ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => The VCE Journey Journal => Topic started by: Evolio on November 14, 2018, 07:59:22 pm

Title: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 14, 2018, 07:59:22 pm
Hello guys.
I just though I would start a VCE Journal.
A bit about me:
I am in Year 10 and the subjects I am currently doing are:
- Biology unit 1
- Methods unit 1/2
- Business studies
- An English elective
- Sport
- Health.
 :) :) :)
I just thought I would start my VCE journal because I wanted to have a place to vent out all my feelings and just let loose. It's going to be a great way to cleanse my mind. Also, I'm doing two 3/4s next year so YAY! (I'm not being sarcastic)  8)

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on November 14, 2018, 09:07:28 pm
Hey!

Welcome :)

What made you pick those subjects as your 1/2s?
Do you have any idea what you want to do after highschool?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 15, 2018, 06:05:01 pm
Actually, I was selected to be in Accelerated Math at my school in Year 9 so I was doing Year 10 math and when you got to year 10, you did 1/2 methods which is what I am doing now.
I wanted to do biology because it's interesting.
I also wanted to do two 3/4s in year 11 and I figured that these two were a good mix, so I went for it.
After high school, I want to do medicine at Monash.
I'm really looking forward to the challenges ahead in year 11 though when VCE starts! ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: AngelWings on November 15, 2018, 06:09:21 pm
It's nice to see another VCE journal up and running! :)
What are your hobbies and what sorts of extracurricular activities are you into?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 15, 2018, 06:15:51 pm
It's nice to see another VCE journal up and running! :)
What are your hobbies and what sorts of extracurricular activities are you into?

I'm interested in general health such as skincare, healthy eating and exercising!
I love volunteering for events at school and I also go to St Johns where we learn lots of first aid stuff. I like to play basketball even though I don't really do it. I remember continuously shooting hoops in my old school waiting for my mum to pick me up from after school care. That was definitely sweaty!
I also really like to read. When I was smaller, I used to read way more but when high school hit... I've sort of just read irregularly only when I feel like it which is weird. Maybe it's because of all the school work piling up.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 15, 2018, 06:29:47 pm
15/11/2018
Today I feel unemotional. When I came back from school, there was a lady next to me who was sniffling and I wasn't sure if she had a runny nose or she was crying. I was thinking about asking if she was ok but I decided against it as I didn't want to be an intruder.
Ok, that was a random event that I just had to get out
VCE seems like such a cool journey. Now, I'm being honest here. I feel like I'm going to learn lots of stuff not only content wise but about different techniques as well. I've really really been struggling with tests and exams. It's a serious thing. Whenever I do a test, I always get mistakes due to silly mistakes. Always. It's so annoying and frustrating. No matter how much I do practice questions or practice exams, I always have silly mistakes. I'm working through a way to minimise them. I mean, I've got to do that for next year, especially. I know the stuff, it's just when it comes to tests and exams, I melt into a puddle of knowledge. That's my top priority for next year.
I've started to learn unit 4 biology stuff. Ahem..the evolution stuff. It's so interesting. If there was a subject called evolution, I would definitely pick it. I've done 'Human Change Over Time' chapter in NoB and I finished listening to Douchy's podcast yesterday. I found it really useful when he went over questions that people had at the start as it gives me a head start.
I have an English essay thing due tomorrow and I've emailed my teacher to give feedback but she's not replying. Please reply. Ahh.
I also need to get sorted my tuitions. Lots to get done.


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on November 15, 2018, 10:28:09 pm
For me I've found that taking care of my headspace and spending more time on questions helps me with avoiding silly errors

Practicing in exams conditions is also good for the "puddle" effect

Hope this helps :)

Glad to hear that you're keen for VCE and enjoying bio so far!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 16, 2018, 11:14:46 am
 :)
Yes I want to eliminate that puddle effect.
I'll try doing practice questions under exam conditions.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: jborn007 on November 16, 2018, 08:27:48 pm
Can't tell you how excited it is to see another fellow Year 10 student writing their journal ;D Good luck in your subjects!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 17, 2018, 09:01:57 am
Thank you!
Good luck in your subjects as well.
I was reading all the other VCE journals every time they posted a new post, including yours, which is amazing by the way, and I thought why not start my own?
Can't wait to see how this goes!
 
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 23, 2018, 07:51:15 pm
Hi!
Today was the first normal day of the week as we had all sorts of things going on which made it a very big whirlpool. Found out that I'm getting my subjects for next year next Thursday so that's something to look forward to! Although, I am faced with a dilemma. I am not sure if I should do English or Literature. I put down Literature but I am not sure anymore as when I checked the VCE timetable in the past years, Specialist Exam 2 and Literature seem to be on the same day. I'm not sure whether having these two exams on the same day, one hour apart, is a threat. Does anyone have any advice? I am ok with English but I really enjoy deeply analyzing the text and such, not as much with persuasion(English). If I am not able to change my subject, I have thought that I might do 3/4 English anyway... is this okay if you want to get into medicine?
I did meditation today to clear my mind which is great and satisfying as I have a really messy brain full of rubbish which needs to be rid of. I only have one week of actual school left and then it's VCE orientation which is going to be exciting. I don't know what to expect! I have very mixed emotions about next year but what I am really looking forward to is doing subjects that I have actually chosen! These are Psychology 1/2, Methods 3/4, Biology 3/4, Literature 1/2, Chemistry 1/2, Specialist 1/2. This is a good lolly mix.
Oh! and good news. I eliminated the silly mistakes in my last test (except for one) by underlining the keywords which is great! I'm making progress. However, I still got bad for this biology test due to actually getting the wrong answer but I understand them now which is good.

So, today our Methods teacher continued talking about Euler's rule which is 3/4 methods but she wanted to teach us some of the content as we finished everything else which is nice as we get a head start sort of (even though it's further from the beginning). The content is not that bad and it's sort of giving me a feel about what 3/4's going to be like.
In biology today, we went through the test which was very helpful but it sucked because we weren't allowed to keep em'.

Wow, I just realised how disjointed this post is. I basically vomited the words out. Anyways, have a great weekend everyone and take care!

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on November 23, 2018, 08:08:32 pm
Imo don't choose subjects based on when the exam day is. Exams are important, but if you'll be more motivated and able to work better during the year I think that'll have a bigger impact than the when your exam day is.

Good to hear that you've found underlining keywords and meditation to be helpful! I kind of want to get back into meditation.I haven't practised it for a while, but I used to find that it helped with motivation and coping with anxiety.

Just a heads up, I'm pretty sure that Euler's rule isn't in the study design.


Hope that you have a great weekend too!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 25, 2018, 11:25:12 am
I'm just not sure whether my interest for literature is real. I mean, I guess I want to do it because you analyse it solely based on your interpretation which gives you more freedom in terms of what you can write about.
Do you know the differences between literature and English mainstream?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on November 25, 2018, 11:36:52 am
I'm just not sure whether my interest for literature is real. I mean, I guess I want to do it because you analyse it solely based on your interpretation which gives you more freedom in terms of what you can write about.
Do you know the differences between literature and English mainstream?

I studied units 1&2 of literature 3&4 of eng lang and 7-10 was standard English so I have a rough idea of each of the Englishes.

From my conversations with other students, experiences of VCE literature seem to be highly dependent on the school which the person studied at & the teacher they had, so I would highly encourage you to seek out older students and ask them about their experiences.

I studied units 1&2 of literture mainly because it seemed that that's what students who were good at English did and teachers recommended it to me. I left because I felt like I wasn't learning; however, in the headstart program where we had a different teacher the style of the classes was very different and I did feel that I was learning.

Literature does have a greater emphasis on going deeper into the text, it's themes, the context and motivations for writing, metaphors etc. than standard English, but again, the style of classes at your school is something I would enquire about as this may be very different to my experiences.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 27, 2018, 06:52:27 pm
Hi.
Just a question, if I do Literature Units 1/2 in year 11 and English mainstream 3/4 in year 12, would it impact me getting into Medicine at Monash or it doesn't matter because you just have to complete four english units?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: AngelWings on November 27, 2018, 07:20:32 pm
Hi.
Just a question, if I do Literature Units 1/2 in year 11 and English mainstream 3/4 in year 12, would it impact me getting into Medicine at Monash or it doesn't matter because you just have to complete four english units?

Monash Med doesn't really mind which English you do as long as you satisfy the pre-reqs (a raw 30 SS in this instance). You can check prereqs on VTAC Course Search. :) 
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 27, 2018, 07:30:34 pm
So, it doesn't matter if you switch subjects halfway-through?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on November 27, 2018, 07:41:36 pm
Hi.
Just a question, if I do Literature Units 1/2 in year 11 and English mainstream 3/4 in year 12, would it impact me getting into Medicine at Monash or it doesn't matter because you just have to complete four english units?


I did lit 1&2 and eng lang 3&4 - did not impact my admissions at all :)

It does not matter if you switch to a different English in year 12
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 27, 2018, 08:13:59 pm
Okay.
Thank you AngelWings and miniturtle!
 :) :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: aspiringantelope on November 27, 2018, 08:35:47 pm
Hey Evolio!
Just wanted to know if you are having any problems with Units 1/2 Math Methods? Like any topics that are difficult to understand or ones that require depth understanding? Just curious because I really want to have a pre-start to the syllabus.

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 27, 2018, 09:51:49 pm
Hi aspiringantelope!
How are you going?
So I finished Methods 1/2 about a week and a half ago.
When I did the course, I felt that Circular functions requires a lot of depth because there is so many elements in it. Especially with the trigonometric equations.
Also, gallery of graphs is pretty dense because it's all the graphs.
I found Transformations to be the hardest topic out of everything,especially the dilation.
Good luck with your pre-start.
 :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: aspiringantelope on November 27, 2018, 09:55:51 pm
Hi aspiringantelope!
How are you going?
So I finished Methods 1/2 about a week and a half ago.
When I did the course, I felt that Circular functions requires a lot of depth because there is so many elements in it. Especially with the trigonometric equations.
Also, gallery of graphs is pretty dense because it's all the graphs.
I found Transformations to be the hardest topic out of everything,especially the dilation.
Good luck with your pre-start.
 :)
Ok Thank you!
Wishing you all the luck for next year!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 28, 2018, 02:10:44 pm
All good.
Feel free to ask me questions!
Wishing you luck as well for all your subjects next year!
 :) ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 28, 2018, 06:47:45 pm
Hellos! :)
Yesterday, we got out subjects for next year.
I got all that I wanted, including the two 3/4's which was my ultimate aim for the year, considering the fact that my science test scores were not that great in my first semester.
I am actually thinking of changing from Literature to English. I am really hoping (fingers crossed) that it will be possible to get English. I really want it.
Tomorrow is our last day of learning for the year. Last day of year 10 classes. What a ride it's been throughout the year. When I think about my semester 1 subjects, it seems all so faraway as if it was from last year. Time is a strange thing. Oh yeah and we also get the biology exam we did on Monday back (not to keep it though which is depressing) but I will finally know what I got wrong to improve on later. I'm thinking of revising my mistakes on the holidays along with starting the Biology 3/4 course so that I am really on top of things and learning from errors.
On Friday, we have this thing called the Amazing Race which is hosted by a club at our school and I am running one of the stations. It's going to be cool. The day finished at 1:35.
Next week, we have Monday and Tuesday for VCE Orientation where teachers for the respective subjects basically talk about the subjects(lol). From 8:30 on Tuesday to 8:30 on Wednesday is the time period for handing in our subject change forms. 24 hours. It's first come first served. So, gotta rush at the start. Apparently, lot of kids are changing from English to Literature which is the opposite of me which means places may open up in the classes. YESS!
Then from Wednesday to Friday is camp. Yay. We're going to Philip Island which is definitely going to be a blast, especially now that we know basically everyone in the year level. We had an Orientation Camp last year in year 9 at the start to get to know people so this camp is definitely going to be very different.
Then the following week we have a designated work experience week but I don't have to do it because I already did it in the term 2 holidays. It was at a library which is not what I wanted to do. I applied for hospitals and pharmacies but I didn't get them which was really upsetting considering I tried numerous times. I'm gonna get an adult to read my cover letters and resume so that they can tell me what to improve on. I'm thinking of applying for work experience next year for year 11. If anyone knows any hospitals or medicine related work experiences that year 11s can do please tell me! Thanks a bunch. So, basically I have that week off. Hopefully. That will add an extra week to my holidays where I can catch up on my 3/4 stuff and summer holiday homework which they give at Orientation. Although, I have my summer holiday work for Methods and Specialist already.
Today was my last math class which was sad. I really liked my teacher as I could as her a lot of questions especially at lunchtimes and stuff.
I exercised today! YAY! Yesterday I started exercising properly again after one week of not doing proper exercise. I was sweating buckets but it was  a good feeling in the end.
That's all folks! I will see you next time! Have a fantabulous evening!
 8)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 03, 2018, 09:34:39 am
Heelos!
I'm actually at home now because I have VCE Orientation today and I only have to go to two sessions altogether for today and tomorrow. I just need to go to Chemistry and Literature which is cool because I have time off now and later. I just watched a YouTube video which I was not supposed to have but I'm me so I did it. I went upstairs to do some study (biology yay). I still need to correct the Human Change Over Time Chapter Review. I know this was a long time ago but I will do it now.
I finished packing for camp yesterday which literally took the whole day and I did not studying. Again. The weather is going to be great with Wednesday 26 degrees, Thursday 32 degrees and Friday 36 degrees. I love hot weather because we don't get it much so we should embrace it. Also, the heat just fills up my soul and makes me so happy it's like magic.
The Biology Orientation was emailed out to us on Friday and it's not much to be honest. It's just reviewing the stuff we learnt in unit 1.
Also, big news. I am keeping Literature. I just realized it's more fulfilling and caters to my wants. It will be good motivation. I decided this on Thursday when we got our VCE Orientation.
Okay, I should study biology now. Correcting time. See yas later.
 :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 19, 2018, 05:25:44 pm
Hey.
It's been an extremely long time the last time I updated. So, this will (hopefully) be a long one that I can just vomit out my thoughts.
So biology has been on my mind a while now and I feel great about that. I finished the 'Enzymes and Biochemical Pathways' chapter in one week which I was really happy about! So I got to work on Chapter 5 Cellular Signals. I wrote the first part of notes today which was fun. I also did some quick check questions but I have to come back to two of them because I don't really understand the sample answers.
Yesterday, I had Final Assembly at school. It was way different to last year's where it was very happy and the teachers sang. This year, it was really sad because it was my principal's last day. We sang a song for her and it was really nice and I nearly cried at one part...
We also got out yearbooks which I flipped through when I was still in the city because I wanted to see it all. I stayed for a long time at Dymocks where there were a lot of people. A lot. I guess it's because of Christmas time and all. It made me feel happy though that there were this many people looking for books. Even young kids. :) I finished my book furiously and then wandered around the shop like a ghost looking at all the new books that were on display. I just wanted to read them all.
I also got my books for next year. YAY. I am so excited for my subjects. The fresh new books looked so inviting. It was amazing. I got my 'Much Ado about Nothing' book but I didn't get the Hamilton Case because there was none in the shop apparently so I'll have to wait. Those were for Literature. I also got my Methods, Specialist, Chemistry and Psychology textbooks. I also got the Chemistry Workbook.
When I woke up today, I was so excited for all those new books. I think I was dreaming about them. Hahah. The first thing I studied today was Biology which was reading about the 'Human Change Over Time' notes to consolidate it and make sure that it stays in my brain instead of wandering to the darkest corners of my mind. It took more than one promodoro but I did it more actively than last time when I was just blindly reading the notes, flipping to the next page and so on.
Then I did some math. It took about 20 mins for one math problem. To understand it. Then I tried again in the next promodoro and I did other math questions because I didn't want to waste anymore time. It's a precious thing time. Then I felt like not studying. So I just sat down and contemplated what I should do. I finally convinced myself to go back upstairs and study which was when I did my notes for biology.
Then I watched some episodes of the Netflix Original I'm watching currently. It's okay but not as good as the last one I watched which took me like 13 weeks to finish. I did a bit of yoga, for a change because I didn't feel like doing ANY physical activity whatsoever but I had to, because I was sedentary for a long period of time. Then I read 'Much Ado About Nothing' and wrote answers to questions that were prompted in the book. I just want to get a headstart for next year so that I don't fall behind. I don't want to be behind. Then I read through some of my psychology textbook. Then I went to writing on ATARnotes because I haven't done it for such a long time.
So yeah, that has basically been my routine but different since last Monday. I've been aiming to study four hours a day so that I can really do the things I have to do without running out of time and being unproductive. It helps me stay on track and make sure that I am actually studying. I really need to do the Methods textbook though as I feel I am pouring more of my energy into Biology, for some reason. I wonder why.
I will see you guys next time. Have a good evening! :) :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: PhoenixxFire on December 19, 2018, 11:16:30 pm
Quote
So yeah, that has basically been my routine but different since last Monday. I've been aiming to study four hours a day so that I can really do the things I have to do without running out of time and being unproductive. It helps me stay on track and make sure that I am actually studying.
Not sure if you're on holidays yet, but if you are make sure you have a break! You're better off spending less time studying and being able to concentrate rather than studying for long periods of time but not as effectively. It might seem like you have to study longer because you have more to do, but if you're using that time more effectively (e.g. having breaks every 30/45 min, making sure you've had enough sleep and enough to drink, etc.) then you'll be able to get everything done faster :)

Quote
I feel I am pouring more of my energy into Biology, for some reason. I wonder why.
Because it is clearly the superior subject ;)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 27, 2018, 05:03:04 pm
Not sure if you're on holidays yet, but if you are make sure you have a break! You're better off spending less time studying and being able to concentrate rather than studying for long periods of time but not as effectively. It might seem like you have to study longer because you have more to do, but if you're using that time more effectively (e.g. having breaks every 30/45 min, making sure you've had enough sleep and enough to drink, etc.) then you'll be able to get everything done faster :)
Don't worry, I am having breaks. :) 5 mins per 30 mins so all is well.  ;D. Thank you for checking on me though!
Quote
Because it is clearly the superior subject ;)
;D ;D. You know it!

Also, this is a bit late but congrats on your ATAR!  :)
This is going to be a short update because I feel so sluggish (the heat). I just completed my workshop preferences for University of Melbourne's Summer School (VCESS). They were really interesting and I am looking forward to my time there.
I decided to start a new chapter for Methods today because I sort of abandoned it a few days ago by working on Specialist Math holiday homework which went well. Oops. It was because I had a lot of questions I need to ask and it was making me feel very hopeless so I just veered onto Specialist Math Rd. I did two exercises of Circular Functions and i plan to do two each day. I have to commit myself to doing this. Then maybe I can be decently ahead by learning the content,
In biology, I'm upto plant hormones now. I finished animal hormones. Something tells me this is going to be longer. Today, I just realised that apoptosis is literally half the part for Cellular Signals.
I read 15 pages of 'Much Ado About Nothing'. I'm upto the part where Beatrice is listening in on the conversation of Hero and Ursula. It's all a part of the fishing. She's the bait.
I'm still waiting for my Hamilton Case book because I really want to finish it before school starts. I also got to watch the film 'Vertigo' for Literature. Never heard of it before.
Oh yeah. I started reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children's: Map of Days which is good so far. It's so much thicker than the other books. I am really excited for it. I also received another book for KK two days ago. 'I am Number Four' which I am looking forward to reading. I abandoned 'Great Expectations' a while ago as I couldn't bring myself to read it. It was just dragging on an on and now I know that it has so much information that I have to weed the main points out consciously.
I'll be watching the news at 6:00 as per my timetable so I might just read until then. I can't wait for the 31st as I can finally start my Goals Journal thing which I am planning to use vigilantly throughout next year.
See you guys later. Stay cool like a refrigerator!  8)

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: PhoenixxFire on December 27, 2018, 06:25:30 pm
Quote
In biology, I'm upto plant hormones now. I finished animal hormones. Something tells me this is going to be longer. Today, I just realised that apoptosis is literally half the part for Cellular Signals.
You actually don’t need to know much at all about plant hormones for the exam - might still be in SACs though because it seems some teachers don’t know that.

Quote
started reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children's: Map of Days which is good so far.
I’ve been meaning to read this for ages but still haven’t gotten to it, maybe I’ll have to go search my library haha

Quote
Stay cool like a refrigerator!
Literally, in my case - the first thing I did when I got to work was hide in our fridges for a few minutes 😂
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Caitlynk_22 on December 27, 2018, 11:25:47 pm
'I am Number Four' which I am looking forward to reading.

I LOVE that book. I read it when I need to get back into reading again. I think I've read it 5+ times... sad. I know.

Good luck with the coming year!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 31, 2018, 12:00:21 pm
I’ve been meaning to read this for ages but still haven’t gotten to it, maybe I’ll have to go search my library haha
This book is actually amazing. It is full of so much creativity and weirdness(me) that I love it. It's pretty dense though.
Quote
Literally, in my case - the first thing I did when I got to work was hide in our fridges for a few minutes 😂
;D. I'm on the laptop and there's no laughing emoji. Someone said this fridge quote to me and ever since I've been seeing it everywhere!

I LOVE that book. I read it when I need to get back into reading again. I think I've read it 5+ times... sad. I know.
Don't worry, I read books all over again (ahem, Harry Potter) too to get me back in the habit. What are your thoughts on the book?

Quote
Good luck with the coming year!
Thank you!
To be honest, I am excited but it's going to be a dragon ride!


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Caitlynk_22 on December 31, 2018, 05:34:09 pm
Don't worry, I read books all over again (ahem, Harry Potter) too to get me back in the habit. What are your thoughts on the book?
For "I am Number Four", it has a good length (easy to finish) and I don't think the story line is too heavy or complicated. It's quite an easy read. I honestly don't know what else I like about it. It's just stuck with me since I first read it.

As for Harry Potter... I have only read the first book. I know I should read them all but in the last couple of years I just haven't had time. Maybe I should set reading the HP books as a new years resolution? Haha
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 02, 2019, 06:01:04 pm


Quote
As for Harry Potter... I have only read the first book. I know I should read them all but in the last couple of years I just haven't had time. Maybe I should set reading the HP books as a new years resolution? Haha
YES! You should definitely read Harry Potter! It's amazing. Although, my hype for it has gone down over the years.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 16, 2019, 01:14:43 pm
Hello guys.
Where have I been? Somewhere over the rainbow chatting with the fairies.
So, a lot happened since I stopped writing my VCE journal but I will continue to write.
Get read for a long entry.
Before
So my school started on the 31st of January(I can't spell). Basically on the first day we didn't really do anything but get to know each and meet our teachers. It was nice. All my teachers are females except for my Specialist Teacher who is a male. I have two new teachers which are for Chemistry and Psychology. For some subjects like Methods, we got straight into it and I learnt lots. We started at 1F as we did the before exercises for holiday homework. It was sum and products of functions.

My goals:

My two ultimate goals are to get a 50 in biology and a 50 in Methods which are two 3/4's this year as I'm in year 11.
I want to continue to teach anyone or anything about what I have been learning in class so that I retain the information more and understand more better. Also, you will be able to know where the gaps are in your knowledge. I will stray away from focusing on writing notes and perhaps do more practise questions so I can familiarise myself with the topic.

NOW
Tutors
I just got back from my Methods tuition which goes from 9:00-11:30. Technically it goes for two hours and the 30 minutes are for any questions you have. It's four minutes away from my house so isn't that awfully convenient? My teacher is soooooo enthusiastic that it makes everyone enthusiastic as well! His face lights up when we discover a mathematical breakthrough and our faces light up too! I'm glad I have a teacher like him who is truly passionate about the subject.
I also so far have trialled two biology tutors. I went to one on Wednesday as my school finishes early on that day and we basically went through the plasma membrane and half of biomolecules. I learnt new stuff. The tutor is a medical student so perhaps she can guide me on my way to Monash. I also trialled another tutor yesterday which was with my two friends. She gave us a handout and she talked and asked questions and we also answered questions on the handout. Then she checked them and told us what we should write instead and what wasn't necessary. She is a past student from my school.

Methods

I have a methods test on Thursday and wooooooo it's going to be a good, big one. I can feel it from doing millions o questions across the week. It's going to be on Inverse functions, composite functions and simultaneous equations (with equating the gradients and stuff, not the matrices stuff), we'll learn that later. My first sac for methods is on May 20 something I believe. A long away but the time will soon dwindle down into nothing. My first test was on the second week about the summer homework and I butchered it. There's no doubt about that. When I got it back, I was sort of expecting it deep inside but I was still hoping for an amazing mark like I don't know a 100% but nope. That mark slapped me hard on my face and I still have a battle scar. It's OK. I went through my mistakes and perhaps I'll write the questions again and work it out again.

Biology

Biology is going good for me. I've been exposed to the plasma membrane so many times that whenever I look at the fluid mosaic model my stomach literally churns inside. Is that normal? I was a bit stuck on Hypotonic and Hypertonic solutions but I've got it now after going through it numerous times. Apparently, we're going to start with biomolecules on Monday so that should be good. I know a little bit about it from the tutor and watching the Amoeba sister videos. I highly recommend. Their animations are so cute! Maybe I should revise a bit of molecules today or Sunday and maybe a bit of Transcription and translation stuff because I'm a bit shaky on that. Why all this preparing? Well, I have a sac on the 28th so that should be good. It's a report test and it's going to be based off two sacs we'll be doing next week.
So that's my two 3/4's.
Now for my 1/2s. Specialist Mathematics, Chemistry, Psychology, Literature.

Chemistry
I like my teacher for chemistry. I like all my teachers. She's really nice and bubbly whenever you ask a question. She reminds me of my year 9 science teacher who was always so enthusiastic. We finished chapter 1 yesterday according to the Heinmann textbook and we'll be starting chapter 2 next week. Trends in the periodic table. I still need to complete the questions. Also, I know people in my class but I don't really interact as they have their own closer friends so this is the one class I'm sort of by myself but still sitting next to people. It's okay maybe it'll get better. I don't mind. I can focus better.

Specialist Mathematics

We started with chapter 13 which was amazing! hahah. Ha. It was a big punch in the stomach when we are going through the content in class as it was pretty hard to understand and actually do the question. It was all shapes and geometric stuff and the whole time I was sitting there like whaaaaat? But I'm trying to complete the exercises and someone sent me the worked solutions so it's all good. I feel much more...placid...right now. *Smiles widely*. Also, my teacher draws a lot of diagrams which sort of helps me visualise what's happening so that's a plus.

Psychology.

Okay, before I start. Can I just say I love Psychology. It is amazing. I didn't think I would say this but it is my absolute favourite subject out of everything. It is just so interesting as it's so crazy especially at the start. For example, phrenology was about how you judged someone's personality based on the bumps on their head. Weird, right? But it's interesting. Also the content is really interesting as well because the brain is such a complex organ that deserves to be studied. Why do people say it's not a real science? I say that it is. Also, my teacher is really good as she explains things clearly and gives us tips. She already told us how to write exam answers even though we're doing 1/2. But better to get a head start. Also, she gives us homework every. Single. Lesson. It is a lot and I have to keep on top of it so I don't forget anything. She tells us to complete the questions and then annotate them by looking at the suggested answers.  My test is on the 4th of March.

Literature

Literature has been good. The poem we were studying is WEIRD. But it's okay. You don't have to talk about that aspect as literature is all about your own interpretation. That's why I chose it because you can be creative and I am a imaginative person. That's why I like aliens. Anyways, we need to write an analysis on that poem and it's due tomorrow so i better get cracking.

Overall thoughts:

I'm thinking of focusing on my 3/4 subjects a lot this year because I am sort of struggling with methods and biology. I'm not struggling but I'm not doing how I want to be doing, especially with that garbage maths score. I want to pour my heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears into my Methods and Biology. They are my top priority.
Also, I've been analysing that Literature is going to be in my top 4 so I better get a good score otherwise it might drag down my ATAR so gotta keep top of that.

Other stuff
We started St. John two weeks ago. First week we played interesting games. Then this week we went through the booklet and learned/revised how to care for an unconscious, breathing patient. I really need to go on more duties this year. Like seriously. It's not good. I only did one duty last year at the end. I need to do more. I have to keep telling myself. I mean you have to put the stuff you learned into practise otherwise how do you consolidate?
Also the volunteering club at our school started again. The conference was today but I could't go because of tutor today, I would've missed the lesson. The teacher said I can't do a makeup class into Friday.
I'm looking forward to the volunteering events coming up at my school such as Red Cross, I think it's March something. And Salvation Army. Also I want to apply for YIP. I applied last year but I didn't get in which was sad and bad. But I asked for feedback and so I can improve and hopefully get in this year. Yay.
Also, I'm reading the third book in the Lorien Legacies series(first book being I am Number Four). It's pretty good. I recommend to anyone.
For my exercise, I've begun to think that I completed most if not all the workouts with the person I usually do it with on the youtube channel. I can't do the equipment workouts because I don't have equipment so I've mostly being doing HIIT and cardio since my start last year in June. I have to start improvising and using random heavy objects that are lying around the house. I am desperate.
Also, I've started taking carrots and cucumbers and egg for lunch to be healthy and I want to continue that throughout the years. If I start now, it will be good later in life. That's what I keep telling myself. Don't quit.
Okay, so I basically dumped all my thoughts onto here and here I am hunching over my laptop, my fingers moving so fast. They've gone numb.
So, I hope you guys enjoyed my ranty rant and enjoy your weekend. Stay cool.
 8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: smamsmo22 on February 17, 2019, 12:22:35 am
My two ultimate goals are to get a 50 in biology and a 50 in Methods which are two 3/4's this year as I'm in year 11.
Wow; well done for aiming high. Anything's possible, especially with that attitude :)
Also, just out of curiosity, have you always received tutoring or is it an extra strategy you've brought in for your 3/4s? Do you find its making a difference and are you going to get more tutors next year, do you think (I'm just wondering as I didn't use tuition in year 12 (: )

My first sac for methods is on May 20 something I believe. A long away but the time will soon dwindle down into nothing. My first test was on the second week about the summer homework and I butchered it. There's no doubt about that. When I got it back, I was sort of expecting it deep inside but I was still hoping for an amazing mark like I don't know a 100% but nope. That mark slapped me hard on my face and I still have a battle scar. It's OK. I went through my mistakes and perhaps I'll write the questions again and work it out again.
Don't be too hard on yourself; it was just a test and it'll help you for the SAC. Going through past questions until you can do them independently is a great strategy and questions to look back on from these tests are a great resource for revision !!

I'm thinking of focusing on my 3/4 subjects a lot this year because I am sort of struggling with methods and biology. I'm not struggling but I'm not doing how I want to be doing, especially with that garbage maths score. I want to pour my heart, soul, blood, sweat, tears into my Methods and Biology. They are my top priority.
Once again, kudos for your determination!! Just remember, its only the start of your 3/4 'journey' and its ok to take some time to get the hang of things a bit. Personally, what I found super helpful when studying a 3/4 in year 11 was the learning experience - getting my head around how SACs/scaling/preparation etc worked and what study techniques worked for me. It'll really help you for next year, regardless of your scores (try not to get too caught up in them!!)

I'm glad you're finding your subjects pretty enjoyable!! Can't wait to hear more and I wish you all the best :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 17, 2019, 12:20:55 pm
Thank you for all the kind words and encouragement!
It makes me smile!  :)

Quote
Also, just out of curiosity, have you always received tutoring or is it an extra strategy you've brought in for your 3/4s? Do you find its making a difference and are you going to get more tutors next year, do you think (I'm just wondering as I didn't use tuition in year 12 (: )
It's an extra strategy for my two 3/4's. I stopped tutoring in mid year 8. I think it is actually making a difference as it's allowing me to consolidate what I have learnt at my school and tutoring both. It's great because both my tutors are teaching the same things at the same pace which allows me to be on top of what I am learning!
I might get tutors next year if I'm struggling in my subjects, perhaps specialist as I find it's hard to understand. At least with the topic we are doing currently. :-X
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 19, 2019, 06:16:18 pm
Hey AtarNotes!
How's it going?
So basically I just finished eating rice my other lunch and here I am typing away listening to the satisfying sounds of my laptop. I love my laptop.
Anyways, today was an okay day. In biology we did our pracs which are what the sac is going to be based off so yay. I need to think about thr prac and have some time to consolidate everything I learnt.
I haven't had methods class for a long time because of all the disruptions and my teacher being away which is sad. But I did all the exercises and stuff. I am trying to focus on biology because my sac is next week. I really should. No, i am going to be a to do list soon so that I know what all I have to do and I can keep track of all of my questions.
I am thinking of trying out for a leadership position and I thought why not? Because the meeting run during lunchtimes so it's an effective use of time. Even though I do try to study in the library, my food takes so long to eat that I just can't as I feel if I finally find a place to sit, the bell would ring. It's ok. I have my frees.
In chemistry we learnt about core charge which is the pull of the valence electrons and the nucleus. Our teacher said not to get it confused with electronegativity.
In literature, we started our assignment and our group is doing a pretty good poem full of feminist themes and quotes so that should be interesting. The narrator sounds like a warrior.
In specialist, we learnt about modulus which was okay and it's pretty cool. With one of the graphs we drew, it's so cool that the modulus equalled the answer no matter what value you put in. Okay, that sounded vague.
Yesterday, in St John we learnt about the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack. A cardiac arrest is usually caused because of shock or stress on the heart while a heart attack is caused by blockage which doesn't let the blood flow. No blood, no heart. We also revised how to use a defib and we did CPR on the dummy. Also, we got to play with a curly-haired dog and it was so cute. Ahhh. It was amazing. It was literally running and jumping everywhere and bouncing. It was pretty funny.
Tomorrow we have a swimming carnival so I can take a later train. I'll probably be cheering on my house from the sidelines. I am not even kidding. Our house hadn't won since 1998 or something and the first time it won was two years ago.2017. That's when I was there. I was cheering so loud my voice cracked. I gave it all. Same as last year. And every single time we do that, we win. Isn't that amazing? I feel like I am a part of something big. I'l probably force my friend to do it with me because in the past years I was just a loner doing it all by myself. I felt awkward at the start and at other times. But hey, who cares what people think? At least I'm encouraging! Am i right or am i right?
I am so excited! My plant is growing a new leaf. It might seem like some trivial thing but it honestly is not. So far my plant has 11 leaves now and I am waiting for it to reach 16 which is how old I am. It's such a teeny tiny leaf. It looks so innocent and pure. I got it around Christmas time in year 9. It's a croton. I also have another plant which i got for my birthday last year.
Yep. So that's my random as rambling. My entry is all disjointed and all over the place.
Have a good evening and make sure to take care of yourself. See you guys later.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 21, 2019, 05:16:31 pm
I am trying to focus on biology because my sac is next week. I really should. No, i am going to be a to do list soon so that I know what all I have to do and I can keep track of all of my questions.

I am thinking of trying out for a leadership position and I thought why not? Because the meeting run during lunchtimes so it's an effective use of time. Even though I do try to study in the library, my food takes so long to eat that I just can't as I feel if I finally find a place to sit, the bell would ring. It's ok. I have my frees.

In chemistry we learnt about core charge which is the pull of the valence electrons and the nucleus. Our teacher said not to get it confused with electronegativity.
In literature, we started our assignment and our group is doing a pretty good poem full of feminist themes and quotes so that should be interesting. The narrator sounds like a warrior.

Yesterday, in St John we learnt about the difference between a cardiac arrest and a heart attack. A cardiac arrest is usually caused because of shock or stress on the heart while a heart attack is caused by blockage which doesn't let the blood flow. No blood, no heart. We also revised how to use a defib and we did CPR on the dummy. Also, we got to play with a curly-haired dog and it was so cute. Ahhh. It was amazing. It was literally running and jumping everywhere and bouncing. It was pretty funny.
 

I am so excited! My plant is growing a new leaf. It might seem like some trivial thing but it honestly is not. So far my plant has 11 leaves now and I am waiting for it to reach 16 which is how old I am.


Hey Evolio! Damn reading this sounds so similar to what I have going on atm!

My first ever SAC is tomorrow and its for bio! Good luck to you my friend! You will smash it!

You should defiantly go for that leadership position! I am part of my schools leadership program and I have had so many amazing opportunities come from it!

I to am learning about valence electrons and all that stuff I don't get in chem!

That sounds so interesting, now I finally know the difference! Thanks! The puppy sounds so cute! Who doesn't love a puppy?

Good job on maintaining a plant for so long! I would never be able to do that! I hope it reaches 16 leaves soon!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 21, 2019, 07:58:11 pm
Hey Evolio! Damn reading this sounds so similar to what I have going on atm!

My first ever SAC is tomorrow and its for bio! Good luck to you my friend! You will smash it!

You should defiantly go for that leadership position! I am part of my schools leadership program and I have had so many amazing opportunities come from it!

I to am learning about valence electrons and all that stuff I don't get in chem!

That sounds so interesting, now I finally know the difference! Thanks! The puppy sounds so cute! Who doesn't love a puppy?

Good job on maintaining a plant for so long! I would never be able to do that! I hope it reaches 16 leaves soon!


Hello my friend!
You will do amazing in your biology sac! Good luck for tomorrow! By the way, what's it on?
That's so cool you're a part of your leadership program. It's good to have something other than academics in your life.  :). It keeps everything balanced.
Yeah, I feel like for chemistry, I constantly need to revise because there is a lot of stuff to absorb. I need to have constant exposure to it.
Ahhhh, puppies are so adorable. I melt whenever I see one.
When my plant reaches 16 leaves, it will be the start of something new.
By the way, I loove reading your journal. Can't wait for the next journal entry!
 ;D

So basically today was an okay day(lol, I feel like I'm saying every day is okay, I need to use different adjectives). I had my math test and I know I lost 2 marks. It was composite functions and you had to sketch the graph. I was plotting random points and I tried to picture the graph, but it just made me even more confused. I kept staring at it when finally I did the 4 mark question. Ah well. What is done is DONE.
I had psychology today and we learnt about the different lobes of the brain. There's the temporal, frontal, parietal and occipital. It's pretty interesting when you get to link everything together. Tomorrow, our teacher is away so she gave us a research project on Parkinson's disease. I can't wait to get started. For some reason, I like researching stuff. It's fun.
I also had chemistry which was alright and it was a reminder that I have to revise at home. Haha, haven't gotten to that lately because of the biology sac on next week.
I also had Literature where we learnt about the Feminist Theory. It was interesting to know the history of it all and learn some cool facts.
Biology was good. We basically looked at protein movement/transport with the nucleus, RER, golgi, vesicles and finally being expelled out of the membrane. It made everything more clear as I was going to study that stuff and I kept getting mixed up. It was good revision too about the structures of the protein.
I had biology tutoring after school today and it was good. We basically went through questions about the plasma membrane including transport, nucleic acids 7 proteins, biomacromolecules. There were also some questions from VCAA which were interesting. I really need to improve my expression when writing my responses, sometimes I'm a bit clunky. Not a good thing. She also helped me analyse the sac which was really useful and then later I got notes from her.
After all that jazz finished, I hiked to my parental's office and waited in the lobby, scanning through VCE journals. That's my go to.  ;D
Oh, gotta go now. We're going to a restaurant. Yay. Haven't been in a long time. oh, I also borrowed the fourth book in the Lorien Legacies series which is the Fall of Five. Can't wait to read it.
See you everyone and have a wonderful rest of the week. Stay safe.  8)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 21, 2019, 08:06:48 pm
Hello my friend!
You will do amazing in your biology sac! Good luck for tomorrow! By the way, what's it on?
That's so cool you're a part of your leadership program. It's good to have something other than academics in your life.  :). It keeps everything balanced.
Yeah, I feel like for chemistry, I constantly need to revise because there is a lot of stuff to absorb. I need to have constant exposure to it.
Ahhhh, puppies are so adorable. I melt whenever I see one.
When my plant reaches 16 leaves, it will be the start of something new.
By the way, I loove reading your journal. Can't wait for the next journal entry!
 ;D

Thankyou! Osmosis, diffusion, cell membranes and the phospholipid bilayer. I know most just anally revising because I am a stress head and my friend in year 11 for his first sac got 90 and he has been helping me study. my goal is to beat his first score! (hehe)
Yeah it is good...plus, you get days off school and frikin good food!
chem is honestly not my best subject but I need it as a prereq (RIP me)

Same! I swear I live for dogs! haha. when I see one its just so therapeutic. I just wish I was as energetic and carefree as a puppy!

I hope your plant reaches 16 very soon!

awwww Thankyou so much, I didn't even realise how many people read it tbh, damnnn.
Same here, cant wait for the next update!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 21, 2019, 08:09:45 pm
 ;D ;D.
You got this sac!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 22, 2019, 07:42:28 pm
I just finished exercise. To be honest with you, I really didn't feel like doing it but I told myself that I had to otherwise it may relay onto the next day and then I will feel that it is harder to get back into exercise and you don't have the same endurance as before.
I had tuition again today for biology. It was good. I also realised that my teacher put up 2017 and 2018 sacs so that will be great for practise. Can't wait to start on those.
Well, I think I am going to go now. I feel very tired and droopy. I think I'll watch The Umbrella Academy on Netflix now. It's amazing and really good. Highly recommend.
Have a good evening and weekend. Don't forget to have fun and be kind to yourselves.  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 24, 2019, 01:32:31 pm
My mind, body and soul are literally saturated with biology. Biology. Biology. Aaand... biology.
Today is a weird day in my opinion. I did a NEAP diagnostic test for the plasma membrane and nucleic acids which someone gave me at like 10 am. Then I just roamed around my house like a ghost and then I ended up talking to my brother, who actually wasn't on his electronics for the first time. He's so addicted to technology, it's very concerning. I worry about him everyday.  :(. And he just started at his new school.
I talked to my brother, who sort of is my unofficial therapist when he is not on his electronics and is actually listening to you, about my sac and biology and how I was abandoning specialist to focus on biology as I have a specialist test on Tuesday.
Then after my therapy session, I jumped upstairs and did the 2018 biology sac.  My initial thoughts were that the questions were vague and weird. Also, for some of the questions, they said to briefly explain something and I didn't know whether to describe the different transport types or not because they said briefly so I just stated what happened without the explanation. I was stressing out near the end, peeking at my phone to see how much time I had left. I eventually ran out of time and used up an extra 5 mins. It's ok. I will work on it. There are still four days left. At least it's not tomorrow because then I would be really stressing about how I am not going to finish the sac!
I still need to correct my prac questions and this sac. Then I need to do the 2017 sac and hopefully I do it in time and I need to do the questions my tutor sent me. I also need to understand the difference in subunits/structure between the different rnas.
I'll have lunch and watch Fresh Prince at the same time(upto season 2), then I'll study more later. I'm holding off Umbrella Academy for some time. The episodes are so long.
Also, I didn't do exercise yesterday because me and my mum were going to go on a walk before she went away but there was a lot of stuff to do and it was 9 pm all of a sudden.  :P. Gotta do it when she comes back. So looks like I am going to do a monster of a workout today if time and biology obligations allows it.
Also apparently this whole week is above 30 degrees or so which is gonna be interesting, given that i have a sac to do. This sac is all short answer. Okay. Okay. This is what I am going to do. I am going to do all the possible prep I can do for it. Then I will look over all my mistakes, redo those questions again by teaching my brother who has allocated 30 mins of his time (grudgingly). I'm trying this teaching thing out to see how it goes. Then I will be fired up, ready to smash that sac out of the park and into Antarctica. That would be a cool ride.
I'll probably update again today later.
See yas.
Have a good arvo.
 8) :)






Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 24, 2019, 06:14:56 pm
You've got this SAC dude! xx
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 25, 2019, 05:12:17 pm
You've got this SAC dude! xx
Thank you!

So today was an okay day. I feel like I always start with this. Ahhh. It's 5:10. Only like 1 hour left until I need to go to St johns. I'm stressing because I have to do like 4 exercises and my  specialist test is tomorrow. In the morning. I am just hoping for at least a 70%. That would be good. Oh also. I got the leadership position I was passionate about! Are you proud of me?
I will details about my life and what's going on tomorrow. But right now time's a wasting. Gotta dash.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 25, 2019, 05:34:38 pm
Thank you!

xx


 Oh also. I got the leadership position I was passionate about! Are you proud of me?


very! you will have so much fun!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Joseph41 on February 26, 2019, 05:54:40 pm
Oh also. I got the leadership position I was passionate about! Are you proud of me?

Yesssss this is awesome. What will this mean for you? Like, what will it involve?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 26, 2019, 05:59:46 pm
Yesssss this is awesome. What will this mean for you? Like, what will it involve?
It will involve going to social service meetings and helping in projects related to social service. I am so excited! Can't wait!

