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Author Topic: Wingdings' VCE Journal  (Read 22771 times)

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wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #30 on: August 28, 2021, 05:16:32 pm »
+8

Days until start of exams: 61

My last real year-12-style hell week starts in a few days. I really can't believe how fast this year has gone (wonder how time also slows down the second I open Living Lingo... hmm); although it's already my third time going through a full VCE year, it never seems true that the end could be so close. What a relief though, I can't wait to just empty my brain and bank account when exams are over. It's such a cliche but it really is kinda exhilarating to be so close to the end of high school- something we've given a pretty massive chunk of our lives to for 4 years. Better not get excited too early though, or my ATAR won't be any cause for celebration XD

In honour of the remaining 24 full days of year 12, here's a good ol' fashioned subject update:

Eng Lang



Ah, one of my dearly beloved top 4. Oh how sorely I miss the sweet embrace of discourse analysis every moment I'm away~ (I don't)
Tuesday holds my last ever (U4 AOS2) SAC: a comparative (?!?@?@!$#%!@%) AC focusing on individual and group identity. This is definitely a weird one; having asked my tutor (who is an assessor), comparatives apparently aren't examinable anywhere in the course. What is my school thinking? smh. Anyway, I still wrote a few practice pieces for this SAC just to get an idea of what my teacher wants because I don't want to drag GA2 through the mud, but I'd rather not spend too much more time on it.

I've properly started exam prep now too, so cheers to the procrastination monkey for, at long last, leaving me alone! VCAA 2012 was my first paper (don't ask why I chose VCAA 2012 okay) and it was surprisingly easy! Seems like all the time I spent targeting each section helped a lot as I actually didn't go overtime or anything, which was a huge surprise for a routine 2000-word-writer like me xd. The Eng Lang trial exam is also coming up on the last day of term, so hopefully everything keeps going as (suspiciously) smoothly as it has in the last while.

Methods



My class has almost finished content for the year, only the last bit of chapter 17 probability to go. I'm so happy to have pretty much the whole course under my belt by now! It feels crazily powerful somehow that I can now do full practice exams without going 0-0 at the sight of X~N(). Methods has been pretty much my favourite all year, so I really hope I can prepare myself well and snag some worthy exam marks.

The probability SAC was due to be in week 9 but has since been moved to the second day of term 4 (because Delta... why). I guess that's not all a bad thing; at least that gives me more time for Chem/Lang and more exam revision before my last assessment. Fingers crossed I'll make good use of my time and after plenty of exam papers, a single-topic SAC will be a piece of cake come next term.

Chemistry



Food chemistry has been a really pleasant surprise: having remembered almost all the crossover content from Bio and heard of most of the digestive processes, it's been a really cruisy area for me! A lot of questions almost just seem like common sense, especially the ones about GI (asking whether cake or veggies are healthier? xd). Aside from U4 AOS3, I definitely feel most secure with U3: all those organic questions throw me off sometimes and U4 feels much more intricate on the whole.

I haven't made as much progress on exam prep as I'd hoped: that practice I tried last time left my brain cell slightly harrowed so it's my only one so far. Over the last few days I've fully finished up on content though; although it's not much compared to *those* kids who start exam prep by term 2, but it's definitely still a relief. During Bio last year I only managed to cover the entire course by the end of September, so as far as I’m concerned it’s still... an improvement xd

As the school year starts to inch closer to its end, this is probably gonna be one of my last updates before next term or even exams. Freedom is so close I can almost taste it TT but anyway, best of luck to everyone for any remaining SACs and assessments. Hopefully I'll maintain the burst of worth ethic and motivation I've been having (Erik Satie vibes... mans had a daily inspiration session 10:23-11:47 am to stick to). Cheerio for now :)
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

lm21074

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #31 on: August 28, 2021, 05:51:10 pm »
+3
I love the GIFs (especially the chem one)!

I hope that your 'hell week' goes as well as it possibly can :)

Best of luck for the exam prep wingdings! You've got this.
2021: VCE
2022: Science / Arts @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #32 on: September 01, 2021, 10:14:28 am »
+3
I love the GIFs (especially the chem one)!

I hope that your 'hell week' goes as well as it possibly can :)

Best of luck for the exam prep wingdings! You've got this.

gasp LM?! Noticed me?! AHA thank you so much for the support though; best of luck for your last few assessments too! Demolish those papers and walk out of the room pumping the guns in bicep-kissing triumph (backed by battle victory music if possible). Keep going, you'll crush it (you'd better or else risk being imprisoned in a GIF for eternity) XD
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #33 on: September 03, 2021, 02:35:48 pm »
+8
Days until start of exams: 55

Hello hello! You may be wondering how I'm actually on time with this update. And to that my answer is: I am officially assessment-free for the term! I know I say this every term but what a relief it is to have the heavy, heavy burden of metabolic facts and individual identity analysis lighten for a minute.



