Advice needed

[Aviator_13]

I don't know where to post this but i just need some advice....I'm in year 12 and I've already received my results for the first Advanced English task and I have to say I did complete trash. I got 12/25 for the speech/presentation we had to do...which is less than 50 percent. Am I completely screwed? I really want to get an ATAR of around 98 or maybe even 99 but I'm afraid this is going to stop me. My Extension 1 and Extension 2 Maths marks weren't that great either (62% for Ext 2 and 67% for Ext 1). But I'm a bit more confident in maths so I think I'll be able to change that by the end of this year. Any feedback/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[owidjaja]

I don't know where to post this but i just need some advice....I'm in year 12 and I've already received my results for the first Advanced English task and I have to say I did complete trash. I got 12/25 for the speech/presentation we had to do...which is less than 50 percent. Am I completely screwed? I really want to get an ATAR of around 98 or maybe even 99 but I'm afraid this is going to stop me. My Extension 1 and Extension 2 Maths marks weren't that great either (62% for Ext 2 and 67% for Ext 1). But I'm a bit more confident in maths so I think I'll be able to change that by the end of this year. Any feedback/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hey there,

You're definitely not screwed! Remember, it is your first HSC task so the assessment weighting shouldn't be too heavy (like 50% weighting). While it can have a significant impact on your self-esteem, use it as motivation to work harder for your next assessment task. There's this atmosphere in Year 12 that you have to do well in all your assessment tasks or you're screwed, but that's not the case! View your next few assessment tasks as your next opportunity to improve. And trust me, you're not the only one struggling, especially with 3U/4U Math- these subjects are supposed to be hard so don't be too disheartened about your marks.

There are so many success stories here on ATAR Notes. Opengangs is a great example (I've linked you to his success story). Even I wasn't receiving the best marks in some of my subjects. In Trials, I received ~62% for 2U math and while I was feeling a bit down during that time, it didn't drag down my ATAR nor did it stop me from getting into the course I want!

I guess my point is, at this stage, you shouldn't be worried about being excluded from receiving a specific ATAR- Year 12 has just barely started. You'll just need to work hard.

Hope this helps!

[angewina_naguen]

I don't know where to post this but i just need some advice....I'm in year 12 and I've already received my results for the first Advanced English task and I have to say I did complete trash. I got 12/25 for the speech/presentation we had to do...which is less than 50 percent. Am I completely screwed? I really want to get an ATAR of around 98 or maybe even 99 but I'm afraid this is going to stop me. My Extension 1 and Extension 2 Maths marks weren't that great either (62% for Ext 2 and 67% for Ext 1). But I'm a bit more confident in maths so I think I'll be able to change that by the end of this year. Any feedback/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hey, Aviator_13!

As owidjaja has said, there is still plenty of time to recover and for your HSC goals, including the ATAR, to be attainable. I also agree in that the competitiveness of Year 12 may impact your perspectives on your performance but I would advise you not to worry too much yet on how your internals are going. With the right attitude and drive, you can accomplish greatness and overcome this dip in your academic study.

I have some advice specifically for English which I hope you will find helpful in one way or another. There are many ways you can tap into your result and find your next strategies for the subject  These are the best I think when it comes to a situation like yours.

- Review your feedback from the first assessment task. I was guilty of ignoring my feedback whenever I saw a mark that I was not satisfied with but I implore you to read over it and absorb it properly. Your feedback is the most important tool you can use to succeed in the HSC. Identify where your strengths and areas for improvement are and figure out what you personally should do to ensure you maximise your results in the next assessment. You could post it in AN's Marking and Feedback Thread if you need help in deciphering and reviewing your feedback. Just provide details on what the markers said and someone will be happy to help you out 

- Reread/rewatch your prescribed text before the holidays end and check out the rubric again. As you would revise your content in any other subject, refresh yourself with your Texts and Human Experiences text  and the rubric before you move on. See if you can identify any new techniques or concepts that you may wish to consider investing in for analysis in the near future. This can also help you understand your feedback better in reference to the rubric and allow you to draw greater links between your text and the common module.