Hi.
Today I had my specialist test which was a very big joke. On the second page, staring at all those triangles, I was like can I just give up now? Like can I just sit here and wait until the time is up? I can't go on. It was a very dangerous mindset. It's because I didn't study for this test. I didn't even do all the exercises. It was bad. It's okay. It's done now and I can now fully focus on biology. I want to finish checkpoints today and then I want to do the 2017 sac. That will be great. What would be even more great was if I did the a+ notes questions.
I just realised that the sac will not be that bad. Like I looked at the info sheet and everything seems pretty alright. Like pretty good. I think I've got this. I can do this. Oh and apparently the teachers are not going to give us our marks. That will be interesting and very weird. Like, how we do we know if we are improving or declining if we are just getting feedback? I don't know.
However, in our biology class on the sac day, apparently we're doing colouring. For stress relief. Yay. I love colouring. Maybe I should do some at home.
On the train back home, I was so tired. Like I usually read and have a habit of reading my book but I just couldn't. So, I just sat there and eventually I fell asleep with thoughts whizzing around in my mind. While I was sleeping but not sleeping, i kept leaning or brushing against the person next to me accidentally because my head kept falling down and when I realised I had done that, it quickly whipped back up again. I could feel them inching away slowly. I felt like laughing. But I was too tired. Then I lent on the train railing but I banged my head against it and so i just leaned slightly.  I was supposed to be with my bro on the train but he had to stay back at school so i was alone. He usually sleeps on my shoulder which is the reverse of what happened today. Hahah.
I am not going to do exercise today because of my intense fatigue. So, I'll just study. For biology. I don't like how I am neglecting all my other subjects for biology but I'm doing it. It just feels wrong. Like a sin. Like I am not supposed to be doing that.
I have 2 frees tomorrow though which should be good. I will just do biology over and over again until all the mistakes I made in practice sticks in my mind and stays there. Not disappearing. But staying there.
Why was I so tired today? I am confused. Maybe it's because I slept at 10 or my alarm scared me so much that I fell tired again. Does that make sense?
I like writing here on my journal because it allows me to let everything out and it feels good. Like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Without you AtarNotes, I don't know what I would do. You are one of my survival instruments.
Yesterday in St John, not many people came for some reason. So, we played a game and we went through Patient Assessment. It was basically feeling for any bumps, ooey gooey bits on their body to make sure you have everything covered and did not miss anything. Because if you did, that would be a very bad and dangerous thing.
My neighbours keep opening and closing their door for some reason. Like I can hear their grille door slamming and opening again. Wow. I just realised. I am literally doing stream of consciousness which is basically when you keep writing and never stop. Never. It's a literary technique I learnt about last year when we were doing Modernism in our Literature elective. It was very fun.
I am happy that I got my leadership position as it is something that I am passionate about. I kept trying for so many leadership positions in my life which I never got and then this. I got. It does feel special and really nice. I will cherish this moment in the years to come. I actually remember writing about how I didn't get this position last year and I felt so sad. The next morning, I remember sitting on the train furiously writing away my sorrows. It was a really bad feeling. Tears were in my eyes and I was grateful that they didn't jump over my eyelids and plop onto my uniform. I don't know what other people would have thought if it happened. But then again, it doesn't matter what people think. Especially when people give you weird looks on trains when you lug around humongous bags as if you are transferring cargo or something.
I just want to say that if you are passionate about something and you didn't get it. It doesn't matter. Try again. And again. And again...until you get what you want because that;s how it works. The real winning is if you brush yourself off when you fall down and get back up. Not when you give up because you lost. Did you know Abraham Lincoln failed so many times before he became president at the age of 56. 56! What a legend. He is one of my idols. I actually thought of his 'failures' and looked at his quotes whenever it didn't go so well for me sometimes.
Oh, my brother's back. Jolly. I'm going to annoy him and ask him how his day was before he starts on his anime and games.
See you everyone.
I hope you have a good evening and I hope you made sense of my rambling.
 :)

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 26, 2019, 07:27:22 pm
Hey!

We all have bad days, don't stress about the math, I have recently started this new study technique where I see my teacher and get 2 or 3 copies of the practice test, I will do it once and all the questions I get wrong I redo and if they are still wrong I will see my teacher and ask. After understanding the structure or formula I will redo practice test 2. always, my score gets higher and higher. Also, I am like you and only prioritise my year 11 subject (bio) over my year 10 ones, but we shouldn't do that. ok? we can work on this together. Lets do what we need throughout the week and prioritise and the weekends we can be biologists and study all we want ok? I have also found if you over study for a certain subject in the test you will just go blank. You've got this dude!

I feel we are the same person, I also catch the train and will generally read, if I am not with people. I have nearly fallen asleep don't worry!

I am so happy that you are happy about the leadership position! that's amazing!

"That some achieve great success, is proof to all that others can achieve it as well If someone out there can do it, you can Evolio! YOU CAN DO IT!!
x
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 26, 2019, 08:06:52 pm
Oh, this is so nice!
It literally made me so happy reading your message!  ;D ;D
Looks like we have a lot of things in common.
Yeah, I am planning on doing my now finished last year sacs tomorrow again, the day before the  sac. Like a do over so that I can make sure that I understand my mistakes. Looks like it's a good technique.
 :) :)
WE CAN DO IT!
To infinity and beyond!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 26, 2019, 08:39:04 pm
To infinity and Beyond!!!!! xx
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: aspiringantelope on February 27, 2019, 09:22:58 pm
Been reading through your journal and I'd just like to wish you the best on the two 3/4s this year. Maybe a piece of advice from me (though i'm a year lower) is to focus mainly on the two 3/4's you are completing this year! You should not feel that you are studying Biology exclusively because I mean who wouldn't? Most things you do this year in both the 3/4s are graded and account for parts in your study score. Also, congratulations for the leadership position!
I wish you the best for the two subjects you are completing this year and the rest next year!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 28, 2019, 06:35:29 pm
Been reading through your journal and I'd just like to wish you the best on the two 3/4s this year. Maybe a piece of advice from me (though i'm a year lower) is to focus mainly on the two 3/4's you are completing this year! You should not feel that you are studying Biology exclusively because I mean who wouldn't? Most things you do this year in both the 3/4s are graded and account for parts in your study score. Also, congratulations for the leadership position!
I wish you the best for the two subjects you are completing this year and the rest next year!
Thank you for your encouragement, aspiringantelope!
It means a lot.
It's a tough time.


Okay. So i just endured the terrifying mountain of doom. The bane of my existence. My first sac. Okay. Let me just get straight to the point. The first question was so vague that I couldn't even see it. It was a * number of marks and I was like what are we supposed to include?!?! Like what do we do?Also, for one of the questions I didn't think about the difference between what happens to a plant cell and what happens to an animal cell. So, I wrote lysed instead of became turgid! Such a silly mistake. I haven't gotten my marks yet but I need to analyse for next time. Also, they aren't giving us our marks so yep.
Improvements
- Pay attention to differences between animal and plant cells. Underline that stuff. Plant cell-turgid. Animal cell-lysis (burst). This is when they are placed in a hypotonic solution.
- Do the questions more quickly so that you have more time to check and add on to your answers. For eg the * mark question that messed me up so bad and he turgid question. I would've gotten full marks for that.

Strengths
- For the less vague questions, I looked at the marks and was like okay. This dot point for that and this info for that. I am good to go.
- I finished all the questions.
- I feel much better now.

My dad shared with me his ultimate wisdom. No point stressing when it's done. Look to the future. I know some people said that to me today but it didn't really feel legit, but when he said it, I was like OK. Like a soldier, yes sir!
I mean this sac isn't the end of the world. It was my first sac and I was glad I could finish it. For the next sac, I am going to smash it to the roof. I am getting that SS 50! Mark my words! It's my goal and I live up to it. I can still get that score if I don't make silly mistakes. Yass.

Oh no. We still need to wash our uniform and I need to complete my chemistry revision test. Oh, I am so dead. I am so dead. I don't even understand what is happening, like with the trends of the PT and so on. Like what?
I also need to complete a research project for psychology so yep. I'll do that sometime.
 But what I really feel like doing right now is reading my book because I miss my fav character Number Eight.

I just really really really really want to improve. Like I got my math test back today and it was filled with silly mistakes and 4 that I didn't know about. Like I studied so much for that test and all I got was a 76%. Like, how am I going to do well in sacs at that rate?
I just really want to improve. Like I studied so much for that biology test and sacrificed so much and look where that got me. I need to figure out a way to pull myself together and work hard the right hard and actually succeed. My only accomplishment this year is grabbing that leadership position. That's about it.
Should I try meditation again or yoga again for those silly mistakes? Because I really need to get a move on. Like when I did the selective test, I was doing yoga for a year and a bit with my mum. I felt it was helping me with my studied. Like I don't think I would've gotten the results that I did if it wasn't for yoga.
I think I am going to try it. Clear my mind so there's more space for turgidity and lysis and so on. hahah.
Well, anyways, I gotta do work now so see yas.


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on February 28, 2019, 11:08:29 pm

Okay. So i just endured the terrifying mountain of doom. The bane of my existence. My first sac. Okay. Let me just get straight to the point. The first question was so vague that I couldn't even see it. It was a * number of marks and I was like what are we supposed to include?!?! Like what do we do?Also, for one of the questions I didn't think about the difference between what happens to a plant cell and what happens to an animal cell. So, I wrote lysed instead of became turgid! Such a silly mistake. I haven't gotten my marks yet but I need to analyse for next time. Also, they aren't giving us our marks so yep.
Improvements
- Pay attention to differences between animal and plant cells. Underline that stuff. Plant cell-turgid. Animal cell-lysis (burst). This is when they are placed in a hypotonic solution.
- Do the questions more quickly so that you have more time to check and add on to your answers. For eg the * mark question that messed me up so bad and he turgid question. I would've gotten full marks for that.

Strengths
- For the less vague questions, I looked at the marks and was like okay. This dot point for that and this info for that. I am good to go.
- I finished all the questions.
- I feel much better now.

My dad shared with me his ultimate wisdom. No point stressing when it's done. Look to the future. I know some people said that to me today but it didn't really feel legit, but when he said it, I was like OK. Like a soldier, yes sir!
I mean this sac isn't the end of the world. It was my first sac and I was glad I could finish it. For the next sac, I am going to smash it to the roof. I am getting that SS 50! Mark my words! It's my goal and I live up to it. I can still get that score if I don't make silly mistakes. Yass.

Oh no. We still need to wash our uniform and I need to complete my chemistry revision test. Oh, I am so dead. I am so dead. I don't even understand what is happening, like with the trends of the PT and so on. Like what?
I also need to complete a research project for psychology so yep. I'll do that sometime.
 But what I really feel like doing right now is reading my book because I miss my fav character Number Eight.

I just really really really really want to improve. Like I got my math test back today and it was filled with silly mistakes and 4 that I didn't know about. Like I studied so much for that test and all I got was a 76%. Like, how am I going to do well in sacs at that rate?
I just really want to improve. Like I studied so much for that biology test and sacrificed so much and look where that got me. I need to figure out a way to pull myself together and work hard the right hard and actually succeed. My only accomplishment this year is grabbing that leadership position. That's about it.
Should I try meditation again or yoga again for those silly mistakes? Because I really need to get a move on. Like when I did the selective test, I was doing yoga for a year and a bit with my mum. I felt it was helping me with my studied. Like I don't think I would've gotten the results that I did if it wasn't for yoga.
I think I am going to try it. Clear my mind so there's more space for turgidity and lysis and so on. hahah.
Well, anyways, I gotta do work now so see yas.

Omg every time I read your journals I feel like we are twins!
I had the same Bio test on Monday, also my first ever sac, it was a test on osmosis, diffusion, cell membranes, and the phospholipid bilayer. and I made the exact same mistake as you! In my notes (and this is cheesy) but I remember the TUR from turgor and think TURnip. Turnip is a plant, so it turgor happens in a plant cell. Bit cheesy but it works for me.
Honestly don't stress, I can guarantee that anyones first sac is not going to be what they hoped, its more an intro into what this is, don't stress. Although I am not quite sure why you aren't getting your results.

Also doing chemistry atm and don't have a clue what the fuck is going on. I don't get chemistry one bit! I feel ya! I sometimes go to my teacher out of class for more help and youtube! (as much as that thing is a good time waster and entertainer, its actually a great educator as well)

Omg!!!! Again! My math test (I took today) I was so stressed about, (I mentioned This in my journal) but the highest score I got in my practice test was 69%. Idk what my score it just yet, but I tried my best and studied as much as I could and that is all I need. Its ok to struggle and not be good at some things, noone Is amazing at everything!

If you ever need help with BIO, CHEM or MATH. I will promise to try my best to help. Shoot through a PM whenever you need.

Yoga sounds amazing! I also find walking and listening to meditation music and mindfulness podcasts before bed to be a great stress reliever.

Ive got ya back whenever you need! I feel like we are so similar and we can maybe help each other out (if you wanna do that) whenever you need I'm here xx

-Lexie
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 01, 2019, 04:21:46 pm
Awww!
I think you are actually my guardian angel! You're always there for me to cheer me up! For that, I am eternally grateful. Without you, what would I do?
Like when I saw your name on last replied, my face literally lit up and beamed!
I think I will try listening to mindful podcasts. Perhaps, they will help clear my mind and allow me to wake up with a fresh, clear mind as well. That would be great!
For sure, we can help each other and reach our dreams! That's what pals are for!
Thank you so much w0lfqu33n89!

Okay, I learnt a lesson today. DO NOT abandon your other subjects whilst you are studying for your sac. Please, don't. It's not a great idea. For me, I'm going to treat them equally and maybe put a liitle more effort for the sac, but nothing too drastic like studying for the sac for like 3 weeks and doing no work of other subjects. Now, that is definitely unhealthy. Before the sac, I remember that I was so bored of biology that I couldn't wait to finish the sac and focus on my other subjects. The world does not revolve around you biology!
Today we had a weird day because the bell times were swapped around. It was weird.
Anyways.
Specialist Mathematics

Today we did variation which was nice and easy to understand. Didn't have too much difficulty. Oh, but wait, I have like a whole chapter to finish and now this. Here we go. Apparently the next test is going to be big because it's going to cover various topics. For this one, I will definitely be read for it.

Mathematical Methods

Today we started polynomials! YAAAS! This is my kingdom. I can do this. It's probably my favourite topic but we'll see throughout the year. Apparently we're not going to spend too much time on it though as the stuff we're learning now should be revision....but it's still FUN! I need to do like 3 exercises and the polynomial exercise we just went through today.

Psychology
We went through plasticity and looked at a case study of someone called Jodie. She had her whole right hemisphere removed due to frequent seizures and through adaptive plasticity she was still able to do what she was doing before. Isn't that amazing? Although, if she was like 50 years old, it wouldn't have worked because she was not developing then. My test is on monday and I need to do the revision our teacher put up and also the test in the jacaranda book. I also need to look over my quizlet especially over the parts of the brain because boy do I need to revise. The test is 40 minutes with 5 mins reading time and 40 mins writing time. It has 10 multiple choice questions. It's reminding me of my specialist test which also had 10 multi-choice questions. Interesting.

Chemistry
Okay, so I did do the revision test and corrected it to give to my teacher as she was collecting them. When I was doing it, it actually wasn't that bad but that was probably due to the fact that I was doing open book. Hahaha. Imagine if I wasn't.  :o. I have my chemistry test on Thursday and I really need to revise the trends of the periodic table ASAP. But psychology comes first.

Literature
Okay, technically I didn't have this subject today but out group did work on it. We finished all the recording! YAY! So, we just have to slot in our clips and edit! Then it will be due on Thursday and we will be watching all of our clips in class! That will be a fun lesson.

My last period was a free so I went home. It was nice and warm outside. It felt like a welcoming embrace. It felt really nice. I can't really explain it. I know a lot of people hate hot weather, but i like it.

So here I am writing this now, munching on honey cornflakes my mum made. They are so good. They're sticking to the tissue though.
Anyways, I am feeling pretty okay after the sac. Like it's not the be all end all, you know? The exam is what counts in the end but of course everything counts. I am going to do mediation because I know it works because of past experience.
My new lead gas grown pretty big now. My other plant has luscious green leaves too.
Oh also, really sad news, my fav character died in the book I am reading. It just happened so quickly. They better resurrect him or else...
I should probably eat something lunch worthy.
Also, I started playing on my DS again, mainly New Super Mario Bros 2, I think? I've had it for like 11 years so I have a strong bond with it. I used to carry it to shopping centres and stuff when I was smaller. I remember sitting in Harvey Norman and getting up to level 2 and being so happy. My brother was watching me play. Ahh. Everything was so simple back then. Let's see how long my DS lasts. Then I'll give it to my children and it can become a family Heirloom. LOL.
Okay, see yas and have an amazing weekend!
 :) :)


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 01, 2019, 06:33:53 pm
Awww!
I think you are actually my guardian angel! You're always there for me to cheer me up! For that, I am eternally grateful. Without you, what would I do?
Like when I saw your name on last replied, my face literally lit up and beamed!
I think I will try listening to mindful podcasts. Perhaps, they will help clear my mind and allow me to wake up with a fresh, clear mind as well. That would be great!
For sure, we can help each other and reach our dreams! That's what pals are for!
Thank you so much w0lfqu33n89!

Omg that's what I do when I see you have a new post! haha. Aw you are so sweet thank you so much xx
Anytime evolio! Literally Anytime xxxxxxxxxx



Psychology
We went through plasticity and looked at a case study of someone called Jodie. She had her whole right hemisphere removed due to frequent seizures and through adaptive plasticity she was still able to do what she was doing before. Isn't that amazing? Although, if she was like 50 years old, it wouldn't have worked because she was not developing then. My test is on monday and I need to do the revision our teacher put up and also the test in the jacaranda book. I also need to look over my quizlet especially over the parts of the brain because boy do I need to revise. The test is 40 minutes with 5 mins reading time and 40 mins writing time. It has 10 multiple choice questions. It's reminding me of my specialist test which also had 10 multi-choice questions. Interesting.

Assuming you are year 11? (sorry if you have mentioned that previously and I have forgotten) I am thinking of studying Psych next year as I have always been curious about the brain. Is it fun? do you recommend it in VCE? Is it stressful?


Literature
Okay, technically I didn't have this subject today but out group did work on it. We finished all the recording! YAY! So, we just have to slot in our clips and edit! Then it will be due on Thursday and we will be watching all of our clips in class! That will be a fun lesson.

Omg! Yet another subject we are both doing! Yep, its official! I have met my twin!

Oh also, really sad news, my fav character died in the book I am reading. It just happened so quickly. They better resurrect him or else...
I should probably eat something lunch worthy.
Also, I started playing on my DS again, mainly New Super Mario Bros 2, I think? I've had it for like 11 years so I have a strong bond with it. I used to carry it to shopping centres and stuff when I was smaller. I remember sitting in Harvey Norman and getting up to level 2 and being so happy. My brother was watching me play. Ahh. Everything was so simple back then. Let's see how long my DS lasts. Then I'll give it to my children and it can become a family Heirloom. LOL.
Okay, see yas and have an amazing weekend!
 :) :)

Omg same thing happened the other day in a TV series! I was like its fine its fine, she will come back from the dead, but nope! RIP Alison Argent!  :'(

I still have my DS, all I would play was Drawn to life and Nintendo Dogs!

U too Evolio xx
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 01, 2019, 08:40:21 pm
Quote
Assuming you are year 11? (sorry if you have mentioned that previously and I have forgotten) I am thinking of studying Psych next year as I have always been curious about the brain. Is it fun? do you recommend it in VCE? Is it stressful?

Yeah, I am year 11. hahah.
Psychology is sooo fun. Like it's amazing what the brain can do. If you are passionate about it, I recommend it. For me, psychology isn't stressful as it is interesting and even if you do have homework, it's usually the one you'll want to do first because it is fun.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 01, 2019, 08:50:36 pm
ahhh ok! yeah ok I will definitely try that next year, also sorry about my reply, idk what happened with the quote on quote. not an IT genius  :o
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 01, 2019, 09:03:01 pm
Haha.
It's ok.
I thought it was meant to be like that.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: PhoenixxFire on March 01, 2019, 09:05:35 pm
ahhh ok! yeah ok I will definitely try that next year, also sorry about my reply, idk what happened with the quote on quote. not an IT genius  :o
Fixed it for you. dw easy mistake to make - you had the opening part of the quote twice in a row so it put the rest of your post in a quote.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 01, 2019, 09:07:52 pm
Fixed it for you. dw easy mistake to make - you had the opening part of the quote twice in a row so it put the rest of your post in a quote.
Thanks phoenix fire! ohhh ok, DOH!  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 02, 2019, 05:56:18 pm
Hey guys.
So today I went to tuition in the morning and we learnt about transformations with matrices and I found it fun and interesting. It was nice.
When I came back, I just went on my phone, scrolling through atar notes and then I checked my gmail. Then I checked both of those again. And again. Nothing came up so I watched an episode of Fresh Prince, more like finishing off from like Wednesday or something, the day before the sac. Then I scrolled through netflix for other movies. Nothing.
So, I read a bit of Revenge of Seven online as I didn't think Fall of Five would take such a short time to read. Looks like I'm going to wait until Monday.
Then we ate out at Nandos and the food was so good. Nandos is my fav fast food place. The chips taste amazing and crispy.
Then I watched this thriller movie on netflix which wasn't very good but I was only watching it for the twist to happen, which it did in the end.
Then I finally did some studying today. I didn't to Literature as we are pretty ahead as we only need to edit our video plus it's all on someone else's phone and laptop so can't do much there. I did my chemistry assignment which was set in the first week of term but is due in the last week of term. I looked at the word count and I have more than the limit, which is good. I am not behind. Then I did a bit of psychology revision our teacher gave me but I didn't know how to phrase the answers for some of the questions so I gave up on it. Looks like I am going to do a full day of psychology tomorrow. Then I went upstairs because I was getting fed up with my brother talking really loudly with his friend as he was playing fortnite. It's quiet up here. I did 2 exercises of methods, starting with polynomials and then determining transformations. I actually find transformations really fun as it has a lot of algebra and manipulation. And here I am typing on Atar notes.
Also, I think I see a new leaf sprouting from my plant. There's going to be 12 leaves! About the age of my brother.
Maybe I should do specialist now because we were invited to a family friend's house for dinner.
See you guys and have a good and fun night.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 03, 2019, 07:35:12 am

Then we ate out at Nandos and the food was so good. Nandos is my fav fast food place. The chips taste amazing and crispy.


Agreed! Nandos chips are amazing!



Also, I think I see a new leaf sprouting from my plant. There's going to be 12 leaves! About the age of my brother.


AYEEEEEE! On its way to 16 ma dude!!!! Thats grouse!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 03, 2019, 07:51:40 pm
Agreed! Nandos chips are amazing!

AYEEEEEE! On its way to 16 ma dude!!!! Thats grouse!
Hahaha. Me being me, I literally had to search up the word grouse.  ;D

Today was a weird day. I felt very spiritual for some reason. I guess it's because I'm trying to harness my inner mindfulness.
I did psychology for most of the day because I have my test tomorrow and I am actually excited for it. I did a lot of writing on the whiteboard to consolidate and find out what I should work on, especially with the parts of the brain. I did our revision questions which our teacher gave but I didn't know how to phrase most of them so I had to check on google classroom for the answers and then understand why that was the answer. I also made a mindmap on bubbl.us which was very helpful as it allowed me to link everything together. It was a nice graphic organisation.
I also did the chapter 3 test in the jacaranda book where I got 4 mistakes in the multiple choice but I understand why I got them wrong. Mostly because of misunderstanding information.
The short answer was alright and not that bad. I could answer them pretty okay, there was no question that stumped me particularly. Before I sleep, I need to write down the 5 stages of developmental plasticity though so I can get my head around it.
I also did specialist math today. I finished most of the chapter 1 review. Just need to do the extended response questions. Hahaha. There's a reason why I stopped there.
I also did like two pages in the chemistry workbook. Looks like I'm going to be relying on that for the upcoming test.
Oh and I also did yoga today which I had not done properly in a long time. It was a youtube workout and the yoga teacher was pretty good. Like the flow was challenging but also enlightening. Breathing in and out felt really good at times. However, at the end, when I lay down, my back really hurt because I literally twisted it into a backwards circle which my spine is definitely NOT used to. But it went away in like 1 minute so all good. I need to increase my spine flexibility. Maybe I'll do more of her video workouts. They seem pretty good and they go for like 25 mins as well. Or I can also do another youtube workout after that which will be extra beneficial.
I can't wait to go to the library tomorrow to borrow the fifth book in the series! Tomorrow, I can go early because my biology class got cancelled. We're starting enzymes which is a pretty short chapter. I got to work on competitive and non-competitive inhibition. Apparently, our next sac for biology is in term 2 week 6.
The annoying thing about my D.S is that it keeps going black randomly in the MIDDLE OF THE GAME! ARGH! It's so annoying because I just finished a level like three times and need to keep doing it all over again which is so ARGH! Also, Mario cart is betraying me as it's also freezing! What else am I supposed to play?
I haven't watched Fresh Prince in a while. Maybe I'll watch that now.
Also, not the coming week, but the week after that, I get 3 days off! YAY! I can prioritse my study timetable and it will allow me to catch up with all my work (ahem, specialist, chemistry, looking at you guys.)
See you guys later and have a fantabulous Sunday evening!
 :) :D ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 03, 2019, 08:01:43 pm
Hahaha. Me being me, I literally had to search up the word grouse.  ;D


hahahahahahahahaha.

We're starting enzymes which is a pretty short chapter. I got to work on competitive and non-competitive inhibition. Apparently, our next sac for biology is in term 2 week 6.

also just started enzymes!

as for the yoga I am glad you have found something to relax you (well after the back pain ;))
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 08, 2019, 05:04:25 pm
Hey AtarNotes.
How is everyone doing?
Long time, no see.
I just finished a yoga practice and I must say that I feel very cleansed. Like, my soul feels very whole. I feel rejuvenated and reborn.
I used to do those hard core YouTube workouts going on for like 8 months but I realised that my mind was still not clear when I was doing those. My ultimate goal was to focus. I felt that HIIT wasn't doing it for me but yoga will. Well, duh, I used it for a past situation. So, I am going to focus on yoga to help me focus and recenter myself. Although, I am thinking of alternating between yoga and cardio each day so that I have a balance.
I've been getting a lot of stuff sorted in terms of my study behaviour. Like, I've decided to do at least something from each of my 6 subjects each day or at least subjects I have had that day to make sure that I am re consolidating instead of rocking up to class and starting all over again.
Literature
We submitted our assignment. It's really chill at the moment. It will be chill next week as well. We'll just be watching a movie which is going to be the topic of our in-class essay. Should be exciting.

Chemistry

I had my test on Thursday. Not satisfied with it. I definitely should have studied more but with my new study organisation, let's see how this goes for my next test and assignment. I did a reflection in class and it helped me understand what I had to do.

Methods

We are upto 9K in Differentiation and our teacher dumped all of the exercises on us over a course of two days since we only have one class next week, which is Wednesday. However, I really like this topic and I am excited to continue on with the work soon. Can't wait. For some reason, when I have a lot of work, it really energises me, especially if it's math. I was always that math kid.

Specialist
Okay. I am not going to lie. I got really bad on my specialist test. Like very very low. I got 33%. It may be my lowest score in my entire life out of all the tests I did. The practice tests I did for the selective school test, I did get some 30's % but...I feel this is different. Way different because it's school stuff. I didn't do like three of the exercises because I was focusing on my Biology sac and neglecting all my other subjects but now I have definitely learned my lesson. I will get better. You know what? I am going to make Specialist Math my TOPPEST subject. We have a test in two weeks on the Tuesday and I will ace that and smash it, You know why? Because I would have actually studied for this one.

Psychology

We have started AOS2 and I thought it would be really interesting but now I am doubting it. I can't wait for the atypical development because we look at mental disorders like personality disorder and schizophrenia. I find that stuff really interesting. I am thinking of doing the Learning Activity review questions in the jacaranda book so that I am on top of my work and I really understand what is going on.

Biology

Apparently, it will be a loooooooong time until we get our sacs back. We are doing enzymes now and I feel like we are finishing it soon because it's a really small chapter and pretty straightforward. We have a homework sheet to complete that I should probably get onto. I should also watch Edrolo and do the questions to be ahead.

OTHER STUFF

Book currently reading: Revenge of Seven.
I borrowed the next book from the library since we have a public holiday and I don't want to be left hanging off a cliff today like last week. That was pure agony. Can't wait to get started.
Leadership position: We have our planning day on the Wednesday at 8:30 so it should be interesting. I will be able to meet new people and make new friends.
Next week is weird: I only need to go to school for two days next week which is a great opportunity for me to catch up on ALL my work and maybe even get ahead as that's how I used to roll when I was a little kid. Learn everything at home and at school everything was a breeze.
Plant: The newest leaf on my plant is the largest one. It's so big that it looks like the odd one out. I wonder how big my plant will be.
St Johns this week: This Monday, we looked at treating wounds and bleeding. You basically put saline, wrap gauze around the wound and then rest and reassure. This cleared up doubts I had before so that was really good. Also, do OBS which is basically checking their breathing, pulse, temperature and the colour of the skin. Also, you should do SAMPLE and secondary assessment. Also, you need to fill out a  OB12. Don't forget that. It's all important.
I think I'll eat grapes soon. I feel very tired.
This whole week I was so tired, especially when waking up. I literally switched off my alarm and went back to sleep. 40 mins passed and when I checked the time, I jumped out of bed and pestered my brother to wake up because it was 6:20! I was like we are so not going to make the train but we did. So, all is well.
Okay, that's all folks. See you next time.
I will study now and fire up my neurons. :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Macrophagee on March 08, 2019, 05:18:56 pm
Hey
Don't be too disheartend about spesh because its meant to be difficult, and hey at least you're doing units 1/2! Lol I'm jumping straight into units 3/4 since my school doesn't even offer the 1/2!
I also got my test back and it was the worst mark ever, but we will both improve soon hopefully!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 08, 2019, 07:09:06 pm
Thank you for the encouragement!
Yeah, as long as we keep our heads up, we'll be fine.
We can do it! We just have to push through.
 :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 13, 2019, 05:18:04 pm
Hello wonderful peeps!
How yall doing?
Today is my last day of school for the week. I have Thursday and Friday off which means I have a four day long weekend! YES! Imma going to be catching up on all my work and preparing for math tests coming up next week. I did a Shakti yoga flow and it felt really good throughout. It was amazing. Why on earth did I ever stop yoga? What was wrong with me?
Anyways, general thoughts are that I am going pretty well in terms of what I wanted myself to study and how to do it after coming back from school as I didn't want to waste my time. I sort of wasted time today as I was reading the last book of the series while eating(not really eating).
Oh! And I had my planning day for my leadership position today which was really amazing. This is my first leadership position so I honestly had no idea of what to expect. But it was good. It went for the whole day and so  I had no classes. We basically collaborated in groups and discussed the upcoming events in the year and we also had to brainstorm what charities we wanted to fundraise for and how we could do it. Also, how we could get out form to be enthusiastic and participate in all the activities we have planned. I also got my badge. I feel that this position will be very rewarding!  ;D

Literature
We have been given an extract to read and we need to annotate it over our break. I have to still read it. I haven't even looked at it but I was told that it is really creepy. I will start annotating it today.

Chemistry

I finished all my key questions for each exercise in chapter 3 which is what our teacher wanted us to do. Today I might do the workbook or do the key questions in the exercise ahead. I am actually liking chemistry right now as I actually understand it! Also, I have gotten all my notes (maybe too much) for my report and I need to collate it into a research report which will be due in at the end of term.

Psychology
I did the review questions on Plasticity yesterday but I felt like some of them were really vague. I might do questions on Parkinson's disease today as I read the textbook content beforehand so it would be good to do after.

Methods
I have a test next Wednesday. It's on Polynomials and Transformations. I still need to do two exercises of transformations and correct one exercise. But I also need to do 2 exercises on Differentiation. Maybe I'll do one od each today. I also need to email my teacher and see what I have missed in today's class.

Biology
Edrolo! I find it's helping if I want to get ahead but not too ahead so that I am on the same level as what we are learning at the moment. I also haven't gone to tuition for some time because I wanted to get my study organised and not break the flow. However, when I feel comfortable with how I am doing, I will venture out and do biology tuition again.

Specialist Maths

Can I just say, I love the topic we are doing right now? We are doing variation and I really like the process. Also, with this we get to find the answers to problems that I thought were once complex 2 years ago. It feels so good to be able to do them without thinking about it. It makes me really happy.

I will go now. See yas.


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 21, 2019, 06:43:53 pm
It's been 8 days since I last posted. I am sorry. I guess I have been putting it off.

Just finished eating my strawberries.
I had my methods test today and it went as expected, like it went ok but I am unsure about a graph question and this other one where I don't know if I actually answered the question or not. Answer the question, kids.
We're having an extremely weird situation at school and it is not pretty. At all. It's wreaking havoc everywhere and it is chaos. No more comments about that.

In Literature we are discussing the male gaze which is the concept of a male looking at a female body(creepy and ew I know). We had to read an analysis by Lauren Mulvey and annotate it which was fun and you guessed it, disgusting. But her perspective was really interesting as she used psychoanalysis to really dive into the deep and explore the depths of cinema. We started watching Vertigo which I watched on the holidays. It's a strange but an epic movie which has a humongous twist at the end. My heart leapt into my throat when I got to the end and then I spent quiet a few moments staring at the empty wall, thinking 'what just happened!?'

In chemistry, we have started Chapter 4 which is Ionic Bonding. It is pretty similar to Metallic bonding in that they both have a lattice structure. However some of their properties are different. For example, metals are malleable and ductile while ionic compounds are generally brittle and hard. I am going to do my chapter 4 review questions soon. Can't wait to get excited! Chemistry is really interesting and I am really getting into the groove of it.

We finally had our first psychology class today in 14 days because we missed out on so much school and there was so much happening. We are really behind the other classes so we gotta run to catch up. Also, we will be getting our tests back tomorrow and going through them. Oh, I am so sure I messed up the neuron diagram question because I labelled the nodes of ranvier wrong. Oopsie. Also, I basically revised all my stuff the day before the test which is not good. I should have started two weeks earlier. But the biology sac, hehehe.  :-\

The test for Specialist was moved from this Tuesday to next Tuesday because of the unfortunate circumstances. I was a bit annoyed because I wanted to do it. But... I can do more revision and ask more questions so that will be good. It's no cas and notes. We started Sequence and Series the other day. Some of it was a bit confusing to be honest but I got through it. I glued my eyes to the whiteboard and absorbed all that juicy info.

Finally, biology is going a bit weird now. I thought I would be thinking about biology 24/7 since it's my 3/4 but nope. I probably think about it the least or something. I finished all the enzyme questions in checkpoints last Friday which was a good achievement. But... I haven't corrected it and that is going to take WAY longer. psh.

I finished the whole 'I am Number Four Series'. I have no more books to read so right now I'm reading this book on the brain.
In St Johns this week, we learnt how about shock and the symptoms and signs associated with it. I also learnt that you could die from shock.  :-[ which is definitely not nice.
We also did a couple of scenarios where we treated shock victims.

Yoga Update: I am still doing it and I feel the benefits of it gradually coming into play in my life. For example now, my mind is so empty you could fill it with water (bad joke, you can ignore that).

I hope you guys have a wonderful Thursday full of fun!
See yas until next time.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on March 21, 2019, 07:14:24 pm
Great to hear from you Evolio!

needed to know that chemistry stuff for my upcoming test so thanks for that!

I hope the school drama is ok and will be soon.

Yeah, I have found with Literature we go into really sensitive and controversial topics which makes me nervous but we need to know about the real world I guess.

glad you are doing well!

- lex x
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 21, 2019, 07:43:08 pm
Great to hear from you too! ;D
I hope you are doing good!

Good luck for your chemistry test. You'll smash it.
By the way, what's the test on?

Yeah, that's the thing with Literature, it centres around what's going on today. It's cool to make connections.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 27, 2019, 04:29:21 pm
Heys.
I had my specialist test yesterday and it went really really really well. Like I basically finished with 20 mins remaining and I only had a last question to do. So I checked over all my answers doing the questions again and when I came back to that modulus q at the end of the test, I was stumped. I had no idea how to answer it. So I just drew random lines, thinking hey, maybe I got this correct. But...
I also got my biology sac back yesterday without the marks. They're going to give us our marks in week 2 of term 2. Looking at my sac, I expected how I went. I knew I was going to get that turgidity question wrong. BUT.. I did not get wrong about polymer synthesis which is great. I thought I had to mention the carboxylic and amine group but nup. So all good. Although, I now realise the extreme depth our teachers want us to go in when answering questions. You really have to understand what exactly the question is asking and then answer accordingly, instead of answering with a concept you know what the question is asking. YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION!
This whole week, I have been feeling out of it! My nose is always itching and my whole face feels dry. It's not a great feeling. This hayfever is going to ruin me. At least, I technically have no school tomorrow.
I got my psychology test back last Friday and we went through it. I lost a mark for not saying complementary molecular shaped receptors on the synapse. I lost 3 whole marks for swapping around Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia! It was terrible. I would have gotten like 84 % but nope I ended up with a 75%. But for the scenario questions, I did generally well and I'm proud of myself for that. I wrote enough detail for marks to not be deducted.
We are still watching Vertigo and taking notes in Literature which is nice and calming.
In chemistry, we have moved onto covalent bonding.
We have started Logs and Exponentials in Methods which is fun! I have like 12 exercises to complete. We are going so fast everything feels a blur. Like I feel like differentiation was a while ago but it was only last week.
We learnt about sprains and strains at St John and choking. So basically we learnt about the action plan for choking which is encouraging the patient to cough, if that doesn't work, back thrust. If that doesn't work, chest thrust. Oh and make sure they are sitting upright when you do these thrusts. For sprains and strains, use the acronym RICE. R is for rest and reassure. I is for Ice. C is for compression and E is for Elevation to reduce the swelling by not letting blood flow go to your ankle, for example.
I thought I'd say 'fun' facts about me:
- I am mad about human evolution. I'm so interested in it.That's why I learnt about the Human Change Over Time in biology unit 4 pretty early.
- My last school was my first school. I went there for 10 years including prep and kindergarden. Yep. Lots of memories there. 
-  I'm older than most kids in my cohort. I'm the oldest in my class.

Other fun facts that I found online:
- Banging your head against a wall for one whole hour actually burns 150 calories! How crazy is that?
- In 2017, more people were killed from injuries that occurred while taking a selfie than killed by shark attacks
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: lst1103 on March 27, 2019, 05:44:02 pm
Somewhat irrelevant, but how old are you?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 04, 2019, 07:00:13 pm
16.

Hey guys!
I was so happy when I ran to school today! Our library opened up for like the first time in weeks! YES! I was bursting with excitement. I screamed and jumped for joy. I could finally borrow the Atar Notes Topic Tests for Biology and Methods my 3/4's. I also borrowed like 4 young adult story books (love em) and a Neap biology practice exams booj. Now, I feel that I am prepared and ready to jump into my holiday work!  ;D. Can't wait.

Methods

I got my test back on Monday, I think?  ??? and I got 80%. Okay, it is not a phenomenal result but it was still my highest this year due to *cough* silly mistakes. But I made less silly mistakes on this test which made it so much better! Sill mistakes meaning wrong calculations and stuff. It's a start. Apparently, the cohort's test average lowered by 10% after this sac but mine increased. LOL. Talk about being the unique one, eh? We also got our sac info today. There will be 4 parts and one of them is a homework task which will contribute 2 marks out of like 90 something marks. Yep. Lots of marks. This sac is worth 50% of all SACs and 1/6 of the study score. That's really surreal. We also received our holiday homework today which is to basically revise stuff about differentiation and complete like 6 exercises on circular functions. Gotta get to it. I just realised how FANTASTIC my teacher is! Each class she gives us these handouts which have EXAMPLES of how to do each question step by step in an orderly manner. And we do more questions than listening to the teacher which I LOOVE because practising more questions is really important, especially for identifying gaps in your knowledge. That's how you fix your mistakes! I'm also going to an ATAR NOTES LECTURE! YAY! Can't wait. I went to one last year as well. I think it's next week or the week after that.

Specialist Mathematics

I got my test back on Tuesday and i got 86%! YES! It's a big jump from my 36%(which I didn't even study for) to my 86% which I actually studied for. Also, I'm also happy because I got questions right that not many people got right! Makes me feel like I actually do know how to do stuff. Now, we're doing circle geometry which is fine, I guess. Not better than variation. But fine. Alright.

Chemistry

I feel like we are going all over the place for chemistry. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Anyways we looked at intermoleculr forces today and the different types of them. Dipole-dipole, hydrogen bonding and something else.... Apparently, we will be betting holiday homework for this tomorrow. Also, we are getting our test back tomorrow which we did like 6 weeks ago. NOT looking forward to it. At least, the damage done to my subjects due to the biology sac(after neglecting them) will be over after I receive this test. Also, I'll be able to see where I went wrong and work on them on the holidays. We're having a class picnic tomorrow. 29 degrees, here I come.

Biology

Biology class is really weird for me. I feel like we're doing stuff but not in that much detail. I guess we also need to look at the bigger picture but knowing the details are important too sometimes, especially when you write responses. I had tuition yesterday and we went through my sac. The tutor gave me feedback on what I should have written to make sure I received full marks. It was somewhat helpful. I also basically interviewed her on how she studied for biology, how she studied for sacs, how she went about everything for biology. It was good. I am going to do the ATAR NOTES topic tests, checkpoints and the Unit 3 exams on the VCAA exams back when they had unit 3 and 4 separate. Maybe, biology next term will be more interesting. Cellular Signals. Going to an Atar notes lecture on Saturday after methods tuition. Can't wait! SO PUMPED.

Psychology

Psychology is going alright. I have an assignment due in week two fo term 2. And it's a group assignment. Generally, I hate hate hate doing group assignments with anyone, doesn't matter who it's with,  because I prefer to work individually. That way, you can go at your own pace, do your own thing and everything. But oh well. It's fine. At the moment. Today, we looked at cognitive development and Piaget which was interesting. We haven't looked at the 2,3,4 the stage though. I need to write notes on the previous slides.

Literature

We finished watching Vertigo, the Hitchcock film. So I have watched it 2 times totally. Today, I worked on my scene analysis and it went well. I actually stayed on track for the whole period and didn't procrastinate by going on atarnotes. hahah. Our holiday homework is to write a practice essay so that our teacher can give us feedback for after we come back as in our second week, we will be writing an i class essay based on comparing two scenes from Vertigo. Got a lot happening that week. Got a lot of work and practice to do for literature.

Extracurricular

St Johns this week was nice and comforting. We watched Toy Story 3 which I have watched a bazillion times but it reminded me of the good old days where I just completed math and english workbooks and there was no such think as Chemistry, literature, specialist, methods, psychology and biology. I also sort of got my uniform but not really which is upsetting as I didn't get my set.  :-\
We had our last social service meeting for the term on Tuesday and we basically planned for Live Below the Line and Social Service Week. I worked on questions about poverty.

Other Stuff

We had a class party today and it was funny watching everyone walk by, with their eyes widening and chatting to their friends. We literally had a huge stash in the middle and everyone circled around the food as if we were huddled like penguins and saving up for the winter as if we were going to go into hibernation. Ah, nice analogy there.
Had to take a bus today. Again. From the city. Wasn't too bad though. I got home earlier than I was expecting.
Also, I started exercising today again as opposed to just doing yoga. I am thinking of doing yoga too. At night, just before I sleep. Hopefully I will be able to sleep better.

Ah, fun facts. I haven't forgotten about them.
1. The national animal of Scotland is the unicorn
2. It's impossible to hum when you hold your nose (try it)
3. Termites can live up to 100 years. They are the longest living insect.
4. Bees can detect bombs.

Fun(not really) facts about me:
1. I like pineapples. I can eat them forever.
2. I used to cry a lot as a baby.
3. I don't drink much water. (But I really should, I know)
4. I HATE Macdonalds with a passion.

See yas.
And have a great holiday break. Take rest and don't overstudy.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on April 04, 2019, 08:10:28 pm
Hey pal! seems like you have had a good week, I am feeling the same with biology tbh, we are going over the digestive system and I feel like I am reliving year 8 like cmon gimme a challenge!

Never seen TS3 is it any good?

Omg I love pineapples as well! as in have a shelf of pineapple stuff in my room and the nickname Pineapple at school  ;D

Have a great holidays xx
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 07, 2019, 07:28:54 pm
Yeah, toy story 3 is pretty good and 4 is coming out soon! The trailer is already out.
Haha.
Yeah, pineapples rock and they will always rock!
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on April 08, 2019, 01:40:07 pm
Yeah, pineapples rock and they will always rock!
 ;D

Literally just bought a pineapple candle from a market to add to my collection  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Joseph41 on April 09, 2019, 05:18:12 pm
Hey Evolio!

What's the go with the group assignment for Psych? How's that working for you?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 09, 2019, 05:53:09 pm
Hey Evolio!

What's the go with the group assignment for Psych? How's that working for you?

Hello!
Yeah, it's going pretty good! We basically already finished half of it and the layout too because we had a bit of time to work on it in class before the holidays! Just the last half to go. Just deciding how I'm going to present it as our teacher wants us to be creative with it! Should be exciting!
How has your day been so far?
 :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 11, 2019, 05:07:06 pm
Hello!
I hope everyone's holidays are going great!
I feel like I don't have enough time on my hands. I know. It's weird because it's holidays but I still see myself trying to fit in everything in an organised way so that I can finish and do the stuff I need to do. I've even started using my study planner that my mum bought for me like um maybe 3 years ago. I know, I'm pathetic. I should really start using my goals journal as well. But for my planner, it's good to tick stuff off as I go. Although for my chemistry and literature essay, I need to start writing definite stuff like finish one paragraph etc.
I'll go subject by subject so that it's not a rambling mess of words.

Methods
This week, I have just been doing one exercise a day. Not too much heavy stuff. But today, I did an exercise and also some extended response questions which was a part of our holiday homework. I really should do more methods in general, but specifically extended response questions because my SAC is coming up on May 22nd or something like that. I need to be prepared to charge into battle with a sword and a shield!

Biology
This week I have been aiming to watch edrolo every day which was mainly revision as I have studied independently or looked at that stuff in class before. But today I started watching Immune Response which was relatively new to me. So after I watched for about 45 mins, I did a BLURT where I just vomited all the information I had gained onto the paper. I want to start using this technique more often, particularly in my 3 science subjects and maybe even English, to organise my ideas.

Specialist Mathematics

Haha. This has literally been non-existence for the majority of my holidays, not going to lie. But... I did do a few questions on Monday. I guess it's because we don't have a lot to do. So, I'm just relaxing for this one. But I really should finish my exercises and maybe even do the review questions.

Literature
I have been working on my practice essay every day which is a good habit as I really want to make sure I have all my ideas down and that I can condense it into meaningful paragraphs. I have more or less written two paragraphs which is putting me in good steed. U think I'll set myself the goal of doing the last paragraph tomorrow. That way, I can do the introduction on Saturday and the conclusion and a bit or revising on Sunday. Lot happening on Saturday again, like last week.