My Tuesday, last ever Eng Lang SAC went quite swimmingly as a surprise! It was extremely annoying having to still hand write, scan, and upload my papers and the two texts we were given to compare analyse (the task was an AC) were a bit of an odd choice: a social media post and a TV interview addressing completely different topics. I actually managed three full pages in an hour, although I got so caught up annotating the text I forgot to do a plan (compulsory) until the last four minutes. Sigh at least the plan doesn't have any marks allocated, so hopefully those four dot points will suffice. xd

The next day, I had the U4 AOS2 Chemistry SAC. This one went all right but it wasn't optimal; not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't an iodine number question, stereoisomers that I thought were a part of AOS1, as well as practically nothing on hydrolysis (?!?!?!). There were quite a few easy marks in the multiple choice and I answered everything reasonably in terms of bonding so I really hope I secured at least 85%. Either way, at least a few very mediocre Bio SAC scores didn't ruin my 40+ chances so fingers crossed it's the same this year...

What is the chemistry of food?
Yesterday was my mum's birthday and I spent two hours assembling a Mont Blanc cake that my dad baked. Yes, the chestnut paste was ridiculously thick, yes my makeshift ziploc piping bag broke from the sheer viscosity, and yes I literally ate some of it by the spoonful (who would refuse a chef's treat?). It turned out looking a little like a pile of soba in the middle but I regret nothing. If only studying the hydrolysis of carbohydrates, triglycerides, and amino acids was as easy as well... doing it.
Here's a picture for your eyes to savour ;D:

Doing Bruce Bogtrotter proud
UCAT percentiles
In other news, after a month of anticipation, UCAT prelim stats finally appeared a few days ago! When I glimpsed that fateful PDF, our friend the CAS practically lept into my hands. Teachers everywhere must be basking in the ultimate I-told-you-so moment right now as it proves Methods actually does have real-life applications. Several erroneous typings from my fat sausage fingers later, I arrived at an answer.

Percentile estimate
94.6910~95%ile
Even though I got the Z-score wrong twice, I can't believe I might actually get through to MMIs. An opportunity to study medicine is actually within reach?!? It really feels like a dream but I shouldn't lose sight of how important ATAR is now: I must! not! slack off! All we can do is remember that only the last and maybe hardest quarter of the year remains now, so it is crucial to stay on track.

Anyways, I shouldn't really be babbling on ATARNotes instead of studying much more >.<
Happy Friday as always, and hope everybody has a good weekend! :)
« Last Edit: September 03, 2021, 03:45:06 pm by wingdings2791 »
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

Marylen

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #34 on: September 05, 2021, 07:41:42 pm »
+4
My reaction is akin to Kevin's when I see a journal update from the honourable WingDings:

Who needs a calendar when Windings is in the house?

I am so jelly that you are free of SACS for this term! I still have two sacs left - two for accounting and our poster sac for chem! I'm totally licking my lips whilst gazing hungrily at that Mont Blanc cake. Is it odd for me to think that I don't see the soba resemblance of the paste but instead, see cooked spaghetti bolognaise without the tomato sauce?... And late congrats for your super impressive results! Your UCAT score looks so impressive im confident that youll be getting into med. I'll be throwing a covid safe riot if youre not invited to the mmis. 🩺

PS: I love the sheer motivation in your posts. I can feel it oozing through the screen, slapping my face and giving me a solemn reminder to study instead of going onto atarnotes! (not afraid to admit that im a master porcrastinator)

- Mary ❣
Marylen's VCE journal

2020:
Psych: 40
Further Maths: 39

2021:
Methods, Accounting, English & Chemistry

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #35 on: September 08, 2021, 10:53:11 am »
+5
Marylen
MARY!! As a pretty seasoned Office watcher, my eyes water with respect for you (much to the chagrin of the rest of the branch)  ;D Thank you so much though, I really do appreciate your reply. I must concede, I could not resist re-enacting this moment as I opened the Lindt container yesterday xd

Sir Mont Blanc says hi. I definitely see the spaghetti now (dedformed don't be upsetti) but as our lord Joey once said:
Our dear sir is like my U4 AOS1 shrine now- glucose, fructose, sucrose, high GI, triglycerides? He's the complete package. He wants you to know that every day from his humble dwelling on the third shelf of the fridge, he is cheering you on. Keep pushing, I know you can get through this! I believe in you <3
Huh, what?! Another update? But it's only been a few days! I know, but I couldn't resist! What else am I meant to do, study? How do you do that?
It definitely feels like we're inching into the most turbulent part of the year now: the last bit of Chem content was finished in class today, so the study periods are filling up my schedule like crazy. (I just realised how contradictory that sounds but... anything to maintain the illusion right...) It's so strange to practically already be on SWOTVAC at the end of term 3! As a result of not having classes, I've started listening to music 24/7 (huh as if I didn't already spend at least four hours a day shouting WHAT?! thinking I heard my name). I know it's supposed to be bad for studying, but Mariah Carey screaming OH WHEN YOU WALK BY EVERY NIGHT~ TALKIN' SWEET AND LOOKIN' FINE~ through my headphones just makes those dry, dry Methods exercises way more fun.

Also, I'm getting my first dose of Pfizer today! I called the hotline a grand total of 123 times on Monday and luckily managed to move my appointment forward by two and a half weeks. I'm really glad to be getting it; definitely provides peace of mind for exams, especially since I avoid visiting even essential stores if I can for fear of them turning into exposure sites. My parents are already fully vaccinated, so after I'm done my brother will be more protected as well (he's too young to get the jab).