- Touch up on your essay/creative writing and rewrite it with the feedback you received in mind. Rather than rewriting a whole new creative writing or essay, work with your existing one. Keep the parts that are strong and develop areas that need more attention. Once you have revised the text and your feedback, the shortcomings in your assessment will become more apparent and you will know how to tackle it this time. I know it may seem like a waste of time to redo the assessment in a way but it can be an important process to help you realise what you should do next time to improve.

- Bonus if you complete the above: Go ahead and start work for your next prescribed text/s. I know that a disheartening result can demotivate you but strive to transform it into an imperative for you to dedicate more time to English. Having a head start can be beneficial, especially when English is really fast-paced during the year. Whether it be reading the actual texts or going through Sparknotes summaries, having an overview of what you will be studying this coming term can put you at an advantage. If your text/s are available, I would also recommend John Green's Crash Course Literature videos and TED-ED's Reading Between the Lines series. They provide comprehensive and entertaining content that provide sophisticated and insightful interpretations of various texts. They were a study resource I highly relied on and was able to succeed with as a result.

My main advice is to be resilient. Times will get hard and may disappoint you during the HSC. What is most important to remember is that you can conquer anything and achieve your absolute best if you work hard and study smart  Good luck and let us know on the forum if you need any help! We will be glad to assist 

Angelina 

[meerae]

I don't know where to post this but i just need some advice....I'm in year 12 and I've already received my results for the first Advanced English task and I have to say I did complete trash. I got 12/25 for the speech/presentation we had to do...which is less than 50 percent. Am I completely screwed? I really want to get an ATAR of around 98 or maybe even 99 but I'm afraid this is going to stop me. My Extension 1 and Extension 2 Maths marks weren't that great either (62% for Ext 2 and 67% for Ext 1). But I'm a bit more confident in maths so I think I'll be able to change that by the end of this year. Any feedback/help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Hi Aviator_13!

While both people above me have practically covered everything, I thought I'd weigh in a little as well.

First off, your ATAR goal is still possible, if you work hard and put the effort in. I know that I almost failed my math half yearly (after failing the first task) last year and still managed to get a band 6. Resilience is really the key to the HSC - after my first English task, I cried for a couple days at how terrible the mark was, although these marks seem demotivating, you just have to use them as motivators for your upcoming tasks. Also, it's very possible to get a 99 ATAR with a band 5 (if we're looking at worse case scenarios).

Secondly, Angelina has gone through everything but I did want to add that English is very subjective, and the way to get full marks is to simply not make any mistakes in your writing. So, in that case, a band 6 response is showing their understanding to the marker in a way that is insightful with little to no errors. This is why its important to receive feedback from other people and read your work out loud in order to pinpoint any errors in your work.

Thirdly, your math marks are fine - what I found with maths is that your ranking/positioning is a lot more important than your mark. Currently for ext2 I am sitting on low 50s but am coming third, whereas for ext1 I'm sitting on high 60s and coming 1st. Although we shouldn't be thinking of scaling now, its important to realise that these marks will be adjusted at the end of the year (Especially if you believe you can pull them up)

Lastly, its never really recommended to do eng std if you can do eng adv as both courses are very similar - one just scales better. Also, you have this amazing community which is willing to help throughout the year, use us because we're all here to help

Hope this helped!
meerae

[kauac]

Hi...
Some awesome, awesome advice has already been said, but I just wanted to emphasise this about English:

English is a subject where you will continually but gradually develop your control of language and adaptability to questions. No one has perfected their writing skills at the start of HSC English. You have over three terms still to go - which is plenty of time for improvement. It is key to consistently practice and evaluate your own writing. As the year goes on, you will naturally become more competent and sophisticated at writing your essays and creative. You may seem a bit disappointed with your marks for your first assessment, but it isn't really going to impact your English results in the long run. Persevere, and it will definitely get easier!