Chemistry
I have been working on my report which I have gotten an extension on. I just really want to do well in this assignment as I flunked my chemistry test with a 72? % which i am not happy with.

Psychology
Work for this subject is practically non-existent. Though, I have worked a bit on my powerpoint for a little bit.

Have decided to alternate between one day exercise and the other day yoga. Like yoga, exercise, yoga, exercise. Let's see how this goes. I've tried to start to start drinking more water and eating more healthy stuff. Trying to stay away from chips because when I start, I'm not gonna finish until the whole packet's gone.

Well, I will see you guys later!
 :)


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 14, 2019, 07:03:41 pm
Hey guys!
How are you all doing?
Just finished going to my two ATAR NOTES lectures! The biology and methods 3 4 ones.
They are amazing and I found them pretty helpful!
Thank you ATAR Notes for holding these lectures! It's great that you are helping so many students across Victoria!
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Seamus Wong on April 14, 2019, 07:34:11 pm
Hey guys!
How are you all doing?
Just finished going to my two ATAR NOTES lectures! The biology and methods 3 4 ones.
They are amazing and I found them pretty helpful!
Thank you ATAR Notes for holding these lectures! It's great that you are helping so many students across Victoria!
 ;D

That's great that you went to those lectures. I wish I had gone to the methods and 3&4 ones last year.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Joseph41 on April 15, 2019, 09:34:37 am
Hey guys!
How are you all doing?
Just finished going to my two ATAR NOTES lectures! The biology and methods 3 4 ones.
They are amazing and I found them pretty helpful!
Thank you ATAR Notes for holding these lectures! It's great that you are helping so many students across Victoria!
 ;D

Great to hear you enjoyed them! :) Did you have a fave?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 15, 2019, 04:03:47 pm
That's great that you went to those lectures. I wish I had gone to the methods and 3&4 ones last year.
It's okay. You can go to the lectures this year!  :)

Great to hear you enjoyed them! :) Did you have a fave?
Hmmm. It's a hard one but I'm going to go with methods!
 8)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 21, 2019, 01:28:45 pm
It's been a while since I posted but I've been going on ATARnotes every single day, checking like 10 times (or more) lol.
It's like my only real social media. Is ATAR notes social media?
Anyways, I just finished a biology practice exam which was set for homework and can I just say it was SO LONG! 2 hours and 30 minutes! I'm really going to have to do a lot of practice exams with this time limit to get used to the dragging on. I felt like my energy was being sucked out as I completed one question after another. Is this normal or is it just me? Got 98/130. About 75%. Not good. It's weird because all my sacs for biology this year are like 40 mins.
I also discovered bucket-loads of methods and biology past exams and practice exams from different companies! It was amazing! Can't wait to get started on those! There's also LisaChem which I heard is really hard so let's see!

Specialist Mathematics
Pretty nonexistent. Haven't touched the textbook since the last update.

Literature
Finished my essay and submitted it yesterday. My in class essay is in like one week and a half. Thinking of writing another essay based on the scene the teacher will give us so that I can use the feedback I get from this practice essay and implement it on that one. OR or I could implement the feedback on this essay and get more feedback to fortify it even more.

Chemistry
I did the unit on 'Introducing the Mole' a few days ago which was nice because we're finally drilling into the core of chemistry and math! Can't wait for all the formulas.

Methods
SO MUCH CHECKPOINTS AND DIFFERENTIATION. Methods these holidays were a blue.Honestly, all I can remember doing is differentiation differentiation. This week, I did 10 questions a day, thinking it was too less, but it took me like 2 hours a day to finish them, correct them and then do the questions again to make sure I've understood them. Also, in tuition, I'm doing differentiation which is hitting me even harder. The differentiation checkpoints questions are actually really hard... like I didn't expect them to be that hard. Or maybe I did but not like that! Like it really forces you to think critically so you have to warp your mind this way and that to get your head around it otherwise you're done for. BUT I was really happy when I got a *seemingly hard* (for me) question right! I literally jumped two cm in the air and smiles really big. That was a great and defining moment. But I've understood now that it really helps to read the question piece by piece and take baby steps to make sure you are using all the info available in the correct way. Like always link back to the question and see if you are on the right track.
Also, I basically finished my methods holiday homework basically. But I still need to do some extended response. AND MOST Importantly I need to go over the solutions my teacher sent me for questions I don't understand and also look over wrong questions. I need to compile a list of questions that I got wrong and do them again in preparation for the sac. I feel like I have an okay grip on differentiation but I need to look over the other topics. Also, I have a solid grip on circular functions which is great.

Biology
Finished 4 ATAR notes topic tests and also all of the questions for photosynthesis and cellular respiration in checkpoints. And I did the practice exam just now and marked it and went over my mistakes which took like an hour. My logbook for my experimental sac is going good, emailed it to my teacher for feedback to see where I'm at.

Psychology
Did stuff for my assignment these holidays. Hasn't replied to my email I sent like more than two weeks ago. So that's that. Just went through with it anyway.

I'm pretty happy with the work and the QUALITY of the work I did. I'm pretty happy with myself. Pat on the back. Ah my fingers are going numb. I did so much methods and my teacher was still emailing me solutions to questions which I am really grateful for! I also did a lot of biology! I even finished a literature essay and got ahead with chemistry a bit. I really need to do something about Specialist Mathematics and Psychology though. Don't know what's happening with those.Although, the downside is that holidays are supposed to be relaxing but I felt more burnt out now than when I was in school. BUT on friday, saturday and today sunday I didn't that much work so my burntout levels should return to normal. Tomorrow, I'm thinking of taking it easier too and finish my methods homework. So, balance will be restored.
I also resumed watching Gilmore Girls the other day but it wasn't really that interesting. So, I resumed watching 'Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' and it;s pretty good! Highly recommend! I have 3 and a bit episodes left so I can finish it on the holidays and not let it distract me in school time. Because that will be a problem. Then I'll probably finish watching the 'Planet Earth' episodes as I don't want myself to be distracted.
I have three days off next week with school on Tuesday and Wednesday where I have a free on Tuesday in the morning and two frees on Wednesday which is a half day. Then the drama starts with week two where so much is happening. Psychology oral, literature in class essay, chemistry 'quiz', athletics carnival (which I am not looking forward to).
I've said this a hundred times, but I am REALLY HAPPY with my work ethic in the holidays! Like I feel so successful! YAY!
Yeah, this was a ranty post but it feels good to let everything flow out. For the bio kids, diffuse out.
I thought I'd finish with a quote, because I'm me.
'Live as if you were to die  tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever'
- Mahatma Gandhi.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 26, 2019, 04:22:57 pm
Hello!
I had a day off today because of curriculum day! Today was a pretty chill day even though I did actually do work.
What I did today:
- Finished 1 exercise of circular functions and 1 question from another exercise. Finished all my homework for methods.
- Wrote some more notes on immunity for biology. Like about B lymphocytes and lymph nodes. I am titling the study design dot point, underlining the key terms and then writing the notes corresponding to that key knowledge dot point.
- Finished unit 8.2 on carbon nanomaterials from the heinmann chemistry textbook.
- Wrote up 4/5 of my cue cards for my psychology presentation coming up and also altered the presentation a bit.
- No homework for specialist.
- I have my literature essay coming up on the third week, not the second anymore.

Yesterday was fun:
Yesterday me, my family and my family friends went for like an hour drive to the You Yangs regional park and it was epic! It was pretty cold probably because we were so high up but the sun came out sometimes. We went hiking up the mountain and the sign said it was 'very steep' and 'has steps'. It was an aching walk. As I climbed higher and higher up, I could hear myself wheezing with my throat going all weird. It was also sweaty so I had to strap my jacket around my waist. There were a lot of people especially a lot of younglings. When we climbed all the way to the top, we were rewarded with an amazing view after the pain! You could see the sea and it was so widespread! It was really beautiful  and I hope that we can do it again some other time and more times!

Today was calming
Today I feel like I did not do much work and I could do more. I don't know if I am getting that feeling because I'm so relaxed and calm and have an empty mind or something else... Nonetheless, today was peaceful and it made me feel mindful of the present and what was happening now.

St Johns:
We didn't have St Johns this week because of the public holiday on Monday.

Also have you guys watched 'Now you see me' and 'Now you see me 2'? I watched the first one yesterday and I have nearly finished the second one today. It's pretty good and I recommend for anyone! It's a weird movie but it's a good one.
This was a weird diary entry but these are all my thoughts for now. See you guys later!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 04, 2019, 01:53:47 pm
Hello guys!
How is everyone?
This week was a pretty big rollercoaster with fast rides and slow ones. It went fast, then slow, then fast again. I felt that I was more conscious of my surroundings as I went into each class. For example, I listened more intently to the teacher instead of just listening and I also actually did work even though there was 10 mins of class left as I usually just sat there scrolling through atar notes or gmail. It was an enlightening experience and I hope to keep it up forever.
I also felt really productive after coming home from school. Even though I get home at 4 45 every day except Wednesdays and Fridays, I felt pretty productive with the limited time and the stacks of work I had to get through. And the plus was that all of the travelling, school, and work at home tired me out so much that I was able to sleep peacefully because on the holidays I was just rolling around on the bed for like 1 hour before I fell asleep. Also, before I slept I usually read ‘7 Habits of Highly Effective People’ for like 15-30 mins which just made my day even more productive! It’s pretty interesting so far and I hope to finish it soon so that I can really implement them!
Biology
I got my SAC score back after like 8 weeks. Depressing, I know. I got 79%. At first I was really happy and was bursting with joy as I was sure that I got 60% and was hoping for above 60%. But then I realised that it’s not a good result. The average was 62%. But I don’t know where I sit in the cohort. And the really bad thing is that if I just got one more mark, I would have gotten 82% which is a better result and at least in the 80s. The really terrifying thing is that every mark counts as to where you sit in your cohort.

Specialist
We have finished partial fractions and equating coefficients which was a pretty fun and excellent chapter if you ask me. We have a test on Algebra II, circle geometry and sequences and series on Tuesday. I’m alright with everything except for circle geometry which is eating up my brain. I watched a circle theorem video today to help and it was going pretty good. I’ll watch another video soon where examples will be gone through. Then I can attempt the textbook chapter review questions more confidently.

Methods
My SAC is coming up on the 29th of May. It’s a ginormous sac where 50% of it counts for all your coursework. We only have 2 sacs throughout the whole year and the other 2 are 25% each. We have basically finished circular functions and I think we’ll be starting Applications of Differentiation which should be fun. I’ve already gone through it today in tuition today and it doesn’t seem so bad. I think I’ll be alright since I LOVE differentiation so much.

Chemistry
We had a revision test on Tuesday. This one doesn’t count toward anything. It was open book and we were allowed to talk to people and we also were able to take it home to finish it off. By next Tuesday, we would have had 1 week to finish it which is a long time. We have started ‘Masses of Particles’ and I find it pretty interesting because it’s something I can relate to since it’s MATHS! I need to ask the teacher about reading the graphs though because I’m a bit confused.

Psychology
I have a presentation on Monday. It will go well. It doesn’t count into the report and our teacher said that it’s just for practice for next year. We also have a pretty big research project coming up which is AOS 3. I’ve picked my topic and started my research and yesterday I found an article which basically has all the info I need, so I was happy with that. Feeling pretty confident with this project. We have 6 lessons in class to complete it so I should do most of my research at home and copy the info into my logbook in class.

Literature
We have an in-class essay on Tuesday the same day as my Specialist test. I feel a bit under okay so I need to do more paragraph practice and make sure I’m doing everything right. I have plenty of feedback so I should collate all that juicy stuff in one place and then fix up my paragraphs. That way, I can be sure that I am improving and just abandoning the feedback. I’ve also realised that literature essays are really fun and pretty enjoyable! After this essay though, we will be studying the Shakespearean Play ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ which should be fun and we’ll also be watching a movie on it.

St Johns
This week, we looked at poisons and the treatment plan was nothing exotic, just the basics. You rest and reassure your patient and you follow your action plan DRSABCD. You send for help 000 (112 if no reception) and you also call the Poisons Hotline 13 11 26. You also fill out the OB12s which are a must do.

Athletics
We also had athletics on Friday which was an ok day. I honestly hate athletics but I did 5 events for my house because if we participate we get points. I did shot put, javelin, 100 m dash, 800 m run and the 800 m race walk. I didn’t get any ribbons but that was expected. Last year in the 800 m run, I stopped and walked a couple of times and came last. But this year was an improvement. I think it’s because of my exercise. I was able to keep running for the whole time and also I came second last.
I predicted that I would be one of the first people but nope and I think I know why. Since I exercised inside, I think it was different to actually running outside with all the wind and the cold and the air. It was a different environment. It was also proven when my throat hurt so much and phlegm started popping up yesterday. I DO NOT get that when I usually exercise at home.

Yoga
I also finished the 31 day revolution yoga challenge on youtube! Gotta find new videos to follow through for next week.

I will see you guys later and have a happy week!
 :) :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Joseph41 on May 08, 2019, 04:25:30 pm
Aths - nice work on getting through the events. Is running outside something you're looking to build up, or not a priority atm?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 09, 2019, 12:45:29 pm
Aths - nice work on getting through the events. Is running outside something you're looking to build up, or not a priority atm?
Thank you!
I am thinking of running outside but I'm not sure how to go about it. I'm thinking of running around my neighbourhood though.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 10, 2019, 04:57:26 pm
Hello guys!
I hope you had a great week!
Just did yoga. Is started another 31 day yoga challenge. It's pretty good.

Chemistry
I have a two part test next week on Thursday and Friday. The first part is collaborative and is focused around determining molecular shapes. The second part is apparently multiple choice on a similar topic. We are doing moles right now and I'm feeling pretty alright with the content, nothing too hectic. It's a formula and you apply it. It's systematic because it's maths. Need to do the review questions for 5.3.

Specialist Mathematics
We started our new topic today: Complex numbers and Polar coordinates. We learnt about polar coordinates which seem really cool. The coordinate is the distance and then the angle or is it the angle and then the distance. Cannot remember. Need to do the exercise for that. I'm really looking forward to the new topics Specialist has to offer, which are not in Methods. Specialist is like an arts subject, it's creative and requires you to think creatively and have an open mind.

Mathematical Methods
Going pretty good. Up to date with my exercises but I still need to finish off the last question in 'Applications of Circular Functions'. We started 'Applications of Differentiation' this week which has a lot of extended response questions. I feel like a lot of these will be on the SAC. I am upto exercise 10D which is 'Determining the Nature of Stationary Points'. I really need to start revising again for my SAC which is on the 29th of May. Not that far away. I especially need to practice doing questions, perhaps checkpoints under time limits.

Psychology
It's going well. I am really interested in the topic we're learning about now which is 'Mental Health'. There is a lot of social stigma about it but I find it really interesting, especially Personality Disorders. We're also working on our research project in class where we have 6 lessons allocated to finishing it. I need to do a lot of research at home so that I can easily transfer it to my logbook in class, without wasting any time. Need to look up info about addiction disorders as part of our homework.

Literature
I had my in class essay on Vertigo on Tuesday. It went pretty okay and as expected. I really need to practice expanding on the evidence and going deeper with the meaning. That way I will have much more to say instead of just sitting there, feeling anxious with people around me scribbling away at their paper so much that the table shakes. Anyways, our next topic is 'Much Ado About Nothing' which has a very cliche story and is very similar to Romeo and Juliet. But it's a Shakespeare Play so can't wait to start analysing it and searching for the hidden themes.

Biology
I was stressing so much about my SAC last week, especially on Sunday, but now I've got it under control and my experiment is valid. Phew. I really need to update my logbook though and pour all the biological concepts related to my experiment into it. I can't wait to see my results next week on Monday. Hoping for extreme results. Fingers crossed.

Me
My birthday is tomorrow! Yay! I'm so excited! After tuition, I'm going with my family to the city! I go to the city everyday but this is different because it's with my whole family! It's really rare this happens. I can't wait to eat lots, smile lots, laugh lots and walk around lots! I'm so excited I could scream. I'm not having a party this year with my family friends. I'll probably have one next year.

St Johns
I didn't go to St Johns this week sadly because I was so overwhelmed with my biology SAC practical, literature essay and Specialist test all on one day. Tuesday was a big day. I'll be going next week though which is pretty chill but not the chillest. I try not to miss any St Johns so I felt really bad but.....school.

Plant
My plant grew a new leaf! It now has 12 leaves. It's on its journey to have 16. My other plant also has a lot of leaves. This was given to me two years ago on my birthday.

Reading
I'm still reading 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effectively People' which I find pretty interesting. I'm on page 83? I think? I want to implement the 7 habits throughout my daily life instead of just reading it and forgetting about it. So maybe it's good that I'm reading is slowly so that the wisdom sinks in.

That's all folks!
I hope you have a nice weekend and take care of yourselves!
 :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: brothanathan on May 10, 2019, 06:09:44 pm
Happy early bday!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 10, 2019, 06:43:17 pm
Happy early bday!
Thank you!
 ;D ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Joseph41 on May 15, 2019, 05:40:09 pm
And happy belated birthday! ;D How did it go?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 15, 2019, 07:42:53 pm
And happy belated birthday! ;D How did it go?

Hi!
Yeah, it went really well! Had a lot of food and it was really fun! We ate at Nandos, Churros and an Indian Restaurant! We also bought some cakes and I bought a book on Evolution with my Dymocks gift card I got for Christmas last year! There were so many people on the train going home though and it was really pushy (and scary).
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: mango8 on May 15, 2019, 09:29:02 pm
Hi!
Yeah, it went really well! Had a lot of food and it was really fun! We ate at Nandos, Churros and an Indian Restaurant! We also bought some cakes and I bought a book on Evolution with my Dymocks gift card I got for Christmas last year! There were so many people on the train going home though and it was really pushy (and scary).

Omg saw your post about your birthday, was planning to ask you how it was and completely forgot!! So anyhow, happy happy birthday! 🎂🎈
All the food sounds scrumptious😋 Really happy you had such a fun time!! And yeah the train in the evenings is so sardine like. Looking forward for more!! Also thinking of picking up that book you're reading, I've wanted to start reading those kind of motivating books for ages!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 16, 2019, 05:04:25 pm
Omg saw your post about your birthday, was planning to ask you how it was and completely forgot!! So anyhow, happy happy birthday! 🎂🎈
All the food sounds scrumptious😋 Really happy you had such a fun time!! And yeah the train in the evenings is so sardine like. Looking forward for more!! Also thinking of picking up that book you're reading, I've wanted to start reading those kind of motivating books for ages!
Awww, thank you!  ;D
Yeah, it's a pretty good book. Lots of great information and advice I hope to implement in my daily life! Although, it's a bit hard to understand at times but when I reread the sentence a quite a few times, I get it eventually or close to eventually. It's definitely worth it and let me know your thoughts when you start reading it!

Sorry, I was actually going to welcome you back but I didn't get around to doing it! I remember reading your journal and how entertaining it was! I can't wait for my updates to come!    :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: mango8 on May 16, 2019, 08:21:47 pm
Awww, thank you!  ;D
Yeah, it's a pretty good book. Lots of great information and advice I hope to implement in my daily life! Although, it's a bit hard to understand at times but when I reread the sentence a quite a few times, I get it eventually or close to eventually. It's definitely worth it and let me know your thoughts when you start reading it!

Sorry, I was actually going to welcome you back but I didn't get around to doing it! I remember reading your journal and how entertaining it was! I can't wait for my updates to come!    :)

Definitely!! I think reading those sort of books will definitely help with some inspiration and motivation! And I've seen you doing all those yoga challenges, I've wanted to do those for soooo long, gosh I've wanted to do so much and....Year 12 came in swinging full force...

Aww thanks hun 💐 It makes me so so happy you enjoyed my journal, and I can't wait for you to read them and be a part of the wild ride with me, and join you on yours too!!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 19, 2019, 12:59:25 pm
Hello guys!
How have your weeks been?
I just finished my exercise which is one of my favourite workout videos to do because it includes everything, your whole body! I haven’t eaten for more than 6 hours and I actually don’t feel that hungry for some reason. And no, I’m not on a diet. I was going to buy chips after school but I don’t want to make eating that junk a regular think as I already ate last Thursday and this Tuesday. Ahhh, but those chips are so good! I didn’t even feel like eating today anyway so it’s fine.

Specialist Mathematics
We have our exam on Tuesday, coming up in….gotta count….4 days. It’s second period and I feel fine with how I am going so far. I need to focus on the circle theorems, yep that was the test I got 36 % on it. Haha, no joke. I really need to focus on that area as that is my weakest part and hopefully I can also do extended response for the other topics. The other topics are fine but this circle geometry is like really hard for my head to wrap around. I also got my test back. Not too happy with it as I ideally could have gotten 100% on but instead I got 88%. It’s an A not an A+. It was 23/26. Silly mistakes. Again. Which is depressing. The test before that I didn’t lose to silly mistakes but genuine mistakes so I had hope that I was actually improving by NOT making silly mistakes. But no. Just no.
Really excited to learn more stuff though because it has so much new content I had never come across before! Can’t wait!

Mathematical Methods
The SAC is in two weeks which is earlier than I imagined. It’s a HUGE sac which goes across two weeks and there are different parts to it. Apparently, we’ll be getting Part A which is a homework task on Wednesday the 22nd of May and it’s 2 marks out of 90 marks which is the whole thing. I really want to do well in this SAC. Like I feel that if I get a 50 RAW in Methods that would be a really great accomplishment, even more than a 50 in Biology for me, personally. In methods, you really need to think differently and use creativity to understand the question and also apply your knowledge. I love methods though and I hope to keep loving it as the year goes by and we delve into probability, which is another realm altogether.
My Maths test on Monday which was on Logarithms, Calculus and Circular Functions went really well. I felt so in the groove of things that I was smiling inside. It felt great. Maybe I’m exaggerating. Probably. But this was the first test where I don’t know for sure if I got any mistakes whereas in the other methods tests I have done, I knew I wouldn’t get 100% because of silly mistakes I KNEW had committed. But we’ll be getting our test on Tuesday so I am excited! But I can’t be too excited as it might be a bad thing.

Chemistry
We were dumped with information about a Moles Test in week 6(Methods SAC) and a Chemistry Exam in week 7. It feels a long way away but I better start preparing soon. I don’t want it to be like before where I absolutely failed my chemistry test and didn’t attempt the test with the utmost confidence. I need to finish off the questions for 4.4 I believe on Percentage Composition and Empirical Formula. It seems ok. Reminding me of Maths even more, back in the days when we only dealt with decimals, percentages and addition...without calculators.
I also feel that I have a better understanding of the types of intermolecular forces which is GREAT! I feel that I am where I should be and it feels good!
UPDATE: I finished 5.4: Percentage Composition and Empirical Formula so I only have the Chapter 5 Review to do but it’s SOOO Long.
Psychology
Clarified my research topics with my teacher and they were fine. That’s sorted because I was stressing a little bit about that. I am so psyched now because we’re finally delving into mental health and mental disorders in class! I think on Monday, our teacher will be going through the different types of mental disorders such as Schizophrenia, the different Personality disorders and Anxiety disorder.
We had one research lesson this week where we were given like 20 mins to work in our logbooks. So far, I think I’m going pretty good. I am conscious that it is due on the 31st of May which is in exactly two weeks. Wow! That went fast. Gotta research more on the train to up that productivity-o-meter.

Literature
We finished watching Kenneth Branagh's ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and it was pretty good! There are like so many famous actors in it: Kenneth Branagh, Keanu Reeves, Denzel Washington and more! It was funny even though apparently the movie was supposed to be serious. This is the second time I was exposed to the storyline which is good so that the story ingrains in my mind and I can really start focusing on the themes and character development and deep analysis of the film. I should really start reading the analyses of university students about Much Ado About Nothing which is on Google Scholar. That will put me in good steed. I feel like I’m doing nothing outside of literature class, in terms of study, and I really should because I want to get an extremely amazing study score in the subject next year. I think it’s a magnificent subject and I really want to do well and succeed.
Anyways, after finishing the film, we started reading the play and people were assigned characters. I haven’t been able to read yet. I think i’ll be reading quotes from the last few scenes.

Biology
Guys, there is a reason why I am updating Biology last. I have so much stuff to do for biology and it’s making me feel all jittery every second of my life. It’s not a good feeling. When I’m just watching something and relaxing, I suddenly think of Biology and my whole life comes tumbling down. I am still anxiously waiting for feedback from my teacher from my logbook who hasn’t replied in like 3 days and I also still need to do the poster. Thank goodness it does not count towards the SAC mark. I also need to revise for the actual analysis SAC which will be taking place on Thursday.  SO MUCH STUFF TO DO and it’s making me feel all jumpy inside. But yoga is keeping me at bay. If I wasn’t doing yoga I don’t know what I would be doing right now. But I still feel really really lost as I don't know if I am doing it correctly or not. I want to make sure I get 100% on my logbook so that I have a really good chance of getting 100% for this whole SAC.

Stuff that is working for me
]So, lately I've been writing a checklist for homework/study I need to complete each day in my Typo planner which my mum had got for me like 3 years ago. I hadn't used it that much until now. This checklist organisational thing has become routine for me as if I've been doing it for a long time when I've only been doing it for like 6 weeks. Wait, that is a long time. Never mind. Anyways, I feel this term I am more productive because of this. Like, in Year 9 and 10 as soon as I got home from school I just scrolled through youtube as I ate my rice, wasting time and not getting anything done. But in Term 2 Year 11, things are working out great and I have more order in my life instead of just randomly doing homework. I am more proactive and utilising my time well which is great.

Also, having read the book about Dalai Lama's philosophy, I feel more aware of the people around me. Like, I keep reminding myself that 'oh, don't judge that person. Don't think bad about that person. Don't feel jealous. Don't compare yourself to that person' and also how we need to exercise compassion to people.
The '7 Habits of Highly Effective People' book is also helping me a lot in daily life. In it, the author mentions how you should take ownership for your mistakes instead of mindlessly blaming others or not blaming others but still not owning up and recognising that yes, you did make a mistake. What can I do to fix it? I'm more aware of blaming others, especially my brother, and actually thinking about how it's my mistake and what I can do to improve for next time.
All of this is interesting and I can't wait to read more books on sweet sweet wisdom.  ;D





St Johns
St Johns was….interesting. We did a casualty simulation where we had to formulate a scenario and then create the injuries in that scenario. So we had to use makeup and other products to make bruises, burns and stuff. It was interesting but we didn’t really learn anything new. Then we played games which was fun. I think on the coming Monday we’re actually going to treat the patients with the injuries we created.

Yoga/Exercise
I usually do yoga and exercise on alternate days but I’m thinking of doing yoga everyday. So on the days,I do exercise, I’ll also be doing yoga unless the exercise is really intense and really long.

Entertainment
Have started watching ‘The Rain’ on Netflix again as the 2nd season came out. It’s pretty good and it’s full of action. There are only 4 episodes left though

I hope you guys have a nice week!
Thanks for reading!
 :) :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on May 19, 2019, 01:23:28 pm
Entertainment
Have started watching ‘The Rain’ on Netflix again as the 2nd season came out. It’s pretty good and it’s full of action. There are only 4 episodes left though

Its been an awesome season so far! I haven't finished it though, are you watching it dub or sub? Have you checked out Dark? That show is amazing as well
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 19, 2019, 05:49:31 pm
Its been an awesome season so far! I haven't finished it though, are you watching it dub or sub? Have you checked out Dark? That show is amazing as well
Hey Geoo!  :)
I'm watching it with subtitles in Danish because I think it sounds weird when its dubbed because it's not the actual actors acting. You know?
I haven't watched Dark. I think I watched like the first minute and then stopped. What is it about?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 25, 2019, 06:13:13 pm
Hello humans!
How’s it going?

Biology
I had my very intense SAC on Thursday after school. It was in the room next to my Methods room which was  a bit weird. I felt that I did waay better than my first SAC which was a big mistake in itself. I remember scrambling furiously to finish the first question as they said pens down. Yeah, it was a mess. But this one went pretty well. So, the logbook is 60% and this SAC analysis part I did on Thursday is 40%. My teacher said I got 100% on my sac which means I have 60% so far. That means that I need to get at least 90% on this analysis part if I want to achieve my goal of getting above 95% for this SAC. I would be extremely happy if I get 100% on this SAC. It would mean the world to me. I worked a lot on my logbook on this SAC and if I get 100% on this part as well, that would be like really amazing.
Anyways, onto business, our next biology SAC is in 5 weeks which is really soon. It’s on Area of Study 2 and I really need to get learning all of that content, because there’s a lot. Of. it. Like a lot. I alright with cellular signalling but I really need to revise my knowledge of the immune system. Maybe, I should watch some KhanAcademy or some youtube videos.

Methods
My enormous SAC is coming up. Fast. It’s on Wednesday after school and it’s 1 hour and 15 mins I believe? This is PART B and it’s no CAS and no notes. I think it’s going to be fine. But I really need more practice for PART C and PART D which require notes and CAS. I really need to make my notes where I will include all the difficult problems I’ve encountered so far. Why did I leave this to the last minute? Argh! In tuition we looked at more extended response problems relating to differentiation where some of the problems were very similar to our PART A SAC which was really cool. I’ve figured out that my teacher has been using past exam questions but had just switched the numbers around. 
I’ve done last year’s VCAA exam and it went pretty well for me. I’ve still got to finish off some questions though and maybe do 2017’s as well for extra practice. I really need to finish off the last 7 questions in checkpoints on differentiation.

Psychology
Our research project is on Monday 3rd June and our test is on 6th June which is really really soon, I’ve just realised. I’ve got to complete my research and finalise my notes for my logbook so that I don’t waste any time in class. I’ve got to revise for my test by doing lots of practice questions and I need to update my quizlet and add the atypical development content we’ve been going through. We’re looking at the two hit hypothesis in relation to schizophrenia which is interesting. We’re nearly done with Unit 1 content and nearly upto Unit 2 which is really exciting! It’s on perception. I’m really glad I picked up psychology as one of my subjects! I thought it was going to be really sciency and full of neuroimaging techniques but there’s a whole component on development which is awesome!

Chemistry
We have a moles test on Tuesday last period. I think I have grasped the concept of the mole, empirical formulas and percentage composition really well. But the problem is that I keep relying on examples my teacher went through when answering questions so I reckon I’ve got to do more questions where it’s just me and the question. Then the week after, we have the chemistry exam.
On Thursday, we also looked at Organic Compounds. I found them pretty fun when we added the suffixes and the prefixes together to create compounds. Then, we had to draw them using the structural formula.

Literature
We have continued to read through Much Ado About Nothing and I’m learning a lot about the time of Shakespeare. She’s really knowledgeable about Shakespeare which makes class really interesting! Although, she was away for two classes this week so we got to work on a Much Ado fanfiction. Let’s just say I’m not a fanfiction type person and usually just stick to the original story and that’s that. I still have to read the university essays on Much Ado About Nothing in preparation for the next assessment, the in class essay.

Specialist Mathematics
I had my exam on Tuesday and it went extremely badly. Like I couldn’t do one question on the first exam and I should’ve revised 3D dimensional circle geometry stuff! Aah! There goes my 100% down the drain. That was my one chance to redeem myself but noooo, I had to focus on the stuff I was already strong at! Next time, I am going to focus on the stuff that I am weakest at first. That way, I will have more time to focus on the stuff I’m weak at because there’s no point in focusing on stuff I’m already strong at.
On a happier note, we’re starting, complex numbers! Yay! It’s so cool how we’re dealing with a completely different plane, a new dimension! It’s like sciency and mathy and physicsy all at once and it’s amazing! Wow, I sound like a fan girl. Fangirling over Specialist. Who would’ve thought that would happen?

This was an all-over-the-place update. I need to renovate my VCE Journal so that it’s more enlightening.
Anyways, have a great weekend!
 :) :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Macrophagee on May 25, 2019, 08:03:39 pm

On a happier note, we’re starting, complex numbers! Yay! It’s so cool how we’re dealing with a completely different plane, a new dimension! It’s like sciency and mathy and physicsy all at once and it’s amazing! Wow, I sound like a fan girl. Fangirling over Specialist. Who would’ve thought that would happen?

Omg complex numbers is sooo fun!! I'm sure you will enjoy it!!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 26, 2019, 06:31:40 am
Omg complex numbers is sooo fun!! I'm sure you will enjoy it!!
Can't wait to learn more about them!  :)
How did you find Specialist 1/2 and do you have any general tips for the subject?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Macrophagee on May 26, 2019, 12:18:29 pm
Okay this is gonna sound really awkward but I didn't actually do spesh 1/2 bc my school doesn't offer it lol :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 26, 2019, 12:25:58 pm
Ohhh.
Well, how are you finding 3/4 specialist maths?
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Macrophagee on May 26, 2019, 01:16:40 pm
Hmmm in terms of content yeah I find it pretty enjoyable
in terms of marks....well that is another story
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: mango8 on May 29, 2019, 07:59:53 am
Hello!!

Congrats on your bio sac!! Hope you did as you hoped on the analysis part too! And yep watching videos to consolidate info or even learn info is super useful!

Oops I left my methods sac notes and did them all yesterday haha, but I'm having my sac too hopefully all goes well for us!

Yass psychology is amazing! One of THE BEST subjects!

Omg sameee tbh I don't get all the hype around fan fiction, for me nothing can compare to the original but I suppose it's interesting to read other interpretations sometimes...

Loving your journal x
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 29, 2019, 05:50:08 pm
Quote
Hello!!

Congrats on your bio sac!! Hope you did as you hoped on the analysis part too! And yep watching videos to consolidate info or even learn info is super useful!
Hello!
Thank you! I'm now looking towards my next biology SAC which is in 4 weeks which is not that long away. I really need to start learning some content. Do you watch videos frequently to consolidate? If so what subject do you watch videos for?

Quote
Oops I left my methods sac notes and did them all yesterday haha, but I'm having my sac too hopefully all goes well for us!
Oh, that's okay. I hope your SAC goes well! I know you'll do amazing!

Quote
Omg sameee tbh I don't get all the hype around fan fiction, for me nothing can compare to the original but I suppose it's interesting to read other interpretations sometimes...
Haha, yeah. I thought I'd get roasted for not reading fanfuc but I've found someone who feels the same way about it!

See you around!
 ;D ;D

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: mango8 on May 29, 2019, 09:14:09 pm
Hello!
Thank you! I'm now looking towards my next biology SAC which is in 4 weeks which is not that long away. I really need to start learning some content. Do you watch videos frequently to consolidate? If so what subject do you watch videos for?


I'm always watching videos mainly for Chemistry and sometimes Methods, and last year I found some amazing ones for Psych. Sometimes hearing it explained in a much more simpler, approachable manner can be incredibly enlightening, like a lightbulb literally goes off when you finally 'get it'. Highly, highly recommend doing this!!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 31, 2019, 05:15:55 pm
Hello guys!
I hope you had a nice week full of fun!  ;D


Mathematical Methods
First SAC: Experience
To be honest with you, I wasn’t freaking out or anything. Instead, I was in a meditative mindset where I was just trying to be in the present and do what I had to do in the now. I know that may sound all weird and strange, but it works and it makes sense.
So, this SAC part was in our normal methods room. When we got handed our booklets, I remember just staring at the front page and thinking how beautiful the front page was (don’t judge me, it was a SAC. I go a bit loony at that time’. When reading time started, I read through the questions and my confidence levelled up one at a time as I thought to myself ‘I can actually do this stuff. I might actually not fail.’ In the middle, there were a few weird questions scattered here and there and then I got to the last question. The last question was...interesting. There was 15 mins reading time so I just used all that time, planning the answers in my head. I found that it was a good strategy.
When writing time started, I quickly flipped to the first page and started scribbling my answers as quickly as I could as I was not a timely person and so I needed to do everything very fast so that I could finish in time, attempt all the questions and maybe even check over my work. I did the questions that I was able to do first and then the other ones later. The very last question had me thinking a lot so while I was thinking, I just checked over my answers and then went back to it. This was a recurring cycle. Then I got the answer to the first part of the last question but no hope for the very last question, so I just scribbled some working out down, as much as I could that could relate to the question so I might get method marks.
This SAC was no notes and CAS and it was after school.

Second SAC: Experience
Today, I was also in a meditative mindset. This SAC was MUCH harder than the first SAC we did. I put something down for every question but I don’t know if the random stuff I put down will deserve method marks well...because they were random. Or not. I tried to relate it to the question so that it was more valid to receive method marks. Fingers crossed. This was a 40 min test with 5 mins reading time with CAS and notes. So, this was a very different test. This test was very abstract in my opinion and it was much harder than the VCAA questions I did in preparation for this SAC. Ot was much harder than the hardest VCAA questions I did.This SAC had some weird questions that I didn’t really understand.
With this SAC experience so far(not finished yet), I don’t know how to feel. I mean, I really hope that I did not fail. Other people found it really hard as well. I just really want to do well in methods. I still want to get that RAW 50. I’m going to keep fighting till the end because of this lovely quote which keeps me going.
‘Shoot for the moon. Even if you’ll miss, you’ll land among the stars’.- Oscar Wilde

Biology
Yeah, so my next SAC is in like 3 weeks and I really need to learn that immune system stuff. This SAC will apparently have some multiple choice which is new. Started listening to one of Douchy’s podcasts this week so that’s progress. I definitely recommend for anyone studying biology because you can literally listen to it anywhere.
We’ve started the immune system and we’ve also looked at rational drug design which was interesting. Sort of. Not really. I don’t really find this immune stuff interesting except for some titbits here and there. Really looking forward to Unit 4 though!

Chemistry
This is probably the happiest update for chemistry I’ve ever done in my entire life! I got a 90% on my Moles Test! I did this test on Tuesday and I thought I completely flunked it because I literally left two questions blank with some working out present. But I still managed to get a 90%. I think I would’ve gotten a 93% if I had not made a silly mistake. But still it’s my highest score this year for anything and I really am glad! Squeee! I have hope for chemistry. My chemistry exam is approaching fast and I really need to revise the trends of the periodic table, metals and covalent bonding. I should do some NEAP questions and checkpoints questions. Soon. Apparently the chemistry exam is really moles heavy so I should practice more moles questions just in case, especially since I had my queries cleared up with the mistakes on the moles test.
We also learned more about organic chemistry. We drew isomers and we also looked at combustion reactions. Balancing the equations was fun. I love balancing equations. It’s amazing. It’s bringing back memories of last year’s science classes and the chemistry olympiad. I really want to do well in chemistry this year.

Specialist Mathematics
We didn’t really do much this week as our teacher was basically away for the whole week. But the exercises were pretty straightforward. I am one exercise ahead and I am planning to do some revision questions from the chapter review so that I am still keeping up with the complex numbers. Apparently, there’s a test in 2 weeks so I want to prepare for that and get above 90%. I also got my exam back today. At first, I was happy after calculating the percentage but then that happiness dwindled down to regret and anger because of the silly mistakes I made. I didn’t read a diagram right which cost me 3 marks. Argh! A plus was that I got all the multiple choice right so yay! I have gotten above 80% in 3 of my tests in Specialist and now I want to start getting all my test scores above 90%. That is my goal for the rest of the year. I want to be well equipped with these important skills for next year.

Literature
We continued to work on out fanfics. Mine has progressed into something really weird but people love that stuff so it’s fine. We’ve also continued reading Much Ado ABout Nothing and I think we are halfway through which is great. The story is heating up now and I am really enjoying the class discussions we are having about this play.
I feel like I’m not doing much for Literature and I should be. Maybe I should start writing an essay a week and have my teacher correct it for me. Yes, I shall do that. That way, at least, I am working towards something. Working towards improving my literature essays which really need more depth and expansion.

Psychology
I have the write up of my research project on Monday, second period which is in test conditions. It’s literally an essay assessment that is being done in class with a time limit. I also have my psychology test on Thursday. It is 40 mins and it is on AOS2. I have borrowed the checkpoints book from the library which will hopefully aid me on my adventurous quest to achieve a magnificent 100% on this test.

St Johns
I didn’t go this week, which made me really guilty as I also didn’t go last week. All because of my biology and methods sacs. I want to go next week but I don’t know if i will since it is also busy.

More Thoughts
I want to put a lot of effort into my ½ subjects as well. Like a lot because I realised that if I work really hard this year and keep up the consistent work then it will be a smooth transition for next year and I don’t have to suddenly work hard. So, I am going to have the attitude that every test I do is a SAC so I am essentially doing 6 3 4 subjects this year when you think about it using that approach. Let’s see if this works. Gonna be fun.

Last weekend family friend gathering
Last weekend, me and my family friends hung out on Saturday night. It was great since I hadn’t seen them for a long time. We watched the latest Halloween movie which was full of violence. It was good but disgusting. It was too dark and bloody for me. I like horror movies that have a storyline instead of the ones that have a serial killer.

Other Stuff
I also finished watching all the Shrek movies again(except for the first one) for like the bazillionth time. I love Shrek and I always will. The characters are just so fun to be around. What would the world be like without Shrek? This week, I was watching bits of Pitch Perfect again for like the fourth time. It's a funny movie and it's pretty interesting as well. I really need to watch 2 and 3. Does anyone have any shows on netflix that they recommend?

Well, that’s all folks!
I hope you liked this entry.
Don’t forget to like and subscribe and comment down below!
Byeeee!
 :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 09, 2019, 11:03:12 am
Hello guys! :)
I hope you’re enjoying your long weekend!
This week was so busy. So busy. It was probably the busiest week in my entire schooling career.
WARNING: HIGHLY DRAMATISED. HIGHLY.

1st BATTLE
On Monday, I charged into battle with my trusty sword at my side and my ancient shield on my left. Today was the day. The looming psychology research report that we had to write up in class. As I started, the time ticked. As each second passes, I heard it loud and clear as if it was daring me to finish on time. I typed my gibberish notes onto my laptop, working like a laborious robot, not caring if the sentences were grammatically correct. I was only concerned with writing everything down so that I could carefully check it later. Everyone around me looked like they were typing servants for their great master, who craved perfection in everything it did. They were focused and concentrated, on the task at hand. When the bell rang, our teacher took pity on our brave souls and offered a boon that we would be able to stay in during lunch and finish this great task off. I accepted and so did one of my friends. I finished it with time to spare during the lunch break. Although, I was sad to have abandoned the volunteering club that I usually go to during this time. But, I had to sacrifice it to finish my report. And so I did. And I have no regrets. All is well. That is one task accomplished and I cross it off my list with great happiness.

2nd BATTLE
My next task that I had to complete was rather a larger one than the psychology report. Considerably larger. It was the biggest of them all. The last component of the Methods SAC, PART D. Audience cries in fear and some erupt in tears. It was after school, like the second part, but it felt different. The atmosphere was different. The weather was different. People’s faces were different. Everything was different. As I sat myself down at one of the rickety tables, I observed. Some people laughed and sang One Direction, others stared at the table intensely as if hoping for a miracle and others jumped around in fear like little bunnies. I took out my brother’s watch and set it on the table and organised all of my stationery. This was it. The last part. The last thing that I could use to redeem myself. When reading time started, I flipped through the pages, growing more scared towards the end where there were my weaknesses. Hybrid functions and limits. I suppressed my agony by shoving a fist in my mouth. I rode on, to the last page where there was a multiple choice. All the options looked homogenous. But alas, they were not. When writing time started, I conquered as many questions as I could, knowing my comrades would be able to as well. One of the questions stumped me so I left it for dead and strode on. The other questions were okay, but I was jittery when I finished all the questions. I was able to check over all the questions and last minute, I changed my option for the multiple choice. When I finished the SAC, I help up my bloody sword and yelled heartily. My fellow soldiers did so as well, some running out of the classroom and down the hallways to race home and eat buckets of ice cream. The task was finished. I checked it off my list as I walked home, in silence and in deep thought. There were two more tasks left that I had yet to conquer, but I knew in my heart that I would do my best. I had no regrets after finishing this task and I felt great satisfaction for that. This part of the SAC was probably the best one.

3rd BATTLE
The next task that I had to complete to achieve supreme greatness was the Psychology Test. Yes, another psychology component. Why? You may ask. I will answer with, I do not know. Through reading time, I looked over the questions and some filled me with great dread while others balanced the dread and filled me with joy. The questions were information regurgitated and there was not one scenario in the test, which I was very surprised about. But then again, the test was on development. I finished the test, just in time where I was able to check over my answers for some of the questions. I cannot think of any regrets so I left the room in happiness. After this test, we had no other assessments. As I thought about how we were going to start Unit 2 next week, my heart leaped. I checked off this task off my coffee stained list and looked ahead to my next task.

4th BATTLE
The Chemistry Exam. Leading up to Friday, I thought about how hard it would be and how they were going to put many questions that I would do countless errors in. Talk about expectation VS reality. As we were allowed to start the test, I raced through the questions like a racehorse, unable to be restrained. None of the questions I encountered were easy, per se. I define an easy question as one that requires no thinking but a reflex action. There were none of those. This is where I faint and wait for any ‘easy’ questions. As I finished all the questions in the exam, I couldn’t help thinking about the two multiple choice I was not sure about. Fast Forward to: the exam finished and we threw our chemistry revision papers into the air in glee. Our teacher handed out a box of chocolates and everyone rummaged for a malteser. I got a malteser. Then we were let out of our cages and into the year 10 locker bay like free doves that were yet to find a real sense of adventure. The exam was okay, I told myself. I had no regrets and so I patted myself on the back and walked to my locker with a big grin that I hoped nobody would see. I checked off this last task. I was done and it felt awesome. I had no more assessments. It was Friday. I had a free last period. I was thinking of buying chips. What a way to feel proud of yourself!