VTAC update
After talking to the careers counselor this week (ahem making her give my small brain a complete rundown of the VTAC system and application process), I think I finally get the whole ordeal a lot more. Submitted SEAS and have filled in the rest of my course list. Here's my new list:

Spoiler
1. Medicine - School Leaver Entry (Monash University, Clayton)
2. Biomedicine (University Of Melbourne (The), Parkville)
3. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) (Monash University, Clayton)
4. Biomedicine/Optometry (University Of Melbourne (The), Parkville)
5. Biomedicine/Dental Surgery (University Of Melbourne (The), Parkville)
6. Biomedical Science (Monash University, Clayton)
7. Science (University Of Melbourne (The), Parkville)
8. Science/Biomedical Science (Monash University, Clayton) (CSP Bachelor Degree)
I know that lots people who want to do med put down at least all three Monash options, but I don't really want to move away from home early on. It's just so expensive and would make it a million times harder to balance everything, so I think I could avoid that by just living at home throughout uni (I'm really lucky to have short commute either way- 15 minute bus ride to Monash, half an hour on the train for Melbourne). Also, spending so much time away from family seems pretty daunting and with the constantly changing COVID situation, even if I miraculously got into med bonded or interstate, I don't think I'd realistically be able to accept. Melbourne Biomed is definitely my most preferred if I don't make med; there's a scheme that guarantees a place in post-grad audiology if you can maintain a 75+ average throughout undergrad. I think it could be a good option as there's also the GAMSAT and other masters degrees if I change my mind, whereas getting into post-grad med in Monash seems much more complicated. I'm pretty happy with these preferences so I don't think I'll make many more changes, maybe aside from shuffling around the bottom ones a bit.

Subject updates
In 50 days, I cannot wait to be finished with Eng Lang once and for all. My tutor expects me to get 45+, which is definitely reassuring but those are some big shoes to fill... and I'm afraid of having rather small feet. Two full practice exams down, I feel like my biggest challenge is still time pressure: it's so hard to finish on time when there aren't time restrictions on each section. Someone tell me how not to think just one more sentence until another half an hour has gone by. I suppose you'll never have enough time to cover everything you want to so it's just a matter of picking and choosing.

Methods is my hope, pride, joy, and only inspiration nowadays. Not sure why but Methods exams are just 10,000,000 times easier than Eng Lang and Chem. So many marks require so little work; Find the derivative of y is no match for Identify the social purpose of the text. Our school purchased around 50 commercial sets and so far I've gotten through 2016-2017 for Insight and Heffernan, as well as a couple early VCAA ones too. I never thought I'd say this, but the more familiar I become with Methods, the more I prefer tech able over tech free. The CAS, although an absolute pain in the !@# sometimes, just saves so much time and gives me peace of mind with dumb mistakes. Chemistry hahaha... is just not my friend. I feel a bit guilty about it, having TSFX and everything, but this subject has been so slack recently. I'm so demotivated for it, and not sure why since I thought it'd be an easy subject because of its similarity to Bio. After a slightly disappointing experience with the most recent SAC, Heinemann 2 has sat all alone untouched on my desk for a week already. sigh I really need to pick myself back up and learn titrations and fuels, or else suffer in 62 days.

Even though I'm meant to be working harder and using the extra time to my advantage, I can't wait for the holidays. Yes, classes have practically finished for me, but I don't know, it's a mental shift that happens when school finishes. I'm really hoping I can just channel pure motivation and dedication in those two weeks because they really can impact your performance; although I'm happy with how I did in Bio last year, I slacked off near the end and was disappointed when the exam tested mostly my unconfident areas. Hopefully this journal will keep me accountable as I really can't afford any more excuses and procrastination.

Whew! Wishing all fellow year 12s a very cruisy time through the rest of our last-ever term 3! Stay safe, work hard, and be sure to rest as well. :)
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #36 on: September 16, 2021, 11:04:05 pm »
+3
Days until start of exams: 42

Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of 10:44 pm procrastination!

After being hit with a bout of inspiration seeing everyone's journal updates, I'm just popping in to declare that I haven't died yet as I'm too tired to do the rest of the Eng Lang work I said I'd do before bed. Oh well...

The past week has technically been an easy one for me, since I finished up on SACs for the term quite a while ago now: only two left to go, both in week 1 when school goes back. However, with my Eng Lang trial exam tomorrow, I have been frantically trying to improve my exam-taking skills since Sunday. Although the paper (which is the 2021 VATE one) was released to the cohort on Monday, I planned to do it tomorrow since I didn't feel ready yet. I wanted to replicate exam conditions, especially since this is my only chance to have a full paper externally marked, so I did not one, not two, but three entire timed practice exams this week to practice for a practice exam. To be completely honest, I'm shocked that I even could get through it- heck, at the start of the year, writing an AC meant slaving away and spending all day trying to scrape together two coherent body paragraphs. I really can't believe that in six weeks time, I'll never have to think about social purpose or register ever ever again- as cliche as it is, VCE is a marathon, but it's quickly turning into the final sprint...

