +research and judging school debates)

Things I did but probably shouldn't have done

-Procrastinated a lot especially really close to exams. The stress was paralyzing to the point that I procrastinated.
-Regular all-nighters. I've haven't recovered from that cycle yet but I'm improving.

EDIT:nicer format  :)[/list]
Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
Post by: Joseph41 on March 02, 2017, 10:09:16 am
Well, I think I really should have used my diary...I used it at the start of the year but ditched it pretty quickly (mind you I did just opt to type things into a note on my laptop instead, but I really think I should have actually used my diary).
I also should have set aside actual times where I would do study/homework, not just do it at variable times, because then once you're in a routine it's so much easier to do day in, day out without much thought.
I think I also should have been more organised in terms of staying up to date with things like chem questions/using checkpoints - I'd smash out a lot, then leave it for ages and do nothing, then repeat the cycle, instead of just doing a steady amount on a regular basis.

So yeah, really should have been more consistent I guess? Would have made things easier and made for a few less late nights...but still, what I did in VCE doesn't keep me awake at night or anything, overall I'm very happy with how I approached the year :P

Ah, diaries are so useful! Do you plan to use one this year? (I recommend it, haha.)

Interesting what you're saying about the routine. So in hindsight, would have you created like, a proper study timetable, and then tried to stick to that rigidly?

Hmmm, the best thing imo is being part of a rad community, need I say more? :)
Things like being a survey panellist last year for a uni (who were looking for VCE kids at the time) (Seriously got so many freebies for doing one survey/month hahahahaha, not regretting that, at all :p) and indeed being part of a club which gave greater insight into the world of pharmaceuticals (run by Monash, obviously haha). :)

Hahaha yeah, I think you've summed it up; ATAR Notes is definitely a rad community. ;D

The survey panellist thing is pretty nifty. What did that entail?

I'm in year 11. Why does vce feel like such a torture and nightmare. Like seriously, so many sacs, exams,  feel so overwhelmed. And at the end of year 12, we get an atar an everyone judges us by that. And then there is scaling, the whole vce system is just horrible :(
Im in the same boat as you. Its torture.

Very honestly, I hated Year 11 but loved Year 12. Things can get better pretty quickly - I promise. :)

    Things I'm glad I did during VCE
    -Planning my study around 'to do' lists, so listing out tasks for the day such as 'watching videos, understanding and writing out notes for Spectroscopy for Chemistry' , it really provides more direction and breaks everything down
    -Focused on conceptual based learning like actually understanding the logic behind the content, as well as doing wider reading and researching. Not to the point of spending time on things that are irrelevant, but instead those that add more depth to your responses (like researching the cultural and historical landscape and literary critiques on novel in English) or helps you understand the content better (like proofs in maths like partial integration)
    -Being involved in a few extra-curriculars such as cello, social service, yearbook, debating, house activities
    -Researched and applied for overseas and interstate universities (I didn't end up accepting the overseas offers mainly because of financial reasons, although I wished I accepted ANU, but applying is still still a great experience. Don't be afraid to do things off the beaten track if you find a path/degree/uni that suits you, I feel like this forum has a habit of bringing down people who do so)
    -Developing mental strenght and grit (in the words of social psychologist Angela Lee-Duckworth) although I probably acquired such things earlier on through a difficult upbringing rather than VCE)
    -Watching Steve Jobs' Stanford commencement speech and JK Rowling Harvard one. Although I still fear failure, they are both inspiring and down to earth. TED talks are great too.
    -My english and maths tutors who tutored me even though I was poor. The things they've taught me (mainly the conceptual approach) gave me a great foundation in the areas of relevant studies such as philosophy and maths.