POST-BATTLE
As I sat on the train, reminiscing over all the blood, sweat and tears I put into my training for the battles, I thought about how this wasn’t the end and that there were going to be even more harder battles to be fought.  I also thought about the stuff Douchy (Douchy’s Biology Podcast) was saying about the different types of immunity which was interesting, I guess.
After I came home, I did no studying even though I had a literature essay due on Wednesday, GAT day and an application due on the Tuesday.
Saturday, yesterday, I did no studying either except go to Methods Tuition.
Today, I hope to finish off the truckload of exercises our Methods teacher gave us on Antidifferentiation and also start my essay. I want today to be productive.

Yeah, that was my dramatised recount of the battles I conquered this week. I had something to do everyday and it was a never ending tale of woe.
I didn’t end up going to St Johns this week either as my mother forced me not to go so that I could study for my methods SAC. I really wanted to go though but she wouldn’t allow it. I can’t even go tomorrow, because it’s a public holiday. Next next week it is.
I hope you dudes enjoyed this highly dramatised recount. It might become a recurring thing.  ;D
Wait, I just realised I have another battle coming up. The Battle of the GAT. Gotta start training for that as well. (Insert defiant emoji).
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: brothanathan on June 12, 2019, 06:55:44 pm
How did the GAT go? Just interested since you actually studied...
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 12, 2019, 09:17:20 pm
How did the GAT go? Just interested since you actually studied...
Hey! I think it went okay. I found it harder than last year's. The writing topics were really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed writing the first writing task!
How'd it go for you?
😊
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: brothanathan on June 12, 2019, 10:48:40 pm
Hey! I think it went okay. I found it harder than last year's. The writing topics were really interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed writing the first writing task!
How'd it go for you?
😊

Smashed the writing tasks and for the maths q.s in the M.C I nearly guessed half of them.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on June 12, 2019, 11:11:23 pm
The Battle of the GAT. Gotta start training for that as well. (Insert defiant emoji).

How you are doing the GAT if you are only doing Unit 1/2 Bio and Methods?
I'm curious because I'm doing a Unit 1/2 subject this year and I didn't do it.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 13, 2019, 06:46:32 am
How you are doing the GAT if you are only doing Unit 1/2 Bio and Methods?
I'm curious because I'm doing a Unit 1/2 subject this year and I didn't do it.
Oh, I'm actually going Methods 3 4 and Biology 3 4.
 :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on June 13, 2019, 05:06:00 pm
Oh, I'm actually going Methods and Biology 3 4.
 :D

Okay :)
What do you think of Methods and how difficult is it?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 13, 2019, 05:32:52 pm
Okay :)
What do you think of Methods and how difficult is it?
Hi! Personally, I find Methods quite fun, even though I'm not that great at it! It's a bit challenging at times but when you do more and more practice questions, you feel more confident with the different question styles.
For the difficulty level, it depends on which topic you are studying and what your strengths and weaknesses are. For example, my weaknesses are general solutions so I find it hard but my strength is exponentials and logarithms which I find pretty straightforward.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 20, 2019, 06:04:02 pm
Hello guys.
This is going to be a very sad post (on purpose) so just putting that out there. Note that I am usually an optimistic person. Like, I'm the most optimistic person I know. Trust me. But, my life has gone downhill since yesterday.

Yesterday I got my Methods SAC Part 1 back and I got 76%. Can I just say that I was expecting that? Like, I knew I did really bad because I didn't understand most of the questions from Part C. I was fairly okay when I got back the mark. But now, today, I feel really depressed. I already had my crying session an hour ago which allowed me to let out all my emotions. All of it. All of the helplessness, regret, depression, sadness and disgusting feelings I was feeling. No, I wasn't feeling sorry for myself. I was crying because I didn't know what I was doing wrong. I don't know what I should fix so that I can do better next time. The worst part is not knowing why I got such a low mark  rather than the fact that I did not get that big fat 100%. Ever since I got to this school, nothing makes sense anymore. It's an extremely competitive cohort which is a lot of pressure and distress. Nowadays this year, I have cried on multiple occasions.  The even more depressing this is that the average was 72% so I basically got average.
What I'm trying to do now is just think about how I can do better. How I can get full marks on my next sac. I feel really bad because I don't know what to do to achieve that goal. Like, my prediction is that I am not understanding the concepts/questions deep enough to understand what the question is asking. I am not analysing it enough. Even in my practice doing checkpoints and past papers and trial exams, I feel like I sped through the questions focusing more on yep do that question, then do the next one, then do the next one instead of mindfully thinking 'what is the question asking me to do?' How will I go about solving it? Have I used all the information available?
I am trying this new technique of analysing the question and then answering it in a way that makes sense instead of randomly doing it in a way that I think that makes sense and should be able to get me the right answer. There's a difference.
I feel that this is really hard to target these very vague mistakes and then solve them. It's very open so you don't know if that is actually the specific mistake. I just feel really down now and I have started preparing for my next methods sac which is in 3 weeks, quick I know, sad I know, and I am just trying to do the questions extremely mindfully to make sure that I completely and fully understand what I need to do and how I am going to solve it.
I hate that we're not allowed to keep our sacs so I have organised a session with my teacher where hopefully I can gauge 'what am I doing wrong? What is the underlying problem? How do I fix it? And of course to go through the superficial mistakes I made on the sac. My goal of getting a raw study score of 50 in Methods is running away from me and I am running hoping to catch up to it. But I don't know if I'll reach it. Or if I'll go somewhere dark. This is terrible. I feel like crying all over again. This is so hard. I think some mistakes I got on the sac is also because I legit didn't know that. Like I did not know that you change the domain of the derivative as endpoints are not defined. Okay, maybe I did not know that, but I didn't understand it enough to give a domain for the new function.
Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if I was still at my old school. Would I have thrived and been happy? Or would I have died and been sad like how I'm feeling now? I can't help thinking that this school brought me down and the toxic environment intoxicated me so much that I am declining. I have no more successes anymore and I am always being compared. I don't think that's right. And I know it's not right. This toxicity is not good.
Also, I got my psychology mark back which is 89%.32/36. Very bad. I studied so hard for the test and getting a mark that is not in the 90s makes me want to dig a hole, crawl into it and die. I think this is the same problem with methods. I am just not understanding the real content to be able to understand how to answer all types of questions.
I got my chemistry exam back, it was 79%. Very very very very very bad. This is because I don't understand the content.

Okay, that was probably the most morbid thing I've felt in my life. Thank you for reading.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: r1ckworthy on June 21, 2019, 09:27:30 pm
Hello guys.
This is going to be a very sad post (on purpose) so just putting that out there. Note that I am usually an optimistic person. Like, I'm the most optimistic person I know. Trust me. But, my life has gone downhill since yesterday.
.
.
.

Damn, just know you are not the only one that goes through this shit. Me for instance. While I am lucky in not having a competitive cohort, I have had my share of disappointing marks. For my maths x1 (I'm from nsw), I got 78%, which while it was top mark was so disappointing. Like you, I've sped through all my practice questions and ended up making a ton of errors (could have gotten high nineties if I actually slowed down!). But it's great that you now know where you need to focus. I'm only starting to realise what you have realised right now, and it's great you are learning this now!

Having an ambition to get a 50 in method is great. In fact, I salute you! Just know you are doing all the right steps. Organising that meeting to figure out what part is stuffing you up is what will help you get there. So many students don't do this, and I have only started to do this in depth. Just don't waste time thinking "oh my god, I'm never gonna get 50 now!" because I used to and still do that. With all you've said so far, you're on track! Don't think too much about marks, and figure out what kept you from getting that 100.

I would highly advise to ignore all the toxicity and competition of your school and just focus on yourself. Whatever happens at the end of the day, whether you get a 50 or a 40, the sun will rise the next day. So while you are still in school focus on constantly improving. Try out the strategies you've listed on your post, and use your tests as a kind of gauge to how effective they are! Your final exams are a long time away, and while SAC's are creeping up, you still have time. Just keep pushing forward despite the doubt, and you'll get there.

You want to know something. I'm scared sometimes of people who get low marks. You know why? Because they work their ass off afterwards to get the best mark possible. It has happened to me, and it has certainly happened to you now (preparing 3 weeks before the SAC, that's bonkers ;D ;D ;D). I feel in a few months, years, you will look back and be thankful for this bad mark. Because now you are on the other side and have experienced how it feels! Your aim now is to identify what is dragging you back, and rectify that. The end is certainly not here, so while you got time, keep pushing!

Hopefully that kind of helped you a bit! It takes a bit of time to get out of this shitty experience, but just know you'll be fine!

Peace,
r1ckworthy.

EDIT: Realised how long the quote was, cut it down a bit.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on July 03, 2019, 06:46:07 pm
Hello r1ckworthy!
Thank you for your kind and empowering words! They made me so happy and full of hope for methods!
They have made me realise that this is not the end all be all. I should stand tall and face my next SAC head on.

Haha, actually I didn't start SAC prep after I got back from a holiday travelling thing, so it's 2 weeks before a SAC. I don't want to regret the time wasted in the holidays, especially because there's so much time which allows me to do whatever I want to get done. I love that I have the holidays before the SAC.

I just really hope, no not hope, want to achieve a score that I will be proud of and which will allow me to keep pushing hard and getting the results I want!

Thank you again!
 ;D

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on August 02, 2019, 04:12:24 pm
Hello guys! Long time no see! (see what I did there, lol).
But nevertheless, I have been lurking around the forums, especially around the VCE Journal thread hoping for someone to post. Yes, I am desperate!
Seriously though, it has been an extremely long time but not much has happened. Actually, let’s scratch that, a considerable amount has happened.

Let’s start off with Methods, the most demanding subject currently(but not for long):

This is my Methods SAC 2 List of Accomplishments I have achieved so far in terms of preparation:
Neap Exam 1 CAS Active
Neap Exam 2 CAS Free
School Prep CAS Free
School Prep CAS active. Have repeated.
School Set of Questions CAS Active. Have repeated
Tuition Questions

When I was doing the school SAC preparation questions, I said that I would do 5 pages each day for the CAS Active and 10 pages each day for the CAS Free. For the CAS Active, when I was doing the questions, I purposely took a long time to do them so I really sunk into the depths of the question and really tried to understand the question itself but also what the questions were asking. Sure, it took an extremely long time. But what I need to focus on right now is how to actually understand the question and then implement the correct working out steps that will get me the solution. I took it real slow but it was really worth it sometimes. I got questions right that I maybe wouldn't have gotten right if I hadn’t taken it real slow and steady. I want to know if this strategy is working or if I’m just wasting my time and not going hard core with understanding the question AND doing it with time restraint. I will never now until I get the result of my SAC 2 or when I am actually doing SAC 2. I want to document the strategies I am using so that I can look back and see if it worked or not and it can also hopefully help people when they are struggling.
There were questions I wrote down on sticky notes that I didn’t understand but over time I either looked at the solutions and understood it or I emailed friends and they showed me how to do it. I am just glad that I got those trouble questions out of the way. But then new questions popped up today but it’s okay. I’ll give it some time and come back to them and repeat and hopefully I will think of the solution.

FUN Adventures(not studying)
So, let’s run away from methods for a second and actually talk about something I did on the holidays not a part of studying. So on the day after the holidays, my family and a couple of other families packed up our suitcases, ready to head to the Mornington Peninsula for some hot springs and other cool stuff. But first, my family went to Mcdonalds (we were the last ones) and we quickly ate our breakfast and then we journeyed to the unknown. Personally, eating at McDonalds wouldn’t be a first choice for me (Nandos, I’m looking at you)but breakfast is good Well, at least, it was the unknown to me. It was an hour and a 56 minute ride. I think. It actually didn’t feel that long though. But after I felt like vomiting. It wasn’t a great feeling.
We went to the hot springs that day after having lunch and it was an amazing and extremely cold place but that was okay. No pain no gain. The hot springs were quite hot at first but when you got used to it, it was so calming. I felt like sleeping but I closed my eyes and just sighed.  It grew dark quite quickly but there were these magical light everywhere and I felt like I was in Fairyland or something. It was magical. But every time I got out of the water, it was pure pain. I felt the chills.
That night, me any my family friend buddies, watched a movie but I fell asleep like halfway through onto my brother. He didn’t mind.
The next day was a lot of walking. But nothing I couldn’t handle. We saw some forts that were used in World War II and it was pretty surreal. We also looked at some prisons and the bars were still there! If only I could time travel back into the past and see the prisons for what they really were and how the prisoners lived and such. We saw the beach also. We also went into this really big rock with really awesome designs engraved onto it by nature and it was awesome. We took plenty of photos, no doubt sucking up all the storage space.
That night, I watched The Nun. Have I mentioned that I love horror movies? They’re amazing and full of twists and backstories and scares and scary things and more scary things. It’s great. It wasn’t as good as I expected though. But I watched it. Then we watched another movie which was the complete opposite. It was a comedy.
The next day we ventured out of good ol’ Mornington and headed home. That was a nice trip and we hadn’t had those in a long time where you stay in a house altogether with everyone, enjoying a good break. I mean, who knows when we’ll get to do it next time?

TIME TRAVEL TO NOW, PRESENT DAY, VICTORIA.
Hello guys!
I’ve been gone for more than a month which I did not expect at all but it happened obviously.
It’s pretty chill at the moment, since I have no SACS looming. However, I do have bucket loads of homework and I have a psychology test on Monday which I have not studied for at all. I am dead. I’m going to go through as much revision as I need to by paying close attention to the key ideas. We just finished looking at the visual illusion with the two lines. One is a feathertail and the other is an arrowhead.
Specialist has been going ok until I go my test back today. I got 24/27.89%. Not that great. I could have done better and of course it’s because of my biggest enemy: silly mistakes. They’ll always be there but I shall conquer them.
In Literature, we have moved onto Post Colonialism and I am very excited for this topic since we’ll be looking at a range of media to connect ideas together. For example, we’ll be looking at music videos, studying Disney films and reading other books which relate to the idea of Post Colonialism and the Hamilton Case which is the book we are studying for this unit. A few weeks ago, we went to the Much Ado About Nothing play at the Arts Centre and it was nothing I had ever seen before. It. Was. Amazing. Pure bliss. That was the first play I had watched and boy, are my expectations high for whichever one I’m going to watch next. The play was modernised which made it even more interesting.
In chemistry, we’ve been looking at water. The whole of unit 2 is literally just water. We’re looking at concentration and dilution and stuff. Lots of formulas that I need to imprint in my mind.
In methods, we’re doing probability. We’re upto Continuous Random Variables since we’ve finished Discrete Random Variables. We only have 3 chapters left until we finish the whole methods course! It’s exciting but sad at the same time. After this year, I’ll never ever do methods again ever. Probability is very CAS heavy so I’m being extra careful when typing in the values and the commands.
Biology is pretty chill and I really need to write my notes for the content we’ve gone through in class in my own words instead of mindlessly copying it from the textbook which is what I used to do.
I’m also applying for school captain which is cool. We need to submit an application with 4 references and then do a speech in front of the whole school and also on the same day or the day after have an interview with the board of selectors. I just want to try because I know I’m going to regret it if I don’t. It’s still an achievement if I try and don’t get in. Even if I do get in, I might reject the position. It’s all a learning experience and that’s all I’m looking for. I need to finish my letter in a week, it;s due next Friday.Eek!

So, I’ll go now.
See you!
P.S Happy to be back
:D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on August 14, 2019, 02:07:43 pm
Hey everyone!
How's it going?

I'm on the train, just casually typing this as people walk by wondering what on earth I'm doing.
Right now, I feel dead internally. Like we're moving and I was allowed to not go to school today but I did because I didn't want to miss anything and while I was at school, I just did the work and listened to the teacher without the drive I usually have. Especially for methods, I feel blank. I don't know what to think about it anymore. BUT, the biology SAC is coming up in one week and five days which is soon! and I haven't even made notes on all the topics that are going to be on it. It's fine though. I still have time. Also, making notes in your own words is actually really helpful and is sort of revision because I learnt the stuff in class.
I got the first part of my methods SAC back and I got 37/50 so 92.5%. I was happy at first as I clapped my hand to my mouth but I'm not so sure anymore after hearing that someone I know got 100%. I haven't gotten the second part back though. I'll be getting it tomorrow and I'm just going to accept anything I get because I'm so tired of calculating marks and figuring out which mark is enough. I am also soo tired of trying over and over and over again and not getting the results I want.
In psychology, we're looking at attitudes and it is extremely interesting. We looked at the Halo effect which is basically the impression you form about someone in other qualities based on one quality (eg physical attractiveness). For eg, if you are conventionally 'attractive' in society, then people will have good judgements about you. It's sad but that's what we are learning.
I had a chemistry test yesterday and let's just say that I did all I could and I really am hoping that I didn't make any silly mistakes.
Specialist is getting really hard now. Probably the hardest topic in the whole year. We're doing triangle of forces and it's so much physics which does NOT appeal to me. There's a reason why I didn't pick physics and now here we are, back it again. Sigh.
We looked at Beyonce's Flawless music video and analysed it in literature. It was cool even though I'd never heard the song before.
Well, I'm also thinking of finally using my physical diary which I am really excited for!.
St Johns was cool this week. We revised the doses of medicine we are allowed to give and also looked at what they are used for. Eg, St John is allowed to give aspirin only if it's chest pain.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on August 14, 2019, 04:47:50 pm
I am also soo tired of trying over and over and over again and not getting the results I want.
Same! It's so frustrating, but I guess we just have to persevere.
Just wondering, how hard is Literature?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on August 17, 2019, 08:59:39 am
Same! It's so frustrating, but I guess we just have to persevere.
Just wondering, how hard is Literature?
Hello!
For me, personally, I don't find it hard.
I find it hard to express myself sometimes when I'm writing but I think that 'problem ' is there in the other English subjects as well.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on August 17, 2019, 10:49:51 am
Hey Evolio!

Yeah I also found unit 2 of psych to be interesting but somewhat disheartening - it can be difficult to learn how unfair & cruel people can be.  On the other hand it's good to learn more so you can be more aware of your own actions and attitudes that may be not so great. Kind of like learning about conservation.

Good luck for methods! If you can resist the temptation I think staying away from calculating marks is a great idea
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on August 22, 2019, 05:39:22 pm

I’m also applying for school captain which is cool. We need to submit an application with 4 references and then do a speech in front of the whole school and also on the same day or the day after have an interview with the board of selectors. I just want to try because I know I’m going to regret it if I don’t. It’s still an achievement if I try and don’t get in. Even if I do get in, I might reject the position. It’s all a learning experience and that’s all I’m looking for. I need to finish my letter in a week, it;s due next Friday.Eek!

How did you end up doing? Was it nerve-racking?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on August 23, 2019, 08:03:58 pm
How did you end up doing? Was it nerve-racking?
Sorry, I think i wasn't clear enough in my entry.
So basically the first round is where you write the application.
If you get shortlisted, then you make the speech and have the interview.
Alas, I was not shortlisted.
 :( :-[ :'(
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on August 23, 2019, 08:22:58 pm
Hey guys!
It's me! From the other side!

This week has been pretty busy like bees in their hive. I was rushing from place to place and it seemed like a horror story where I was always trying to run away from something.
So, you know that volunteering club I'm the director of? Well, this week was our big week. We started selling the origami keychains and starbottles which people could buy(duh, obviously, Evolio). You could also attach a cut lil message to one of the origami cranes, addressed to someone and we could deliver it personally. Isn't that cool?We'll probably be extending the selling next week because we still have loads of origami.
Also, about the school captain thing. I was called in at the end of school. I knocked at the door of the leadership coordinator. I sat down. She asked me why I wanted to be school captain, for some reason, I mean it wasn't even the interview. Then, she said there were nice things in my letter. But, my letter was not up to the standard they wanted. I was not shortlisted. I had a smiling face the whole time, without even changing my emotion, like my mum told me to do. I would've done it anyway. She gave me valuable feedback though. She said that i was just writing what the school wanted but not exactly what I wanted to see in the school, and my VISION. It made sense. I mean, now that I look back at my letter, it does seem a bit vague and schooly, catering it to their wishes. I was too selfless and wasn't selfish enough. Well, that feedback is good. Surprisingly, I did feel sad. Yes, I did. When I heard the news, I felt my face go red with shame, going even redder when realising that she must be seeing my face turn crimson. I was nodding and smiling all the while. But, after some time, I shook it off. I wasn't so passionate about the position in the first place. As I said before, I only applied because I felt like I would've been a coward and why wouldn't you apply? You're trying to make your school a better place!

Well, veering away from that stuff.
Psychology has been going pretty well. I missed school last Thursday so I had so much catching up to do. The whole of Friday, I was copying notes and understanding the content that was taught. I also did the learning activities which weren't so bad. We have a student teacher teaching us at the moment on Thursdays and Fridays.

Chemistry was not going well but now it's going well. Since I missed my class on Thursday, I was so lost. I was lost in the forest of logs and pH and acids and bases and pH and pOH and equations. Who would've thought I would miss so much? But, after a week in pain and confusion from not understanding, I finally understood today! It was truly a magical moment when i could do all those questions on that worksheet. My teacher explained to me the content and it made much more sense even though it's just plugging numbers into an equation. She connected the dots for me.

Specialist Mathematics is a big joke right now. I am so, no extremely, behind in my exercises. We're doing force, dynamics, statics of a particle and all that jazz. It's really hard for me. I'm not good at this spatial movement sort of stuff. My strong side is the algebraic side of things. I really need to catch up. I want to dedicate a whole day just to Specialist Mathematics, nothing else. Just Specialist. We have Tuesday off next week.

Literature is pretty calm and peaceful. No assignments or in class essays at the moment. We did have another literature teacher come and talk to us about a book and what the best way to teach Aboriginal History was. It was very interesting. I hope to hear more from her.

Methods is going ok. I am behind in my exercises. I really need to catch up. Maybe I should have a maths day and do methods and specialist with limited breaks. Just powering through all those questions and getting it DONE.

Biology is calm right now. I have a SAC on Monday, after school. I finished the last year's SAC today and marked it. I also corrected and did some more checkpoints today on the topic. It's a Data Analysis Task so that will be interesting. I want to have the least amount of mistakes as possible. Yep, 0 mistakes.

In St John this week, we focused on CPR and Defib. We also had a competition about who could do 100-120 compressions in 1 minute. I won for the children! I got 132! I still need to go way slower though, to be in that range.
I think I'll go and do some more biology checkpoints.

See yas later! Have a nice and mindful week!
 :D

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on August 23, 2019, 08:37:08 pm
Sorry, I think i wasn't clear enough in my entry.
So basically the first round is where you write the application.
If you get shortlisted, then you make the speech and have the interview.
Alas, I was not shortlisted.
 :( :-[ :'(
Good job in having the guts to apply for the role :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 08, 2019, 06:47:09 pm
Hello guys!
How is everyone going with their lives?
I haven't updated for a while because not much has happened so far.
This week, I have methods SAC, my last one! It's on probability and I think it will be fine. There are only so much probability questions teachers can throw at you. I've done many practice questions but I need to repeat the ones that made me confused before I understood the question.
I'm going to be so relieved at 4 pm when the SAC finishes! I can finally focus on exam preparation! Looking forward to it!
I'm also juggling doing questions and understanding content for the biology SAC which is one week away. Like 5 days after my methods SAC! That's going to be my last SAC for the year! Exam preparation is what I'll be focusing on after that.
I've been doing quite a bit of chemistry lately because I don't want to leave everything to the last minute for our acids and bases and stoichiometry test on Thursday, the last week of term!
I can't wait for the last day of term! It's going to be full of fun! After that day, I will be so relieved because it's as if I have finished for the whole year! I know that's not the case but it just feels like that to me. Probability because I would have finished all my SACs by then. I'm also not that stressed about exams. I think it's going to be okay. That doesn't mean that I'm going to sit back and chillax! I'm going to be grinding heaps of practice exams! You wait and see! I'm coming to get you, amazing-study-scores-that-I'll-be-happy-with!
I also got back my psychology test which I did like 6 weeks ago! I got 95%! Yay! I've been improving in psychology going from a 75% to an 87% to an 89% and now to a 95%! The growth is so beautiful, unlike my other subjects ahem specialist.
We had a dynamics, kinematics, statics test on Tuesday and boy, did it not go well. I was alright with the kinematics stuff, yes differentiation, saved me. But, I was NOT alright with the pulleys and the forces and the dynamics and the motion. Every time I try to understand, I get a little bit closer to understanding but I did not understand enough when I sat for the test. It's the 36% circle geometry test all over again. I just want to get at least 60%. Then I will work extremely hard to understand the mechanics stuff before the end of this year. This is my vow. I don't want to suffer next year because it's a pretty big part next year.  :-[
In Literature, we're making slam poems and we'll be performing them as well. Yesterday, I was literally just binge watching slam poems to choose the correct one to analyse as our teacher set us a separate assignment. All those slam poems really have woken me up even more and are making me angry toward people who are racist!!!  >:(. It makes me want to stamp my feet and roar and just find those people and make them not be racist! Argh!  >:(
And let me just get this out. I HATE HATE HATE it when people say 'different races of people', because guess what ? We're all a part of the HUMAN RACE. There are no other races! So, the word racist, should definitely be modified!

See you guys later and have an awesome week!
 ;D


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 11, 2019, 06:28:18 pm
Hey guys!
So, I just finished my Probability Methods SAC and it was amazing!
There were no questions I hadn't seen before which matched my expectation!
I finished with 30 mins to spare and so I kept on checking every question, making sure I had the correct working and everything!
So, I can finally start exam prep! Yay!
I need to do work soon though. I have a slam poetry competition in Literature class tomorrow and I haven't finished writing my slam poem. We're doing it in groups and we're performing it in front of our class and also some teachers and year 9 students.
I feel like a weight has been lifted off me! But now I have my biology SAC to focus on and I have no idea what's happening! Gotta start studying!
I have my biology SAC next Monday and a Chemistry test next Tuesday! Side by side. But at the end of Tuesday, I will be so happy with no worries in the world! I can look forward to the last day of term because we have a lipsyching house event which I am always excited for! It's going to be a blast!
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Joseph41 on September 11, 2019, 06:30:45 pm
Fantastic work, Evolio. Good stuff!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on September 11, 2019, 10:30:30 pm
Yay congrats. It's nice that it is all starting to wrap up!

Have you started exam prep for any other subjects?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on September 13, 2019, 09:49:17 pm
Then the following week we have a designated work experience week but I don't have to do it because I already did it in the term 2 holidays. It was at a library which is not what I wanted to do. I applied for hospitals and pharmacies but I didn't get them which was really upsetting considering I tried numerous times. I'm gonna get an adult to read my cover letters and resume so that they can tell me what to improve on. I'm thinking of applying for work experience next year for year 11. If anyone knows any hospitals or medicine related work experiences that year 11s can do please tell me!
Hey Evolio,
I've been reading you're journal which I think is great :)
Did you or any of your peers end up applying for work exp. in Year 11?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 14, 2019, 11:28:38 am
Hey Evolio,
I've been reading you're journal which I think is great :)
Did you or any of your peers end up applying for work exp. in Year 11?
Thank you, Snow Leopard! That really made me happy!

I didn't apply for work experience in Year 11 or I don't know anyone who did even though I told myself that I would apply. This is because I wasn't successful in getting any placements last year for hospitals.
Are you thinking of applying in Year 11?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on September 14, 2019, 12:56:51 pm
I didn't apply for work experience in Year 11 or I don't know anyone who did even though I told myself that I would apply. This is because I wasn't successful in getting any placements last year for hospitals.
Are you thinking of applying in Year 11?
Yeah I was thinking of applying, but I've never really heard of anyone doing work exp. in Year 11.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 14, 2019, 06:24:12 pm
I feel so terrible today. I'm not myself and I hate it.
I hate feeling this shallow way.
It's eating me up and making me cry.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
I hate it.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: lm21074 on September 15, 2019, 07:02:06 pm
I feel so terrible today. I'm not myself and I hate it.
I hate feeling this shallow way.
It's eating me up and making me cry.
I hate it. I hate it. I hate it.
I hate it.

Hey Evolio.

It seems like you're going through quite some awfulness, but I can guarantee you that this is just a brief moment in time. When the wind tries to pull you away, try to hold on. The wind has strength, but hey, so do you.
Over the coming weeks, I hope you can take some time to recharge your batteries. You're almost at the finish line! You have come so far already, and we are really proud of you. We believe in you.

Hope you're feeling better today.

You've got this! :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 21, 2019, 11:56:44 am
Hey Evolio.

It seems like you're going through quite some awfulness, but I can guarantee you that this is just a brief moment in time. When the wind tries to pull you away, try to hold on. The wind has strength, but hey, so do you.
Over the coming weeks, I hope you can take some time to recharge your batteries. You're almost at the finish line! You have come so far already, and we are really proud of you. We believe in you.

Hope you're feeling better today.

You've got this! :)
Thank you for your encouraging and kind message,lm21074 !
I feel better now. Way better.
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: caffinatedloz on September 23, 2019, 08:14:16 am
Thank you for your encouraging and kind message,lm21074 !
I feel better now. Way better.
 ;D
Good to hear! Sending positive vibes your way. <3
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 24, 2019, 10:41:13 am
Good to hear! Sending positive vibes your way. <3
;D ;D

Hey guys!
I've been missing in action for a while. Not really a while but you know what I mean. :P
Yay, holidays! I've been craving a break for so long and it's finally here! I can finally recharge and do other things with my life, except for studying and doing practice exams and checkpoints and studying for SACs.
So, these holidays, I'm planning to focus on my 3 4's (obviously) and knock out some practice exams from different companies. So far, I've done the 2018 VCAA Biology Exam and the 2019 STAV Biology Exam. For methods, I've done the 2018 Exam 1, 2018 Heffernan, 2018 Insight. Our school gave us these two massive booklets for methods full of 2018 and 2019 trial exams which was awesome! I'll be really busy these holidays for methods. For biology, I've asked my dear mum to print out the biology exams.
I don't really have much to say right now. I was really looking forward to writing a really huge diary entry but I can't really think of anything now. This is what happens when you procrastinate. Your mind goes blank.
Can I just say that I hate the feeling of procrastination? I hate it. With a passion. It just makes me feel so shallow and lazy and disgusting, it makes me want to puke. Like, when I wake up at like 11, it makes me depressed for the whole day because it's been so unproductive and it feels like the end of the world and it feels like whatever studying I do is going to be worthless. Of course, that's not true but that's how my brain thinks.
Also, when I scroll through youtube on my phone, just scrolling, not even watching the video, or watching the video but then stopping halfway to search for another video. Like, I'm not even watching the video.
That's why, I've decided to stick to netflix for movies. I just finished watching American Vandal a couple days ago and it was amazing! Now, I have nothing to watch.
Yesterday, I went to the icanmed UCAT workshop which ran from 2-6 pm. I came late but that's ok. Stuff happens. Google maps happens. Your brain happens. The rain happens. The huge truck blocking the entrance happens. The fact that you've been going to school in the city for 3 years but still don't know what side tram to take happens. It's fine. I'll get there one day. I've been to 3 of their workshops before. This one was sort of like revision and a reminder that I really do not have much time left to prepare for the interview and the UCAT. I also found out that the Monash interviews are held in early Jan after year 12 but that could change. That sort of changes like everything for me because the thing I'm most scared for is the interview. Like woah! How am I going to do that? It seems so faraway but it's really not. At the workshop, they said that you should finish all your UCAT prep and interview prep before term 1 starts! That's a lo to cover and not as much time as I would have liked. I really have to start doing something.
Okay, I think I'm going to stop it here because I feel like I'm rambling. Yeah, I am rambling.
See you guys later and have an awesome holidays! Have fun!
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 26, 2019, 11:07:12 am
Yay congrats. It's nice that it is all starting to wrap up!

Have you started exam prep for any other subjects?
I'm so sorry this reply is so late!
I've started biology exam prep, which is going okay I guess.
Trying to do the VCAA exams first.
How are you going with biology exam prep? What's your plan?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 29, 2019, 05:36:53 pm
Hey guys!
What's popping?

I've been meaning to update and here I am!
So, the first week of the holidays has flown right by. Only one week left and we're plunged into the depths of school life again.
I've done about 6 exams for methods (exam 1 and 2) and 5 exams for biology in the five day weekday period of last week. I've been doing one VCAA biology exam each day, not in timed conditions and finishing a methods exam each day as well, sprinkled with a bit of organic chemistry in the afternoon so my day is not saturated with only 3 4 subjects.
Yesterday and today, I've been feeling out of it. Watching youtube videos and watching tv series and movies and just not studying that much.

I've found that guides, particularly Cookiedream's guide to medical entrance really motivates me! Like, even though I've read the guide before, I've been reading snippets of it this past week and it's just reignited that aspiration to become a doctor! It's like this magical feeling. This may sound weird, but it feels like it's my destiny to become a doctor! Like, I can't really imagine myself doing anything else. Literally, I can't. It was really amazing to read her guide as it made me realise my goal and my dream and how it is real and I can achieve it if I have the willpower to. It's also made me way happier as before this enlightenment, I was like yep, I want to get a 99.95 ATAR because that's the highest achievement and it would mean so much to me. But, now, I'm saying I want to get that 99.95 ATAR and get into Monash Medicine. Like, there's a specific goal there this time, you know? I have a tangible goal to work towards instead of a vague number.

For exercise, I usually use FitnessBlender's youtube workouts but I've decided to try something new and I've started using more of Popsugar's workouts as I think the different environment and the different exercises used in the workouts are a good change. I will go back to FitnessBlender though. One day. I'm still doing Yoga With Adriene.
 I like having that balance between hard-core, sweaty, painful exercise workouts (more physical) and the humble yoga practices where I focus on nourishing my mind and connecting my breath to body movements where I still am getting a workout.  I actually quite like my new system! Yoga, exercise, yoga, exercise. It's turning out great!
What type of exercise do you guys usually do and what's your favourite routine you like to do?

I think I'll sign off here and see you guys next time because, again, I think I am rambling. Might update soon!
 ;D

EDIT: I also had the realisation that I need no HAVE to make error books for biology and methods. I think it'll be really useful to write down all your mistakes from doing VCAA exams and SACs!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on October 01, 2019, 02:44:30 pm
Haha, you're way ahead on the bio prac exam count, I haven't started. Keep up the work, and I admire you still fitting fitness in, it has been one of my biggest struggles this year and I am not doing any at the moment......
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 07, 2019, 07:54:47 pm
Haha, you're way ahead on the bio prac exam count, I haven't started. Keep up the work, and I admire you still fitting fitness in, it has been one of my biggest struggles this year and I am not doing any at the moment......
Hey!  :D
Thank you! That means a lot!  ;D . There have been times when I was tempted to drop exercising and yoga. But, I am glad I stuck to my habit.  :)
It's ok. Even fitting in 5 mins of a workout is great! Amazing! This is going to sound cliche but anything is better than nothing! Think of it like this. Exercising helps and motivates you to study! It literally increases your concentration! Your mind will be refreshed and ready for anything! So, it's an added bonus for revising for biology! It will help you and guide you on your road to success!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Venter Outer-er
I feel dead, look dead and am breathing deadness right now. If anything, I think the holidays have drained the energy from my soul and mind. For example, when I reached the short answer of the practice biology exam, I was literally skimming for the ‘easy’ or ‘1 mark’ questions because I just could not be bothered! So, leaving that exam not even half-finished, I moved onto the methods exam 1 booklet our school gave us. I looked at the rest of the questions on the exam, was like ‘yeah right!’ and moved onto how to differentiate a simple function. I think I have become lazier. Especially for methods.
Like, all my methods friends have finished the exam 1 booklet and they’ve been stressing about the methods exam. Then there’s me who hasn’t even finished the exam 1 booklet and am stressing even more. I know I shouldn’t compare myself to others and just stay attuned to my own progress and stuff. But, that’s really disheartening, given that they’re ‘those’ people who achieve 90% and above on their SACs and don’t think that’s good.

Literature
On a happier note, I had my Lit Excursion today which was cool! We travelled around the city and learnt lots about Aboriginal history and artwork and were released early! So, technically, my first day of school is tomorrow. Yay. Well, I have a free first period so it’s not that bad but still ...oh no ...specialist.Okay, to be honest with you, I don’t really get what we’re doing in Literature. Like, I feel that we’re doing really random stuff and aren’t even studying our assigned text? What’s up with that? So, I read the whole book for nothing? We bought it for nothing?

Methods
I’ve got some exciting news for methods! So, in tuition, we did an exam 2 mock exam and I got 91%! Yay! Way higher than exam 1 which is weird but a pleasant surprise! Yeah, it might not have been that hard but still! If I start achieving that mark on my practice exams, hope may not be lost for methods. But rekindled. For motivation’s sake, I’ve kept the goal of achieving raw 50 in methods. Yeah, it probably might not happen. But, you never know. VCAA’s scaling and moderation is a curious thing.
I feel so done for methods and doing those trial exams have really made me realise that methods is H A R D! Like, no joke. Those exam 2 application questions always have me drilling my eyes into the question, trying to break it down into a million pieces to make it easier to understand but sometimes it just never works! Your mind has to be like Albert Einstein’s in my opinion to understand methods. It’s just mind-boggling! All of a sudden, even the methods exam 1 is starting to get hard. Everything is getting hard.

Biology
Okay, I’m actually moderately happy! I’ve done all the VCAA exams up until 2010, currently doing the 2010 exam 1. I’m actually doing stuff for biology! Isn’t that amazing! My stack of exams is slowly increasing in height every day and it’s making me motivated. I think I’m putting more effort into biology because it’s easier, like I even made an error book for it, but like I’m happy with my progress.

Specialist
Let’s not go there. Haven’t finished off all the exercises and have an exam in like 18 days. I’m dead now. Deader.

Chemistry
I have an exam this Friday. I don’t want to fail it. My goal is in the 90s for chemistry as I’ve gotten two 90s in the subject. Now, that’s good, for me. Our exam score goes to our 2020 Chemistry 3 4 teacher so double motivation. During the holidays, I’ve been trying to understand and learn organic chemistry naming and drawing compounds as I still cannot wrap my head around it. I just don’t get it. I’m good with the mathy parts of chemistry. Yay stoich, moles, latent heat. No yay organic chemistry. It’s messing with my brain. If anything, that’s going to bring me down in the exam. EEEEK.

Psychology
My first class of the week was today but I missed it because of the excursion. Sad sigh. It’s probably my favourite subject. Our next class is Thursday which is like a million years away.


St Johns
I completed the Provide First Aid Course on Saturday! It went for 4 hours. We had to do a multiple choice test, practice CPR skills and review how to administer an epipen and ventolin. I thought I would absolutely bomb the multiple choice test, but I did alright. 4 wrong.
I don’t think I’ll be coming back to St Johns until Presentation Night which is basically Awards night. That was too bad because we’re doing our proficiency badge in caring for animals! And one of the youth leaders were going to bring their dogs. Extreme sadness.

We have people coming over. It’s like 7:42 already and there’s no one here yet. We’re celebrating a festival. It’s getting dark and…
Have I told you guys about the screams that pierce the air (and my eardrums) during the day? My house is literally in front and center of the park(with a playground). And from when I wake up, to like 10 pm at night, there are always kids screaming and yelling and talking and yelling and screaming and kicking! And it’s so annoying! There are also teenagers who play basketball and who yell and scream and laugh and it’s annoying. I mean no offense but I literally need extreme quiet to study and even in the library, there are always people talking so my home is the best place. You know I love you neighbourhood kids/teens!
Even at night as I rest my head on the pillow, I hear the comforting thud or bounce of a basketball on the ground as I drift away into my dreams. It sort of lulls me to sleep. I think the same person shoots hoops at like 10 pm at night. What dedication.

Okay, I was going to post this later in the week when I have edited it. But, I’ll post my incessant and detailed rambling now to be read by the wide public.

See you guys!


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on October 07, 2019, 08:27:41 pm
Venter Outer-er
I feel dead, look dead and am breathing deadness right now. If anything, I think the holidays have drained the energy from my soul and mind.
I feel this in my soul! Honestly same I also have 3 assignment due Thursday and have only started one and I have NO motivation!
Love reading your journal ! Its awesome hear about other peoples VCE adventures :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Owlbird83 on October 07, 2019, 08:57:29 pm
Hi Evolio!  ;D

Exercising helps and motivates you to study! It literally increases your concentration! Your mind will be refreshed and ready for anything! So, it's an added bonus for revising for biology! It will help you and guide you on your road to success!
You are so right! Keep it up! Do you have any Yoga with Adriene videos that you have done recently and recommend?  ;)

Quote
If anything, I think the holidays have drained the energy from my soul and mind.
Same, I sometimes prefer school over weekends because when I'm at school I know I'm being productive, but weekends I feel like I have to keep studying or I feel guilty. I hope you get some more energy, and remember to take breaks!

Quote
Have I told you guys about the screams that pierce the air (and my eardrums) during the day? My house is literally in front and center of the park(with a playground). And from when I wake up, to like 10 pm at night, there are always kids screaming and yelling and talking and yelling and screaming and kicking! And it’s so annoying! There are also teenagers who play basketball and who yell and scream and laugh and it’s annoying. I mean no offense but I literally need extreme quiet to study and even in the library, there are always people talking so my home is the best place. You know I love you neighbourhood kids/teens!
That's interesting, I have never stopped to consider the effect of parks on houses near by. That would be annoying when you are trying to study and 10pm is pretty late!

Good luck for exams!  ;D I hope you have a good first week back!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 11, 2019, 07:24:30 pm
I feel this in my soul! Honestly same I also have 3 assignment due Thursday and have only started one and I have NO motivation!
Love reading your journal ! Its awesome hear about other peoples VCE adventures :)
Thank you!
I'm excited whenever you post a new journal entry! I always look forward to reading the next update!  :)
By the way, how are you going with biology exam prep?

Hi Evolio!  ;D
You are so right! Keep it up! Do you have any Yoga with Adriene videos that you have done recently and recommend?  ;)
Same, I sometimes prefer school over weekends because when I'm at school I know I'm being productive, but weekends I feel like I have to keep studying or I feel guilty. I hope you get some more energy, and remember to take breaks!
That's interesting, I have never stopped to consider the effect of parks on houses near by. That would be annoying when you are trying to study and 10pm is pretty late!

Good luck for exams!  ;D I hope you have a good first week back!
Well, the 31 day Yoga revolution videos are pretty good! And the 31 days of yoga!
And this is probably my favourite practice of hers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe3D7vKvtok
 :) :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on October 11, 2019, 08:56:48 pm
Thank you!
I'm excited whenever you post a new journal entry! I always look forward to reading the next update!  :)
By the way, how are you going with biology exam prep?

Hey Evolio! I can most definitely say the same about your journal!!! My biology exam prep has been quite slow and I've consequently only done 2 praccy exams...but Year 11 classes are finishing up so i have more time to focus on Bio :)
How did you find the 2018 Bio praccy exam? I'm halfway through the short answer and my brain is like "nope nope nope nope done nope"
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 12, 2019, 01:18:36 pm
Hey Evolio! I can most definitely say the same about your journal!!! My biology exam prep has been quite slow and I've consequently only done 2 praccy exams...but Year 11 classes are finishing up so i have more time to focus on Bio :)
How did you find the 2018 Bio praccy exam? I'm halfway through the short answer and my brain is like "nope nope nope nope done nope"
Yeah, my 3 4 year 12 classes are DONE after this coming week, so I'll have like 12 free period a week! Lots of time for us to revise!
I found the 2018 exam okay but there were some weird questions that literally made my heart stop, reminding me of how much I need to revise.

Update
I've got my last SAC for methods back and got a 92%! Wowee! I was so scared as my teacher went around the class, passing back our sacs, and I was thinking how I must have failed because I realised after the SAC that I didn't take into account large sample and small sample and what method you use for each. This was on probability. This is my highest SAC for methods and for both of my 3 4 subjects! It's motivated me to ace the exam. That's what I'm aiming for.
Also, I had my chemistry exam yesterday and it wasn't too bad, considering the fact that I didn't study much for it. But, I do know I messed up an organic chemistry question because I didn't draw in the hydrogens...
Because, 3 4 priorities. I don't have ANY time to do any other subjects because I'm already struggling to do one methods exam 2 and one biology exam a day since they total up to like 6 hours or so! And I come home at 5 and sleep at 10 or so so you see the problem there. So, I've been trying to utilise my time, not wasting a single drop of time, studying in the library in the morning for 30 mins, at lunchtimes when I'm free.
I have my specialist exam in week 3 Friday, so a bit of time, but I need to do well. And I need to look over the HARD mechanics stuff because I don't get it, no matter how many people explain it to me. I'll try watch some videos. That helped with the circle geometry stuff when I was studying for my Sem 1 exam.
Also, I came back from methods tution and I got 95% on the exam 1 we did today. Yay! But, for me, it doesn't really mean much because the exam itself wasn't even that hard and the VCAA one is going to be a different story...

Well, that's all folks!
Have a wonderful weekend!
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: chopsticks on October 12, 2019, 01:54:10 pm
Yeah, my 3 4 year 12 classes are DONE after this coming week, so I'll have like 12 free period a week! Lots of time for us to revise!
I found the 2018 exam okay but there were some weird questions that literally made my heart stop, reminding me of how much I need to revise.

Update
I've got my last SAC for methods back and got a 92%! Wowee! I was so scared as my teacher went around the class, passing back our sacs, and I was thinking how I must have failed because I realised after the SAC that I didn't take into account large sample and small sample and what method you use for each. This was on probability. This is my highest SAC for methods and for both of my 3 4 subjects! It's motivated me to ace the exam. That's what I'm aiming for.
Also, I had my chemistry exam yesterday and it wasn't too bad, considering the fact that I didn't study much for it. But, I do know I messed up an organic chemistry question because I didn't draw in the hydrogens...
Because, 3 4 priorities. I don't have ANY time to do any other subjects because I'm already struggling to do one methods exam 2 and one biology exam a day since they total up to like 6 hours or so! And I come home at 5 and sleep at 10 or so so you see the problem there. So, I've been trying to utilise my time, not wasting a single drop of time, studying in the library in the morning for 30 mins, at lunchtimes when I'm free.
I have my specialist exam in week 3 Friday, so a bit of time, but I need to do well. And I need to look over the HARD mechanics stuff because I don't get it, no matter how many people explain it to me. I'll try watch some videos. That helped with the circle geometry stuff when I was studying for my Sem 1 exam.
Also, I came back from methods tution and I got 95% on the exam 1 we did today. Yay! But, for me, it doesn't really mean much because the exam itself wasn't even that hard and the VCAA one is going to be a different story...