Anyways, my brain cell is close to losing its grammatical sense and I really should sleep early in preparation for my 'exam' tomorrow morning, so I won't ramble on much more (of course, for now that is... I wouldn't ever deprive y'all of my genius duh). I seriously can't wait to just immediately migrate to the couch and binge watch/eat the minute I submit it T^T

Happy (almost) start of holidays my friends, and I'll update again, more conclusively, soon~
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #37 on: September 21, 2021, 10:25:51 pm »
+4
Days until start of exams: 37



Just like that, the holidays are already underway. It doesn't even feel like five days already since I last updated?! At this rate, before I know it I'll be middle aged xd

Last Friday was the 2021 VATE Eng Lang trial exam and actually: it went all right? It felt kind of daunting at first but once I sat down I got right into it. Scanning over the section A and B texts during reading time, I was a little scared since they seemed a little dry (mostly that AC material- what on earth could be more analyse-able than 'kitchens with long walls' right) but think I managed to make the most of it. I went with the Australian English/identity prompt for the essay, which I won't say was a hot mess on the whole, but my intro certainly was. On the whole, it could've been a bit better but I think I'm happy with it. Why do I think about this paper so much after submitting it?? It counts for a fat 0% of my study score yet I treat it with more importance than my SACs. Alas, someone please straighten my priorities ;-;

I'm trying to commit to a quite ambitious amount of work before term 4. In the past, I've never been able to stick to my plans for the whole holidays so HOPEFULLY this will be the year that I finally prove that I do indeed have discipline. Procrastination monkey, if you're listening, you're facing eviction soon! I quake in my boots every time I see the amount of days left (7 weeks until no VCE ever again...?!?!??!) and then I feel like time is slipping away every minute I'm not studying. Then why am I starting American Vandal on Netflix and writing this journal update you ask? Sigh... it's time to get it together, wingdings!!!

A list of everything I want to do during the holidays:
- Get out of bed by 8 every morning (we all know this isn't happening but still)
- Exercise (even less likely but... it's the thought that counts ok?!)
- Eng Lang 2015-2018 VCAA exams
- Methods 2009-2015 VCAA, rest of MAV exams
- Chemistry 2014-2017 VCAA, TSFX/Lisachem exams
- Revise fuels/titrations content for Chem
- Write at least two identity essays under timed conditions
- Cut down Eng Lang exam times to 1h 55m
- Make a practice report for U4 AOS3 Chem SAC

peSANte, or pesant?
On another note, I thought I would share some of my favourite study albums! I prefer classical above all when doing work because it's so calming. Not sure if it's an unpopular opinion but I like cello much, much more than violin; although I still like violin, cello is just so resonant and rich (maybe some of those violin cadenzas sound a little like... mosquitoes... sorry Paganini I said nothing), I love the sound so much. Fun fact: I was supposed to be a cello player but my parents enrolled me in piano first because it's easier for a little kid to pick up at first. Then I just never transferred :D
Anyway, enough rambling. Here they are:
Cello Music from Proust's Salons
Après un rêve (Mischa Maisky)
Johann Sebastian Bach (Víkingur Ólafsson)
Franck, Grieg, and Dvorak: Sonatas for Violin and Piano (Renaud Capuçon)
Suite from Where the Rainbow Ends (Quilter, Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra) (definitely didn't steal this from AMEB grade 5 book)
By Request (Renée Fleming)
Also I'm getting my second vaccine dose next week, which I'm not extremely eager for since it's meant to be the killer when it comes to symptoms. Still glad as I'll be fully immunised before going back to school! I'm not even sure how much I'll be going to school to be honest; since classes have effectively wrapped already, is it even worth the effort just to sit in the library for 'independent revision'? :o Ah, I suppose I'll have to drag myself in since the GAT and I do want to see my friends again. Life feels a little dry nowadays; although it's not like I wouldn't still be a homebody if the pandemic never happened, I still want to option to leave the house sometimes :-(

Who's always talking about studying but never really studying? Anyway, I really hope that exam prep won't be too rocky a road from here on out; after all, med is my goal, and I won't get there if I don't work for it. If I can't find motivation, I've just got to suck it up and stop posting on ATARNotes!

Hope everybody has a good holidays filled with both rest and productivity. Now stop reading this and get back to work! (jks xd but no really)
« Last Edit: September 21, 2021, 10:28:09 pm by wingdings2791 »
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #38 on: September 30, 2021, 11:57:40 am »
+5
Days until start of exams: 28

Hiya everybody! Your one and only, double-vaxxed without symptoms, absolute favourite procrastinator back here in an attempt to escape from marking practice exams (which is somehow even more dreadful than doing them...)