    Things I wished I did
    -handled crippling anxiety a bit better
    -did VCE Physics (and maybe Global Politics) because I may major in Physics
    -put more effort into Chemistry (did very little study for the last 2/3 of the year, due to poor SAC marks, having 3 teachers and knowing that it was going to be my 6/7th subject. I got an ok score- below 40.). I'm not advocating for spending heaps of time on subjects that you hate or know that it's going to be a 5th or 6th, but at least invest some developing a foundation, understanding some key basic concepts etc. A subject can end up being useful to your future studies (such as is the case for me with Chemistry). Many Science students I know regret not taking maths seriously enough because of its application in the natural sciences. Many Politics+History students I know wished that they put for effort into maths because economics complement those disciplines.
    -Developing a strong work ethic for subjects I didn't enjoy much so that I can still do well in them. Especially in uni, you'll may have to do subjects that you don't enjoy or are very badly taught. Since uni grades are measured in WAM your worst subjects will be weighted equally unlike VCE. 
    -Explored and utilised visual learning techniques (mind-maps, diagrams, flowcharts). I'm currently experimenting with them.
    -Did sport and exercise (completely neglected those two things during VCE)
    -Seeking help from teachers and asking questions in class (I've always felt quite insecure about what I don't know even though it's always going to be much more than what I know)
    -Put more effort into school debating. I didn't realise that I was going to spend but 10 hours a week on debating related activities (uni debating, personal practice +research and judging school debates)

    Things I did but probably shouldn't have done

    -Procrastinated a lot especially really close to exams. The stress was paralyzing to the point that I procrastinated.
    -Regular all-nighters. I've haven't recovered from that cycle yet but I'm improving.

    EDIT:nicer format  :)[/list]

    Wowee - amazing post, appleandbee!

    1. Straight up: how amazing are to-do lists? Hahaha. I just love them so much.
    2. "Don't be afraid to do things off the beaten track if you find a path/degree/uni that suits you" - absolutely love it. Great advice.
    3. Great perspective about what we know and what we don't. Asking questions is so important.

    Thank you so much. Incredible post. :)
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: K888 on March 02, 2017, 12:52:31 pm
    Ah, diaries are so useful! Do you plan to use one this year? (I recommend it, haha.)

    Interesting what you're saying about the routine. So in hindsight, would have you created like, a proper study timetable, and then tried to stick to that rigidly?
    Mm, yeah, I think so. Personally, the whole drawing up a timetable and sticking to it strictly isn't really my style but I think it definitely would have been worth a shot at least and I should have stuck to it for a while to really see if it worked for me.
    And yes, I'm using a diary this year! Really trying to use it. Need to work out a system that works for me with uni but I'm getting there :) I think it will be even more key this year because I no longer have teachers setting reminders about due dates, etc. and I really need to stay on top of my game.

    It's too late at night for me to post an appropriate reply but I will say if you need someone to talk to, feel free to send me a PM! Happy to chat about anything and help you guys :)
    Will post a reply to this tomorrow (if I find the time :P) & I'm sure there will be some words of wisdom from other users as well :)

    So, finally getting to my reply (and apologies in advance for the long post)- as Joseph41 said, and as is the case for a lot of people, year 11 is awful & year 12 is so much better! Definitely was the case for me. In year 11, I lacked that tangible outcome at the end which comes in year 12, which was something I really needed to motivate myself.
    Firstly (and this is easier said than done), you need to not stress about scaling and about how the whole VCE system works - you can't change it, so there's no point in worrying yourself sick about it - just focus yourself on doing the best that you can do. VCE really tests your ability to focus on your effort and block out what others are doing.

    Secondly, it helps to not go looking weeks and weeks ahead and think about all the SACs and everything you have coming up- sometimes, you just need to take it day by day, just look to what is next and prepare for that (just keep swimming, etc.) :) Don't stress about the exams to come - they are inevitable, so instead of worrying about how unprepared you might be, think about how it's an opportunity for you to learn as much as possible to impress the assessors, or for you to show off what you do know.

    Thirdly, stuff what anyone else says! What matters is what you think of your effort, that you are happy with yourself. People who judge you are narrow minded and you really shouldn't pay them any heed. Also tacking on to this because I suck at formatting replies- don't be afraid to make mistakes!!