Well, that's all folks!
Have a wonderful weekend!
 ;D

Congrats on you sac!!! I'm in Methods 1/2 currently and we just started probability, it's pretty annoying and seemingly difficult ngl
I'm sure you will reach ur goal and ace the real VCAA exam, even if you thought your tutor's one wasn't hard : ))
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 12, 2019, 07:02:30 pm
Congrats on you sac!!! I'm in Methods 1/2 currently and we just started probability, it's pretty annoying and seemingly difficult ngl
I'm sure you will reach ur goal and ace the real VCAA exam, even if you thought your tutor's one wasn't hard : ))
Thank you!  ;D Yeah, I need to work really hard in the coming weeks to achieve that! Need to stay strong and persistent!
What probability topics are you doing?

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on October 24, 2019, 04:19:55 pm
How are you going evolio?

Feel prepared for your exams?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 24, 2019, 04:57:02 pm
How are you going evolio?

Feel prepared for your exams?
Hey Geoo!
I'm going okay, I guess.  I just have so many questions to ask and whenever I get some answered, I have to go away and think about it and digest it and sometimes I get it, but other times, I don't so that's annoying. I have like a million methods questions to ask and they are so hard but hopefully I get them answered real soon! I'm probably going to stop doing practice exams for biology soon and just revise everything. I feel pretty calm about Biology. I think it will be alright.

How are you going with biology exam prep?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on October 24, 2019, 06:40:40 pm
Yeah I know that feeling! It happens a lot in maths for me when the teacher use language that I don't understand and then explains that language with other jargon I don't know. So I don't end up feeling like I got a lot of help.

How many practice exams have you done for bio? It is nice to feel like you are almost at the end. I have done about 12-13 past VCAA exams, and this weekend I am going to do all the relevant ones for the study design. But I will be doing what you are, which is just revising! I am terrified of forgetting that one tiny detail that you thought you wouldn't have to know, but then VCAA decides to give you a surprise....  I don't know what to feel for bio at the moment. On the on hand I am not stressed about it, but on the other I am just really disappointed with how my practice exam scores are going, so that got me down a bit, but I just keep trying and hope that everything will turn out alright.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: caffinatedloz on October 24, 2019, 07:10:23 pm
I'm going okay, I guess.  I just have so many questions to ask and whenever I get some answered, I have to go away and think about it and digest it and sometimes I get it, but other times, I don't so that's annoying. I have like a million methods questions to ask and they are so hard but hopefully I get them answered real soon! I'm probably going to stop doing practice exams for biology soon and just revise everything. I feel pretty calm about Biology. I think it will be alright.
That's good to hear in terms of biology! How much of the methods content are you feeling confident about at the minute?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 25, 2019, 08:44:43 pm
Yeah I know that feeling! It happens a lot in maths for me when the teacher use language that I don't understand and then explains that language with other jargon I don't know. So I don't end up feeling like I got a lot of help.

How many practice exams have you done for bio? It is nice to feel like you are almost at the end. I have done about 12-13 past VCAA exams, and this weekend I am going to do all the relevant ones for the study design. But I will be doing what you are, which is just revising! I am terrified of forgetting that one tiny detail that you thought you wouldn't have to know, but then VCAA decides to give you a surprise....  I don't know what to feel for bio at the moment. On the on hand I am not stressed about it, but on the other I am just really disappointed with how my practice exam scores are going, so that got me down a bit, but I just keep trying and hope that everything will turn out alright.
I've done many VCAA exams but not many trial exams. That's really good! That's sort of what I'm doing. I just finished my second attempt at the 2016 VCAA exam and I will second attempt the 2017, 2018 and 2015 ones as well.
I know right! I'm expecting VCAA to chuck the weirdest, most random question at us. I can feel it.
Same! I feel like my exam scores are stagnant and aren't progressing in the right direction. That's all we can do. Keep trying and doing our best and we will smash it in the end!

That's good to hear in terms of biology! How much of the methods content are you feeling confident about at the minute?
I feel confident about the concepts and stuff. But applying that stuff is a horror story, especially in exam 2. There are some questions that I'm not even able to do from the trial exams which is so bad and there are only two weeks left! What have I been doing! I've been annoying my teachers for questions and will annoy my methods tuition teacher tomorrow with a bunch of questions. I want to clarify my doubts so bad but I also have to focus on biology because it's in a week. Well, all this will be over in exactly two weeks. Which is so weird but nice to think about.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: chopsticks on October 25, 2019, 09:30:22 pm
Thank you!  ;D Yeah, I need to work really hard in the coming weeks to achieve that! Need to stay strong and persistent!
What probability topics are you doing?

Sorry, I didn't even see this until now
We just finished the basics like conditional probability, tree diagrams, truth tables etc

Just wondering, which Methods topics did you personally enjoy the most
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 30, 2019, 11:38:34 am
Sorry, I didn't even see this until now
We just finished the basics like conditional probability, tree diagrams, truth tables etc

Just wondering, which Methods topics did you personally enjoy the most
Exponentials and logs and probability. Maybe because my SAC score was the best for probability, lol.


Hello guys! I haven't updated this for quite a while.
So...my biology exam is on Friday and I feel pretty calm. This whole experience is reminding me of my selective school experience. But, at the same time, it's really different.
I just got home from school today since I only had first period,Literature and I did a bit of the 2018 Biology exam in the library here and there before catching my train, sleeping in the train and finally arriving at home. I've been repeating the Biology Exams. It's my third attempt of doing the 2018 Exam so hopefully I get 100%. Tomorrow, we get a day off and so I'll probably correct the 2019 STAV exam I did a long long time ago. Then, I'll probably review my error book for biology. It's gotten quite big now. It takes me an hour to read through all the mistakes. This is my most valuable resource for revision and I hope the time and effort I've put into creating it, pays off!
Well, there are no kids screaming outside which is a benefit of studying at this time. I've also been trying to memorise my student number because we're not allowed to take the ID inside so I even made up a little song to remember it but it sort of backfired because I switched one of the numbers around. Oops.
I should also be doing method because that's next week and I haven't finished everything I wanted to have by this time! I need to get cracking after my biology exam but even today, thursday and friday, I should do methods. Just keep pushing and working hard so that I get a decent score for methods because it's so hard and the questions are so weird and I really need to practice.

Well, there's my rambling for today.
See you guys later!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: geek123456 on October 30, 2019, 06:53:38 pm
Exponentials and logs and probability. Maybe because my SAC score was the best for probability, lol.


Hello guys! I haven't updated this for quite a while.
So...my biology exam is on Friday and I feel pretty calm. This whole experience is reminding me of my selective school experience. But, at the same time, it's really different.
I just got home from school today since I only had first period,Literature and I did a bit of the 2018 Biology exam in the library here and there before catching my train, sleeping in the train and finally arriving at home. I've been repeating the Biology Exams. It's my third attempt of doing the 2018 Exam so hopefully I get 100%. Tomorrow, we get a day off and so I'll probably correct the 2019 STAV exam I did a long long time ago. Then, I'll probably review my error book for biology. It's gotten quite big now. It takes me an hour to read through all the mistakes. This is my most valuable resource for revision and I hope the time and effort I've put into creating it, pays off!
Well, there are no kids screaming outside which is a benefit of studying at this time. I've also been trying to memorise my student number because we're not allowed to take the ID inside so I even made up a little song to remember it but it sort of backfired because I switched one of the numbers around. Oops.
I should also be doing method because that's next week and I haven't finished everything I wanted to have by this time! I need to get cracking after my biology exam but even today, thursday and friday, I should do methods. Just keep pushing and working hard so that I get a decent score for methods because it's so hard and the questions are so weird and I really need to practice.

Well, there's my rambling for today.
See you guys later!

omg you have to memorise your number?
we just get a slip of paper stuck on the table with our number on it
Good luck for biology :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: caffinatedloz on November 01, 2019, 07:01:14 am
Then, I'll probably review my error book for biology. It's gotten quite big now. It takes me an hour to read through all the mistakes. This is my most valuable resource for revision and I hope the time and effort I've put into creating it, pays off!
That sounds like a great resource!! Have you been creating it throughout the whole year? ;D Do you set it out by topic or by the order in which you've done the questions?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 01, 2019, 02:31:45 pm
That sounds like a great resource!! Have you been creating it throughout the whole year? ;D Do you set it out by topic or by the order in which you've done the questions?
No, I started to prepare for exams. I write the exam as the heading and then write dot points for questions I got wrong.

Exam thoughts:
THAT WAS SO HARD! It seems like everyone else found it easy or alright but I found it so weird and so HARRRDDDD and so random. I'm expecting a 35 study score. More than two years of hard work and this is what happened. Like, I have no idea if I got the question right or not and I don't want to know to be honest. I found the exam extremely hard and let's be real, I'm going to get a 35 study score. *Very very sad, on the verge of tears sad face*.
AAAAAAAAAGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! This is terrible. It's the end of the world and this is a failure and that means I didn't succeed in terms of my goals!!!!!! asdfghjkl

 I'm going to be focusing on methods now and I'm going to punch it in the face and destroy it forever in style.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on November 07, 2019, 10:50:53 pm
How are you doing evolio?
Did you smash out methods?

Yeah the biology exam was a bit of a weird one. I was just like, where did these topics come from, and where was AOS 1 from unit four? I spent soooo long studying natural selection, allopatric speciation etc and there was nothing in site....
I was so glad I studies the pollen reaction, I honestly thought that I wouldn't see it on the exam but now I am so thankful I did.... Everything else just seemed a bit out of place.... I can't really remember any of the exam questions except like one or two, which I find really funny, I think my mind just imploded.

I really understand when it comes to not reaching goals! I really wanted a 45+ in bio but that really doesn't seem like that is going to happen, I would be lucky to scrape a 40, but I think i will get something like 37, so yeah really disappointing. The good thing is, is that we are in year 11, so we can make up for it next year! It did take me an entire week to feel better about it though....
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 08, 2019, 09:28:07 am
Hey Geoo!
I'm doing fantastic now that exams are over! How are you doing?

OMG! I'm so glad someone else feels the same way about Biology! I thought I was the only one!
Quote
I think my mind just imploded.
Haha, this was me during the exam, when I saw those weird as questions. Boom.

Yeah, I still feel really down about Biology but I keep reminding myself that it's not the end and that there's still year 12 next year with other subjects we can do well in! We can use what we learnt this year for next year!

Methods exam 1 was not so great but methods exam 2 was way way way better than expected. It was AMAZING! With an extra ZING! And there was this three mark question that I was struggling with. On the first try, I didn’t get a valid value but I tried again after doing some questions and I still didn’t get it! On my third try, I tried a different method and got a valid value! I literally smiled when I saw that value on the CAS! And I kept smiling as I wrote down my answer! And I kept smiling after I had filled in everything for all the questions and the multiple choice and was still smiling after they said pens down. I was so happy with how that went! I mean, I know I didn’t get full marks because there were questions that I was confused about but I did decently and didn’t make any silly mistakes and was able to answer the majority of the questions! On the other hand, methods exam 1 was a disaster. There were some questions which I had never seen before. Okay, maybe not never, but I wasn’t sure how to solve them. So,I looked at the solutions on worm’s math academy afterwards and understood how to do those questions in case it might help me with exam 2.

To be honest, I am expecting a 35 SS for Biology and Methods which is sad but I’ve sort of moved on already and accepted it. I’m just going to use what I learned this year to help me in Specialist and Psychology next year which are Biology and Methods equivalents in my eyes.

GUYS, I have finished all my exams and I feel so free! I watched Spongebob on the train guys and it was amazing. I can do whatever I want now! I can do all the things I have been itching to do but couldn’t because I thought it would be a waste of time because we never get this time back to work hard and smash those exams.

 I haven’t been doing HIIT for like 2 weeks and I think my body and mind has shut down because of that, so I’ve only been doing yoga. I did it for the first time yesterday and it was amazing! It brought some of my sanity back. I shouldn’t have stopped during exam time.

Maybe this weekend, I’m going to do a MEGA workout to really boost my mood and get those endorphins flowing.

I’ve also started thinking about UCAT Preparation and which company I should use. It’s a bit hard to find since it’s a new thing in Australie and I don’t know whether the companies are dodgy or not. I mean, I have been to like,  5 of icanMed workshops and they seemed pretty good. Like, they knew what they were doing and they look like they have a lot to offer. I’ve got a lot of thinking to do because I need to officially start UCAT prep soon.

I’m in school right now, typing away in the library. I only have two periods today. Chemistry and Psychology. I still have lots of work to do for my 4 subjects. Wow. That sounds so weird. I’ve officially finished two of my subjects and only have 4 left! WHAT?!?!?!? Wow!

Actually, though, I’m EXTREMELY excited for next year. Particularly Literature and Psychology! Can’t wait!

Well, I’ll see you guys later!
 ;D ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: lm21074 on November 08, 2019, 01:55:18 pm
Congratulations Evolio! So proud of you. ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 08, 2019, 02:39:18 pm
Congratulations Evolio! So proud of you. ;D
Awww thank you so much!
That means so much to me!
 ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: PhoenixxFire on November 08, 2019, 02:53:22 pm
Congrats on finishing your exams! It really is the best feeling haha

Re: UCAT - there are books for the ukcat which is essentially the same thing. Would be very wary of companies that were a umat company one day and a ucat company the next. Can't remember which companies specifically, but earlier in the year I used to get a lot of ads for what were umat companies advertising ucat tutoring by saying that their students had gotten X results on the ucat - which is obviously blatantly false given they had previously taught umat not ucat.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 14, 2019, 04:29:41 pm
Congrats on finishing your exams! It really is the best feeling haha

Re: UCAT - there are books for the ukcat which is essentially the same thing. Would be very wary of companies that were a umat company one day and a ucat company the next. Can't remember which companies specifically, but earlier in the year I used to get a lot of ads for what were umat companies advertising ucat tutoring by saying that their students had gotten X results on the ucat - which is obviously blatantly false given they had previously taught umat not ucat.
Yeah, I'll definitely be keeping that in mind. Thanks!

Hey guys! What's up?
It's my:
ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY SINCE STARTING THIS VCE JOURNAL!
Wow, now, that's been a long time and I can still remember that day I wrote my first entry. One year has officially passed and I am so proud to have such a long lasting...thing that will stay with me forever until the end of VCE! Life's going to get a lil' bit more interesting, if I say so myself.

Psychology Disaster
Anyways, onto life. Some exciting and important things have passed and gone down in Evolio's history this past week!
Well, I just had my psychology test and it went BADLY. During reading time, I was looking through the questions and they seemed doable and there was nothing strangely weird(thankfully). But after writing furiously fast for the last questions (I started the back pages last) and did some questions and parts of questions here and there, I realised that I HAD NO TIME left. So, my heart started beating fast and the weirdest thing happened. For this question on factors influencing reluctance to help, I remembered the acronym for three factors but only one factor was popping into my mind and I hadn't exactly understood the definition that well yet so I randomly scribbled that down and wracked my brains trying to hunt the other two factors in the dark depths of my brain but to no avail. They weren't coming to me. And, I literally just studied them in my free period before. That blanking out has NEVER HAPPENED TO ME in the history of my entire life so obviously I was so confused. Yep, that was a bad test experience. My hand was hurting so much and now I understand the psychology 3 4 kids' pain when doing their SACs. So much writing but too little time! I new the stuff but I ran out of time. ARGH!

Biology Excitement, and later sadness
So, after that, UNFORTUNATE episode, I walked upstairs and searched for the certificates I was hoping to collect because we hadn't had form assembly for a long time because of singing and stuff so it wasn't handed out. And to my great amazement and happiness, sort of happiness anyway, I GOT HIGH DISTINCTION IN THE BIOLOGY OLYMPIAD!!!! WOOHOO! But that slowly wallowed into great depression because I knew I was still going to get a 35 SS for Biology and that didn't change anything and it didn't mean anything important. But, walking down the stairs, I realised that yeah so what? It doesn't mean anything in VCE. BUT, WHO CARES? Vce is vce and life doesn't revolve around VCE. I can be happy about other things as wellI still did pretty well in this olympiad and improved from last year (Distinction). I should be happy. That shows I'm improving and that's all I care about. So, I was basically forcing myself to be happy. Like, I even messaged my mum to see her reaction. LOL.

Minor chemistry success
I also got Credit in the Chemistry Olympiad which was an improvement from my participation last year lol. Yeah, so that was ergh. Don't really know how to feel about that.

So, I have two weeks and one day until I finish school. And the next week is VCE Orientation apparently. It's sort of going to be like the end of last year but I'll be doing things differently.
Upcoming assignments include Psychology task due on Monday, two pieces for my Literature portfolio due next Friday and that's it for now.

Chemistry
We've been doing redox reactions and they seem okay. I just need more practice with them because nothing sticks for too long in my brain without practice and constantly being exposed to those questions.

St John
So, I went to St Johns this week for like the first time in 10 Weeks. It's been an extremely long time. Right now, we're earning our proficiency badge for caring for animals. I don't think I'll get it though because I wasn't really there for the previous training. Anyways, we were pleasantly surprised by two dogs during halfway of the meeting! One golden retriever and one shi tzu! They were so cute and adorable! Whenever someone patted the golden retriever, it genuinely looked so happy with its tongue hanging out and a smile on its lips! And the shi tzu's face and tongue and lips were so tiny, it was adorable! We learnt about guide dogs and I learnt that if a guide dog sits in front of you, it means that it needs help for its owner so you should follow it. That's so cool.

Olympic Games Fangirling
Have I told you guys that I love love LOVE the Olympics? That's my greatest sport competition to watch and I am so psyched up for next year! The athletes are so powerful and strong and amazing! I love watching the running events, the steeplechase, gymnastics, diving, swimming, synchronised swimming, weightlifting, boxing, AND MORE. During Year 12 as well so there's the good and the bad. The good thing is that it'll be sort of a side motivation for me and my studies but the bad thing is that I won't be able to fully enjoy it because of VCE and I'm always thinking about VCE. Always. Every second of my life. Oh well. There's still the Commonwealth games soon!

Well, that's it for now, folks.
See you later!
 ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: brothanathan on November 14, 2019, 04:34:42 pm
Congrats on that sweet HD, I have a mate from my school who got a 46 in physics last year and is ranked third in Asia (includes Australia) for the Olympiad.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 19, 2019, 07:14:18 pm
Congrats on that sweet HD, I have a mate from my school who got a 46 in physics last year and is ranked third in Asia (includes Australia) for the Olympiad.
Thank you so much!
Wow, that's amazing! Good on your friend!  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: w0lfqu33n89 on November 20, 2019, 10:46:35 am
Hey Evolio, sorry I haven't been on in a while. Just skimmed your latest, hey I am proud of you, you have tried your best and that is all anyone would ask of you. Congrats on finishing year 12 bud! xx
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 21, 2019, 06:46:15 pm
Hey Evolio, sorry I haven't been on in a while. Just skimmed your latest, hey I am proud of you, you have tried your best and that is all anyone would ask of you. Congrats on finishing year 12 bud! xx
It's okay. I haven't really been on your journal either.
Thank you! Those words mean a lot!
Actually, I'm in year 11. Lol.  :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 29, 2019, 06:06:01 pm
Hey guys!
It's been more than two weeks since I last updated.
This week was pretty fun though, at my school anyways.
On Tuesday, we had speech night so it's a very formal evening where we present academic awards and special awards. I didn't get any sadly. I don't really feel it now but on the day and the days leading up to speech night, I felt very sad that I didn't get any. It was a terrible feeling. After the rehearsal, me and my friends watched Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil which was better than I expected and than we roamed around Melbourne Central. The actual night started at 7 and for the song medley, I was in the front row and I looked confident and sounded confident even though I messed up some of the lyrics and forgot some of them. Oopsie.
Wednesday was a day off. The whole day, I basically watched YouTube and Netflix. It was a very lazy day
Thursday was our last day of 1/2 classes which was pretty sad. I will miss those teachers and the classes themselves. Our teachers gave us lots of chocolate.
Friday (today), me and my cohort went rollerskating and rollerblading! It was my first time so as you can guess I was very clumsy on the rink. At the beginning, I was gripping the sides so hard that I scraped some skin off my finger. I kept twisting everywhere. It was so hard! I didn't think it was going to be that hard. I tried the roller skates first and then switched to roller blades. In the end, in the second hour, I did get it eventually. I didn't become a pro or anything but I was able to rollerblade for long enough by myself with short glides with no help. After that, we went to a local park, had lunch, played on the playground (a very cool one) and had some ice cream. And here I am typing after arriving 30 mins ago.

I haven't started preparing for any of my 3 4 work yet and the guilt is slowly creeping on me. I received my Specialist orientation already but I haven't started it. It's basically the first chapter exercises. I haven't even gotten my textbooks for next year yet and I haven't even started UCAT preparation. I really should start contacting companies and starting right away. I don't want to fail in it. I'm thinking of using NIE.
Also, I applied for work experience and hopefully I get it so that I can do it in the Term 1 holidays. It's at a hospital since I missed out in Year 10.
I have orientation for Chemistry and Literature on Monday and orientation for Psychology on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to Tuesday!

These days, I'm basically Netflixing and exercising whenever I'm home(which is most of the time) because I've had very few classes so far. After Tuesday, I'm officially done for the year until final assembly which is like mid December.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on December 06, 2019, 09:31:45 am
Hey guys!
It's been more than two weeks since I last updated.
This week was pretty fun though, at my school anyways.
On Tuesday, we had speech night so it's a very formal evening where we present academic awards and special awards. I didn't get any sadly. I don't really feel it now but on the day and the days leading up to speech night, I felt very sad that I didn't get any. It was a terrible feeling. After the rehearsal, me and my friends watched Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil which was better than I expected and than we roamed around Melbourne Central. The actual night started at 7 and for the song medley, I was in the front row and I looked confident and sounded confident even though I messed up some of the lyrics and forgot some of them. Oopsie.
Wednesday was a day off. The whole day, I basically watched YouTube and Netflix. It was a very lazy day
Thursday was our last day of 1/2 classes which was pretty sad. I will miss those teachers and the classes themselves. Our teachers gave us lots of chocolate.
Friday (today), me and my cohort went rollerskating and rollerblading! It was my first time so as you can guess I was very clumsy on the rink. At the beginning, I was gripping the sides so hard that I scraped some skin off my finger. I kept twisting everywhere. It was so hard! I didn't think it was going to be that hard. I tried the roller skates first and then switched to roller blades. In the end, in the second hour, I did get it eventually. I didn't become a pro or anything but I was able to rollerblade for long enough by myself with short glides with no help. After that, we went to a local park, had lunch, played on the playground (a very cool one) and had some ice cream. And here I am typing after arriving 30 mins ago.

I haven't started preparing for any of my 3 4 work yet and the guilt is slowly creeping on me. I received my Specialist orientation already but I haven't started it. It's basically the first chapter exercises. I haven't even gotten my textbooks for next year yet and I haven't even started UCAT preparation. I really should start contacting companies and starting right away. I don't want to fail in it. I'm thinking of using NIE.
Also, I applied for work experience and hopefully I get it so that I can do it in the Term 1 holidays. It's at a hospital since I missed out in Year 10.
I have orientation for Chemistry and Literature on Monday and orientation for Psychology on Tuesday. I'm looking forward to Tuesday!

These days, I'm basically Netflixing and exercising whenever I'm home(which is most of the time) because I've had very few classes so far. After Tuesday, I'm officially done for the year until final assembly which is like mid December.

Hey Evolio!
I love hearing about your journey!
It defenitly sounds like you've had a great end to the year, Thtas super awesome that you've applied for work esperience at a hospital! Have you heard back from them?
Have you got any plans for the summer holidays?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 06, 2019, 04:45:04 pm
Hey Evolio!
I love hearing about your journey!
It defenitly sounds like you've had a great end to the year, Thtas super awesome that you've applied for work esperience at a hospital! Have you heard back from them?
Have you got any plans for the summer holidays?
Hey J_Rho!
How are you?
I haven't heard back from them yet. It'll probably be a while before I do
Unfortunately, I don't have any plans which is a shame because I love travelling and going to new places. I hate being at home all day. We'll see. Maybe I can persuade my parents to go somewhere as a family.
Have you got any plans?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: caffinatedloz on December 07, 2019, 06:34:32 am
Unfortunately, I don't have any plans which is a shame because I love travelling and going to new places. I hate being at home all day. We'll see. Maybe I can persuade my parents to go somewhere as a family.
Hopefully! If not, do you think you could rope mates into doing a daytrip? Even if none of you can drive, there are heaps of trains and trams that go to some pretty wonderful places! ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 10, 2019, 12:13:42 pm
Hopefully! If not, do you think you could rope mates into doing a daytrip? Even if none of you can drive, there are heaps of trains and trams that go to some pretty wonderful places! ;D
Hmm, maybe. There is a lot of stuff to do in the city though! Definitely! The city's amazing!
On Sunday, my mum, brother and I went to the Design Market at the Royal Exhibition Building which was pretty cool! There was so much creative things on display and things I hadn't even seen before. It was bursting with creativity.We're thinking of going to other places as well in the city!  :)


Happenings:
Since I finished school last week, I've basically been binge watching movies, tv shows and random youtube videos. Endless scrolling and scrolling. I don't feel productive. At all. Like, at all. I haven't done anything useful so far except for today where I learned some human anatomy for one hour which is good. Yesterday, I also read one of the stories from a book we're studying for lit next year.

Well, I've received all my textbooks and lit books for next year all except for the psychology research methods workbook and Sylvia Plath's Ariel. I've started a bit of my holiday homework but there's so much to do! I don't know if I should go ahead with Chemistry, Psychology and Specialist in addition to the holiday homework because I don't know if that's actually useful to be honest. But on the other hand, it will give me an idea about the general gist of what we're going to learn.

I have also been waiting patiently to buy Children of Virtue and Vengeance which apparently came out so it should be in the Dymocks store. I got a gift card for Christmas last year and I haven't used all the money yet. I'm excited to read it because the first book was so good! It was so interesting and full of adventure. I was so sad that the book ended! I'll probably borrow it after Final Assembly next week.

Also, yes. Results. I am definitely looking forward to receiving them so it's all done with and I can finally be at peace that I have completed two subjects. I can clear them from my mind after Thursday. I'm getting increasingly worried as the seconds drown away into nothingness and I keep doubting everything. My heart races whenever I think about study scores nowadays. It's so scary. I keep reassuring myself that I always have next year. But, who knows what's going to happen next year? What if I get like a low ATAR which will not help me get into medicine? So much to achieve but it's all so big. I mean, it's medicine.

Also, the hospital I wanted to apply for work experience opened today and I want to quickly finish my application in max 2 days and hand it in. I really hope I get a placement in the term 1 holidays for the hospitals! It would really help me and brighten up my day!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on December 10, 2019, 12:41:21 pm
I have pretty much done what you have done over the holidays and I have been off for a month.
Quote
I have also been waiting patiently to buy Children of Virtue and Vengeance

Same here, I ordered mine through book depository and I am just waiting for it to arrive at the moment. I thought the first book was quite and enjoyable read, so I am really looking forward to reading the squeal!!!! Do you have any other books aside from lit books to read over the holidays?

Good luck with your results coming out and Thursday, and I hope you get the position at the hospital! That sounds so exciting! Do you know when they announce who gets in?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 10, 2019, 06:04:14 pm
I have pretty much done what you have done over the holidays and I have been off for a month.
Same here, I ordered mine through book depository and I am just waiting for it to arrive at the moment. I thought the first book was quite and enjoyable read, so I am really looking forward to reading the squeal!!!! Do you have any other books aside from lit books to read over the holidays?

Good luck with your results coming out and Thursday, and I hope you get the position at the hospital! That sounds so exciting! Do you know when they announce who gets in?
Hey Geoo!
I mean, I have 5 lit books to read and most of them are pretty thick so I'll be pretty busy in terms of reading. I'll be reading Children of Virtue and Vengeance. Hmm, maybe I should borrow some more young-adult, fantasy books on the day of final assembly at my school library so that I'm not bored on the holidays and I get to read what I choose to read.

Not sure when they'll let me know. Perhaps February.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 12, 2019, 08:54:34 am
Hey guys!
I am feeling way better than I was earlier in the morning. Generally, I think I get over my sadness really quickly. Which is good because I can focus on the future and what I need to change for next year.
So, after a very dramatic opening of results with my mum watching from the kitchen counter and me squealing like a piglet about how I felt like vomiting ever since I woke up that morning....I got:
Biology:41
Methods: 38. (Not happy with this, very disappointing actually. But, deep inside I was sort of expecting this).
The weird thing, is that I got A+ for my unit 3 sacs and unit 4 sacs for biology and only an A for the exam. So, I did well on my sacs but not my exam.
The complete opposite happened for methods.
I got a B+ for my sacs (WHAT? I thought I would at least get an A) and an A for exam 1 and 2. Surprisingly. So, I did better on my exams than my sacs.
I'm sorry but this does not make sense at all.

My mum wanted to be there with me when I opened my results so she didn't catch the usual train. She went later. And what made me laugh was when my dad strolled into the living room and was like 'did you get a 50?' and we laughed because we all knew that was a LONG LONG way away. Well, I salute my dad for having that much hope for me even after I told him how I knew I was going to get a bad score. Thanks, dad.

Well, to the year 12's, all the best for the coming years!  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: angrybiscuit on December 12, 2019, 09:19:07 am
Hey guys!
I am feeling way better than I was earlier in the morning. Generally, I think I get over my sadness really quickly. Which is good because I can focus on the future and what I need to change for next year.

Congrats on your amazing results! You may be disappointed today but you can use that as a drive and motivation to work harder and smarter for next year :) At least now you have valuable experience and knowledge on what you can change for next year. Keep moving forward, you're amazing!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Chocolatemilkshake on December 12, 2019, 10:04:28 am
Good work on the results Evolio! It's been so good reading all your entries this year :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on December 12, 2019, 11:05:17 am
Woohoo! Congratulations on your results. You're taking an awesome attitude into year 12, which is really inspiring! Enjoy the break, relax for next year, and I am look forward to the journal entries next year  ;)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: eemmaa on December 12, 2019, 04:44:16 pm
Hey! I've been a longtime lurker of your journal, congratulations on your incredible results! Can't wait to follow your journey next year :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on December 12, 2019, 07:36:51 pm
Well done on the awesome scores, Evolio!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 13, 2019, 11:00:14 am
Congrats on your amazing results! You may be disappointed today but you can use that as a drive and motivation to work harder and smarter for next year :) At least now you have valuable experience and knowledge on what you can change for next year. Keep moving forward, you're amazing!
Aww, thank you!  ;D I definitely agree with you!

Good work on the results Evolio! It's been so good reading all your entries this year :)
Thank you! Yay, people like my journal! Also, a massive congratulations for obtaining that raw 50 in Biology!  ;D

Woohoo! Congratulations on your results. You're taking an awesome attitude into year 12, which is really inspiring! Enjoy the break, relax for next year, and I am look forward to the journal entries next year  ;)
Haha, thank you, Geoo! Looking forward to your journal entries too! ;D

Hey! I've been a longtime lurker of your journal, congratulations on your incredible results! Can't wait to follow your journey next year :D
Thank you! I appreciate you being here for a long time! Next year, it's going to be hard, but let's do it!  ;D

Well done on the awesome scores, Evolio!
Thank you so much, Snow Leopard!  ;D  ;D ;D

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on December 14, 2019, 06:34:46 pm
Evolio, Congrats on the amazing scores! You should be really proud, but being disappointed can be a good thing - lucky enough completing 3/4 subjects a Year early is a great insight into just how hard you have to work to get to where you wanna be! I can't wait to keep reading your journal - keep up the outstanding work!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on December 16, 2019, 11:40:19 am
Evolio, Congrats on the amazing scores! You should be really proud, but being disappointed can be a good thing - lucky enough completing 3/4 subjects a Year early is a great insight into just how hard you have to work to get to where you wanna be! I can't wait to keep reading your journal - keep up the outstanding work!
Thank you!
Yeah, I feel like I need to change the way I study for next year because obviously what I have been doing this year hasn't worked.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 01, 2020, 05:41:33 pm
First and foremost, Happy New Years everyone!  ;D  ;D

Okay, so if you’ve seen my first post, you’d know that I made a very awkward and vague entrance into this journal, so let me start over and tell you guys a bit about me (even if I already told you before):

Fun facts about me:
Extracurriculars and other stuff:
I like to read fantasy and young adult books but I haven’t been reading at all recently even though I have heaps of time. I’m a member of St John Ambulance Australia where we volunteer at events in first aid. I’ve gone on two duties and I am continuing next year even though I will be faced with the harsh realities YEAR 12! I’m the Director of a club at school that creates and executes projects that help the local, national and international community. Also, after a stressful selection process, I have recently received a tutoring job which I am excited and scared about.

Self realisations (after 2019 and my horrendous study scores):
I’ve had a realisation that I actually do not put effort into anything I do. Okay, I don’t mean I’m an extremely lazy kid who watched youtube all day last year. I was pretty disciplined by my standards last year and I DID work hard. Pretty hard. But, obviously something was very wrong. I realised that I don’t mindfully do stuff and don’t think deeply about whatever I do. For studying, I feel like I understood the concepts but didn’t dive in deep enough to really understand it so that I could apply that knowledge to questions on the Biology exam. I need to work on this for this year because hopefully, it’ll be the game changer. I really hope this is the problem because if it’s not, I am D E A D.
Also, I’ve realised that I have a very high ego. I mean, I don’t boast about my scores but inside my mind, I’m always like ‘Oh, I’m definitely going to get the highest study score. I’m the best student. I’m definitely going to get that award.’ I feel like this is also hindering my progress because it’s blinding me from the truth that in reality, I suck.

My Goals:
1)Above 45 study scores for Literature, Specialist Mathematics (yes, I have to say the whole name), Chemistry & Psychology.
Okay, this might not happen or it might. We don’t know the powers of the universe but it doesn’t hurt to have high goals, right?
Anyways, I would love to get a RAW 50 in Literature. It’s probably not going to happen but we’ll see. That’s the subject that i want to get a 50 most for. In 2019, I did pretty amazing in literature. Like, really good, according to my report. But, I don't really know what to think, to be honest. In the in-class essay (SAC-style), I got an A+ (I thought I failed that). Altogether, last year, I got 3 A+, 1 A and a B (there were some technical difficulties because we had to make a video). But, like, I really don’t think that’s enough for this year. I need to be way more complex and sophisticated in my expression and explore themes and theories and lots of stuff. I need to please VCAA and I have to improve a lot.

How am I going to achieve this goal?

‘Understanding’ math concepts truly. Not just ‘copying out’ what they did and trying to understand by blindlessly imprinting it in my memory.
SAC scores HAVE to be in the 90s (no matter what). Probably not going to achieve this but let’s write it down.
INTENSE, BURNING concentration and focus during study sessions, in classes, at tutoring and when the tutor is talking to me.
Avoid procrastination. I did pretty good on this one last year, but it wasn’t enough.

2) 100 UCAT score. Yes, it’s an extremely hard goal but why not.

How am I going to achieve this?

First understand how to do the different question types in each of the 5 sections and then do practice questions diligently.
Read ethics and morals in medicine for situational judgement part. Medical students said this was helpful.
Remember that accuracy is more important than doing all the questions BUT obviously finish all questions. DUH.

Painful thoughts I’ve had since I’ve received my study scores:
No matter how hard I try and no matter how much effort I put in, I will NEVER receive a study score above 45. The whole world is against me.
I didn’t deserve to enjoy the time after study scores came out. I am a failure and so didn’t deserve to ‘celebrate’ because there’s nothing to ‘celebrate’ about.
People I know have gotten way higher study scores than me. Especially this specific person who did methods and biology in year 11 as well (like me), got a 49 in Biology and 46 in Methods. My study scores pale in comparison to their beautiful ones. They are a step closer to getting into medicine and not me.
I have a very high possibility of not getting into medicine if the problem I found was the wrong problem. There are many people who are way smarter than me and are way ahead.

I wanted to write these down because I want to be aware of them. Awareness is good. It’s not about ignoring these negative thoughts because sometimes these are a motivation to just try harder so that you can climb the highest mountain and bare your teeth in the face of your hardest challenge.
There was a time when I literally burst out crying in front of my mum when we were having a conversation about my life. I haven’t done that again so it means I’m getting better. Obviously, when I’m watching a random youtube video, the thoughts of those people getting higher study scores than me is pure agony. But hey, that’s okay. I know I have the strength to push through this but not leave it behind because that’s what keeps me going. Until the end.

Well, that was a massive introduction and start to the new year, if you ask me.

Laters, my friends.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on January 01, 2020, 07:36:35 pm
People I know have gotten way higher study scores than me. Especially this specific person who did methods and biology in year 11 as well (like me), got a 49 in Biology and 46 in Methods. My study scores pale in comparison to their beautiful ones. They are a step closer to getting into medicine and not me.
I have a very high possibility of not getting into medicine if the problem I found was the wrong problem. There are many people who are way smarter than me and are way ahead.
I wanted to write these down because I want to be aware of them. Awareness is good. It’s not about ignoring these negative thoughts because sometimes these are a motivation to just try harder so that you can climb the highest mountain and bare your teeth in the face of your hardest challenge.
There was a time when I literally burst out crying in front of my mum when we were having a conversation about my life. I haven’t done that again so it means I’m getting better. Obviously, when I’m watching a random youtube video, the thoughts of those people getting higher study scores than me is pure agony. But hey, that’s okay. I know I have the strength to push through this but not leave it behind because that’s what keeps me going. Until the end.


I really relate to this!! There is this person in my cohort who I believe is just way smarter etc. I personally have found motivation and persistence in this - I simply want to prove people wrong especially after a teacher not allowing me to apply for a uni extension program and this person getting school captain over me and I've been working since year 7 to get which i, unfortunately, did not.

I toatally understand how you feel the study scores you recived were bad, but I'm gonna chip in and say they are amazing. they may not be the highest, but theyre DAMN HIGH ITS BLOODY AWESOME AND IM PROUD OF YOU

I think these 'negative' thought pattens can definitely be turned into our springboard! Or perhaps something more steady and linear like a....backward slide? anyways point is we need to make sure we maintain persistence because we can we anything we want to be and we can be better...and if we aren't, that's okay too because we are doing the very best we can :)
I can't wait to follow you on this scary and awesome journey! Can't wait for your next update!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Jimmmy on January 01, 2020, 08:32:14 pm
Hi Evolio!

I want to start by saying I love the effort you've put into your journal. It's a great place to put all your thoughts.

I do want to try and just put your mind at ease a little. You've mentioned how you really want to go into Medicine, and then in your recent post mentioned your 'painful thoughts' to do with not getting a study score above 45. I can't speak for too many other universities, but I do know plenty of people at Monash who didn't get the 99+ ATAR, or the 95+ UCAT, but still managed to get into Monash Med with a great interview. Some people look at this as an obstacle, but I'd suggest trying to see it as more of an opportunity. With your choice of subjects, 40s across the board alone should be enough to get you to 98+.

My advice would be to have a rethink of exactly what you want to get out of Year 12. Obviously, it sounds like you want to ace your studies. That's a great goal to have! Keep in mind what the effects might be on other aspects of your life, such as your health, and ensure that it stays in tip top condition also. The ATAR stresses a lot of people out, and if you care about your studies greatly, it's pretty much an unavoidable aspect of Year 12 to worry about it. However, if you moderate your goal into getting into Med, then whilst you still need very good scores, I think your thoughts will be a bit more optimistic. It no longer becomes a primary thought to 'get good scores' and 'beat others', but to get into that dream course, where the scores are simply a part of the process. I know this part helped me, albeit the course you're targeting is even more difficult to get into than mine! Irrespective of that though, Medicine isn't purely about the academics either, so keep that holistic approach in mind.

I love your 'how' thoughts! It's important to think about that, especially in January pre-Year 12. You'll have a better perspective of how you learn best, therefore having high goals without smashing yourself purely in the pursuit of them. The most difficult part of Year 12 for me was trying to 'not burn out' by exams. Work hard, be disciplined, but in my eyes, maintaining as balanced an approach as you can is paramount to success, whatever that means to you.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Snow Leopard on January 03, 2020, 08:43:29 pm
Anyways, I would love to get a RAW 50 in Literature. It’s probably not going to happen but we’ll see. That’s the subject that i want to get a 50 most for. In 2019, I did pretty amazing in literature. Like, really good, according to my report. But, I don't really know what to think, to be honest. In the in-class essay (SAC-style), I got an A+ (I thought I failed that). Altogether, last year, I got 3 A+, 1 A and a B (there were some technical difficulties because we had to make a video). But, like, I really don’t think that’s enough for this year. I need to be way more complex and sophisticated in my expression and explore themes and theories and lots of stuff. I need to please VCAA and I have to improve a lot.
Teach me your ways!!! I'll be doing Lit 1/2 next year and feel like it'll be difficult to score highly. Any tips/advice?

Quote
Also, I’ve realised that I have a very high ego. I mean, I don’t boast about my scores but inside my mind, I’m always like ‘Oh, I’m definitely going to get the highest study score. I’m the best student. I’m definitely going to get that award.’ .
Obviously, overconfidence can hinder your performance but I think that you just need to find that balance of being calm enough to face your Sacs/exams with a level head.

Quote
I am a failure and so didn’t deserve to ‘celebrate’ because there’s nothing to ‘celebrate’ about.
Hey, you are not a failure nor do you suck. Honestly, I can relate to not feeling satisfied with my marks (in your case study scores) but I remember my 1/2 LOTE teacher telling me something along the lines of: "It's great that you're looking to get better marks but at the same time you have to stop and say, well actually I've done quite decently and I should acknowledge that."
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 05, 2020, 05:33:45 pm
I really relate to this!! There is this person in my cohort who I believe is just way smarter etc. I personally have found motivation and persistence in this - I simply want to prove people wrong especially after a teacher not allowing me to apply for a uni extension program and this person getting school captain over me and I've been working since year 7 to get which i, unfortunately, did not.

I toatally understand how you feel the study scores you recived were bad, but I'm gonna chip in and say they are amazing. they may not be the highest, but theyre DAMN HIGH ITS BLOODY AWESOME AND IM PROUD OF YOU

I think these 'negative' thought pattens can definitely be turned into our springboard! Or perhaps something more steady and linear like a....backward slide? anyways point is we need to make sure we maintain persistence because we can we anything we want to be and we can be better...and if we aren't, that's okay too because we are doing the very best we can :)
I can't wait to follow you on this scary and awesome journey! Can't wait for your next update!
Oh, that sucks about the school captaincy but hey, you tried and I'm proud of you! That's what counts.
Aww, thank you, J_Rho! This made me smile!  :)
Yeah, that's all that matters. Doing our best! I mean, that's all we can really do.

Hi Evolio!

I want to start by saying I love the effort you've put into your journal. It's a great place to put all your thoughts.

I do want to try and just put your mind at ease a little. You've mentioned how you really want to go into Medicine, and then in your recent post mentioned your 'painful thoughts' to do with not getting a study score above 45. I can't speak for too many other universities, but I do know plenty of people at Monash who didn't get the 99+ ATAR, or the 95+ UCAT, but still managed to get into Monash Med with a great interview. Some people look at this as an obstacle, but I'd suggest trying to see it as more of an opportunity. With your choice of subjects, 40s across the board alone should be enough to get you to 98+.

My advice would be to have a rethink of exactly what you want to get out of Year 12. Obviously, it sounds like you want to ace your studies. That's a great goal to have! Keep in mind what the effects might be on other aspects of your life, such as your health, and ensure that it stays in tip top condition also. The ATAR stresses a lot of people out, and if you care about your studies greatly, it's pretty much an unavoidable aspect of Year 12 to worry about it. However, if you moderate your goal into getting into Med, then whilst you still need very good scores, I think your thoughts will be a bit more optimistic. It no longer becomes a primary thought to 'get good scores' and 'beat others', but to get into that dream course, where the scores are simply a part of the process. I know this part helped me, albeit the course you're targeting is even more difficult to get into than mine! Irrespective of that though, Medicine isn't purely about the academics either, so keep that holistic approach in mind.

I love your 'how' thoughts! It's important to think about that, especially in January pre-Year 12. You'll have a better perspective of how you learn best, therefore having high goals without smashing yourself purely in the pursuit of them. The most difficult part of Year 12 for me was trying to 'not burn out' by exams. Work hard, be disciplined, but in my eyes, maintaining as balanced an approach as you can is paramount to success, whatever that means to you.
Hey Jimmmy!
Yeah, that seems like a good idea. That's the reason why I wanted to achieve those scores because it will make my chance of getting into Medicine even higher. Medicine is so much more than academics. It's a field where patient-doctor relationship is so important among other skills and attributes you need to have to be a good doctor such as empathy and good problem-solving skills.
To be honest with you, I think I had a lot of balance last year. I mean I was juggling two leadership positions, St John and academics and for me, that was a lot. I've never experienced that before! Hopefully, this year I'm able to implement balance as well so that I can mindfully do everything I want to do without burning myself out. I need to get back into exercising for one thing.