I hope everyone's had a great holidays so far. The days fly by so quickly, I can't believe there's less than a week until school goes back. It feels kind of surreal actually having to put on the uniform and haul myself there (and by that I mean sit my licence-less butt in the car, get driven, and still manage to complain) after such a long time away. One thing that's been a huge annoyance is that I didn't go to school on the day that lockdown was announced, hence leaving half of my Chem resources, all the ACs and essays I've written in a year, and my scientific calculator in my locker, so I sure am looking forward to sweet reprieve >.<

With less than a month until the beginning of the final boss fight, I think I've made decent progress in the last week or so. As a pre-emptive way to make up for the inevitable second-week slack, I set out to do two practice exams a day for the first half, leaving me now with mostly easy but rather uninspiring tasks such as editing essays, going over content, making flashcards etc. To my own surprise, I've so far successfully resisted the urge to succumb to the grip of Netflix during study sessions (s.o to Marylen for staying so disciplined in spite of Squid Game and motivating me to do the same!); definitely reassuring to know that I'll never again have to exercise that self-control after November 9th xd

Holiday progress:
- Got out of bed by 8:30 every day and 8:30 is basically 8:00 say I'm right say it
- Actually did exercise?! I picked up HIIT workouts (youtube of course xd) and they're actually not too awful
- Eng Lang 2012-2016 VCAA and 2013 VATE
- Chemistry 2013-2015 VCAA (lol really thought I was going to do 10 exams...)
- Titrations content revision (yay)
- Methods 2009-2013 VCAA, 2018-2019 MAV
- Practice report for U4 AOS3 Chem SAC

Haven't finished:
- Two identity essays (sigh)
- Fuels content revision (loud sigh)
- Cut down Eng Lang exam times
- Methods company exams
- Two more Eng Lang and Chemistry exams each



Eng Lang
I wanted to do about 8 exams this holidays, and it looks like I can get there but I kind of doubt how much my Eng Lang study actually works. Especially since my tutor advised me to pick U4-based essays, I feel like I'm almost getting to the copy/paste point, which is meant to be good, but I can't shake the feeling that I've stagnated in quality. The absolute worst thing ever about wordy subjects is that it's so hard to self mark; aside from short answer questions, giving realistic marks for section B and C is next to impossible, and my tutor only has so much time after all. My consistent exam time of 2h 20m is not looking particularly nice at this point either; although I usually don't include reading time (sniff do I smell lazy), 20 whole minutes over just to finish the whole exam seems... a little shaky. I seriously need to take care of the time issue soon or else suffer in 4 weeks (4 weeks?!) ;-;

Methods
My love Methods. I've focused on Methods revision in the last month so much that I used up my CAS batteries again in a few weeks (compared to three terms last year... ahem...) and I'm starting to feel good about the exam. My times are down to ~40 minutes for exam 1 and ~1h 40m for exam 2, averaging around 110-115/120. Honestly the papers are starting to get repetitive and I keep sitting down to a practice exam thinking 'seriously? This again?', but the thought of the real exam still absolutely petrifies me. Those silly mistakes still bother me so much; I'll sometimes be forced to lose an entire mark because of one incorrect sign, or a 2 that somehow became a 5. I need to figure out a way to stop my brain from processing exactly the same, mistake-ridden way when I check my answers but I would say Methods is definitely my most confident subject at this point.

Chemistry
If only I could reach my flashpoint in order to auto-ignite and spontaneously combust, I'd be free from the wrath of rinsing techniques and IUPAC naming forever. xd believe it or not, I don't hate Chem as much as I dramatically proclaim in every single post; some of the content is actually pretty interesting (I love zwitterions), but the sheer load is just... so hard to keep up with. I feel like even the multiple choice questions require knowledge of so. many. concepts and multi-step calculations, whereas with Bio you could usually rule out half the options with just a glance of the question. I know good study should consist of practice exams, practice exams, and more practice exams (parallelism, listing, repetition, and the adjectival intensifier 'more' to create emphasis) but I'm not even caught up with all the content. I feel like I've let down Chemistry so much this year, especially considering that I have TSFX, so hopefully I'll be able to take a U-turn and not let all of that tutoring go to waste.


Ah, thanks for once again tuning into my rambling session. I know I complain a lot, so I hope this doesn't sour everyone's mood! Please stay safe and stay strong; the light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and closer and soon we'll reap the rewards of a hard year's effort. Until next time, take care, rest up, and have a wonderful return to school~
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #39 on: October 04, 2021, 03:02:45 pm »
+7


Days until start of exams: 24

It's the first day of term 4! It's pouring like crazy right now and I'm just dropping in for a quick update before my last class for the day. The effective SWOTVAC is basically just continuing, and nothing feels much different than holidays honestly. I've had kind of a slow day so far, just doing some multiple choice questions, marking practice papers, lightly reviewing some content. It's nice to step back from studying like my life depends on it, even during exam prep.

I got my Eng Lang VATE trial exam back today and am honestly quite shocked, in both ways: I thought I'd just breezed through the short answer but the AC and essay came as a pretty big surprise:

results
Section A: 11/15
Section B: 27/30
Section C: 29/30
It's funny too, because apparently our cohort had performed quite well in short answer but not as much in the latter sections? (non-standard use of question mark as a hedging device, indicating uncertainty through an implied HRT) I'd always thought of section A as my area of confidence, which I could simply sweep through collecting marks, so it looks like I'll have to work a little harder on my short answer technique. I didn't think I'd ever be able to get more than 22-23 on section B and C; I'm so shocked, I don't know whether to be more confident, or more doubtful. I'm very happy with the results overall; although I could've done better with section A, I'd be overjoyed if I could replicate anything like this on the real thing.