    Also, I'd just like to say, try to remember that in year 11, what matters to VCAA is that you get an S, so you don't need to run yourself down by doing endless amounts of study to try and get the top grade (please don't take this as me condoning not putting effort in though :P). Make sure that you leave time for leisure and socialising, etc.
    Remember too that you're just at the start of VCE, and you will adjust to it. Everything is relative. I remember thinking before I started VCE "holy crap how am I gonna write an English essay in a SAC in 90 minutes?!" and "how on earth can I write 3 essays in 3 hours??" - very quickly, it became the norm, and by the end of year 12 I could easily write an essay within 50 minutes and finish an english exam within time too, without feeling overwhelmed.

    Try and live in the moment :) enjoy your friendships, use this chance to make mistakes and learn from them, and if you really are struggling - speak up!! Talk to a friend, a teacher, a counsellor, your GP, etc. Don't suffer in silence :)
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: sweetiepi on March 02, 2017, 01:39:17 pm
    The survey panellist thing is pretty nifty. What did that entail?

    It was mostly about providing input about what we wanted from open days, what ads were most appealing to us (fun fact: I'm one of about 300 who helped pick the design of the ads for a uni, thanks to this, haha) and just general study/what do you want to do/vtac stuff (nothing to personal/nosey, haha). I also got to test run a website and a messenger bot, because they wanted feedback from us, haha. :)
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: tashhhaaa on March 03, 2017, 06:00:25 pm
    it was cool to come back to this thread and read what I wrote almost a year ago, considering that if I wrote the post today it would be slightly different

    would recommend other contributors doing the same :p
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: Joseph41 on March 04, 2017, 11:21:21 am
    Mm, yeah, I think so. Personally, the whole drawing up a timetable and sticking to it strictly isn't really my style but I think it definitely would have been worth a shot at least and I should have stuck to it for a while to really see if it worked for me.
    And yes, I'm using a diary this year! Really trying to use it. Need to work out a system that works for me with uni but I'm getting there :) I think it will be even more key this year because I no longer have teachers setting reminders about due dates, etc. and I really need to stay on top of my game.

    Yeah, absolutely! And that's the other good thing about using a diary in VCE; it prepares you pretty nicely for uni (or whatever else - just life stuff haha). Let us know how it goes! ;D

    Quote from: K888
    Try and live in the moment :) enjoy your friendships, use this chance to make mistakes and learn from them, and if you really are struggling - speak up!! Talk to a friend, a teacher, a counsellor, your GP, etc. Don't suffer in silence :)

    Great advice.

    It was mostly about providing input about what we wanted from open days, what ads were most appealing to us (fun fact: I'm one of about 300 who helped pick the design of the ads for a uni, thanks to this, haha) and just general study/what do you want to do/vtac stuff (nothing to personal/nosey, haha). I also got to test run a website and a messenger bot, because they wanted feedback from us, haha. :)

    That's pretty cool! How did you get involved with that?

    it was cool to come back to this thread and read what I wrote almost a year ago, considering that if I wrote the post today it would be slightly different

    would recommend other contributors doing the same :p


    This is so good. ;D How do you think things would differ these days? :)

    (Nice to hear from you, by the way!)
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: tashhhaaa on March 05, 2017, 10:44:00 pm
    This is so good. ;D How do you think things would differ these days? :)

    (Nice to hear from you, by the way!)

    thanks! I haven't been on much lately

    I'd probably be easier on myself about English lol, I remember being disappointed for so long but it was my best mark (42). I was also upset about my ATAR, however it was a blessing in disguise since I don't think I'd have been happy with my original plans

    Also I don't care that I didn't give the UMAT a good go anymore, because if I prefer the idea of graduate professional degrees

    Would also focus more on my achievements rather than what went wrong
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: Joseph41 on March 08, 2017, 10:59:59 am
    thanks! I haven't been on much lately

    I'd probably be easier on myself about English lol, I remember being disappointed for so long but it was my best mark (42). I was also upset about my ATAR, however it was a blessing in disguise since I don't think I'd have been happy with my original plans