Teach me your ways!!! I'll be doing Lit 1/2 next year and feel like it'll be difficult to score highly. Any tips/advice?
Obviously, overconfidence can hinder your performance but I think that you just need to find that balance of being calm enough to face your Sacs/exams with a level head.
Hey, you are not a failure nor do you suck. Honestly, I can relate to not feeling satisfied with my marks (in your case study scores) but I remember my 1/2 LOTE teacher telling me something along the lines of: "It's great that you're looking to get better marks but at the same time you have to stop and say, well actually I've done quite decently and I should acknowledge that."
Thank you Snow Leopard!  ;D I should step back and admire my progress but I find that really hard to do especially because I don't want to be complacent. It's just something I need to work on.
Yay, another lit student! Haha, I'm not the Master of Literature or anything but really understanding the text is what helped me. Try to understand all the aspects related to that specific text and participating in class discussions really helps with this too! For example: understanding the themes, film techniques, character development etc. Also, another BIG thing is not randomly inset fancy, flowery words into your essay to make it more 'complicated and sophisticated and refined' because from personal experience, that's not going to work. Write in a way that speaks to you and allows you to write whatever you want in a concise and meaningful way.
Which texts are you studying next year?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on January 05, 2020, 05:49:47 pm
2) 100 UCAT score. Yes, it’s an extremely hard goal but why not.

I don't mean to be a party pooper, but your goal isn't just hard - it's impossible. The highest percentile you can go up to in the UCAT is 99th, just like how you can't get a 100 ATAR ;(. It would be nice to get 100th percentile though! :D

And, with regards to you feeling like a failure, you aren't! It's okay to feel like one - I certainly have at some points of my life, but it's all about growing from what you see are failures and learning from it. It's great that you're identifying and changing things to achieve your goals, and I'm jealous of the fact that you said you don't procrastinate much!! I believe in you to achieve all your goals in 2020 and I'm proud of how far you've come :). Good luck for the year - make it yours and enjoy the crap out of your last year of schooling!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 06, 2020, 10:41:43 am
And, with regards to you feeling like a failure, you aren't! It's okay to feel like one - I certainly have at some points of my life, but it's all about growing from what you see are failures and learning from it. It's great that you're identifying and changing things to achieve your goals, and I'm jealous of the fact that you said you don't procrastinate much!! I believe in you to achieve all your goals in 2020 and I'm proud of how far you've come :). Good luck for the year - make it yours and enjoy the crap out of your last year of schooling!
Haha, thank you! It's the last year and so I'm going to make the most of it.

Quote
I don't mean to be a party pooper, but your goal isn't just hard - it's impossible. The highest percentile you can go up to in the UCAT is 99th, just like how you can't get a 100 ATAR ;(. It would be nice to get 100th percentile though! :D
Actually, the highest percentile is indeed 100th. I know it doesn't make sense but...here's an attachment.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Sine on January 06, 2020, 12:06:08 pm
Actually, the highest percentile is indeed 100th. I know it doesn't make sense but...here's an attachment.
Depends on what definition you take.

The mathematical and statistical definition generally goes as the X Percentile means that X% of the population scored below you. Since 100% of the population would include the student in question it is not possible to score the 100th percentile as the population includes that student - they can't beat themselves.

If you use the definition of the percentage below or equal to then the 100th percentile is possible.

I would probably take the strict definition where there isn't a 100th percentile but there could be a 99.99%ile etc

I guess casually people will talk 100th percentile but they mean extremely high 99th percentile.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on January 06, 2020, 12:13:16 pm
Actually, the highest percentile is indeed 100th. I know it doesn't make sense but...here's an attachment.

According to the official UCAT website, a scaled score of 3600 (the highest score you can get) in 2019 would have landed 99th percentile. I checked this here. Furthermore, the person who got the highest score in Australia and New Zealand on the UCAT, who got a total scaled score of 3530, landed 99th percentile. I think this follows the idea that multiple people can't get 100th percentile, as it would mean you did better than 100% of participants and therefore got the highest score (as percentiles are a ranking and represent the top x% it wouldn't work). When I searched online it was Australian companies that mentioned a 100th percentile on the UCAT, however these companies are likely to be inaccurate. This is because 2019 was the first year the UCAT ran in Australia, so no one knew what to expect and we had to rely on UK companies for more accuracy.

EDIT; Sine bet me to it
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 06, 2020, 03:16:54 pm
Oh Ok, that makes so much more sense!

Thank you for the clarification Sine and whys!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 10, 2020, 03:14:59 pm
Random thought but I like the font of the new format. Makes me happy for some reason.
Anyways, life's been pretty stagnant right now. This week, I've been pretty productive and I've had a more or less structured routine (except for Wednesday, but we won't talk about that). Routine's usually learning Psychology first in the morning (always), then doing Chemistry and Specialist. By learning (for psychology and chemistry), I've been reading the textbook, trying to understand everything it's saying and then writing annotations in the margins and little summary notes on the textbook itself. Then after I've finished the topic, I usually write dotpoint answers to the review questions.  I've started learning the Dynamics stuff in Specialist because I really struggled with that last year (50 % on the test) and I'm actually understanding it! It's really exciting because it seemed extremely hard at the time and I was always marvelling at everyone in my class about HOW ON EARTH DO YOU DO THESE QUESTIONS?! ARE YOU HUMAN?
Anyways, the learning method for Chemistry and Psychology seems to be working! I'm actually enjoying studying the topics and sometimes I'd rather be studying than watching Netflix, which I don't think I've ever felt in my life! I've been trying something new and it actually worked! It's made me so happy! Learning is actually fun, when you do it the way that works for you.
My life is just studying and watching Netflix and going to parties and get-togethers right now. I've been watching the series Messiah on Netflix and it's pretty good! I haven't seen any series like it so it's interesting to see.

I've also asked my dad for the pumper to pump up the flat basketball in my garage because I've been itching to get outside and shoot some hoops.

Also, I haven't exercised for about a month now and to be honest with you, I don't feel any different. I've kept going off the excuse that, 'I'm working on my exercise routine. I need to change it up. I'm not seeing any progress.' But, in reality, I should get back into it, no matter if it's helping me or not.

That was my stream of consciousness writing so it's a bit rambly but my life is pretty boring right now.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on January 10, 2020, 03:24:17 pm
I'm so happy for you, things seem to be going great!


Thank you for the update :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 16, 2020, 10:13:54 am
I'm so happy for you, things seem to be going great!


Thank you for the update :)
Thank YOU!

I woke up later than usual and because of that, I don't feel like studying. It sounds ridiculous but whenever I wake up late, I feel so demotivated. I did a bit of Specialist Maths that I was struggling with and I wasn't thinking straight with those problems so I stopped. I've wasted like 2 hours of doing literally nothing, just staring at those inclined planes and forces and feeling under accomplished because it takes me 2 hours to do half an exercise and the questions aren't even that difficult to achieve. I did like one question...
So, in hopes of regaining my motivation back, I'm about to start reading 'Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine' since I haven't been able to read as much, sadly. Then, hopefully I can do some chemistry and psychology before I go to literature tuition at 2. HOPEFULLY, I'll do the Decision Making test (for UCAT) when I come back if I take an earlier train (because unfortunately vlines don't come as often as metro so I'll have to wait like 35 mins if I don't catch it).
Maybe I won't do Specialist today but then again, there are only 2 more questions left in the exercise...maybe after UCAT?

Let's get my motivation back... :-\
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 23, 2020, 11:26:08 am
Update:
I guess my current goals are to have completed area of study 1 and/or the study design dot points for the first SAC for all my subjects.
 
Chemistry
- Nearly finished Area of Study 1 (yay!), so I'm just finishing up Chapter 5: Galvanic cells from the Heinmann Textbook. Today, it took me quite a long time to learn the content so I feel like it's getting slightly harder to understand.
- Just need to do 4 questions from the Holiday Homework sheet. I forgot how to the excess/limiting reactant questions and other stuff so I need to watch some youtube videos and figure them out
- I've started doing the checkpoints for Fuels but stopped because I felt like I didn't have a deep understanding of them yet. Should start up checkpoints again after revising all the fuels.

Psychology
- Really ahead with this subject compared to the others. I've finished Area of Study 1 quite a while back and I'm upto Chapter 5 I believe. It's pretty interesting stuff.
- Finished the Nervous System Functioning in Checkpoints and have completed the Multiple Choice section for Stress. Need to do the Short-Answer.
- Have finished all my holiday homework!

Literature
- Have finished my essay! Still revising the Introduction and Conclusion though.
- Have read 'Only the Animals' and studied quite a few poems from 'Ariel'. Not all of them though which I need to do for the first SAC.
- Have written close analyses of 'Tulips' and need to do the rest of the poems as well, maybe one a day? I'm having my tutor check them and provide me feedback. I need to revise Tulips today and then I'll send it to my tutor.

Specialist Mathematics
- Finished all my holiday homework! Just need to clarify 4 questions. I don't think I'll do the chapter review because it's only the preliminary skills. I have a test on this stuff possibly second week back
- Have finished the Mechanics chapter because I really did not get any of it last year. It didn't seem so bad when I kept doing the questions. Need to clarify some questions though (as always). This stuff's going to be on the last SAC but I didn't like going into the new year with loose ends because I found it EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. Although, I've only done the textbook questions so I don't know what the exam questions are going to be like.  :-\
- So, I've started Vectors. I'm upto 2B and I'm thinking of getting it done BEFORE school starts (Wednesday). After that, 3 more chapters. My first SAC is in Term 2 in April so a while away but I need to get this stuff done and not slack off.
- Also, Specialist is taking a really long time do the questions and it's driving me crazy.  :o
- You know what, I actually like Specialist and I might be one of those people that find Specialist easier than Methods.  :D

UCAT
- Just need to do 4 more question sets (Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning) from the Official Question Banks on the website and I'll probably be buying Medify really soon this week.
- I've also gotten better at Abstract Reasoning which is great news! I hope it's not short-lived...It might be my favourite section!
- Situational Judgement is my worst section so far so I've watched some videos on Youtube to help me with my thought processes.
- I have a UCAT Tracker which has the relevant info for each of the 5 sections and also tips and things to look for (patterns, scenarios and just general tips)
- I'm really slow at Verbal Reasoning. Actually, I'm really slow at everything except SJ which doesn't help matters because it's my worst section which is really concerning  :( I think I'll be focusing on accuracy first and then time.

Interview Prep
- I know,  I know, it's pretty early to be thinking about something that'll be happening in close to a year from now but still... I don't want the interview to mess me up and make me not get into Monash Med.
- I'm thinking of at least doing some scenarios by myself so I don't feel like I'm doing nothing to prepare.

Anyways, we start school next week but there's no classes that day, there's something fun planned for us.  ;D I hope I enjoy that day before the Terror of VCE begins.  :-[
I know I said I want to get the highest UCAT and highest study scores and stuff but in reality, my main goal in my mind is a UCAT in the 90s and an ATAR above 99 so that I'll be considered for MonashMed.

Movies
Also, not related at all but I've started watching The Good Place and it's pretty good! I'm waiting for Season 3 of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina which is coming out on Friday! Last Friday, we went to a movie (not an English one, the other language I speak) and it was great! I don't go to the movies that often so that was excellent! Then, we went to another movie two days later * laughing emoji* and that was excellent as well! They were great movies and some of the songs from the second one are stuck in head as I type this. I love watching these movies (of the other language not English) because they're so...interesting and funny! And they really connect me to my culture which is a major plus.  ;D

Anyways, see ya.  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Chocolatemilkshake on January 23, 2020, 05:31:59 pm
Update:
Specialist Mathematics
- Also, Specialist is taking a really long time do the questions and it's driving me crazy.  :o

Hey Evolio  :) Good work on all your subjects! Especially on your UCAT preparation :) I can totally relate to taking FORevER to do specialist questions and then getting frustrated because they take so long (you are not alone)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 24, 2020, 10:06:03 am
Hey Evolio  :) Good work on all your subjects! Especially on your UCAT preparation :) I can totally relate to taking FORevER to do specialist questions and then getting frustrated because they take so long (you are not alone)
Thank you!  :)
Yeah, the PAIN is real. But, hopefully it's worth it in the end!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: rani_b on January 24, 2020, 05:32:14 pm
- Situational Judgement is my worst section so far so I've watched some videos on Youtube to help me with my thought processes.

Hey Evolio! I would recommend having a read of Good Medical Practice (https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/Code-of-conduct.aspx) to help out with this section :)

All the best for the year!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 24, 2020, 05:59:37 pm
Hey Evolio! I would recommend having a read of Good Medical Practice (https://www.medicalboard.gov.au/Codes-Guidelines-Policies/Code-of-conduct.aspx) to help out with this section :)

Hey rani_b!
Thank you for the suggestion but I have read it and I did pick up a few useful things but I still seem to be getting a lot of questions wrong. Do you have any tips that might help?

Quote
All the best for the year!
Thank you!  ;D

Also, CONGRATULATIONS on your amazing ATAR and getting into Medicine! That's amazing and super inspirational!  :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: rani_b on January 24, 2020, 09:15:57 pm
Hey rani_b!
Thank you for the suggestion but I have read it and I did pick up a few useful things but I still seem to be getting a lot of questions wrong. Do you have any tips that might help?

SJT is a tricky section but luckily also one of the longest time allocations, so take your time answering!
Usually when answering the question you can first pick which 'half' it belongs to - as in, is it going to be on the appropiate side (A or B) or the inappropriate side (C or D). If you are picking A and the answer is D, that's probably a genuine difficulty with knowledge/content and just something to note and remember for next time so you don't get it wrong again.

More often than not the issue is that you've picked C, and the answer is D - so close but not quite right! This kind of nuance is why I suggested the GMP and is something I personally just picked up over practice.

Some general things I learnt was that:
- Some things are ALWAYS bad and option D: lying to patients, coercion, cheating, stealing, breach of confidentiality etc. Basically anything that highlights a lack of integrity.
- try not to escalate situations to people in higher positions if you can come up with a solution yourself / have a private conversation (but it is definitely okay to in the serious situations mentioned above)
- Pick the answer that is what you SHOULD do, rather than what you WOULD do in a real life situation. This is a test of the most perfect, ideal doctor/med student so pretend you are.  :P
- Look at your role: are you a med student or doctor? Depending on which you are, you have less/more ability to do things. E.g. as a med student you can't solely treat patients, prescribe medications etc.

Can't remember much more (walked out of that exam and tried to forget about it hahaha) but hope this helps! If you have more questions, I'm happy to help  :)

Also, CONGRATULATIONS on your amazing ATAR and getting into Medicine! That's amazing and super inspirational!  :)

Thank you so much! I wish you all the best in your goals and I'm sure you will achieve them  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 24, 2020, 10:14:26 pm
Thank you so much for the tips and the encouragment. ;D
I'll keep those things in mind.

All the best for your future!   ;D


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 01, 2020, 08:06:51 pm
Update:
I'm so stressed right now I can't even. I can't think straight, everything seems boring and I'm always asking 'what am I doing with my life?'
I've just realised that I forgot all the important stuff from Chemistry that I spent so much time learning on the holidays because when I opened the Atar Notes topic tests, I could only do one question. The rest were calculation questions which I did not understand at all and I looked at the solutions and then understood but after a while, the questions got extremely difficult and I collapsed into tears, frustration, annoyance, anger, shouting, screaming and swearing. And whenever I looked at the time, it made me so frustrated because I always spend so much time on my studies and doing questions but I constantly ask myself, is it even worth it? Like, is it? I really don't think so because I always feel that no matter what work I do, it will never be enough. Never be enough for answering any question.
It was the same with psychology but to a lesser extent, thankfully. This whole day was focussed on Psychology where I wrote out a fact sheet for the Stress concepts and then I did the Short Answer questions from Checkpoints and finished them. Thankfully, I achieved one thing today. So, I'm in a really good position for SAC 1. But I have a feeling, I haven't understood everything quite clearly yet.
I need to do the fact sheet thing for chemistry tomorrow because it worked for psychology. I hope it works for Chemistry. Obviously, I won't be going over everything. Just the things I don't get.
And to top it all off, I have been neglecting Medify when I should be doing it everyday for a minimum of 1 hour but nope. I woke up early at 5:30 yesterday to do it and I did for like 30 mins. But today, nothing. And tomorrow, I have so much to do with chemistry that I don't know if I'll be able to do it.
ARGHHHHH! I hate feeling so helpless. It's going to be extremely difficult in getting an ATAR above 99 at this rate. I've only had two days of school and I'm already collapsing. And I just remembered, that I haven't done Specialist for a long time. I need to start and finish the Vectors Chapter Review by next week and clarify those 10 questions and understand how to do proofs. All this for one measly chapter out of a total of 4 chapters for the SAC which is in Term 2 week 1 which is not faraway because it's Specialist.
Tomorrow:
- Finish AN Topic Test 1 Chemistry
- Start and FINISH Topic Test 2 Chemistry
- Finish Tech-Free portion of Vectors Review
- Do some SJ in Medify. 30 qns after I get a really good grasp of the concepts and rules
- Take analysis notes on the Sexton poem for Lit
If I finish all this stuff tomorrow, I will be so happy. Maybe even the happiest in my life. But I don't think it's gonna happen but we'll see.
My head is throbbing and I've drank like a bottle of water today. I never drink water when studying because I always forget. I'm not even exercising. Also, in the last two school days, I did NOTHING in my valuable frees and right now, I'm hating that we have free periods. I want classes instead of free periods. My whole mind's a blur and ARGH!
  >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on February 01, 2020, 08:36:46 pm
And whenever I looked at the time, it made me so frustrated because I always spend so much time on my studies and doing questions but I constantly ask myself, is it even worth it? Like, is it? I really don't think so because I always feel that no matter what work I do, it will never be enough. Never be enough for answering any question.

Hey Evolio, don't worry, you are not the only one that feels exactly like this. I also have the same thought process here and no matter how much effort I put in, the rewards never seem to come in the right form. (Gets close to goal but never really makes it).

First off, take a nice deep breath. We have time, time to learn and fully understand. No one is expected to become an expert in a day and so long as you learn from your mistakes, you will continue to improve. Take a break for a bit and look after yourself, in the end, the more you look after yourself, the better you will be.
We are all in this together and we are all struggling together. You have time to evolve and become better, small steps at a time.

On the other hand, good on you and the work you accomplished for Psych! You have done an amazing job so far and keep the spirit up! Taking the time to fully understand something is the best thing you can do for yourself ;D
(Also, I think you absolutely can finish your list of stuff for tomorrow! (Definitely most of it))
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on February 01, 2020, 08:39:41 pm
Hi Evolio,
It's perfectly okay to feel stressed! We all feel like that sometimes, and feel horrible and useless if we haven't achieved the things we wanted to. However, it's only been a few days since school has started. You have a long time to get these things done and it may take some time to get used to doing schoolwork at the same pace you are used to. I know I certainly feel the same way - I've barely been studying, and anything I have done has just been homework. Don't feel like you can't meet your aims! It will be hard at the start but in the end, it will all pay off ;D And I haven't touched the UCAT for two weeks - you are miles ahead of me! Just plough through and get your UCAT habits established, then it won't be difficult for you to practice for x amount a day. The start is the hardest part!

Good luck!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Chocolatemilkshake on February 01, 2020, 09:35:35 pm
Hey Evolio,
Can totally understand! Especially now when I already feel behind specialist and every exercise takes forever, just know that you are not the only one!

Also, so okay to feel stressed but we all believe in you and I’m sure tomorrow you’ll smash through that list of things
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on February 02, 2020, 11:36:57 am
Hey,

Please keep in mind that when people share x hour per day stats or above this is an estimated average; building habits is good and you don't need to be hitting this everyday + their estimation might not even  be accurate.  It's great that you are putting in effort from the start but please remember that when you're building something you're not going to have a finished structure on day 1.

It's great if you can do these things to give yourself a stronger position going forwards but you don't need them and if you're neglecting your mental & physical wellbeing to get there is that really going to get you to a stronger position?

Please spend some time today actively doing something you enjoy (mindless stressed 'I-shouldn't-be-doing-this-procrastination doesn't count, so if you're doing some of that make sure you also do something you enjoy).

Study goals should be there to support and motivate you,  not to crush you.  I'm certainly not saying give up on your goals  but please allow yourself some breathing room - otherwise you'll be less likely to achieve the bigger targets that matter more.

Best of luck!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 02, 2020, 05:35:44 pm
Hey guys,
Thank you ashmi, whys, Chocolatemilkshake and Bri MT for your encouragement and advice and for being here.  :) I'm grateful to you guys for understanding how I feel and how I can get rid of those negative thoughts.

I feel better now (it's a massive improvement from yesterday) and am getting there. I'm thinking of practising meditation for at least 10 mins every day in the morning to center my thoughts and keep my mind 'still' rather than running all over the place, as I think that's contributing to my stress. I need to keep it under control.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on February 02, 2020, 07:40:02 pm
Hey guys,
Thank you ashmi, whys, Chocolatemilkshake and Bri MT for your encouragement and advice and for being here.  :) I'm grateful to you guys for understanding how I feel and how I can get rid of those negative thoughts.

I feel better now (it's a massive improvement from yesterday) and am getting there. I'm thinking of practising meditation for at least 10 mins every day in the morning to center my thoughts and keep my mind 'still' rather than running all over the place, as I think that's contributing to my stress. I need to keep it under control.
Hey Evolio!
Its awesome you are acknowledging your negative thoughts and figuring out how to get rid of them, meditation is such a grounding and relaxing practice and makes you feel alert and focussed so I definitely think it could help.
A video i show people who don't know where to start or a skeptical about meditation is this one - the audio is crappy but its definitely a place to start
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 05, 2020, 06:10:37 pm
Hey Evolio!
Its awesome you are acknowledging your negative thoughts and figuring out how to get rid of them, meditation is such a grounding and relaxing practice and makes you feel alert and focussed so I definitely think it could help.
A video i show people who don't know where to start or a skeptical about meditation is this one - the audio is crappy but its definitely a place to start
Hey J_Rho! Thanks for the video!
Are you practising meditation currently?

Second week of term! Monday was great and then tiredness took ahold and dwindled my motivation...but hopefully I can get it back!  :D My favourite class is probably Literature because we're looking at Ariel and the poems are just so rich with imagery and meaning!  ;D It's so creative and artistic and I love it! I don't want class to end and when it does, I wish it could go on.

Specialist class is eh. It's ok. But VECTORS IS SO FUN, GUYS! I'm surprisingly good at it! But I don't know if that's just me or I am actually good at it.We're doing Vectors in class which I've already done so I basically listen to the teacher for any new information and then proceed to working on my extended response questions which I can surprisingly do which is an amazing feeling! Because I remember in Methods that I didn't even dare do the extended response questions unless it was absolutely necessary but that's going to change this year. I've nearly finished with Vectors and hopefully I can start on the next chapter earlier. We had a quiz today on the Preliminary topics (Chapter 1) and boy, did I do BAD. I really hope that it's decent enough.  :-\ Oh well...

Psychology class is ok. We've finished Research Methods and will be starting the Nervous System tomorrow. You know, Research Methods wasn't that bad, I found some stuff interesting such as the confounding and extraneous variables. In my own study, I've finished Checkpoints for the first SAC, which is in week 6, and need to do the Atar Notes topic tests and the questions from A+ Notes and I need to redo the questions I got wrong.

Chemistry is ok. We're just doing revision questions on basic skills from last year so we haven't started 3 4 content yet, surprisingly. We have a revision test on Friday.

UCAT is eh. I mean, I read through the 'Professional Behaviour' category of Situational Judgement on the train going to school on Monday but didn't do any questions regretfully and didn't continue UCAT after that. I really don't want to de-prioritise the UCAT because it's just as important as the ATAR and I really need to get a score in the 90s to be considered otherwise it's bye bye med at monash.

To be completely honest with you, I feel a bit drained. I don't know if that's because of the 3 hours of travel each day or the amount of Specialist I've been doing or because my sleep is getting interrupted but I just feel so dead. Already. And only one week of school has passed. I need to get stronger and have the capability to do more work because this IS the last year and I don't want to mess it up.

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 11, 2020, 06:12:59 pm
Update time!
Random thought:  I think my bag it TOO heavy to be lugged to and from school everyday lol. My back is always hurting and I literally have bag strap marks on my shoulders. By the end of every year, I'm pretty sure I have severe nerve damage in my spine and the pain is only gone when it's holidays. Another reason why I miss holidays.  :-\ I think I need to walk straight and not hunch over.

Anyways, my first SAC is not until week 6 but I have been feeling the stress with the stuff I need to do before my SACs but other than that, it's pretty relaxing and I like coming home to study relaxingly, if you know what I mean,without the horror that I have a SAC next week or something.

Specialist Mathematics
It's going ok, I've basically finished Vectors. Finally! After like 3 weeks which is way too long, seeing I have 3 more chapters to do for my SAC. I'm probably going to start the Trig chapter tomorrow or so. Also, since I'm ahead of the class, I feel really unproductive during class, so for the next few chapters I'm thinking of doing the chapter review during class and just finish off the exercises and checkpoints in my own time. I got this idea from my tutor. Also, the checkpoints questions aren't as bad as I'd thought they'd be which gives me some hope because you know, it's SPECIALIST!!! I feel like I'm spending most of my doing Specialist and not much of my other subjects, which is concerning but normal I heard, so that's good. I'm not the only one. Although, I feel really guilty abandoning Lit.

Literature
I'm a bit confused about what we talk about in class to be honest. We were going through the critique of another author in regards to Daddy, a poem from Ariel, and the language was so sophisticated that I did not understand anything. But, I'm getting there. I think I need to expose myself to more of that kind of stuff.

Chemistry
We've started Fuels! Yay! I think we're behind compared to the other classes but that's ok. I don't think I'll be writing much notes for chemistry in general, because a lot of it is application based and not really as much info, compared to Psychology for example. Also, I'm really grateful for my teacher because she explains things really easily and I'll be meeting with her on Thursday to ask her some checkpoints questions! You have no idea how happy I am for that, because it's going to be extremely helpful with the difficulties I've been having!  ;D

Psychology
We're really ahead compared to the other classes. This has been taking a lot of time, next to Specialist because of all the note-taking and I'm starting to think that I shouldn't be writing that much notes. I'm doing it on paper as well so it's taking a really long time. Next task to do is to repeat the Checkpoints questions and clarify some. SAC is in 2 weeks!  :-[ Hopefully, it goes better than my first SAC for biology last year.

UCAT
It's ok. Not amazing, but mediocre. I'm trying to do it in the mornings but I feel like I'm getting nowhere because there's like a million questions to do and a million things to learn on Medify so I've really got to have a day a week where I'm doing mostly UCAT.

St John
Yesterday, we did CPR and defib on dummies and that was fun. We had a contest as well, on who could get the closest to 100 compressions in a minute! My birthday is in May, so I won't be able to go when I turn 18 as it's the youth division, so I'll probably stop then because of VCE and such. So far, I've been on 2 duties and I'm thinking of doing one more before I stop because it's pathetic how many hours I've done. Not good at all.  :(
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on February 11, 2020, 06:36:14 pm
Random thought:  I think my bag it TOO heavy to be lugged to and from school everyday lol. My back is always hurting and I literally have bag strap marks on my shoulders. By the end of every year, I'm pretty sure I have severe nerve damage in my spine and the pain is only gone when it's holidays. Another reason why I miss holidays.  :-\ I think I need to walk straight and not hunch over.
I don't think I have ever related to something so much in my life🤣. What do you keep in your school bag on a normal day?

If you want a lighter bag, there are these really cool folders called the Lihit Lab 'Easy Change Clearbook' where you just put the paper in and you can take the paper out (it has 30 holes on the side and it is super slim! Great for maths/science subjects). It's great when you want to take notes/do work and then when you are done you can remove it and store it at home so you don't have to bring it around with you :D.

So good to hear that you are having a good time with your subjects! Even better that your first SAC is quite a few weeks away ;D (I know you are definitely going to smash it!)
Really looking forward to another update in the future. ;D

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ArtyDreams on February 11, 2020, 06:43:45 pm
Hi Evolio!

Honestly I seriously can relate to the bag thing SO MUCH. My bags been SO full and heavy lately, its nearly impossible to carry!! Do you usually bring everything home for a night or do you keep stuff in your locker? I find that when I don't have much work due for a subject I try leave its contents in my locker, it even helps me focus on whats more important at home (and I also stop doing chem so much, forces me to do spec lol)

Its great that you're having fun with your subjects - and its great that you're first SACs in week 6!! I love studying leasurely too, I totally understand what you mean!

Good luck for the upcoming weeks, looking forward to another update!!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 11, 2020, 07:21:31 pm
I don't think I have ever related to something so much in my life🤣. What do you keep in your school bag on a normal day?

If you want a lighter bag, there are these really cool folders called the Lihit Lab 'Easy Change Clearbook' where you just put the paper in and you can take the paper out (it has 30 holes on the side and it is super slim! Great for maths/science subjects). It's great when you want to take notes/do work and then when you are done you can remove it and store it at home so you don't have to bring it around with you :D.

So good to hear that you are having a good time with your subjects! Even better that your first SAC is quite a few weeks away ;D (I know you are definitely going to smash it!)
Really looking forward to another update in the future. ;D
Glad I'm not the only one. I complain to my friends about it and it doesn't look they relate!  ??? I usually take my lunchbox( with snacks and stuff) and my other lunchbox for lunch because we get to microwave our food!, a bottle, all my the books for the subjects I have that day, CAS, scientific calculator, Ariel book, pencilcase and usually a take one of the subject Checkpoints with me. What do you usually put in your bag, ashmi?
Thank you for the suggestion about the folders, maybe I should get one of those...
Haha, thank you!

Hi Evolio!

Honestly I seriously can relate to the bag thing SO MUCH. My bags been SO full and heavy lately, its nearly impossible to carry!! Do you usually bring everything home for a night or do you keep stuff in your locker? I find that when I don't have much work due for a subject I try leave its contents in my locker, it even helps me focus on whats more important at home (and I also stop doing chem so much, forces me to do spec lol)

Its great that you're having fun with your subjects - and its great that you're first SACs in week 6!! I love studying leasurely too, I totally understand what you mean!

Good luck for the upcoming weeks, looking forward to another update!!
Hey! Glad I'm not the only one, feels nice to be understood!  ;D I usually bring everything home due to getting homework for the subject and I'm a very indecisive person, so I take all my subject stuff home so I can decide to study when I get home.
Good luck to you too, ArtyDreams!  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on February 11, 2020, 09:18:55 pm
Glad I'm not the only one. I complain to my friends about it and it doesn't look they relate!  ??? I usually take my lunchbox( with snacks and stuff) and my other lunchbox for lunch because we get to microwave our food!, a bottle, all my the books for the subjects I have that day, CAS, scientific calculator, Ariel book, pencilcase and usually a take one of the subject Checkpoints with me. What do you usually put in your bag, ashmi?
Thank you for the suggestion about the folders, maybe I should get one of those...
Haha, thank you!

Pretty similar to you! I have a pencil case which has all my stuff (CAS and CAS Charger), laptop and my folder notebooks for each subject (unless I don't need all my folder-notebooks I will put a bit of extra paper into another folder and then just bring that). Today I was studying for Physics so I brought my Physics Checkpoint and a bundle of practise questions. I will also have a small bento box and a water bottle! (I keep food in my locker which I bring in every Monday to avoid bringing extra food).
Here is what I brought today! (Tuesdays are my full days and on a normal day, it would have the right side of the picture or less)
(https://i.imgur.com/vdcQi18.jpg)

Also here is a picture of the folders I'm talking about! You can get them from Officeworks for about $5 each and they come with a few plastic pockets inside (I think 10-15ish?). I mainly buy the paper from Daiso or Muji (grid is my fav). The binder thing opens up (really quietly and easily too) and it is super handy if you need to use both grid or lined paper. I mainly use grid for maths just because it gives me more space to write equations close together if that makes sense. Plus it is super slim! (My one is about 0.5cm thick). Once I'm done and about to start a new topic, I remove all the paper and put it into a massive binder at home and refill with new paper for school (to avoid carrying unnecessary weight). It is also amazing for English because you can write in what seems to be a notebook but can remove it as loose-leaf. ;D

(https://i.imgur.com/LK5Kt5M.jpg)
(Featuring my beautiful Physics binder-notebook with a formula sheet ;D)
Edit: They are called Aqua Drops Refillable Display Books! Comes in a range of colours too and also has a bigger thickness (binder) range if you don't like the slim idea :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 22, 2020, 08:54:14 am
Hello! Time for another update. Let's go.  8)

Psychology
I’m actually starting to hate the subject now, and I thought I never would because you know...psychology! I’ve also been struggling with the GAS model which is really getting on my nerves, so I’ve basically been ignoring it for that reason. Also, I feel like I’m not understanding stuff, so I’ve been putting off doing my notes(I’ve switched to electronic now because it saves way more time). It’s bringing back horrible flashbacks of getting back my Biology SACs and seeing how HARSHLY the teachers mark, like if you don’t have a single keyword, they’re like ‘nope, wrong!’. I have a feeling it’s going to be worse with psychology because we need to memorise definitions and such, which we didn’t really have to do for Biology. Forget I said that Biology was like Psychology, Psychology’s worse. Also, I haven’t done the Checkpoints SA, which I really need to do. Oh, also good news! Our SAC got pushed back one week so it’s in like 2 weeks and 4 days (Week 7), on a Wednesday which gives me more time to revise and understand what on earth the content is about, because I get it but not deep enough.

Specialist Mathematics
Terrible. We had a Vectors test on Thursday(last period, why?), and it went ok. It was a pretty short test but for one of the questions, I got this too complex value for a 2 marker, so I’m worried that I got that wrong. Also, I’m still on Chapter 3 which I should’ve finished by now but it’s so hard to understand and I don’t really get how to draw sec graphs and the inverse trigonometric graphs so I’ve skipped those graphing questions in the exercises and done the easy ones. Call me lazy because I am. Of course, I’ll get back to those. Also, watching Youtube videos to understand concepts have actually been helpful, which is really nice! First SAC is in Term 2, week 1, which yes, does seem far away, but it’s Specialist, so it seems so close because there’s so much to do! I’m really behind in my own study...

Chemistry
Going pretty good, actually! Got to ask my teacher many many many questions from Checkpoints which was great and I’m hoping to do it soon. I don’t want to ask my teacher everyday because I feel like that’ll be pretty annoying, so I’m just waiting a bit and trying to find the answer myself to those redox questions (which are surprisingly fun to do!). Also, by researching and finding those answers, I feel like I learn more about the why behind the concepts which is a big goal I’m aiming for this year! We will be starting Redox the coming week (Chapter 4 I believe). Currently, I’m on Chapter 7 (nearly finished!) and I’m liking the content! It’s supplementing my knowledge about chemical reactions and activation energy which is pretty cool! I haven’t learnt ANY new content since the start of the year so I’ve really got to get going and finish some chapters. First SAC is in Week 8, Thursday or Friday, and it’s one of those ‘responding to a stimulus material’ SACs which really sucks because I have no idea how to do that. I’ve been doing Checkpoints (for like 4 weeks, too long!) and I’m actually starting to get the hang of it! I feel smart! Which is a good feeling! Also, my friends and I started a study group so I’m looking forward to all the new things I’m going to learn!

Literature
I handed in my comparative essay yesterday (between Daddy and Tulips from Ariel) and I’m pretty sure it’s trash. The main goal I need to be working on is refining my sentences to make them more *dense*, if that makes sense. Like, I need to make them meaningful, concise and rich. I think that’s what I need to do to get at least a 40 in this subject, because this subject is actually pretty hard! First SAC is on March 15, I believe, which is not long at all to refine my skills…

Motivational Pep Talk
Also, I’ve had a very emotional/argumentative/enlightening talk with my mum on the train the other day and I think for the past few weeks, ever since I started school, I have not been doing enough. I think my fear and nervousness got the better of me, which made me less confident in tackling those HARD Checkpoint questions, especially in Chemistry. I need to fake that confidence and JUST DO IT. I usually get so frustrated and irritated when I don’t understand something because I’d dedicated so much time and it’s just been wasted which leads to a cycle of leaving the tasks to the last minute ‘until my mind clears when I can try again’, which I keep telling myself (even when it’s not true). I need to be studying everywhere, especially since so much time is wasted on public transport. I’m starting to rethink whether going to this school was a smart choice. So, I’m trying to make an effort to do anything (even if it’s just watching chemistry youtube videos for consolidation), anywhere. I will do anything to do well. Whatever it takes. Anyways, as you spend more time with the subject, you understand the concepts more (like in Chemistry for me) and I find that when I understand something, I enjoy it.

I also thought that the pain of getting tha 38 and 41 would fuel me to just study with so much fire and motivation whenever I sit down to do it but it hasn’t, I thought that would allow me to reach the top, but whenever I study...I have no feeling. I need to channel that pain, that’s my motivation. That’s going to help me get that >99 ATAR and >90th UCAT percentile. And, it still mindboggles me ‘how did I get those terrible scores?’ Like, was I that bad? Like, what did I even do the whole year? I didn’t even get a 40 for Methods. I’ve set myself up real bad to get into Medicine and I need to pay for it this year. This year is going to be like climbing Mt Everest. I can’t even describe how hard it’s going to be with words. Some people in my school are way closer to getting into Med than I am, which is debilitating but I will do everything in my power to get there.

‘To be in the top 1%, you have to be willing to do what the other 99% aren’t’.
This quote describes my thinking really well.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on February 22, 2020, 08:11:30 pm
Hey Evolio! ;D

(You have no idea how much I love reading your journal🤣)
You are doing an amazing job and you sound super prepared for all your subjects! (Especially Chem woah). Don't worry we all have our ups and downs and sooner or later, things will get better so don't worry.


Motivational Pep Talk
I usually get so frustrated and irritated when I don’t understand something because I’d dedicated so much time and it’s just been wasted which leads to a cycle of leaving the tasks to the last minute ‘until my mind clears when I can try again’, which I keep telling myself (even when it’s not true).

I can spiritually relate to you with this so much. I get so annoyed too when my minds does not understand something and it chews up a lot of time. This sort of worked for me and might work for you, but think of it like this; the more effective time you spend on understanding at the start reduces the same if not more time when it comes to consolidating at the end. It can be super frustrating, especially when those around you seem to get it more quickly than you do, but trust me, you will get there! (I believe in you!!)
Just make sure that whatever you do, you do not force yourself to work when there is no inspiration (It's like trying to draw, when you have no drawing inspiration, you won't produce any quality)

I need to be studying everywhere, especially since so much time is wasted on public transport. I’m starting to rethink whether going to this school was a smart choice. So, I’m trying to make an effort to do anything (even if it’s just watching chemistry youtube videos for consolidation), anywhere. I will do anything to do well.

I also thought that the pain of getting tha 38 and 41 would fuel me to just study with so much fire and motivation whenever I sit down to do it but it hasn’t, I thought that would allow me to reach the top, but whenever I study...I have no feeling. I need to channel that pain, that’s my motivation. That’s going to help me get that >99 ATAR and >90th UCAT percentile. And, it still mindboggles me ‘how did I get those terrible scores?’ Like, was I that bad? Like, what did I even do the whole year? I didn’t even get a 40 for Methods. I’ve set myself up real bad to get into Medicine and I need to pay for it this year. This year is going to be like climbing Mt Everest. I can’t even describe how hard it’s going to be with words. Some people in my school are way closer to getting into Med than I am, which is debilitating but I will do everything in my power to get there.
Ok, I feel like we are living parallel lives😂. (Me too Evolio me too. Can relate to Chem youtube videos)
When you are taking trains/trams/buses to school there is like so much wasted time. I take a train + tram to school every day and I find that having a PDF copy of your textbook and putting it onto your phone allows you to study when you feel like you are in the mood. Totally understand the 'rethinking whether going to this school was a smart choice' bit and just remember that everything happens for a reason ;D.
I'm also having the same problem when it comes to studying too, the lack of feeling because of last year's scores is sort of eating me up. (This "Like, was I that bad?" bit here especially hits home. I admit, I have this problem and you are not alone). It's even worse when there are people around you that seem to have their life together and have a higher chance of succeeding than you do and it can really bring you down sometimes. You can do it Evolio!! Believe in yourself and once you gain some confidence overtime, I'm positive you will make it! ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on February 22, 2020, 10:11:02 pm
Yay, an update! It's nice to hear from you again!
Quote
I don’t want to ask my teacher everyday because I feel like that’ll be pretty annoying,
This, so much! I feel like I am really annoying, or that I am becoming a bit of a teacher's pet when i'm really just trying to find out where I went wrong with my questions. I kinda hope my teachers don't hate me by the time year 12 finishes... But yeah, hopefully giving your teacher a bit of space before the next bombardment will hopefully help with that.
Quote
I also thought that the pain of getting that 38 and 41 would fuel me to just study with so much fire and motivation whenever I sit down to do it but it hasn’t, I thought that would allow me to reach the top, but whenever I study...I have no feeling.

I 100% relate to you on that statement. Too be honest I don't really think it is a great motivation source, but everyone is different so you do what works for you. For me, I feel just looking back on my score makes me feel kinda like a failure, and that I'm not smart enough to achieve anything. So for me, I stopped using it like I must strive harder so that I avoid that, and I now get my motivation from just knowing that I am doing my best and am learning from my mistakes from last year. Whatever you motivation is, i'm sure you will reach you goals :)

BTW, have you checked out NileRed on youtube? I know you said you watch educational chem videos but have you checked out his? They are kinda educational and really fun at the same time. Good luck studying!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 23, 2020, 12:11:22 pm
Quote
Hey Evolio! ;D

(You have no idea how much I love reading your journal🤣)
You are doing an amazing job and you sound super prepared for all your subjects! (Especially Chem woah). Don't worry we all have our ups and downs and sooner or later, things will get better so don't worry.
Hey Ashmi!  ;D ;D Aww, thanks! That means a lot!  :D Same though, I'm always excited for another update on your journal.  ;D
Yeah, hopefully they will!

Quote
the more effective time you spend on understanding at the start reduces the same if not more time when it comes to consolidating at the end. It can be super frustrating, especially when those around you seem to get it more quickly than you do, but trust me, you will get there! (I believe in you!!)
That makes sense, thanks for that! I'll be using that when I'm on the verge of screaming, haha. That actually really helps though because I think that last year, I didn't really understand the concepts, I was just like 'yep, that makes sense, next concept' so having an extremely good understanding now will be way better when we're doing practice questions and stuff.

Quote
Ok, I feel like we are living parallel lives😂. (Me too Evolio me too. Can relate to Chem youtube videos)
When you are taking trains/trams/buses to school there is like so much wasted time. I take a train + tram to school every day and I find that having a PDF copy of your textbook and putting it onto your phone allows you to study when you feel like you are in the mood. Totally understand the 'rethinking whether going to this school was a smart choice' bit and just remember that everything happens for a reason ;D.
I'm also having the same problem when it comes to studying too, the lack of feeling because of last year's scores is sort of eating me up. (This "Like, was I that bad?" bit here especially hits home. I admit, I have this problem and you are not alone). It's even worse when there are people around you that seem to have their life together and have a higher chance of succeeding than you do and it can really bring you down sometimes. You can do it Evolio!! Believe in yourself and once you gain some confidence overtime, I'm positive you will make it! ;D
Is it coincidence? I think not.  ;D. Yeah, glad someone understands my pain! I take a car, two trains, a tram and then I walk to school so   :-\. Yeah, I was thinking of reading the textbook but I feel like I learn better when I'm highlighting and annotating (even if it's a little bit) on the physical textbook. Maybe, I should adjust and do that, especially for Chemistry because things are getting interesting! Thanks for the tip! Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Thank you for your confidence in me!  ;D ;D ;D. We'll keep each other going for the whole year!  :)

Quote
Yay, an update! It's nice to hear from you again!
Aww, thanks, Geoo! You have no idea how happy that makes me!

Quote
I 100% relate to you on that statement. Too be honest I don't really think it is a great motivation source, but everyone is different so you do what works for you. For me, I feel just looking back on my score makes me feel kinda like a failure, and that I'm not smart enough to achieve anything. So for me, I stopped using it like I must strive harder so that I avoid that, and I now get my motivation from just knowing that I am doing my best and am learning from my mistakes from last year. Whatever you motivation is, i'm sure you will reach you goals :)
Like, how bad I did last year hasn't really been giving me motivation but I want it to, if that makes sense. Looking back on my scores makes me feel like a complete failiure as well, I don't think I'll ever stop feeling that, I'll never forget that feeling in my entire life. I feel like I'm someone who,  when I say that I'm doing my best and such, I start to take it easy and lay back. So, that's why I avoid doing that but it works for you so that's great!  ;D Yeah, same! I'm feeling so happy when I try to do things differently and they actually work when I'm studying! It's a great feeling!

Quote
BTW, have you checked out NileRed on youtube? I know you said you watch educational chem videos but have you checked out his? They are kinda educational and really fun at the same time. Good luck studying!
Ooo, will check that out asap!  ;D Thank you!

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 01, 2020, 05:33:38 pm
Hey! I’ve recently been struck by the thought that there are only 4 weeks left until term ends! *face screaming in fear emoji* I am eternally frightened because time is slipping away and I only have more or less two terms left. How is term 1 already ending? Like, how?

Specialist Mathematics
Um, ok, this has been a bit weird. So basically, I was trying to finish Chapter 3: Trigonometry but I sort of gave up with the last half of the last exercise and skipped to Chapter 4: Complex Numbers. I wanted a change, they’re way easier and I wanted to be ahead of the class. But yeah, I really should finish Chapter 3. Hopefully, I will finish it by this weekend so that I can fully focus on Chapter 4. I also haven’t been doing checkpoints or any other questions which is terrible because the SAC is so soon! It’s in week 2, term 2 which may seem far away but it’s Specialist, so everything seems so close. I really need to do those Checkpoints questions. This subject also takes up so much of my time because I need to spend so much time understanding the concepts, rather than just memorising the mere facts. Otherwise, I won’t be able to apply my knowledge to the even harder application questions.