GAT tomorrow. SACs for two days after. Methods trial exam on Friday. I'm daunted by them all, even the GAT this time around because I've heard there is a spooky consistent correlation between GAT scores and real study scores (that predicted raw 32 in English from last year isn't looking too juicy...). That being said, I am happy to finally start getting everything over and done with; what I get is what I get. Seeing as the assessments I've got aren't even heavily weighted, I'll try and just let the pre-emptive score calculations and overthinking go.

And that's all from me for now. Good luck if you're doing the GAT tomorrow, and with any final SACs and assessments coming up. Have a break, have a kitkat, and keep at it :)
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

dedformed

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #40 on: October 11, 2021, 08:54:10 pm »
+3
scrolling a bit on AN today and finally binge read this up to date. WEE HAWW WE GOT ALMOST THE SAME SCORE FOR THE VATE EXAM. Twins idk yaaay ( <-- attempt at closing social distance and building in group membership. Use of phonological patterning to lower register, emulate real life speech and build social proximity.

I love your journal and the little gifs on top of the timer. I recently followed someone with the same username as you on Instagram, but turns out it was just a namesake. So that was awkward. But putting this here for future record: thank you for our conversations and good luck!

Not gonna comment on the KitKat sponsorship secret coded into the GAT greeting.

- Cantalope
Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy's Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota
VCE 2021 - ATAR 98.85
my vce journal!

offering tutoring for English Language 3&4;)

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #41 on: October 12, 2021, 09:10:11 pm »
+5
dedformed
scrolling a bit on AN today and finally binge read this up to date. WEE HAWW WE GOT ALMOST THE SAME SCORE FOR THE VATE EXAM. Twins idk yaaay ( <-- attempt at closing social distance and building in group membership. Use of phonological patterning to lower register, emulate real life speech and build social proximity.

I love your journal and the little gifs on top of the timer. I recently followed someone with the same username as you on Instagram, but turns out it was just a namesake. So that was awkward. But putting this here for future record: thank you for our conversations and good luck!

Not gonna comment on the KitKat sponsorship secret coded into the GAT greeting.

- Cantalope

HEEE WAWWW go Penelope!! I really appreciate your use of non-standard orthography to compensate for the lack of prosody in the written mode, successfully reducing social distance between interlocutors, building rapport, and promoting a sociable individual identity.

Alas, as much as chocolate is a cornerstone in my life, I can only dream of being sponsored by kitkat (or dare I say... the kitGAT). On a recent expedition to Coles I secured my pre-exam rations, so hopefully kitkat will finally acknowledge my love and loyalty when they see the tsunami of wrappers erupting out of my pockets. Exam prep sure is like having your fortieth bar, so why not make it forty one (or two... or three) right?

Not gonna comment on that username (are you REALLY sure it wasn't me? ??? jks)
Days until start of exams: 16

A day overdue for my update. Maybe it's because I ate an apple yesterday, keeping the doctor away (yeah... I wish ;-;)

I finished SACs forever last week and they were both all right. All the questions on the Methods SAC were super standard, and the data given for the Chem AOS3 SAC actually wasn't too bad so... fingers crossed they went well. The GAT wasn't too bad either; I spent forever writing the essays which are honestly kind of a gamble (still wondering how that... story about a Martian radio broadcast... in 2019 scored 10 marks higher than what I thought was a soundly presented body of information last year). The maths/science questions were eh. I'm afraid I cannot speak on the camels.

The end of school
Starting on Thursday, I'm staying at home completely as a precaution for exams. I just don't want to risk having to isolate into exam period; after an entire year of effort towards this, I honestly think I'd faint if that really happened.

I cleared out my locker today. Piano sheets I photocopied from when I used to practice at school, old SAC papers, notes from my friends, the lab coat that's resided there for a year. Coming back to that locker after lockdown was so strange; everything still exactly how I'd left it in July, littered with AOS1 papers. It was like digging up some sort of three-month time capsule. It's funny how much happens in a year; sometimes I feel like an old lady reminiscing on her youth when in fact a year is a huge percentage of my whole life.

I can't believe tomorrow is my last day of high school. It's really going to be over, forever. I'm never going to check compass for the billionth time in a day to see whether I have Chem or Methods again. I'll never spend another dreadful hour counting down the minutes to 3:20, or think about strategies of spoken discourse, or scroll through the VCE subreddit with my friends, or probably even play piano in public ever again. It feels strange, but still I'm glad.

Studying
I think I might be slowly beginning to get there. Things are starting to look familiar from paper to paper, which is reassuring, but I've definitely still got some ground left to cover. Time is still presenting just a wee bit of a challenge for Eng Lang, so with only two weeks on the clock I really, really have to stop finishing 20 minutes too late. I'm going for a section A, section C, section B approach so that if I actually run out of time during the exam, at least I didn't leave a question blank or an essay unconcluded.