    Also I don't care that I didn't give the UMAT a good go anymore, because if I prefer the idea of graduate professional degrees

    Would also focus more on my achievements rather than what went wrong

    No worries - really good to see you. :)

    Super interesting what you say about the ATAR being a blessing in disguise; do you think its importance, overall, is overhyped?
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: NAT0003 on March 12, 2017, 11:50:21 am
    I'm in year 11
    Things i wish i did this year.
    Completing 1, or even 2 unit 3/4 studies,
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: Quantum44 on March 12, 2017, 12:11:45 pm
    I'm in year 11
    Things i wish i did this year.
    Completing 1, or even 2 unit 3/4 studies,

    What 3/4 subject/s do you wish you did? Is it too late to change?
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: NAT0003 on March 12, 2017, 12:19:09 pm
    What 3/4 subject/s do you wish you did? Is it too late to change?
    I honestly wished that I could do further 3/4 in year 11 this year without the 1/2, but I didn't meet the criteria to do unit 3/4 in year 11. And it's too late to change now that it's march
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: Quantum44 on March 12, 2017, 12:51:58 pm
    I honestly wished that I could do further 3/4 in year 11 this year without the 1/2, but I didn't meet the criteria to do unit 3/4 in year 11. And it's too late to change now that it's march

    Awww that sucks. I personally think it's bullshit that they have any criteria for doing a 3/4 subject in year 11. The school my cousin went to tried to deny him doing a 3/4 in year 11 because his grades were supposedly not good enough but he fought with the school for a long time and eventually won. Then he proceeded to get a 43 in business management which was the best score in year 11 for the subject so you clearly can't judge VCE results based on year 10 results.
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: Syndicate on March 12, 2017, 01:06:58 pm
    I honestly wished that I could do further 3/4 in year 11 this year without the 1/2, but I didn't meet the criteria to do unit 3/4 in year 11. And it's too late to change now that it's march

    You can always do six subjects in year 12  ;) (not that I recommend it- seriously... If you do go on doing a sixth subject in year 12, please do make sure you are on top of your things... like have a really good time management system, otherwise you will fall really behind).

    EDIT: grammar fix...
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: NAT0003 on March 12, 2017, 02:35:30 pm
    Awww that sucks. I personally think it's bullshit that they have any criteria for doing a 3/4 subject in year 11. The school my cousin went to tried to deny him doing a 3/4 in year 11 because his grades were supposedly not good enough but he fought with the school for a long time and eventually won. Then he proceeded to get a 43 in business management which was the best score in year 11 for the subject so you clearly can't judge VCE results based on year 10 results.
    You're right. Personally I think anyone should be able to do a 3/4 in year 11, or if not then 6 subjects in year 12 because they can maximise their atar with 6 subjects
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: NAT0003 on March 12, 2017, 02:36:27 pm
    You can always do six subjects in year 12  ;) (not that I recommend it- seriously... If you do go on doing a sixth subject in year 12, please do make sure you are on top of your things... like have a really good time management system, otherwise you will fall really behind).

    EDIT: grammar fix...
    Unfortunately my school doesn't allow 6 subjects in year 12, which is a pity considering that it is one of the top public schools in victoria
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: tashhhaaa on March 12, 2017, 11:32:16 pm
    No worries - really good to see you. :)

    Super interesting what you say about the ATAR being a blessing in disguise; do you think its importance, overall, is overhyped?

    aw thanks :)

    and no I don't, I still think it's very important in terms of opening a lot of doors if yours is 'good enough'. I have mixed feelings about the ATAR in terms of it being an indicator of performance at university though -- I know people who got ATARs far better than mine who have unfortunately failed multiple subjects at uni, but I also know people who received <20 and rightfully so because they wouldn't be able to cope with uni. However for every person like I just described, there's someone who's VCE didn't work out and they end up doing great things.