Literature
The SAC date has been moved to my Psychology SAC date. I thought this would be bad but it’s fine. I’m so scared though because I was comforting myself that there’s 3 weeks left, don’t worry but there’s LESS than 2 weeks left and I am honestly so scared for it. The good news is we get to bring two sides of notes, we get the topic a few days before AND we get to choose which 2 poems of Ariel we’ll be writing about and which Sexton poem. I really need to finish my analyses and submit them to my teacher to give me feedback because my writing is very simplistic and I’ve found that I don’t tease out the points, according to my tutor. I just keep talking about quotes, one by one, without extending them. I think. So, I really need to fix that if I’m going to do alright on this sac. Otherwise, I failed before I even completed the SAC.

Chemistry
Aah, my favourite subject right now! I thought I’d hate it, like really hate it and that I’d have to force myself to do it but nope! I really love redox and it’s a shame that VCE Chemistry doesn’t go that deep into it because it’s really cool. I still haven’t finished the SAC 1 questions as I need to do the MC Fuel Questions (like, 70 of them, too much) BUT I’ve clarified all my doubts with my teacher about the redox stuff which is great. I’m very grateful to my teacher for giving me so much help! I feel so safe in Chemistry because I know that I’ll find the answer to my questions. I have a feeling that the SAC’s going to be centred around fuels, because it’s an evaluation. So, they may ask about which fuel is best to use and such. So, I’ve really got to consolidate my knowledge on Fuels because it’s not as strong as my redox skills. I’ve also been really slow at learning content which is really bad because I need to keep it going if this method I’m doing is sustainable. I only have 2 more chapters to do and then I’ve finished Unit 3! Which is exciting. All I’ve been doing is Chemistry, neglecting my other more pressing subjects *ahem Specialist* and *ahem Literature*. I think I’m going to stop Chemistry for a while.

Psychology
I’ve stopped hating this subject! I have a deeper understanding after I did the blurt of all the assessable content on the first SAC. I highly recommend it for content-heavy subjects! But, I still need to do so much. Our teachers provided us with so many questions, many of them the 10 markers, so that’s going to take a while to do and I still need to do the AN Topic Tests. Why is it taking me so long to do everything? I’ve also been slow at learning content for this. I thought Psychology would be like Biology, but nope! I was so wrong. Psychology has so much memorising, especially with the definitions, while Biology was more about understanding the processes and stuff and there were barely any definitions to memorise. Also, I feel like we need to write way more detail than Biology, so my hand is definitely going to suffer. I need to train it lol.

UCAT
Okay, surprisingly, my progress has been going good! I’ve been waking up at 5:20 or so everyday(this week) to get some 45 mins or so of UCAT practice in. Hopefully, I can keep it going! Also, I’m getting really good at discovering the Abstract Reasoning patterns,which I’m really proud of! My worst section is probably Situational Judgement and Decision Making. I am improving in SJ but I need to be getting more correct. I was doing timed practice at the first half of the week, but then I stopped because I’m not able to finish all the questions and it’s a waste of questions. So, I’m probably going to do some sections timed (SJ and AR) and then the others untimed for now. I want to be more comfortable at answering and accuracy before I jump into the deep end. Aand, I’m also starting to enjoy doing the UCAT! Especially the AR because the satisfaction you get when you guess the patterns correctly is priceless and it keeps me happy for the whole morning.

Extracurriculars
St John this week was fun. We were doing our proficiency badge so we were learning about the history of St John and stuff which was interesting! There’s actually a lot of history behind it! I’ve been going every second week because I have so much work to do!
My leadership position has been getting way more busy than last year. There’s a lot to do and it was making me a bit stressed so I sort of neglected some of the tasks I was supposed to do. Oops. I’ll make it up.

We also had the swimming carnival this week and it was alright. I didn’t really watch the swimming, I mostly talked to my friends.

Well, that’s my life right now. See yas later!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 07, 2020, 10:11:51 am
AHHHHHHH!!!!  :-[ :-[
I have my Psychology and Literature SACs in approximately T-4 days and I...I...I...don't think I'm ready for Lit. Or Psych, for that matter.  :-\ I've constantly been stressed and worried in the days leading up to the SACs and I'm always thinking about the SACs every second. For Psychology, I'm not really stressed about the actual SAC, I'm really stressed about whether I can write fast enough because we have to write so much with the definitions and all. Ahhhh. My goal is to write everything I had to write in the time AND have time to check over my responses.
For literature, I still haven't written my analysis for 'Her Kind', the third poem I'll be using in my comparative, I've only written the main dotpoints and such.
By the end of today, I need to complete the 2019 Psychology SAC, 'Her Kind' analysis (it needs to be polished) and do the UCAT diagnostic test. I haven't really been doing much UCAT unfortunately and the date is slowly creeping towards me like some lion.
I think I need to take a chill pill, that's what I keep telling myself, but I think I'm taking way too many chill pills and being easy on myself. So, NO. I'm going to have to grind through my work and not stop until I finish everything.
Well, the good thing is that since I have to write super-human fast for psychology, that's also preparing me for writing fast in Literature, which is great. But still, I have lots of work to do and not much time.
Also, I feel like I know the content really well for Psychology, like I think I'll be able to answer any question anyone throws at me, which is confident-boosting and nice to know. But we did a quiz yesterday, and I thought too much for one of the questions and got it wrong. Thankfully, there'll be no MC on the SAC. I think I'll end up asking for more paper because I have big handwriting and they don't give much space, despite saying they do.
The week after I have the Chemistry SAC but I'm really not thinking about it now. After this Wednesday, I have a four day weekend because we don't have school on Thursday and Friday! Isn't that amazing?  ;D I can just wallow in depression after my first two SACs, while simultaneously studying for Chemistry! Yay!
This was a very all-over-the-place update but that's all I got for now. And, this is a very good reflection of how crazy my brain is right now.  :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Ionic Doc on March 07, 2020, 10:34:05 am
Ayyy Evolio,

Good luck with your Lit and Psych SAC.
You seem really busy this week but lucky u have that 4 day weekend to recover (I'm jealous). Also, Monday is a public holiday, so it seems to be a very short week for you haha.

Anyways have a nice weekend but remember to find space to have a quick break at some point.  :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on March 07, 2020, 12:44:59 pm
Hey hey Evolio ;D

You can do it!! Good luck with your Psych and Lit SAC! I'm sure you will do amazing. Make sure to take frequent breaks and look after yourself.

That 4-day week sounds so nice right now and I'm sure it will be a great time to destress from past SACs. 8)
You will be fine, don't worry! You are doing an amazing job right now and sounds like you are quite productive :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 09, 2020, 02:32:50 pm
Thank you Ionic Doc and Ashmi!  ;D ;D

Mini update:
I'm dying inside right now. I think I dream about the Lit poems in my sleep as well, lol. As soon as I woke up, I was thinking about what comparisons I could make between the poems. This SAC is eating me alive!!! At 3:10 on Wednesday, I'm going to be the happiest girl in the world, and as soon as I go home, I'm going to binge watch a Netflix series, and not do any work for the whole day.  :D That's going to be my treat, before I need to focus on CHEMISTRY. Can't wait for 3:10 on a Wednesday. Mainly with Lit, I have so much analyses and I can't include all of them in my essay because that's way too much, so I'm trying to cut down the words and choosing the strongest ideas, but that's proving to be extremely difficult.  :P I really hope I can finish structuring/cutting it down by today and also write up my notes because tomorrow, I don't want to be doing last minute things.
About writing fast, I finished the 2019 Psychology SAC, I finished approximately 2 seconds after the timer went off, which isn't as bad as I thought. Also, my handwriting was the messiest I had ever seen because I was writing so fast! Haha, LOL. But, it's readable, at least I think so.
Well, see yas later and hope everyone is going well with their VCE LIFE! We have 3 weeks left and then the holidays hit! Can't wait!  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ArtyDreams on March 09, 2020, 02:49:32 pm
GOOD LUCK with your LIT SAC!! I'm sure you'll SMASH it!!

And also in regards to the sleep thing - I FEEL you!! I have an English SAC this week too, and I've literally been dreaming about the characters and breaking up essay prompts in my sleep  ::)

Have a great week!!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 13, 2020, 09:29:16 am
Quote
GOOD LUCK with your LIT SAC!! I'm sure you'll SMASH it!!

And also in regards to the sleep thing - I FEEL you!! I have an English SAC this week too, and I've literally been dreaming about the characters and breaking up essay prompts in my sleep  ::)

Have a great week!!
Thank you so much! I hope I did!
Glad I'm not the only one!

Hey guys.
Yeah, this is a bit late but I didn't feel like writing at the time after my SACs so here it goes...
I'm going to get straight to the point.

Psychology was bad. I messed up the last question because I ran out of time. The teacher was like 'pens down' and she was right in front of me and I kept writing, but the wrong thing! Because I think my brain crashed and was like 'Evolio, just write something down even if it IS wrong'. Yeah, I can't trust my brain anymore. So, I messed that up and then she said 'finish off the sentence', but I had already put my pen down and for the rest of the day, leading upto the lit SAC, I was feeling so terrible. I was just replaying the whole scene in my head. What if I just crossed out that last sentence and quickly wrote the right answer? I wouldn't be feeling like this now. Just an extra 5 seconds and I would've come out of that SAC feeling like a legend but nope. I wrote as fast as I could, as my eyes flitted to the timer on the board and back to my paper, 10,9,8 seconds. I was writing as fast as I could but it wasn't enough and I failed. And I knew the content really well as well, which makes it a bazillion times worse. I really hope I can still achieve that 45+ study score. It's going to be painfully hard.
I was disappointed, especially because I knew the answer but my brain crashed. Ahhhh. Why?!?!?!? I really hope I get above average but what made me feel better was that other people said that they didn't find it fine, so that washed away my fears. But still...  :'( I can't...
Then my lit SAC came! LOL, I think that was the chillest SAC in the entire world because I had literally written down the sentences I was going to write in my essay in my notes so I had the whole essay already planned out, literally sentence by sentence so that was a breeze! Although, for a split second, I thought I would run out of time, thinking about my horrible psychology SAC experience, but I didn't! I wasn't going to feel double the loss today, no no no!  >:( So, I finished and yeah that was that.
Also, it's tradition for me after I finish my SACs on that day to go to my mum's office and go with her home!  ;D So, that's exactly what I did. I always love going home with my mum.   ;D I just loved the thought of how I was ALLOWED to waste time because I finished my SACs.  :) Because I'm always frantic about 'oh no, I won't have time to study!' 'No, I can't go downstairs and eat because that's going to waste time'.

Yesterday, was a COMPLETE, I repeat, COMPLETE waste of time but I don't feel guilt at all because I deserved it and I need fun in my life. I woke up horrendously late, that was not the plan, and literally just watched netflix and youtube for the whole day UNTIL I went on a beautiful walk outside. I walked for a really long time, and I finally decided to see the horses so I walked all the way to the end of my neighbourhood and saw them. I wore slippers so now my feet hurt really bad and I have like 5 blisters.  :P Oops. I also ran a bit near the end of my walk and it was so REFRESHING because I hadn't done proper exercise for like 4 months. I know, it's really bad. Especially because I had kept it up for a year and a half.

Okay, this was probably way too detailed for your interest but I wanted to write it down.

I didn't go to ST Johns this week because of the public holiday and probably won't go next week because I have my chemistry SAC on FRIDAY. That's my last SAC of the term and so I've got to start grinding. I don't want to screw it up.

Hope you guys have a good week!  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on March 13, 2020, 11:49:19 am
Hey Evolio! I totally understand what it feels like when you know the content/skills but can't reproduce it on a SAC. If you only messed up one question, and everyone else found it more difficult, I believe you have a very high chance of 45+ if you keep going the way you do. I believe in you! And, if it's any consolation, I had the same problem (running out of time) on my psych exam. The supervisor told us we had one minute left, and I realised I forgot to include something on the 10 marker. So I flipped through the exam booklet and began furiously writing. I think it was the fastest I have ever written. When they said pens down, I had written a pretty long paragraph, but I also didn't have enough time to actually finish fully what I was going to say. I was devastated, because I knew what I needed to write but totally forgot about it until the last minute in the exam that mattered most. But it's okay! If you put in the effort throughout the year, I am sure you will be fine.

It's really good that you did well on the lit SAC! I'm so proud :D. And yes, everyone deserves a break from study and some fun in life! Life isn't all about studying! It's the best feeling when you go home after a SAC and relax.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 21, 2020, 11:06:56 am
Thank you whys!  ;D


Hey! So, it's been a while, a while for me anyway.

Chemistry
I had my Chemistry SAC yesterday and it was AH-MAZ-ING! It was so easy! I was extremely worried before because people who had already done it on Thursday said that they left whole pages blank ( people smarter than me) and that it was very time-pressured! However, people said it was do-able. I was so scared, waiting at lunchtime, walking around the school, rereading over my notes for the bazzilionth time while I waited for my teacher. As soon as writing time started, I ripped open to the first page and started writing furiously, I knew I had to write really fast because I didn't want the same thing to happen with Psychology  :'(. So, I was doing everything so fast until I finished the whole paper and had a whole 15 mins left! I think that was the first SAC I'd ever completed that early! 15 whole minutes! Then, obviously, I checked over my answers and tried to make them better especially the short-answer. I also fixed up some calculations thankfully. I really hope I didn't make any silly mistakes because that would be really disappointing. I think that was the easiest SAC I'd ever done! Our teacher congratulated us after finishing and our whole class cheered for joyous celebration with some whoops! That's the best, when you finish a SAC that you've been studying so long for, on a Friday! Overall, my first chemistry SAC experience was spectacular and I'm aiming for 32/35. I probably won't get it because they'll be marking harshly, I figured but there's no harm in hoping. Also, the more I think about it, the more I think about how many marks they're going to take off. My satisfaction immediately after the SAC is already dwindling down into disappointment. For instance, I know I lost at least one mark because I said 'better oxidant' rather than 'strongest oxidant'. I want to bang my head against the wall until I stop making silly mistakes. I mean, really? That was such a dumb mistake, the dumbest mistake EVER! ARGH!  >:( I'm so angry with myself. Actually, now I'm feeling less confident about this SAC. It's ok, I'm trying not to dwell on this. The other SACs will redeem me.

Psychology
Psychology's meh. I really miss Stress and the Nervous System because Classical Conditioning is a bit boring. Maybe it's because I'm bad at it lol. Yeah, I've just been writing up the notes on my laptop but I haven't been doing any questions to consolidate my learning and I still need to tie up some loose ends in the Learning and Memory section because it all seems a bit airy-fairy and all over the place.

Specialist Mathematics
I haven't done this subject for basically 4 weeks. All our classes this week were cancelled which made it even worse. This is the subject I've been neglecting, even though it's probably my hardest. I really need to finish all my exercises ASAP because my SAC is in 4 weeks, Term 2 week 2. AHHH! That is not enough time to do all the checkpoints questions and other resources! I am so screwed.

Literature
This has been going eh. I'm not really doing much for it because our SAC was last week but I just realised we have Part B on Week 1 Term 1.  :-[ This is bad because I'll mostly be doing Specialist...

UCAT
This has been very messy. I've moslt been doing Abstract Reasoning, Verbal reasoning sprinkled with a bit of Decision Making. So, I'm not really focusing on Quantitative and Situational and Decision Making which is really bad. I'm not even doing it timed and I've been getting a lot of questions wrong which is terrible. I've really got to step up my game with UCAT.

Also, my leadership position and club has been all over the place with Covid-19 so we're thinking of cancelling the meetings this week.

Also, Covid-19. I've been trying to ignore that it's real because I figured that it wouldn't help me at all with my studies and I DO NOT want to get distracted with this really crazy, random thing. This is my year and I MOST CERTAINLY won't let it distract me or stop me from achieving what I want to achieve. However, everyone please look after yourselves! My mum's always like 'Don't touch anything! Don't touch the escalators, don't touch the trams, don't touch the trains, hand-sanitise frequently, wash your hands as soon as you come home'. It's driving me crazy.

This is a stressful time for everyone but I feel we should do our part and minimise the spread to the elderly and other vulnerable people because they have the highest risk.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 23, 2020, 07:28:58 pm
Update:
YESSSSSSSSSSS! Guys, I got my Psychology SAC mark back today and I am honestly so happy! 91.4%! I thought I messed it up real bad because I didn't even finish the SAC. The whole ride home, I was just repeating the number over and over and kept checking to see if it was a dream. Well, it isn't! The first time I got above 90! This is a dream come true. So, naturally, I celebrated for the rest of the day by flitting between watching a netflix series, going on youtube, going on AN, going on gmail and going on facebook! The euphoria of my mark quickly dwindled though after realising maybe many people got high marks.  :-\ so it feels sort of meaningless but I'm trying to keep the sweet sense of achievement alive by ignoring people who are saying my marks aren't good enough because this just gives me the motivation to study for psychology even though I'm finding the topics a bit boring right now. I want to know the average so that I know how well I went but our school doesn't give our average or our ranking so that's that. :'( I really thought those people would be proud but apparently it's not enough.  :'( Yeah, they mean well and they're prompting me to do better to reach that sweet sweet 100 but c'mon 90+ is pretty good. In the entire history of Evolio, that's never happened.  I need to ask my teacher how I can write more concise and short responses because I feel like a lot of the stuff I write is unnecessary and that just wastes heaps of time. I was writing super human crazy fast during that SAC but that still wasn't enough so I need to change up my SA answer.

Also, this Covid-19 is really making me angry. Why did it decide to pop out of nowhere and reign terror on the Class of 2020? We're suffering so much and no other year 12 cohort had to suffer that. It's so unfair!  >:( >:( >:( >:( I HATE THIS. I really hope they keep everything normal with Sacs and the Exam because I don't want a chaotic and hazardous year full of new developments that we have to endure. I've already been thinking about and preparing myself for SACs and the Exam. No, siree, this isn't going to change. Coronavirus can do whatever it wants but I really hope VCE doesn't change. I'm just going by the saying that 'this will make us stronger, blah blah blah' but it's not really keeping me afloat especially with all this uncertainty about what's going to happen with VCE.  :-[
I'm going to make the most of it with self-study and try to knock out as much content as I can for my subjects. Ahem, Specialist, looking at you and also UCAT where my progress has been deteriorating at a rapid rate. I feel like I'm just doing random questions and not really deeply thinking about why I got the question wrong and such.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on March 23, 2020, 08:05:44 pm
Update:
YESSSSSSSSSSS! Guys, I got my Psychology SAC mark back today and I am honestly so happy! 91.4%! I thought I messed it up real bad because I didn't even finish the SAC. The whole ride home, I was just repeating the number over and over and kept checking to see if it was a dream. Well, it isn't! The first time I got above 90! This is a dream come true.
YAYYYYYYYYYYY CONGRATS I'm super proud of you! It's great you've got some good news amongst what seems like endless bad news

Also, this Covid-19 is really making me angry. Why did it decide to pop out of nowhere and reign terror on the Class of 2020? We're suffering so much and no other year 12 cohort had to suffer that. It's so unfair!  >:( >:( >:( >:( I HATE THIS. I really hope they keep everything normal with Sacs and the Exam because I don't want a chaotic and hazardous year full of new developments that we have to endure. I've already been thinking about and preparing myself for SACs and the Exam. No, siree, this isn't going to change. Coronavirus can do whatever it wants but I really hope VCE doesn't change. I'm just going by the saying that 'this will make us stronger, blah blah blah' but it's not really keeping me afloat especially with all this uncertainty about what's going to happen with VCE.  :-[
I'm going to make the most of it with self-study and try to knock out as much content as I can for my subjects. Ahem, Specialist, looking at you and also UCAT where my progress has been deteriorating at a rapid rate. I feel like I'm just doing random questions and not really deeply thinking about why I got the question wrong and such.
I feel this. Like my parents have said it's selfish to think like this but that totally wrong in the sense that we are allowed to think this is hard and that it sucks and why this year, just because others have it worse doesn't mean our feelings in such a tumultuous time are invalid. It is really hard and we need to stick together and really really help each other out :)
And idk if itll brighten your spirits a lil but my friends were all joking about when we have grandkids and theyre like "grandchild: *riding hoverboard* hey grandma/pa, how did you survive the cOroNAviRuS?  :o" And honestly i remember seeing memes like end of last year about the fact all major plagues happened in the 20's and now here we are...Its probably bad to try and joke about it considering its impact on communities and countries :/
I hope you find the motivation you need to really succeed!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Ionic Doc on March 23, 2020, 08:07:26 pm
Update:
YESSSSSSSSSSS! Guys, I got my Psychology SAC mark back today and I am honestly so happy! 91.4%! I thought I messed it up real bad because I didn't even finish the SAC. The whole ride home, I was just repeating the number over and over and kept checking to see if it was a dream. Well, it isn't! The first time I got above 90! This is a dream come true. So, naturally, I celebrated for the rest of the day by flitting between watching a netflix series, going on youtube, going on AN, going on gmail and going on facebook! The euphoria of my mark quickly dwindled though after realising maybe many people got high marks.  :-\ so it feels sort of meaningless but I'm trying to keep the sweet sense of achievement alive by ignoring people who are saying my marks aren't good enough because this just gives me the motivation to study for psychology even though I'm finding the topics a bit boring right now. I want to know the average so that I know how well I went but our school doesn't give our average or our ranking so that's that. :'( I really thought those people would be proud but apparently it's not enough.  :'( Yeah, they mean well and they're prompting me to do better to reach that sweet sweet 100 but c'mon 90+ is pretty good. In the entire history of Evolio, that's never happened.  I need to ask my teacher how I can write more concise and short responses because I feel like a lot of the stuff I write is unnecessary and that just wastes heaps of time. I was writing super human crazy fast during that SAC but that still wasn't enough so I need to change up my SA answer.

Also, this Covid-19 is really making me angry. Why did it decide to pop out of nowhere and reign terror on the Class of 2020? We're suffering so much and no other year 12 cohort had to suffer that. It's so unfair!  >:( >:( >:( >:( I HATE THIS. I really hope they keep everything normal with Sacs and the Exam because I don't want a chaotic and hazardous year full of new developments that we have to endure. I've already been thinking about and preparing myself for SACs and the Exam. No, siree, this isn't going to change. Coronavirus can do whatever it wants but I really hope VCE doesn't change. I'm just going by the saying that 'this will make us stronger, blah blah blah' but it's not really keeping me afloat especially with all this uncertainty about what's going to happen with VCE.  :-[
I'm going to make the most of it with self-study and try to knock out as much content as I can for my subjects. Ahem, Specialist, looking at you and also UCAT where my progress has been deteriorating at a rapid rate. I feel like I'm just doing random questions and not really deeply thinking about why I got the question wrong and such.

Congrats on your psych mark!! You should be happy, no need to care about what others think, as long as you're satisfied! I'm sure you did great compared to others anyways.

And I completely feel how frustrating it is not knowing what's to come, but at the same time, it's also a great opportunity to catch up  ;) , revise, and even get ahead. Bit of a stitch-up for the class of 2020, but our lives are still great compared to others around the world.
Other than that, enjoy your holidays 😭
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Coolgalbornin03Lo on March 23, 2020, 10:17:32 pm
Good job on your sac evolio! I got an 88% on a psych sac but then was crushed that many people could’ve got higher. But it’s so important to be proud of your individual achievements because they are so big :)
Do you think you’ll spend time mostly going over previous content of moving ahead? And to your school is this week “holidays” or learning online? My school has provided no work this week even though we asked for some :( I suppose it’s only three days but still. Maybe I’ll just revise this terms content.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 24, 2020, 10:57:55 am
Quote
YAYYYYYYYYYYY CONGRATS I'm super proud of you! It's great you've got some good news amongst what seems like endless bad news
Aww, thank you J_Rho!  ;D Very true though, I'm going to let it be my little light of hope in these uncertain times.

Yes, we do. We really need to help each other! We need to make sure that all our motivation levels remain high and that we're still able to study and do all the tasks we need to do.

Quote
Congrats on your psych mark!! You should be happy, no need to care about what others think, as long as you're satisfied! I'm sure you did great compared to others anyways.
Thank you so much, Ionic Doc! Yeah, I need to stop thinking about what people think of me. It's a bad habit of mine that I'm always trying to seek validation from others. I need to stop.

Quote
And I completely feel how frustrating it is not knowing what's to come, but at the same time, it's also a great opportunity to catch up  ;) , revise, and even get ahead. Bit of a stitch-up for the class of 2020, but our lives are still great compared to others around the world.
Other than that, enjoy your holidays 😭
Yes, definitely! I'm trying to look at it that way because I am really behind in some of my subjects *ahem* Specialist looking at you and you're right that other people around the world have it worse than us and we should be mindful of that.
Enjoy your holidays as well!  ;D

Quote
Good job on your sac evolio! I got an 88% on a psych sac but then was crushed that many people could’ve got higher. But it’s so important to be proud of your individual achievements because they are so big
Thank you! Hey, that's an amazing mark! Congratulations to you as well!  ;D

Quote
Do you think you’ll spend time mostly going over previous content of moving ahead? And to your school is this week “holidays” or learning online? My school has provided no work this week even though we asked for some :( I suppose it’s only three days but still. Maybe I’ll just revise this terms content.
I'll probably be going over stuff I don't understand but I'll be prioritising learning new content because I have SACs coming up soon. To my school, it's holidays. Isn't it like that for all schools? My lit teacher and Psychology teacher have given huge amounts of homework, so it doesn't really feel like holidays but that's Year 12 for you.  :P
Oh. Maybe you could email them and hopefully they'll give you some work to do, like they can't say no if people are asking for more work right? But, if they don't give you work, you could always learn new content if you wanted to by reading the textbook or looking at Youtube videos and other online resources!
Here are some VCE Psychology videos I looked at a while ago. Yeah, some of the content may not be applicable to the current study design but there's still a lot that is! https://www.youtube.com/user/Psyccounting/videos.
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Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 28, 2020, 10:50:35 am
Hello.  :) I hope everyone is faring well with the current situation and that you are all looking after yourselves!

Psychology
I've finished learning content for AOS2 aka the content for SAC 2, which will be in week 6 of term 2! That's a relief. These past 3 days I've been trying to get through all the content because I was supposed to finish it 2 weeks ago so I'm a bit late. Right now, I'm feeling a bit weird on some of the content such as where explicit memories, implicit are located: hypothalamus, amygdala or cerebral cortex and the other stuff. All the info for different things have been melded together and it's a bit difficult trying to separate them. I've found some Khan Academy videos on these topics so I'll probably watch those, and maybe look at some other resources as well to consolidate. Our teacher gave us bucketloads of homework for the holidays on classical conditioning, including a logbook task, so that should be fun.  :P I might do some MC Checkpoints so that I'm not just learning content but also consolidating. Also, it's getting a bit boring just learning content.

Chemistry
I haven't learnt all the content for AOS2, aka SAC 2 so that's my next goal for Chemistry. I just need to finish off a bit of electrolysis and then finish off the Equilibrium chapter and then I'm done! I'm hoping to do some checkpoints questions soon, because doing questions is more important! I'll probably revise with some videos from the Organic Chemistry Tutor so that I understand everything, he explains things really well, so I highly recommend his channel!

Literature
Not really doing much for this subject which is bad because my SAC 1B is on the first week back. Our teacher's set us a comparative essay, which is basically on the books we'll be comparing for the sac, and also for us to complete a creative story so I'm looking forward to that! I'm getting bored of essays and writing stories is way more fun! I'm currently working on understanding Letter to Sylvia Plath and trying to find links between it and the other Ariel poems, particularly the motherhood ones.

Specialist Mathematics
I'm so glad I've finally started doing work for this! It's going great as well! I have two exercises to do for Chapter 6: Differentiation and then like 5 exercises to complete for Chapter 4: Complex Numbers. I'm really loving implicit differentiation, it's a pretty neat concept and I'm glad I was able to understand it fully using the Khan Academy videos. I'll probably be using Khan Academy as my main resource for Specialist right now. My SAC got pushed back to 'later in the term', but I don't really know how late, so I'm just going to pretend it wasn't pushed back because I'm really behind. I need to complete the exercises, do all of the questions from the chapter reviews that are relevant to the SAC so like 3 and also so checkpoints. That's going to take so much time.  :P I hope I can finish it all by the end of the holidays so that I can do more practise, such as doing the Atar Notes topic tests. Also, I'm really happy that I was able to self-teach myself the concepts with online resources!  ;D

UCAT
I haven't done much UCAT, just doing a few questions here and there. I'm not very consistent so that's a major issue and I hope I can fit UCAT into my already busy schedule because it's worth the exact same as my ATAR.

More reflections on 2019
It's really sad because I know that if I made more effort to understand the concepts, made more effort to do more than what everyone else was doing, I would have done better. Comparing Methods to Specialist, Methods exercises were soo easy to do! It took me like 20 mins for each exercise. For Specialist on the other hand, it takes me 1 hour to do each exercise and a LOT of frustration. If it took me less time for Methods, why didn't I do all the questions? Why didn't I do the chapter reviews? Why didn't I utilise everything? Most importantly when I found the exercises to be easy, why didn't I challenge myself by doing exam questions really early in the year, instead of beginning to do them when I was preparing for SACs? All I'm saying is, I really ruined my opportunity for Methods. Now that I think about it, I actually LIKED methods and it didn't feel like studying when I did it. If I liked it, I should have put more effort into it but nope, I didn't and look where I ended up.
Even Biology. I didn't do as bad in Biology but if I had put more effort throughout the year in trying to understand the concepts, maybe I wouldn't have messed up the exam terribly. I'm still extremely confused about why I got 41, I think I should've gotten 38 or something like in Methods because I only got an A on the exam... another mystery. Yeah, I really messed up last year and looking at other people doing Methods this year in my year level and how much effort they put into understanding the concepts just makes me want to repeat methods all over again as a tsunami of intense regret washes over me.
BUT, at least I have another chance this year, with Specialist and my other subjects. Sure, Specialist may be harder and I may not like it as much but I'm changing stuff. I'm working on doing ALL the questions, actually doing the chapter reviews, every single question and doing checkpoints earlier, instead of 1 week before my SAC. So, my study score goals are sort of looking like this right now, this is a rough estimate.
Specialist: 40
Chemistry: 45+
Psychology 45+
Literature: 42-43
I THINK this will get me a 99+. It should.
Okay, enough rambling, I'll go now.  :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on March 28, 2020, 11:06:46 am
Hey hey Evolio! ;D

You sound like you have been super productive recently and keep up the amazing effort :D.

Yeah, I really messed up last year and looking at other people doing Methods this year in my year level and how much effort they put into understanding the concepts just makes me want to repeat methods all over again as a tsunami of intense regret washes over me.
BUT, at least I have another chance this year, with Specialist and my other subjects.
It's good to reflect on your performance for past subjects and use them as motivation for future studies! Learn from your mistakes and keep looking forward is the way to go :). Try not to worry about other people and how they approach something as it's different for each person, in the end, it pretty much boils down to how much effort you can put in. I'm pretty sure you will be able to achieve your goals so keep up the schedule and you should be fine! (I BELIEVE IN YOU)

It's really good to hear another update from you Evolio and I'm looking forward to a future update soon~
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ArtyDreams on March 28, 2020, 11:32:37 am

It's really sad because I know that if I made more effort to understand the concepts, made more effort to do more than what everyone else was doing, I would have done better. Comparing Methods to Specialist, Methods exercises were soo easy to do! It took me like 20 mins for each exercise. For Specialist on the other hand, it takes me 1 hour to do each exercise and a LOT of frustration. If it took me less time for Methods, why didn't I do all the questions? Why didn't I do the chapter reviews? Why didn't I utilise everything? Most importantly when I found the exercises to be easy, why didn't I challenge myself by doing exam questions really early in the year, instead of beginning to do them when I was preparing for SACs? All I'm saying is, I really ruined my opportunity for Methods. Now that I think about it, I actually LIKED methods and it didn't feel like studying when I did it. If I liked it, I should have put more effort into it but nope, I didn't and look where I ended up.

Hi Evolio - nice update!! Seems like you've done some great work (and making me motivated to get onto some Spec work ha ha)

And OMG - MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY about Methods!!!!!!!! Literaly exactly what I've been telling myself. Methods seems like it was a breeezeeeeeeeee now that we're doing Spec, which literally makes me feel like I should've done SO.MUCH.BETTER!! [I managed a 37, but like, looking back, I could've done so much better!! ] I've been keeping in touch with some of my friends doing it now and helpign them here and there, but it seems SO easy now lol.

Anyway, we'll get through this!! Good luck for your upcoming SACs, you'll ACE them!!

Have a GREAT week!!  :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on March 28, 2020, 11:53:50 am
Psychology
I've finished learning content for AOS2 aka the content for SAC 2, which will be in week 6 of term 2! That's a relief.

Chemistry
I haven't learnt all the content for AOS2, aka SAC 2 so that's my next goal for Chemistry. I just need to finish off a bit of electrolysis and then finish off the Equilibrium chapter and then I'm done! I'm hoping to do some checkpoints questions soon, because doing questions is more important!
OMG You're so ahead!! We only started AOS2 on the last day of term!  :o
It's actually so motivating reading your journal! It's making me feel bad (in a good way) for not being up to the end of AOS2!
I'm redoing Biology and it seems so easy now like why didn't I put the effort in last year?! But at least it shows us what NOT to do this year.
I can't wait for the next update! <3
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on March 28, 2020, 07:04:46 pm
Hey hey Evolio! ;D

You sound like you have been super productive recently and keep up the amazing effort :D.
It's good to reflect on your performance for past subjects and use them as motivation for future studies! Learn from your mistakes and keep looking forward is the way to go :). Try not to worry about other people and how they approach something as it's different for each person, in the end, it pretty much boils down to how much effort you can put in. I'm pretty sure you will be able to achieve your goals so keep up the schedule and you should be fine! (I BELIEVE IN YOU)

It's really good to hear another update from you Evolio and I'm looking forward to a future update soon~
Hey Ashmi! Yeah, I'm trying to use this extra time to get ahead and be ready before we go back to school. Thank you, I'm trying to put in as much effort as I can to make up for last year, I hope I can achieve great results!  Haha, same to you! Looking forward to an update on your journal, Ashmi!  ;D

Hi Evolio - nice update!! Seems like you've done some great work (and making me motivated to get onto some Spec work ha ha)

And OMG - MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY about Methods!!!!!!!! Literaly exactly what I've been telling myself. Methods seems like it was a breeezeeeeeeeee now that we're doing Spec, which literally makes me feel like I should've done SO.MUCH.BETTER!! [I managed a 37, but like, looking back, I could've done so much better!! ] I've been keeping in touch with some of my friends doing it now and helpign them here and there, but it seems SO easy now lol.

Anyway, we'll get through this!! Good luck for your upcoming SACs, you'll ACE them!!

Have a GREAT week!!  :D
Thank you, ArtyDreams!  ;D Yeah, Specialist is really hard, let's keep each other going and get the results we want!  ;D

OMG You're so ahead!! We only started AOS2 on the last day of term!  :o
It's actually so motivating reading your journal! It's making me feel bad (in a good way) for not being up to the end of AOS2!
I'm redoing Biology and it seems so easy now like why didn't I put the effort in last year?! But at least it shows us what NOT to do this year.
I can't wait for the next update! <3
Thank you, J_Rho, that really means a lot! I hope this gives you some motivation and no don't feel bad! I've always felt comfortable being ahead of class so I know where we're going next, if that makes sense. That way, I have a sense of control with the pace.
Very true, when we learn from our mistakes that's exactly what matters. That's what's going to make us stronger. All the best for Biology and I know you'll get the scores you want!  ;D I believe in you and you're going to do amazing! Looking forward to your next update as well!  :D

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 03, 2020, 07:35:20 pm
Hey guys, I’m back at it again with another update. How has everyone been?  ;D

Chemistry
I’ve nearly finished all of the SAC 2 content, AOS 2! Today, all I did was Chemistry, mainly focusing on the Equilibrium chapter. I must say, it’s pretty interesting even though I had to think about some of the concepts before fully understanding them. Just one more unit, and I’m finished. Then, I’ll probably start with the checkpoints because I feel like all I’m doing is learning the content for my subjects and not doing any exam-worthy practise questions which is a bit boring. Also, I went to the chemistry lecture yesterday, and the lecturer was great at explaining the concepts and it consolidated my knowledge of the content which was great!

Specialist Mathematics
I finished all the SAC 1 content (basically) a few days ago which I’m pretty proud of, because I finished 11 exercises in a week, understanding new concepts and all! Now, the real fun starts. Doing those horrendous Checkpoints questions. Okay, to be honest with you, I did a few questions on complex numbers yesterday and they were hard but not as hard as I’d thought they’d be. I am a bit shaky on the Trigonometry chapter so I better fill in the gaps in my knowledge, otherwise that’ll end badly. I want to know the content so well that I’ll be able to answer any question, like the high confidence I had going into Psychology SAC 1. My goal is to be that confident for Specialist SAC 1. I don’t want to be leaving questions blank and feeling absolutely useless and hopeless, all the while hoping I did decently, but deep deep down, knowing I did terrible. Looking at you Methods SAC 1, part 2. Still gives me horrible flashbacks.

Psychology
After learning all the content, I haven’t really done anything, other than attending the Psychology lecture yesterday! That was pretty good because it gave me a clearer idea about where explicit/implicit memories are stored in the brain and what happens if the brain areas are damaged. I need to do Checkpoints but I keep putting it off because I’m not that confident with the content as I was for AOS1 so I better get consolidating.

Literature
Okay, I’m really starting to hate literature right now. Like, I don’t know where to start in terms of preparation so right now I’m trying to understand my tutor’s notes by annotating their notes and then writing my own notes and trying to add in bits of my own interpretation as well. It’s in the first week of term so that’s REALLY BAD.  :(And, I don’t think they’re going to push it back like they did with Specialist because our teacher was like ‘I think you’re ready’ on the last day of term so I’m...dead. I need to do literature but it’s not exactly my favourite subject right now because it’s very subjective and it’s SO different to my maths and science subjects. Like, there’s not really a set content, you know? It’s just writing about ideas.

UCAT
Going pretty good!  ;D I’ve been meaning to do 50-60 questions a day but I think I need to increase the amount of questions because at the rate I’m going, I won’t be able to finish ALL of them. I’ve been improving steadily at Situational Judgement which is great! Medify gives you a graph showing your progress, compared to other users and my progress is increasing (it used to be below average but that changed). Verbal Reasoning is my best section so far. I usually get all of them right, if not 1 wrong and I do it pretty fast as well. I should start consistent practise for VR. Abstract Reasoning is ok, like if you discover the pattern, then that’s excellent because you can answer 6 questions but if you don’t, then you’re screwed. Quantitative Reasoning and Decision Making are the sections I’m neglecting but I have been incorporating them into my practise little by little. I’m a bit annoyed at the calculator though, it’s not that complex so if you type a number wrong, you have to delete the whole calculation and start all over again.  >:( I should also start using a mouse, rather than my laptop pad so it's like the real conditions.

Other Stuff
I've also been eating a lot of junkfood lately, rather than healthy snacks and drinking like half a bottle a day. It's really bad and it's so different to when I was eating so healthily everyday, refusing to even touch chocolate. Same with exercise, I;m not doing anything more intense than going on 30-45 min walks around my neighbourhood. I need to do something about this.

Also, I’ve realised that I watch Netflix/YouTube for a really long time everyday and I need to cut down on the time. Like, I need to spend more time studying. I mean, it’s Year 12. Also, the more Netflix I watch, the more bored I get the next time I watch it because there’s like nothing to watch because I’ve depleted all the good shows. So, I’m rewatching movies I adore.

Anyways, I’ve realised that Victorian students are luckier than other countries because our school holidays line up with this coronavirus /lockdown.  Like, if coronavirus didn't exist and it was all normal, we'd be in school holidays anyway, you know? Students in other countries have already started online school.

Another thing. I'm way too addicted to AtarNotes and I check it like a hundred times a day. I really don't think that's an exaggeration. I need to stop, because it's interfering with my study. This is a really serious problem. So, I've said that I'll only check it 2 times a day. Let's see how this goes.  :P
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ArtyDreams on April 03, 2020, 07:53:45 pm
What a product few days you've had Evolio! Its super motivating to see! Its great to see how much Chem and Spec you've done too! Good luck for your upcoming SACs!

Also, I’ve realised that I watch Netflix/YouTube for a really long time everyday and I need to cut down on the time. Like, I need to spend more time studying. I mean, it’s Year 12.

Another thing. I'm way too addicted to AtarNotes and I check it like a hundred times a day. I really don't think that's an exaggeration. I need to stop, because it's interfering with my study. This is a really serious problem. So, I've said that I'll only check it 2 times a day. Let's see how this goes.  :P


Honestly same though ha ha! Youtube and AN is life!  ;D Do you have any particular Youtubers you watch?

Have a great rest of your holidays!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on April 03, 2020, 08:25:20 pm
Wow, that's amazing at all the work you have achieved! I'm am certainly jealous of your productivity, especially in chem, I would love to get further ahead!

You are not alone in the junkfood, it's crazy, that since the holidays have started all I can think about is chocolate, I don't think it helps with easter around the corner. At least your keeping up the exercise!

Enjoy the rest of your holidays!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 03, 2020, 08:57:07 pm
What a product few days you've had Evolio! Its super motivating to see! Its great to see how much Chem and Spec you've done too! Good luck for your upcoming SACs!

Honestly same though ha ha! Youtube and AN is life!  ;D Do you have any particular Youtubers you watch?

Have a great rest of your holidays!
Haha, thank you! I'll need the luck, especially for Specialist.  :P
I don't have particular ones I watch, just really random videos that appear on my feed. Although, I have been watching a lot of Animal Planet recently as their videos are really interesting! And cute! What type of Youtube videos do you watch?
Enjoy the rest of your holidays as well!
Wow, that's amazing at all the work you have achieved! I'm am certainly jealous of your productivity, especially in chem, I would love to get further ahead!

You are not alone in the junkfood, it's crazy, that since the holidays have started all I can think about is chocolate, I don't think it helps with easter around the corner. At least your keeping up the exercise!

Enjoy the rest of your holidays!
Haha, thank you, Geoo!
Glad I'm not the only one re junkfood!  ;D That's true, walks are great!
Enjoy the rest of your holidays too!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 16, 2020, 10:48:06 am
It's been two weeks, wow! But to be honest, not much has happened in the quarantine life. I had my online classes on Google Meets yesterday and boy, was it awkward. I was trying to hold my laughter in, lol. But it was fun! As soon as I woke up yesterday, I was really excited to see how these synchronous classes would work. The teachers didn't talk about much, just about how it's going to work, and how we'll be doing a mix of synchronous and asynchronous classes. Anyways, yesterday was pretty unproductive and I didn't really do much except for UCAT.
Oh yeah! Good news re UCAT! I've been doing about 100 questions every day for two weeks and looking at my Medify calendar, this is the most consistent it's been. I've also started Timed (finally) and it's going better than expected. Verbal Reasoning, Situational Judgement and Abstract Reasoning, I've been doing it under timed conditions but I always run out of time in Abstract! It's so annoying. It's my best section untimed, but my worst in timed! I just can't figure out the pattern in time so I just have to resort to figuring out half of it or matching the patterns to whichever set it looks similar to. I've always hated Decision Making but it's one of my favourite sections now! No, I still haven't started timed for it and Quantitative Reasoning which is bad because I have ONLY 88 days left and I better get a move on. Hopefully, tomorrow, I'll be able to started timed with Decision Making since there's a lot of time allocation to do the questions. I also haven't done ANY MOCKS, which is bad, but hopefully I'll do one tomorrow. I've only done the Diagnostic Mock (about a month ago)and golly, that was a major catastrophe.  All my sections were like 2 or 3 SD below the mean and AR was my only section with 2 SD above the mean. Yeah, a disaster. Well, I hope I can achieve higher results now when I attempt the mocks. Wish me luck.

Also, about this online school thing, I like it! I have way more time to do everything, I can bake something, I can go on a walk outside and there's just so much freedom! Like, usually 3 hours is wasted everyday for travel time and now I don't have to worry about making every single minute count. It still seems like holidays though.


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on April 16, 2020, 10:58:06 am
It's been two weeks, wow! But to be honest, not much has happened in the quarantine life. I had my online classes on Google Meets yesterday and boy, was it awkward. I was trying to hold my laughter in, lol. But it was fun!

Also, about this online school thing, I like it! I have way more time to do everything, I can bake something, I can go on a walk outside and there's just so much freedom! Like, usually 3 hours is wasted everyday for travel time and now I don't have to worry about making every single minute count. It still seems like holidays though.

That's great your classes are fun! In English yesterday the teacher was asking people questions and some of them pretended like they couldn't hear cause a few other students were having technical difficulties - that's one way to get out of answering questions 😂

I defs agree with the freedom, I didn't realise how much time got wasted getting ready for school, going to school, getting home from school etc. and it's great! Yesterday I was able to fit in 2 workouts where I normally wouldn't have been able to, and this morning I slept in till 8. I'm coming to like online school, I don't think it'll be as bad as first expected. But yeah, it does feel like holidays which makes it hard to really focus and get into the mindset of the school term, it might take a little longer to get back into the swing of things.

Have you baked anything recently? What classes are you enjoying most so far in terms of the way teaching is being done?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 16, 2020, 11:50:03 am
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That's great your classes are fun! In English yesterday the teacher was asking people questions and some of them pretended like they couldn't hear cause a few other students were having technical difficulties - that's one way to get out of answering questions 😂
Haha, that's actually so funny!
Quote
I defs agree with the freedom, I didn't realise how much time got wasted getting ready for school, going to school, getting home from school etc. and it's great! Yesterday I was able to fit in 2 workouts where I normally wouldn't have been able to, and this morning I slept in till 8. I'm coming to like online school, I don't think it'll be as bad as first expected. But yeah, it does feel like holidays which makes it hard to really focus and get into the mindset of the school term, it might take a little longer to get back into the swing of things.
Wow, that's really good about the workouts! Yeah, it is really hard to focus and I find myself procrastinating a lot, which is really bad because of this online learning. I feel like the freedom I have is making it harder to study which is sort of paradoxical.  I hope our mindset changes for the better soon! Fingers crossed!