Remaining exam prep:
   - 7 Chem practice exams
   - 8 sets of Methods practice exams
   - 8 Eng Lang exams
   - At least 3 timed Eng Lang section Bs
   - Revise redox titrations, scientific method, HPLC, protein structure (seriously? after Bio??)
   - Methods bound reference (help)

I especially need to get started on my bound reference, I've certainly put it off for way too long and it sounds stupid but I'm not even sure what to put on it. Do I just write down the really niche terminology that appears in a corner of the textbook? The entire textbook's worth of content? CAS shortcuts? Admittedly, for all my SACs this year I just chose not to make one because I thought 'oh the formula sheet's already there', 'if I need to look at the reference, that just means I didn't study enough', or 'I'd rather be doing practice questions'. I've always heard that for most people, the bound reference really is just a safety blanket. It's there more for reassurance and worst case scenarios than as an important information source. Hopefully I'll scrape something together soon because otherwise I won't even have my blankie when worst comes to worst : [

Anyways, I realise this is getting pretty long (if only I'd write Eng Lang essays instead of this...) xd. Thank you for making it this far, I can't imagine that it's that entertaining. I hope everyone finds a last burst of determination in them and gives it their all for the final stretch.


A song from my favourite U2 to end the update- because we really are Faraway, So Close!
Until next time~
« Last Edit: October 13, 2021, 09:52:39 am by wingdings2791 »
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #42 on: October 19, 2021, 08:43:56 pm »
+5

Days until start of exams: 9

Hello and greetings from your favourite dingbat font~ ;D

As the countdown enters the single-digit territory, so does the number of brain cells that are still in my skull. I vividly remember being obsessed with Andy Griffiths in primary school; in my eyes, Just Crazy! was a piece of literature surpassed by none, and I remember once reading that his favourite word as a kid was 'doom'. It does make sense; from plastering across skeleton cartoons to complaining about vegetables, 'doom' fits the bill for humour. Now I only wish I could laugh at the doom that looms in what is essentially a week.

It's crazy that this is probably the last post I'll make before exams. The next time I'm back here, typing at the dining table which I've written this entire journal from, I'll already have sat down at and gotten up from a plastic desk in the gym more than once. 7 hours and 30 minutes, sampling a small proportion of all the knowledge we've worked for a year to accumulate. It really does feel surreal.

I have no clue where I stand in my readiness for the 28th of October; exam prep is just repetitive by now and I can't help but start to lose steam. At the most crucial moment, the darkest hour of VCE, how could I lose sight of the end goal? Day by day, I still do the work, trudge through the practice exams, begrudgingly mark my own essays, but I sometimes wonder whether it makes a difference. It really is quite funny how I'm always saying that time slips away like sand through my fingers, yet sometimes apathetically act as if there's no more to be done.

My last VCE to-do list:
- Eng Lang VATE 2017-2020
- Chemistry 2020 VCAA, 2021 NHT, 2021 Lisachem
- Methods 2018-2020 VCAA, 2021 NHT

I'm not sure what I'll do when I come home from each exam. Last year, I full on celebrated and went out with my mum as soon as Biology was over (and by 'celebrate' I mean eating 4 times, and walking 17,000 steps, and coming home at 10 pm...), which clearly isn't viable this year. Should I start studying again the same night? It's kind of a dilemma; hammering more Chemistry facts into my post-exam brain seems like a shaky move, but the fear of compromising my marks is unrelenting. To be honest, it's what's kept me mostly on track through all of exam prep. I'll probably just see how dead I am after each treacherous trial, and whether I'll be able to hear anything without it going out the other ear.

As we continue to inch soberingly close to the finish line, I want to wish everyone the best of luck, whether you're doing your first or last 3/4s ever. If you've made it this far, you will undoubtedly be able to cover the distance that remains. Know that you've done all that you could, and give it your best shot. :)

ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #43 on: November 03, 2021, 04:52:12 pm »
+8
Sitting in my stiff plastic chair in the deathly quiet exam hall, I flipped through Methods exam 1 during reading time thinking pfft. Really? and oh thank god. Trying to differentiate expressions in my head. Smiling at the idea of donuts, thinking about Krispy Kremes. Perusing question 9, having a eureka moment.

Then I realised it slipped me.

\(q \neq 0\)

I literally have sworn to myself to never, ever skip out on domain and range. Made a point to underline restrictions in my practice exams. Did that for earlier questions in the exam. Now I've lost the entire separator question. Someone as imprecise as me couldn't just luck out on high accuracy for the rest of the paper either. I don't know what I'm going to do.

Anyway, I know I'm being dramatic but this honestly is so disappointing. The music written exam last year was worth 20%, practically the same weighting as this 22% exam, yet I treated it like a joke while I kick myself over today's performance. My strongest subject all year; now maybe doomed to the bottom. It doesn't even make much of an impact on my ATAR whether I get a 20 or a 50 in Methods but I just cannot believe how hard I let myself down. I know it doesn't help to dwell on what can't be changed but I admit I'm still hung up on what I wrote.