    The ATAR isn't everything imo as your mindset after finishing school/your determination to achieve your goals, not a number, will follow you forever. That's why I think a 99 ATAR is brilliant for someone who is self-motivated, but useless for someone who was pushed & prodded by their parents through school with little personal development or desire to achieve for themselves rather than to impress others.

    tl;dr: your strength of character is worth more than an ATAR, but a high ATAR is still worth a lot
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: NAT0003 on March 13, 2017, 05:04:11 pm
    Things I shouldn't be doing in vce currently
    spending excessive time on the computer
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: sweetiepi on March 13, 2017, 05:21:37 pm
    That's pretty cool! How did you get involved with that?
    To be honest, I can't even remember now, although I think it was advertised on Facebook and I thought it'd be cool and so on.

    Things I shouldn't be doing in vce currently
    spending excessive time on the computer
    It is a hard thing to get away from, especially if all your study is done on the computer! Have you checked out different ways to get off your computer/distracting sites? If not, I hear this and this, give some amazing little pointers*. :)

    *they mainly deal with procrastination though

    Edit: I obviously cannot type today, fixed the BBCode!
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: NAT0003 on March 13, 2017, 09:08:38 pm
    To be honest, I can't even remember now, although I think it was advertised on Facebook and I thought it'd be cool and so on.
    It is a hard thing to get away from, especially if all your study is done on the computer! Have you checked out different ways to get off your computer/distracting sites? If not, I hear this and this, give some amazing little pointers*. :)

    *they mainly deal with procrastination though

    Edit: I obviously cannot type today, fixed the BBCode!
    The computer is definitely hard to get away from, just need to stop being addicted or otherwise it's going to ruin my vce :(
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: Joseph41 on February 12, 2019, 10:28:53 am
    Bump so that the Class of 2018 (and others) can contribute! ;D
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: vceme on February 14, 2019, 12:45:45 pm
    Things I'm glad I did during VCE:
    -Make not burning out a priority
    -Keeping my notes/ flashcards
    -Doing my hobbies so I felt sane
    -Asked my teachers for help (and when I say I asked for help, I asked for HELP)

    Things I wish I did during VCE:
    -START STUDYING FOR EXAMS IN SEPTEMBER. ngl, my atar would be so much better off...
    -Cut down work hours (it was too much for me)

    Things I did but probably shouldn't have done during VCE:
    - sleep late (Sleeping is so CRUCIAL! Having that extra sleep makes a world of difference)
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: smamsmo22 on February 16, 2019, 01:08:32 am
    Things I'm glad I did

    Things I wish I did

    Things I did that I probably shouldn't have

    Could add plenty more but off the top of my head this will do :)
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: Joseph41 on November 14, 2020, 11:24:58 am
    Bumping for others to share their thoughts - even if exams haven't yet finished. :)
    Title: Re: 'Doing VCE' - the good, the bad, and the future
    Post by: The Cat In The Hat on November 14, 2020, 11:36:26 am
    Glad I did:
    - A 3/4 last year - even though my study score... left a lot to be desired (only two in my family did HHD, and the other one heids got a 50) I had more of an idea how things worked and how, if you don't work at the subject, you don't do well (thinking about it now I'm surprised I got the mark I did, given how little work I put into it); as a mark it was a waste of time, as experience it was useful.
    - Practise essays in English - also practise full exams, since I found doing the third essay really hard at first - whereas in the real exam it actually wasn't a problem with brain exhaustion, I reckon I did just as well/badly as I had the other ones.
    - Spent study time mostly somewhat productively
    - Read through textbooks and notes and things in the leadup to exams rather than making my own - reduced mental tiredness and also reduced procrastination, as I was able to say to myself, just read the book, you don't need to do anything, and it really helped me.

    Things I wish I did:
    - ...Studied in the first half of the year? (I had some issues so I couldn't study so much, but I could've studied more effectively during that time.)
    - Not as much cramming
    - Not worry so much about results!

    Things I did and probably shouldn't've:
    - Procrastinated (like writing this right now).
    - Get too little sleep at times.
    - Get distracted too easily.
    - Worry about ATAR/study score... like right now....  :-\