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March 29, 2024, 01:21:35 am

Author Topic: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?  (Read 2321 times)  Share 

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Yemily

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Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« on: May 25, 2019, 07:39:00 pm »
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I'm really at a loss with my Chem SAC results this year; I feel like I am trying my best and I understand almost all of the content, but I can't seem to demonstrate that in my SACs. I've discussed this with my teacher, and she suggested that I give her my prac SACs to mark, so that I can gain an understanding of how they critique answers. I have been doing as she has said, and I still don't see much of an improvement.  :'( :'( :'( My mum said I should try to finish everything faster, so I get used to working quickly during the SAC; I'm also yet to see any change from that.

I know I shouldn't be jealous, but some of my friends don't put much time towards Chem at all, yet they get higher SAC marks than me :-[ :'( I have to admit it's very frustrating. :( :'(

So would anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Or what I should try to improve upon?

Bri MT

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2019, 09:07:59 pm »
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What specifically are you losing marks from?

eg. Silly errors? Application questions? Not using the right language? Formula misunderstanding?

Yemily

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2019, 09:49:42 pm »
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Generally just silly errors, e.g. When asked what was observed after a catalyst was added, i answered an explanation of the observation, instead of an observation; or I forgot to determine the limiting reagent before applying stoich. ratios. But also application questions that require a little bit of deductive reasoning, e.g.i had no idea what to say for 'Why did a galvanic cell stop generating current despite electrodes being intact and electrolyte remaining in the beakers?' (salt bridge dried up)

Obviously, these answers often do make a lot more sense, in hindsight, than mine.  :-[

janath.fernando1695

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2019, 02:47:18 pm »
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Hey Yemily,

It is often frustrating to not be able to perform to the standard which you want to. The best way to overcome the silly mistakes which you make are to complete a number of practice questions prior to your SAC and get them corrected by your teacher/receive feedback. This way, you can identify the mistakes you make early and work on them to ensure you can reach your capabilities on both the SAC and exams.
Ultimately, your hard work will pay off but you have to make sure to not become too hard on yourself or have too high expectations. As long as you are making consistent improvements you should feel satisfied and continue to work hard moving forward.

Hope this helps
Janath

Bri MT

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2019, 04:42:50 pm »
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Generally just silly errors, e.g. When asked what was observed after a catalyst was added, i answered an explanation of the observation, instead of an observation; or I forgot to determine the limiting reagent before applying stoich. ratios. But also application questions that require a little bit of deductive reasoning, e.g.i had no idea what to say for 'Why did a galvanic cell stop generating current despite electrodes being intact and electrolyte remaining in the beakers?' (salt bridge dried up)

Obviously, these answers often do make a lot more sense, in hindsight, than mine.  :-[

 I'd recommend trying:
- completing your practices under SAC conditions (timed etc) so that you can become more used to working in this environment
- taking a few seconds to breathe and calm down in SACs when/if you feel overwhelmed (panicking can make it easier to miss things)
- when you've had a go at answering all of the questions, slowly reread each question and check each key word against your answer
- coming up with algorithms for question types. (Eg. 1. Convert everything to standard units 2. Write down the relevant equation 3. Sub values into equation 4. Write result with units & sig figs ). You can then run through the algorithm in a test scenario and see if you've missed anything in your answer


If I absolutely don't get what the answer to a question might be, I find it useful to ask "what concept do I think this question tests and what are the related topics?" Often I will then be able to write down something rather than being stuck panicking


I hope this helps - keep us updated! :)

Yemily

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2019, 06:00:00 pm »
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Hey Yemily,

It is often frustrating to not be able to perform to the standard which you want to. The best way to overcome the silly mistakes which you make are to complete a number of practice questions prior to your SAC and get them corrected by your teacher/receive feedback. This way, you can identify the mistakes you make early and work on them to ensure you can reach your capabilities on both the SAC and exams.
Ultimately, your hard work will pay off but you have to make sure to not become too hard on yourself or have too high expectations. As long as you are making consistent improvements you should feel satisfied and continue to work hard moving forward.

Hope this helps
Janath

Thank you, Janath. :) Yeah, I've been trying to rectify some silly mistakes that way, but I just seem to make more of a different kind on the SAC ::) But maybe I also just need to be more patient with seeing an improvement.  :D

Yemily

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2019, 06:10:34 pm »
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I'd recommend trying:
- completing your practices under SAC conditions (timed etc) so that you can become more used to working in this environment
- taking a few seconds to breathe and calm down in SACs when/if you feel overwhelmed (panicking can make it easier to miss things)
- when you've had a go at answering all of the questions, slowly reread each question and check each key word against your answer
- coming up with algorithms for question types. (Eg. 1. Convert everything to standard units 2. Write down the relevant equation 3. Sub values into equation 4. Write result with units & sig figs ). You can then run through the algorithm in a test scenario and see if you've missed anything in your answer


If I absolutely don't get what the answer to a question might be, I find it useful to ask "what concept do I think this question tests and what are the related topics?" Often I will then be able to write down something rather than being stuck panicking


I hope this helps - keep us updated! :)

Thanks for those suggestions!  :D I've been trying to complete all my prac SACs under SAC conditions, but I'm yet to try the other ones.  I do find that despite practising under timed conditions, I always run out of time during the SAC; would you know how I can change that? Does it just come down to more practice?

Also, with the algorithms, I can definitely see them being applied to stoich. questions, explaining things with reference to collision theory/Le Chatelier's, etc. Would you know what other types of questions algorithms can be used for?

Thank you again! :)


Weirdo

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #7 on: June 28, 2019, 09:31:51 pm »
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Hi guys,

I haven't been doing so well on my Chem sacs either. I just got a 84% for my first sac and a 56% for my second. This is UNIT 3 & 4. And I'm messing it up. Do I still have a chance of getting a raw ss of 35?

Nexica

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Re: Underperforming for 3/4 SACs?
« Reply #8 on: June 29, 2019, 12:47:54 pm »
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Hi guys,

I haven't been doing so well on my Chem sacs either. I just got a 84% for my first sac and a 56% for my second. This is UNIT 3 & 4. And I'm messing it up. Do I still have a chance of getting a raw ss of 35?

Yes, you can absolutely achieve a raw study score of 35. As the end of year examination counts towards 60% of your study score, you shouldn't be too concerned about your SAC marks hindering your goal. Furthermore, your SACs could scale up or down due to their difficulty.
Good luck!  :)
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