For the rest of the day, I guess all I can do is prepare for tomorrow; after all, it is the more important exam. Hopefully it'll go a little better than today; from smiling to myself as the invigilators took my error-riddled paper to regretting all the confidence I ever had in maths, I just want to set this straight. My bound reference is multi-coloured, 20 pages long, finished. 18 sets of practice exams complete. It's not the sort of incredible achievement that is ubiquitous on AN, but I did try. And now I talk about it as if it's already over when almost half of my study score is still in the air.

~So take a look at me now, oh there's just an empty space~
~And there's nothin' left here to remind me
Just the memory of positive face


Much more encouragingly, Eng Lang went very well. I'm happy with everything I wrote; finishing the short answer in 15 minutes, a slightly lengthy AC that I felt covered most important points, a fairly solid, fairly long essay that I made sure to link back to the topic every few sentences. During reading time, I was a little panicked, thoughts in some kind of jumbled amalgamation of social purposes and registers, struggling to pick an essay topic, so overall I would say I am satisfied with how I did.

I wasn't going to update until the end of exams but of course, felt that a pity party was absolutely necessary. I'm sorry for dampening the ecstasy of being free from yet another assessment; just want to grumble and gripe sometimes. Wishing everyone the best of luck with exam 2 as well as any other exams that remain. You've got this. :)
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash

wingdings2791

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Re: Wingdings' VCE Journal
« Reply #44 on: December 14, 2021, 10:00:31 am »
+7
The aftermath update

Hi again AN. More than a month has passed since exams ended for me with Chemistry on the 9th of November, so here I am, back to write a last update before tens of thousands of tortured students open their emails and apps to the most coveted numbers of the whole year.

Everything is finished. VCE is over. The class of 2021 will never study for a SAC, sit another nail-biting Methods exam, or maybe even undertake a test as significant ever again. There are 17 days left in the year. Less than two weeks until Christmas. 46 hours until results. As blueycan said, it's hard to believe that we won't be returning to school in the same cyclic way that grounds every year. We are actually leaving childhood, which seems too long awaited and too soon at the same time.

My exams went all right. I was very happy with Eng Lang initially, but increasingly less so as time goes on. Methods: eh. Chemistry was a real disappointment; the exam was simply nothing like the ones I've seen before and I just wrote some random things, hoping for the best as my hand just kind of scrawled autonomously. Not totally horrible but I wish things went differently. After sitting the papers each day, I scrutinised the suggested answers, exam discussion pages, and score prediction threads just like I promised myself I wouldn't. Bemoaned every lost mark even though it wasn't about to get me a higher ss. I don't want to dwell on what has already happened too much but it didn't go the way I expected.

HOWEVER, life is not all about VCE and it is time for a jest.

Since exams ended:
1) I found a job... or two... or three. Started in retail last Thursday and am teaching piano to two little girls. I had originally planned to take on a third one in food but it was already becoming a scheduling nightmare before I even started, so I backed out in the end. Working in retail isn't as hard as I had imagined; I never pictured myself saying in an enthusiastic voice hey how are you today and doing a bit of shopping today? without sounding fake, but it's not so bad after a few shifts. My piano students are probably the perfect ideal; responsive and talkative but still focused on learning their pieces. They're sisters and I'm thinking of teaching them a duet for Christmas :)

2) Cooked. So far I think I've made an apple crumble pie, pasta salad, stirfry, mocha loaf, and sushi, which honestly sounds like a lame accomplishment but I PROMISE I spent an entire ice age in the kitchen xdd. Christmas cooking is the best thing ever but I won't get to do much this year because I've been rostered every day until Christmas TT so guess I'm trying to make up for it already :'(

3) Sally Rooney obsession. I finished Normal People a long time ago (I think before year 12) and am reading Conversations With Friends now (and may or may not have impulse bought the latest Beautiful World, Where Are You... oops). To be honest before I ever read her books, I thought they'd be kind of pretentious and a little too immersed in the literature major world (IDK) but they are so. addictive. She doesn't use quotation marks anywhere, which is a really interesting thing because you can't always immediately tell who says what, or whether a particular sentence was said at all.

4) I watched soooo much TV and movies. The first thing I did was binge Squid Game, which was... oddly slow; kind of expected its appeal to come from a lot of action and super fast pace. The ending was a bit strange tbh and I didn't love it or hate it overall. The Power Of The Dog came out on Netflix a few days ago and it was really good. It's funny how little the characters actually talk in the movie but it's clear what transpires. I think two people who are feuding don't ever exchange a single word for the whole film. Still really want to go to the cinemas, which I still haven't done since before lockdown; I wanted to see The French Dispatch but not sure if it's still screening :-\

I can't think of much more to say at this point other than a big thank you to all my readers this year. The AN community is an amazing one that never fails to bring its members together and brighten the high school experience, no matter what. Thank you so much for following my VCE journey. All the support I've received, incredibly kind messages, and amazing friends I've made truly made my year 12 the best it could've been. I really hope that AN all get the results they deserve and reap the rewards of their hard work. I'll update again in two days.

Until then,
Wingdings ;)
ATAR: 99.75
UCAT: 95th

2022-2025: B. Radiography and Medical Imaging (Honours) @ Monash