Quote
Have you baked anything recently? What classes are you enjoying most so far in terms of the way teaching is being done?
No, unfortunately. We didn't have all the ingredients at home to bake brownies as we don't really bake stuff that much but I'm really hoping to bake a moist chocolate cake! I've just been looking through Youtube to satisfy my craving for chocolate cakes but it keeps getting stronger lol. They look so yummy! Hmm, well I haven't had a real class yet, if you know what I mean. They didn't really teach stuff yet except for Psychology, where our new teacher went through how to answer extended response questions. My psychology teacher's going to be doing all our classes in real-time, unlike my other subjects, where it's not necessarily in real time. For that reason, I think I'm going to enjoy Psychology class the most (also because it's an amazing subject!)! I'm excited the most for Psychology.
Which class are you finding enjoyable?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 20, 2020, 08:16:36 pm
Hey guys! Update time, a nice long one as well. I haven’t been as productive as I wanted to lately which majorly sucks but I have regained some motivation miraculously (after yesterday) and I’m slowly trying to build it up. Hopefully, it reaches its peak soon because I have a lot of work to do and it keeps piling up.

Specialist Mathematics
I don’t know if I said this before but I finished all the content for the first SAC, EXCEPT for Exercise 6G which I skipped because it looked hard. I need to complete it by tomorrow. I’ve also finished the chapter reviews for Vectors (basically) and Differentiation, meaning I still need to complete ‘Complex Numbers’ and ‘Trigonometry’ which is taking a long time. I don’t know why. From Checkpoints, I’ve finished Complex Numbers and Vectors extended response, still need to do Differentiation and Trigonometry but I can’t really find many Differentiation questions without having differential equations thrown in randomly. Still though, I need to practise that stuff. This subject is hard, like really hard, but I’m getting there, trying to understand the nitty gritty of the concepts, so I think my understanding is getting better? Apparently, we’re starting Antidifferentiation tomorrow so I have a strong feeling it’s going to be added to the SAC, which is TBA.

Literature 
Oh, I really hated this subject for 4 weeks or so(still do a bit), meaning I did absolutely NO WORK FOR it over the three-week holiday period, including last week. Yeah, that’s how much I HATED IT. I hated it because I didn’t understand it but also because of the high subjectivity of the ‘content’ and it was a bit confusing as well. This is really weird because I thought it’d be my haven in Year 12, but boy, did I get that wrong. Anyways, I regained my motivation for it yesterday and got some clarity on what we’re doing which was great. Hopefully, I’m really productive this week for my subject because I am really behind and our SAC is in Week 4 which isn’t that far away and it’s really scaring me. We haven’t even gotten our feedback from our last SAC when they said they’d give it to us like three weeks ago. Like, how are we supposed to do the next  SAC, IF WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN FEEDBACK FOR OUR LAST SAC???!?!? The point is to improve with our previous feedback so that we can perform better, but apparently not.

Psychology  ;D
Ahh, my favourite subject right now and the easiest. I don’t need to spend as much time on it (unfortunately) because I’d love to just have one subject for Year 12: Psychology. Honestly, it’s so different to the other subjects and the content just clicks. I always feel confident going into class and answering questions relating to it, which is not the case for my other subjects. I need to finish the short-answer questions in Checkpoints so that I can do the AtarNotes Topic Tests and A+ Notes and other resources so that I’m super super confident with the content. Like, super. Psychology’s the only class where literally all our lessons are synchronous which I LOVE! It’s like being in the classroom and it doesn’t really seem different. It’s reminding me a lot of last year because the teacher we have now was the teacher I had last year.

Chemistry 
I haven’t done much for this subject, until yesterday where I was like ‘NO! Stop slacking off and do some Chemistry!’ Because I didn’t do any of the set work last week(yeah, really concerning, I know). However, I feel less stressed now because I’ve nearly finished all the extended response for SAC 2 (from Checkpoints) and the information’s coming back to me. I still need to do the other resources and clarify some questions with my teacher. Since my main goal this year is to UNDERSTAND the content, rather than just memorising it, I’ve really been aiming to understand stuff and whenever I try to, there’s always a limit, because when I research online or ask my teacher, they’re like ‘it’s way beyond the course, no need to know’ but I’m like ‘But, I really need to get this otherwise I won’t have a good understanding’ but that’s that and we can’t change it.

UCAT
Nearly forgot this lol even though it’s the thing I’ve been dedicating most of my time to. Okay, so progress has been made, albeit very little. I am officially doing timed for all sections, except QR which is being neglected. I started timed for Decision Making a few days ago and I was sort of happy with my results because I got more correct than I expected to. There’s this specific question type which is sabotaging my performance but I’ve been practising and I’m getting better. I hope. VR is good as always. SJ is mediocre. Like, sometimes I get really good results and sometimes really bad so… gotta work on that. AR is the bane of my existence! It’s so hard to do it timed and get 90% of them correct!!! Like, how? Yeah, I need to practise A LOT but I don’t see myself getting better so I really need to dedicate the next few days JUST on AR so I can really hone my skills. QR is going extremely bad, I’ve only done like 20 questions compared to the hundreds I’ve done for the other sections, so I need to start that tomorrow. Also, I have a more specific goal in mind: I’m aiming for a 3000+ for my UCAT score. I don’t know if I’ll achieve it but it’s there, so I’m going to try.

Extracurriculars
St John: We had a Zoom meeting today and we played games and it was great lol. And funny. I'm glad we're still doing St John during these uncertain times, despite it being very practical based. Next week, we'll be doing first aid so looking forward to that!
Leadership: It’s waaayyy more busy now (when we’re online) compared to when we were at school. Like, I have like 4 meetings every week just for this and it’s taking up a lot of my time. It’s okay though, I guess. I mean, it is a break from study and Netflix. Although, my phone is vibrating like every hour with updates/notices/information. I'll be stepping down from this position soon so that's going to be sad but I'll have more time to focus on VCE. I'll probably still come to the club meetings though.

Other stuff
- Our school signed all the VCE students up for EdUnlimited since we don’t have access to our library (duh) and I literally screamed with joy when I saw the email! I can’t wait to use all the resources because there’s so many and I’m bursting with excitement! You guys probably think I’m weird but it’s okay. Really though, I'm really grateful to the curriculum coordinators at our school for doing this.  :)
- I’ve been waking up at 8 which is a drastic change to the normal 6 am which is a big shame. I want to start waking up at 6, like a normal school day, so I get more done and I’ll also feel more tired when I go to sleep at night because lately, I’ve just been lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, tossing and turning, staring out the window, counting sheep, for like 1-2 hours, not able to fall asleep. I think it’s because I had a lot of sleep that day so I need to cut down on it and sleep how much I do on a normal school day
- I really need to start getting back into exercise, especially because I have so much time to go on walks now!
- I've been reading through my Journal posts and wow, have I changed! It's like I'm going back in time to 2 years ago and it's really interesting to see the Evolution of Evolio. This journal's really special to me and I'm so glad I made one!  ;D
- I've realised that I shouldn't stick to a strict schedule anymore. For example: my schedule (especially on weekends/holidays) was study in the mornings, then around lunchtime watch Netflix for 2-3 hours, study and then watch for 3-4 hours until I sleep. I'm realising now how much time I could be using for studying and how this could make a BIG difference. So, I'm trying out going to sleep later. Of course, I won't be sacrificing my sleep but I've figured I function better on like 7-8 hours of sleep for some reason.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on April 20, 2020, 08:52:06 pm
Hi Evolio!! ;D

Sounds like you have gotten through a lot of things recently! (I'm so proud of you :D)
Chemistry 
I haven’t done much for this subject, until yesterday where I was like ‘NO! Stop slacking off and do some Chemistry!

I don't think I've had ever spiritually related to something as much as this🤣.
It's so hard to start doing some Chem work but once you get the ball rolling, it turns out to be super fun.

Leadership: It’s waaayyy more busy now (when we’re online) compared to when we were at school. Like, I have like 4 meetings every week just for this and it’s taking up a lot of my time. It’s okay though, I guess. I mean, it is a break from study and Netflix. Although, my phone is vibrating like every hour with updates/notices/information. I'll be stepping down from this position soon so that's going to be sad but I'll have more time to focus on VCE. I'll probably still come to the club meetings though.
Woah this sounds super busy! What type of leadership things do you do Evolio?
So glad to see you are doing an amazing job and keep up that effort. (Let's get that sleep schedule back on track). These journey journals, I do agree are super special and will definitely be something to look forward to reading at the end of the journey. ;D

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 20, 2020, 09:16:27 pm
Hi Evolio!! ;D
Sounds like you have gotten through a lot of things recently! (I'm so proud of you :D)
I don't think I've had ever spiritually related to something as much as this🤣.
It's so hard to start doing some Chem work but once you get the ball rolling, it turns out to be super fun.
Woah this sounds super busy! What type of leadership things do you do Evolio?
So glad to see you are doing an amazing job and keep up that effort. (Let's get that sleep schedule back on track). These journey journals, I do agree are super special and will definitely be something to look forward to reading at the end of the journey. ;D
Awww, thanks Ashmi!  ;D YES, definitely! Especially when you haven't done Chemistry for so long but yes it's so fun when you get into the flow!

So, I'm one of the leaders for this club at school where we create projects and execute them to help the community (local, Australia or international!). I'm really glad I'm part of this club and we have so many members right now, it's crazy! But, it's so awesome to see so many people enthusiastic about helping the community!

Yes, if there was a way, I want to download and save this journal so I can read it when I'm super old!  ;D
Have a great week Ashmi and looking forward to an update on your Journal!  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on April 21, 2020, 09:33:40 am
Psychology  ;D
Ahh, my favourite subject right now and the easiest. I don’t need to spend as much time on it (unfortunately) because I’d love to just have one subject for Year 12: Psychology. Honestly, it’s so different to the other subjects and the content just clicks. I always feel confident going into class and answering questions relating to it, which is not the case for my other subjects. I need to finish the short-answer questions in Checkpoints so that I can do the AtarNotes Topic Tests and A+ Notes and other resources so that I’m super super confident with the content. Like, super. Psychology’s the only class where literally all our lessons are synchronous which I LOVE! It’s like being in the classroom and it doesn’t really seem different. It’s reminding me a lot of last year because the teacher we have now was the teacher I had last year.
Im so happy you're really enjoying psych!! Its good you've got a subject you like going into and learning about, it must be a good break from some of your other subjects. Psychology is just really nice because its not really intricate/uber difficult stuff to learn there's just a fair bit, same with Legal Studies

Chemistry 
I haven’t done much for this subject, until yesterday where I was like ‘NO! Stop slacking off and do some Chemistry!’ Because I didn’t do any of the set work last week(yeah, really concerning, I know).
Omg this is me with like all my subjects except English and Further  8)
But going online is a bit of an adjustment, its like we're suck in limbo between holiday mode and school mode haha

Other stuff
- Our school signed all the VCE students up for EdUnlimited since we don’t have access to our library (duh) and I literally screamed with joy when I saw the email! I can’t wait to use all the resources because there’s so many and I’m bursting with excitement! You guys probably think I’m weird but it’s okay. Really though, I'm really grateful to the curriculum coordinators at our school for doing this.  :)
OMG THAT'S SO EXCITING!! That's awesome that your school has done that tho!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 26, 2020, 11:36:20 am
I'm so happy you're really enjoying psych!! Its good you've got a subject you like going into and learning about, it must be a good break from some of your other subjects. Psychology is just really nice because its not really intricate/uber difficult stuff to learn there's just a fair bit, same with Legal Studies
Omg this is me with like all my subjects except English and Further  8)
But going online is a bit of an adjustment, its like we're suck in limbo between holiday mode and school mode haha
OMG THAT'S SO EXCITING!! That's awesome that your school has done that tho!
YES!! It is a big break from my other subjects because it's so eezy breezy compared to my other subjects that require much more thought and and mental strain haha. Although, around the time of SACs, it gets pretty crazy because I'm always so stressed about whether I can write fast enough to get everything down because boy, the amount of detail our teachers expect is crazy!!  Yes, I'm so thankful to my school! I really should utilise the resources and make it count, in this 'holiday period'. How are you going with online learning J_Rho?


I'm back! From the dark depths of my Literature essay I just finished! I'm so proud of myself and I can finally do my other subjects in peace without worrying about it. Although, I need to make a LOT of improvements which is a different story. Enough about me, how is everyone going? What have you guys been doing to keep yourselves entertained?

Psychology
Psychology's like a nice vacation I can go on after doing my other subjects. It always makes me feel relaxed for some reason, like I can go on answering questions about Atkinson-Shiffrin's Model of Learning, deep into the night if I had to. Ironically, it still gives me a bit of stress from time to time because I have high goals for this subject and I don't want to ruin this opportunity. We're moving away from Synchronous in this subject (sadly) because our school said to limit screen time. Oh also, some happy news! On Friday, we had a mini quiz and I got 100% which was a small but meaningful victory.

Literature
I feel way more motivated for this subject after finishing that essay and I can't wait to start improving! I'm ready to actually *TRY* and do well. When you delve deep into it and really explore all the different theories and ideas, it's really interesting and makes me want to write.

Specialist Mathematics
Hmmmm, yeah, I haven't done as much as I wanted to. I'm ahead of class but I'm not ahead in terms of SAC Preparation which I've really got to start crackin' on, despite not knowing when on earth the SAC will be. I'm appreciating how 'mathy' this subject gets and how different it is to Methods. Like, I feel so smart and accomplished when I solve a problem and it makes me want to do more questions.

Chemistry
Last but definitely not least. I haven't done satisfactory work for this subject for a long long time. A long time. But, this coming week, I'll dedicate more time to it. We did a quiz on Friday and I got 90% but I stuffed up on one of the questions and I still don't get it.

UCAT
Not much progress, unfortunately. I know I shouldn't compare but looking at everyone else's preparation is bogging me down and it's really getting to me. Like, I've done nothing in comparison. This is worth exactly the same as my ATAR so I've really got to work hard on this one. There's no going back, you know? This is my one chance. As I hear all the Youtubers' stories on their UCAT experiences, it's made me realise how hard it actually is. It's CRAZY HARD. I've also been thinking about how I should use my strengths to do well but I don't want to fall into the trap of neglecting my weaknesses.

Other Things
- I made a chocolate cake and it tasted scrumptious
- I stayed up until 12, for the first time in my life, to study. And golly, it was awesome.
- My birthday's in less than 2 weeks and I'm excited. 18?!?!? WHAT??!?!?
- I'm craving summer weather.
- I think my brother's taller than me.

That's all, folks!  8)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on April 26, 2020, 12:59:03 pm
Hey hey Evolio! ;D

IT'S ANOTHER JOURNAL UPDATE WOOOHOOOO

Congrats on the great Psych quiz score!! Super proud of you and you are doing such an amazing job ;D.

Literature
I feel way more motivated for this subject after finishing that essay and I can't wait to start improving! I'm ready to actually *TRY* and do well. When you delve deep into it and really explore all the different theories and ideas, it's really interesting and makes me want to write.
Can I just borrow your motivation for writing essays, please?? Starting an essay, let alone finishing one is a nightmare to me and I literally have no determination to write anything bigger than a paragraph.🤣

Other Things
- I made a chocolate cake and it tasted scrumptious
- I stayed up until 12, for the first time in my life, to study. And golly, it was awesome.
- My birthday's in less than 2 weeks and I'm excited. 18?!?!? WHAT??!?!?
- I'm craving summer weather.
- I think my brother's taller than me.
(I really want to try that chocolate cake you made now).
I am absolutely amazed that you can even stay up until 12, and even so still be able to study. I have no self-control and would have just procrastinated till I went to bed. (Ready to face the real world and become an adult Evolio?😂. I'm looking forward to hearing how your virtual birthday will go)

So glad to hear that you are doing so well and give yourself a pat on the back for doing such an amazing job!! ;D Looking forward to the next update in the future.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on April 26, 2020, 01:11:32 pm
Another update, yay!
I feel the same way you do about psych, but with food studies. It is such a nice break from the heavy content and strain of the other subjects, so i'm glad that you have found that in psych. Congrats on your great score too, it may be small but it is always a nice little boost of motivation.

I think one of the great things about remote learning is that you have more free time, enough to make a chocolate cake. Kind of unrelated but, chocolate cakes trumps vanilla every time for me!

It's crazy that becoming 18 has finally come around, I thought that it would never happen but here it is. With everything going on, it will be interesting to see how it will all play out this year. What are your birthday plans?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 26, 2020, 01:30:57 pm
Hey hey Evolio! ;D
IT'S ANOTHER JOURNAL UPDATE WOOOHOOOO
Congrats on the great Psych quiz score!! Super proud of you and you are doing such an amazing job ;D.
Hey Ashmi! YAY, ANOTHER REPLY FROM ASHMI!!!  😊
Thank you so much, Ashmi!

Quote
Can I just borrow your motivation for writing essays, please?? Starting an essay, let alone finishing one is a nightmare to me and I literally have no determination to write anything bigger than a paragraph.🤣
Haha, this motivation's a very new thing for me so let's hope it lasts! I still don't get how I was able to write an essay that quickly, like WHAT?!
SAME!!! I have a really hard time sitting down, and just forcing myself to type out an essay especially since I'm not an English kid.  😂
Quote
(I really want to try that chocolate cake you made now).
Haha, I wish I can share it lol. Imagine if I could shove the chocolate cake through the screen and it miraculously lands in your lap? 🤣
Quote
I am absolutely amazed that you can even stay up until 12, and even so still be able to study. I have no self-control and would have just procrastinated till I went to bed. (Ready to face the real world and become an adult Evolio?😂. I'm looking forward to hearing how your virtual birthday will go)
Haha, this was on a weekday (and it probably won't be a regular thing) and don't worry, I procrastinate WAY too much! It's a serious issue. I need to get checked. 😂 I actually thought everyone BUT me was studying late into the night, especially hearing a lot of people at my school saying they did it. So, I wanted to try it out. 😁
Nope, not ready at all. I still feel like a kid, I will probably still be a kid, knowing me. Like 18? What? That's in another realm. 😂

Another update, yay!
I feel the same way you do about psych, but with food studies. It is such a nice break from the heavy content and strain of the other subjects, so i'm glad that you have found that in psych. Congrats on your great score too, it may be small but it is always a nice little boost of motivation.
Yay! ANOTHER REPLY FROM GEOO! 😊 Yes, I'll be using the motivation to pummel through revision. Yeah, isn't it great that we have those subjects? Without Psych, I don't think I'd be able to survive, lol.

Quote
I think one of the great things about remote learning is that you have more free time, enough to make a chocolate cake. Kind of unrelated but, chocolate cakes trumps vanilla every time for me!
Yes, definitely! I only bake like 2-3 times a year and that's usually on the weekends but now I have so much time to do anything I want! 😆It's great. I AGREE! I used to like vanilla cake before chocolate but over the years, chocolate's now become my favourite!

Quote
It's crazy that becoming 18 has finally come around, I thought that it would never happen but here it is. With everything going on, it will be interesting to see how it will all play out this year. What are your birthday plans?
SO CRAZY! I just realised a few days ago and was like, 'wait this can't be happening? Not now?!' 😆 Oo, I don't have anything specific but it'll probably involve a full day of eating very delicious things and maybe buying a good book to read.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Coolgalbornin03Lo on April 26, 2020, 01:59:58 pm
What was that your first time staying up till twelve EVER. Or your first time studying till 12? Either way congrats! And wow 18 I can’t imagine! I’m still 16 :( and UCAT i know it’s so hard! And worth the same as my atar but I’m barely doing an hour a week😫
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 26, 2020, 03:06:09 pm
What was that your first time staying up till twelve EVER. Or your first time studying till 12? Either way congrats! And wow 18 I can’t imagine! I’m still 16 :( and UCAT i know it’s so hard! And worth the same as my atar but I’m barely doing an hour a week😫
Haha, both probably, assuming I'm at home. I'll probably only do it when I really need to finish something because that day, I really had to finish Specialist as I was falling behind and I felt so guilty.  😅
I feel so old lol! 😂
Yeah, same. It's okay. Hopefully, over time, it gets better. As we do more questions, we'll become more comfortable with it and hopefully from there, everything will be alright. 😀
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Chocolatemilkshake on April 26, 2020, 03:09:03 pm
Yes - an update from Evolio! Congrats on finishing the lit essay and 100% on the psych test!!! Looks like your subjects are all going pretty well  8) Also, 18 years old, wow. All the best in adult life  ;D

Haha, I wish I can share it lol. Imagine if I could shove the chocolate cake through the screen and it miraculously lands in your lap? 🤣

pLEAse! You should invent this so I can try some cause it sounds delicious!

Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on April 26, 2020, 03:15:23 pm
Yes - an update from Evolio! Congrats on finishing the lit essay and 100% on the psych test!!!
Aww, thank you, Chocolatemilkshake! 😊 Same to you though!
Quote
Looks like your subjects are all going pretty well  8)

Yeah, they're going okay at the moment. Hopefully it can stay that way and nothing goes wrong. 😂

Quote
Also, 18 years old, wow. All the best in adult life  ;D
Haha, thanks! I'll really need it because I know nothing about it and I'll need all the luck I can get!


Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 02, 2020, 11:45:46 am
Hey! What's up?  ;D Life's been pretty quiet right now, except for the looming lit sac I have on Wednesday.

Literature
Okay, I'm just going to get this out of the way. So...I got my mark back for my first ever lit sac (finally) and I got 37/40. Okay, I was initially relieved in the beginning but now I'm just downright depressed since a lot of people did really well and there were even a few students that got 40/40. Yeah, so that sucks. The SAC that's on Wednesday is a second chance, meaning it's still a part of our first SAC, but out of the one we had done first and the Wednesday one, they'll be taking the highest mark. My mark is decent but I don't want to slack off and not *TRY* so I'm going to try and achieve higher. I'm not really stressed for this SAC which is bad so I'm trying to make myself stressed and actually care about it. I have so much work to do for it though ahhhhh. Can't wait when it's over.

Psychology
Lol, this is the only subject that's going really well. I'm really up to date with everything and it just clicks. I just realised that the AOS 2 is going to be GIANT. It's on 5 chapters and for reference the first one was on 2. I feel like we've been on AOS for forever. Anyways, our teacher gave us extended response questions to do and I'm excited to see what I got for it! Also, I'm really sad they took out a whole chunk of Mental Health because that's my favourite topic.  :'(

Specialist Mathematics
Yep, bad. This is going horribly. I'm up to date with class work and everything but I'm not 'into it', if you get what I mean. Like, a few weeks ago, I was soooo into Spec and did so many questions but now, I've only done like 2 baby exercises in this whole week.  :( No extended response, at all.  >:( I'm so angry with myself. I need to take things seriously, especially because this is my hardest subject. I'm just spending time doing other subjects, when I should be spending more time on this one. Yeah, I have a lot of work to do. Apparently, the SAC's going to be in week 9 which is far away but I'm pretending it's like next week, so I can do more work for it.

Chemistry
Went downhill after I did the weekly quiz yesterday. 7/10 which is absolutely depressing.  :( Yeah, all my subjects aren't going well except for Psychology. I really need to stay consistent with Chemistry because I have high hopes for it. I haven't been doing any extended response. No nothing!

UCAT
Eh, it's going alright. Same old, same old. Just doing bucketloads of questions. I haven't done any mocks, S T I L L.  :(

Other things
- I've been very demotivated lately and I really hope I can get out of this pathetic slump soon. I just feel so slow and old and just taking things easy. I need to be hard on myself.
- I've only been drinking like half a cup of water a day because I keep forgetting to drink. Like, I don't think about drinking water?!? I have more important things to do and think about. I think that's why I feel so sluggish and dead.
- Still hurts to know I didn't do well last year.
- Yay! It's May! My favourite month!  ;D

See yas later and have a great week!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Chocolatemilkshake on May 02, 2020, 01:17:49 pm
Hi Evolio, Congrats on the lit mark! It's amazing (there's no way I could do that) and try not to compare too much to others. Good luck for the next one, you'll smash it  ;D

Specialist Mathematics
Yep, bad. This is going horribly. I'm up to date with class work and everything but I'm not 'into it', if you get what I mean. Like, a few weeks ago, I was soooo into Spec and did so many questions but now, I've only done like 2 baby exercises in this whole week.  :( No extended response, at all.  >:( I'm so angry with myself. I need to take things seriously, especially because this is my hardest subject. I'm just spending time doing other subjects, when I should be spending more time on this one. Yeah, I have a lot of work to do. Apparently, the SAC's going to be in week 9 which is far away but I'm pretending it's like next week, so I can do more work for it.
Oh I CAN relate! For me, spec gets neglected way too much for such a difficult subject and I find it so hard to motivate myself because everyone else in the class is so smart and ahead of the content already. So you are not alone! Try not to get too angry with yourself because it seems like you've put a tonne of work into this subject already, so it's okay too have a week where you prioritise other subjects. Good luck with it, you can do it  8)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: saraoc on May 07, 2020, 10:19:48 am
UCAT
Eh, it's going alright. Same old, same old. Just doing bucketloads of questions. I haven't done any mocks, S T I L L.  :(
I haven't done any mocks either and its just around the corner aghh!
How many questions you done?

- sara
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 07, 2020, 10:31:52 am
Hi Evolio, Congrats on the lit mark! It's amazing (there's no way I could do that) and try not to compare too much to others. Good luck for the next one, you'll smash it  ;D
Hey Chocolatemilkshake!
Aww, thank you so much!  ;D Yeah, I feel a bit better about my lit mark right now. You're right that I shouldn't compare myself to others but I can't resist especially because our sac marks are ranked. Hopefully, I can veer away from marks and focus more on improving myself which is way more important in the long run.
Quote
Oh I CAN relate! For me, spec gets neglected way too much for such a difficult subject and I find it so hard to motivate myself because everyone else in the class is so smart and ahead of the content already. So you are not alone! Try not to get too angry with yourself because it seems like you've put a tonne of work into this subject already, so it's okay too have a week where you prioritise other subjects. Good luck with it, you can do it  8)
I'm glad someone feels the same way and I'm not alone in this ! I feel so behind compared to everyone else because they're probably doing heaps of exam questions and other things, which I'm not doing. That's true about the prioritising but the thing is I haven't been doing sufficient work for this subject for like 3 weeks, I've just been doing the bare minimum. Thank you for your encouragement though!  ;D I'm planning to start tomorrow and get on top of my game to prepare for the upcoming SAC!

I haven't done any mocks either and its just around the corner aghh!
How many questions you done?
- sara
Hey sara!
I haven't completed many questions compared to other people but I'm trying to do a sufficient amount of questions every day so that things don't fall out of my brain lol and so that I maintain the time limits for each of the sections because that's a big issue I'm struggling with.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 09, 2020, 09:24:35 am
Hey. I just wanted to do an update.  :)
Lately, I really have not been feeling it. As soon as I go to sleep, I tell myself 'you're going to be so productive tomorrow. It's going to be a good study day'. But so far, that hasn't happened. As soon as I wake up, studying is so unappealing to me. So, throughout the day, I just sit at my desk doing random stuff, procrastinating, trying to avoid studying. In fact, I'm doing that right now, but I need to write this down so I'm aware of it. I think I'm using this *situation* as an excuse not to study, when I shouldn't. I should be more productive now, since I have so much time. I should be as productive as I was on the holidays. Right now, all I feel is emptiness, no emotion and numbness. I don't really care about anything right now. Nothing seems worth caring about. All the days are blurring into one, into nothingness. I don't feel awake and ready to learn any of my subjects, I just want to sit and do nothing, so I do. This has been going on for 2 weeks or so. No study. At all. Nothing. Zilch. Zero. I really hope I can get out of this slump soon. I don't know why it's making me like this. But, it hurts. It hurts so bad knowing that it's already halfway through the year and I'm not doing anything to achieve my goals. I'm going backwards, not forwards. Everything seems so bleak.
Anyways, that's basically my mind right now. I hope that writing this is a wake up call for me to go and do some work. To stay off AN, Gmail, Facebook and every other website that's distracting me.

Literature
Plot twist: I actually got 38/40. My heart was beating so fast when I heard this. I smiled so big and it was the greatest achievement ever. Literature is the subject that's most appealing to me now, probably because of that score. Our next SAC is creative which I'm super excited for. I've always been stronger at creative writing. We have like 4 weeks to write it so it's really chill and I'm just looking forward to going to class, without stressing about a SAC. I also need to read 'A Room of One's Own', which I thought would be boring but it's pretty interesting since it's sort of a stream of consciousness (well, my opinion anyway).

Psychology
Haven't done anything. I'm finding it really hard to memorise the areas of the brain that are responsible for the different types of LTM memories. It's not clicking. It's going very badly. I have my SAC in 19 days and it's a 10 marker. When we get back to school, we'll be doing the second part of the SAC. I need to start spamming 10 markers and asking my teacher to mark them but she's already given us 2 10-markers which is great. Oh, also I got my Research Methods- Stress 10-marker back and I got 5/10, which was absolutely devastating lol. I mean, it was my first one, and looking at her feedback, I can't believe I missed so many things. She said it was pleasing for a first attempt but I was like nope. Also, apparently the SAC average for the last SAC was 65% which I'm really surprised with, but that made me feel better because I thought everyone got in the 90s because it wasn't that hard. It was pretty easy, in my opinion. Just time-limited.  :-\

Chemistry
No work for this either.

Specialist
No work for this either. I haven't even gone through the quiz we did like 2 weeks ago. I've done the least work for this subject.

UCAT
I thought it was going good. But, it's going bad. Very bad. I did 2 mini-mocks recently (finally) and it was so bad. It was like I hadn't even done any preparation for it (when I had). I've really got to work hard if I want anything even in the 90s.  :-\

St John
We had a meeting this week and we looked at Patient Assessment which was basically revision. We've gone through it so many times but it was good to go over everything because it's really important. Also, we played this hospital simulation game thingy and it was super cool!! You needed to assess the patient in ICU and there was all this medical jargon which made it even more fascinating!  :D

Okay, that's it. I'm going to go now and read a book and hopefully get my study sanity back.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on May 09, 2020, 10:41:25 am
Lately, I really have not been feeling it. As soon as I go to sleep, I tell myself 'you're going to be so productive tomorrow. It's going to be a good study day'. But so far, that hasn't happened. As soon as I wake up, studying is so unappealing to me. So, throughout the day, I just sit at my desk doing random stuff, procrastinating, trying to avoid studying. In fact, I'm doing that right now, but I need to write this down so I'm aware of it. I think I'm using this *situation* as an excuse not to study, when I shouldn't. I should be more productive now, since I have so much time. I should be as productive as I was on the holidays. Right now, all I feel is emptiness, no emotion and numbness. I don't really care about anything right now. Nothing seems worth caring about.
Hey Evolio, I can totally relate to this! It's really hard to study and keep yourself accountable, so I too end up procrastinating. Then I look at the time and it's already 9pm and I haven't studied anything. It's okay, we can get through this :'(

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Plot twist: I actually got 38/40. My heart was beating so fast when I heard this. I smiled so big and it was the greatest achievement ever. Literature is the subject that's most appealing to me now, probably because of that score. Our next SAC is creative which I'm super excited for. I've always been stronger at creative writing.
I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! That is an AMAZING achievement! Please give me your English prowess, I'm currently struggling :(. My creative SAC is coming up too, which I'm not worried about since I absolutely love writing creatively. It's funny because I say I hate English but there are a lot of things that I do enjoy about it.

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I have my SAC in 19 days and it's a 10 marker. When we get back to school, we'll be doing the second part of the SAC. I need to start spamming 10 markers and asking my teacher to mark them but she's already given us 2 10-markers which is great. Oh, also I got my Research Methods- Stress 10-marker back and I got 5/10, which was absolutely devastating lol.
Hey Evolio, don't worry! I did so bad on my first 10 marker too. That's a great score to work with for your first 10-marker. They're very difficult to do well in, but once you figure out how it gets better, I promise. :)

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I thought it was going good. But, it's going bad. Very bad. I did 2 mini-mocks recently (finally) and it was so bad. It was like I hadn't even done any preparation for it (when I had). I've really got to work hard if I want anything even in the 90s.  :-\
What sucks about UCAT is that your results can vary so much no matter how much practice you do! Don't take it to heart and keep ploughing through. You can definitely do this!!! Mini-mocks don't really capture your skill, since they could be much harder than normal or you might have just had a bad day. Anyhow, don't give up and keep going!

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We had a meeting this week and we looked at Patient Assessment which was basically revision. We've gone through it so many times but it was good to go over everything because it's really important. Also, we played this hospital simulation game thingy and it was super cool!! You needed to assess the patient in ICU and there was all this medical jargon which made it even more fascinating!  :D
Woah, that's cool! We've been having St John meetings over zoom, and we looked at choking and communication when on duty. I'm glad St John is still continuing - it's really hard to do it when it's not face-to-face because first aid is very hands-on, and I can't wait to go back to normal. It's a great break from the stress of school, but it sucks that everything is online because I'm going to have to pull my eyes out by the end of this.

Have a great weekend!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 09, 2020, 10:59:14 am
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Hey Evolio, I can totally relate to this! It's really hard to study and keep yourself accountable, so I too end up procrastinating. Then I look at the time and it's already 9pm and I haven't studied anything. It's okay, we can get through this :'(
Yes, hopefully it gets better for both of us.  :'( It's just so frustrating because it's my last year and I want to do well, but I can't because of this problem.

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I AM SO PROUD OF YOU! That is an AMAZING achievement! Please give me your English prowess, I'm currently struggling :(. My creative SAC is coming up too, which I'm not worried about since I absolutely love writing creatively. It's funny because I say I hate English but there are a lot of things that I do enjoy about it.
Aww, thanks whys! Although, we were allowed to bring a double-sided page of notes so that's probably why I did well. Haha, if I didn't have those notes I would've bombed the sac so I don't think I'm that great at English unfortunately. YESS, creative writing is so fun! I've been thinking about writing a story for fun in my spare time. That's the same with Literature! I sometimes hate it and I sometimes love it, depending on whether I'm doing well or not (lol).

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Hey Evolio, don't worry! I did so bad on my first 10 marker too. That's a great score to work with for your first 10-marker. They're very difficult to do well in, but once you figure out how it gets better, I promise. :)
That makes me feel better, coming from you whys! Thanks for that!  :D

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What sucks about UCAT is that your results can vary so much no matter how much practice you do! Don't take it to heart and keep ploughing through. You can definitely do this!!! Mini-mocks don't really capture your skill, since they could be much harder than normal or you might have just had a bad day. Anyhow, don't give up and keep going!
Yeah, that's true. It's just there's like 68 days left until my UCAT, 2 months, and I feel like I'm not going at the pace I wanted to.  :'( Maintaining time and accuracy is really hard to do and I keep fluctuating with my strengths and weaknesses which is not ideal. Hopefully, I see some growth somewhere soon! Like, I used to be good at VR with time and accuracy and now I'm failing at it so hopefully that picks up soon. I saw your Journal update and it was really good that you did a full mock though! That's great!!  ;D

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Woah, that's cool! We've been having St John meetings over zoom, and we looked at choking and communication when on duty. I'm glad St John is still continuing - it's really hard to do it when it's not face-to-face because first aid is very hands-on, and I can't wait to go back to normal. It's a great break from the stress of school, but it sucks that everything is online because I'm going to have to pull my eyes out by the end of this.
Yeah, the simulation was super cool! I'm still in awe. Yeah, we've been having meetings over zoom as well!! Oo, cool. Yes, I do agree though about the high practicality of it. In the actual face-to-face meetings, we used to do at least one scenario every week where some people act as patients and the other people are first-aiders and we have to go through DRSABCD and treat them. Yeah, I also wish we were able to go on duties because I haven't been on that many and I need more experience.

Have a great weekend too whys!!  :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on May 30, 2020, 04:21:56 pm
Hey everyone!  Long time, no see. I think this is only the second time where I've disappeared for an extended period of time. To explain my uncalled for absence...I wasn't in a great position. I was demotivated, jaded and feeling very sad because of that. I wasn't putting any effort whatsoever into studying and it was disgusting. I really hate that feeling. Although, in these past couple of weeks, I've lifted myself up and I don't think I'll fall into that unproductivity spiral again.  8) Fingers crossed.
Anyways, how have you all been?

Literature 📜
Very chill right now. Our creative piece is due in 2 weeks and it's more of an assignment rather than an actual sac. BUT, that means, I have enough time to work on this creative and get it polished so that's good.  :D After we submit that, we have the second part of our SAC: which we're 'suprise surprise' allowed to bring notes for. Don't get me wrong: I love how we get to bring in notes to help write our commentary, but...it's not really preparing us for the final exam so that sucks a bunch.  I'm really lovin' 'A Room of One's Own' because I actually understand it lol. Basically, my thinking is that, whatever I understand, I'll find it interesting. Give me any boring topic: I'll be interested in it if I actually understand it.

Psychology 🎭
Excellent as always. I'm not feeling as confident as I was for my first SAC, but hopefully after some time, I'll feel better prepared. I mean, there are still 12 days left. We've finished all the Unit 3 content!! I've been doing some light reading on Unit 4, and I'm really excited for the Mental Health portion! Also, it feels like I'm in 1 2 Psychology again because I have that same teacher again. It's like I'm being transported back in time. I keep forgetting to ask my teacher but I want to go through my SAC with her because I want to see what unnecessary, irrelevant things I wrote so I'll keep that in mind for the next sac because really, I could've gotten 100% on that SAC if I had more time. But, I didn't. Literally, when I left that room after the SAC, I already knew all the marks I lost.

Specialist Mathematics 🧮
Ahhh, my long lost friend. I've rekindled my passion for Specialist over the last couple of weeks due to my SAC in 12 days. 😤. I've done a lot of preparation so far: by my standards anyway. WAY MORE, compared to Methods last year when I only did Checkpoints. I've nearly completed all the chapter reviews and I can actually do the questions! 😄 Which is nice to know, because ya know...it's SPEC! Although, whenever I'm studying for this subject, I always have this feeling leering in the back of mind about how no matter how much preparation I do: I'm still not going to be satisfied by my performance because of 2 reasons. 1. It's SPEC, for GOODNESS SAKE. 2. I don't know whether I'm actually understanding everything. BUT, I still have 12 days to prepare, so hopefully, I reach SPEC Enlightenment during that time, so I can smash that SAC! Also, Part B of this SAC's on the same day as Psychology and Part C of this SAC's on the same day as Literature. 😐

Chemistry 🧪
When we got back to school, we've just been doing BORING revision. In yesterday's lesson, the fact that we were just revising Electrolysis and Fuel cells, sucked the energy from my soul. AND IT WENT FOR 70 MINS?!! Like, why ? Anyways, we'll be starting the Practical Investigation this week! Yay! And our report's due in Week 11. Another chill sac, like Literature. So, basically, this 'SAC' is the least of my worries. Organic Chemistry is ehhhh. I hated it last year but I reckon it's alright right now because I actually know how to name compounds. 😌 BUT, the reactions are a bit difficult to understand.

UCAT 😫😭
I did a mock a few weeks ago and it was off the charts horrible. Today, I did another mock, and it was horrible. Just when I got back on track with my other subjects, this screws me over. I'll persevere, though. I have to. There's no coming back. I just need to work out how I'll do it on weekdays with all the school subjects chaos, and all will be well. 40 days left.

St John 🚑
This week, we looked at asthma and the meeting went for like 30 mins. To be honest with you, I like having meetings at home, because that way I can go to the meeting AND do my work rather than my dad having to drive me for a total of 1 hour and him having to wait to pick me up. Either way, I said I'd stop when I turned 18 BUT due to this new situation, I might continue.

School 🏙
Our school allows us to wear casual clothes from Term 2 so that's what I've been wearing, which is G R E A T, because those blazers were so heavy and uncomfortable and the tie was always choking me. Glad I don't have to put up with that again until later in the year. When I entered school for the first time on Tuesday, it felt like I'd never left. We've had 9 weeks of holidays essentially...which I've realised is the longest break I've had in like 13 years of schooling. 😱
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on May 30, 2020, 05:02:51 pm
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I wasn't in a great position. I was demotivated, jaded and feeling very sad because of that. I wasn't putting any effort whatsoever into studying and it was disgusting. I really hate that feeling. Although, in these past couple of weeks, I've lifted myself up and I don't think I'll fall into that unproductivity spiral again.

I know that feeling so well, and I can tell you you're not alone, not matter how cliche it sounds. Super happy that your feeling more productive again, and don't be so hard on yourself that you've ended up in that spiral, it happens to the best of us. Being the middle of the year, I think alot of people are feeling that productivity go down the drain, it's the equivalent of the Wednesday of the year!

Wearing casual clothing to school is the best! Even though it;s been a while since i've been to mainstream, I always loved how "fancy" and "professional" I looked in the blazers, but they were always so heavy and bulky.... Enjoy it whilst it lasts!

Looks like school and getting back to school is going pretty well, and I know you'll do fine in the UCAT! You have been doing so much prep throughout the year, that once the day arrives, you'll do great.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ArtyDreams on May 30, 2020, 06:03:25 pm
Hi Evolio! Awesome to see another update! And I'm super glad you're feeling motivated again!

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Ahhh, my long lost friend. I've rekindled my passion for Specialist over the last couple of weeks due to my SAC in 12 days. 😤. I've done a lot of preparation so far: by my standards anyway. WAY MORE, compared to Methods last year when I only did Checkpoints. I've nearly completed all the chapter reviews and I can actually do the questions! 😄 Which is nice to know, because ya know...it's SPEC! Although, whenever I'm studying for this subject, I always have this feeling leering in the back of mind about how no matter how much preparation I do: I'm still not going to be satisfied by my performance because of 2 reasons. 1. It's SPEC, for GOODNESS SAKE. 2. I don't know whether I'm actually understanding everything.

Ahhhhhh Spec. A subject that can be loved and hated at the same time. I'm glad you're feeling a bit more motivated for your SAC, I'm sure you'll do GREAT!! So I'm sending lots of good vibes. I'm in the middle of my SAC right now too, so I know the feeling!
Its so hard to know how well you're doing in spec. Honestly when I find it easy it doesn't feel right because I feel like its meant to be hard lol.

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When I entered school for the first time on Tuesday, it felt like I'd never left. We've had 9 weeks of holidays essentially...which I've realised is the longest break I've had in like 13 years of schooling. 😱

Totally agreed! Those weeks went by quite slowly, but when I went back to school it felt like it never happened. OMG I had the SAME realisation the other day!! Its crazy how much time we spend at school tbh, so in a way a break was nice? But I do feel like I wouldv've preffered it in another year, but oh well.

Hope you have a great week Evolio! And good luck for your upcoming SACs.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: J_Rho on May 30, 2020, 06:43:54 pm
Hey everyone!  Long time, no see. I think this is only the second time where I've disappeared for an extended period of time. To explain my uncalled for absence...I wasn't in a great position. I was demotivated, jaded and feeling very sad because of that. I wasn't putting any effort whatsoever into studying and it was disgusting. I really hate that feeling. Although, in these past couple of weeks, I've lifted myself up and I don't think I'll fall into that unproductivity spiral again.  8) Fingers crossed.
Anyways, how have you all been?
YAYYY an update! It's super-duper awesome you are feeling more motivated (my fingers are crossed for you)

School 🏙
Our school allows us to wear casual clothes from Term 2 so that's what I've been wearing, which is G R E A T, because those blazers were so heavy and uncomfortable and the tie was always choking me. Glad I don't have to put up with that again until later in the year. When I entered school for the first time on Tuesday, it felt like I'd never left. We've had 9 weeks of holidays essentially...which I've realised is the longest break I've had in like 13 years of schooling. 😱
OMG! Your school is letting you wear casual! That's so cool I love that for you! It is definitely crazy to think that that was the longest not-holiday holiday we've ever had during our schooling and I hadn't even thought of it like that😱
With reference to UCAT stuff, from what I've seen you've been really consistent and I'm sure it'll pay off
Good luck for your SACS (you don't need the luck tho you're gonna smash it!)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 17, 2020, 09:45:48 am
Thank you so much for your replies everyone!! 😊 Your support means so much!

I know that feeling so well, and I can tell you you're not alone, not matter how cliche it sounds. Super happy that your feeling more productive again, and don't be so hard on yourself that you've ended up in that spiral, it happens to the best of us. Being the middle of the year, I think alot of people are feeling that productivity go down the drain, it's the equivalent of the Wednesday of the year!

Wearing casual clothing to school is the best! Even though it;s been a while since i've been to mainstream, I always loved how "fancy" and "professional" I looked in the blazers, but they were always so heavy and bulky.... Enjoy it whilst it lasts!

Looks like school and getting back to school is going pretty well, and I know you'll do fine in the UCAT! You have been doing so much prep throughout the year, that once the day arrives, you'll do great.
Thank you Geoo! Yeah, it's the worst when we lose our motivation, isn't it? But we've just got to keep pushing and we'll get there in the end!

Yes, about the UCAT, well I have more time to focus on it now which is G R E A T, since all my sacs are done for the term and I won't be having any anytime soon! Fingers crossed I pull myself together and see some improvement soon! 🤞
I hope you have a great rest of the week!

Hi Evolio! Awesome to see another update! And I'm super glad you're feeling motivated again!

Ahhhhhh Spec. A subject that can be loved and hated at the same time. I'm glad you're feeling a bit more motivated for your SAC, I'm sure you'll do GREAT!! So I'm sending lots of good vibes. I'm in the middle of my SAC right now too, so I know the feeling!
Its so hard to know how well you're doing in spec. Honestly when I find it easy it doesn't feel right because I feel like its meant to be hard lol.

Totally agreed! Those weeks went by quite slowly, but when I went back to school it felt like it never happened. OMG I had the SAME realisation the other day!! Its crazy how much time we spend at school tbh, so in a way a break was nice? But I do feel like I wouldv've preffered it in another year, but oh well.

Hope you have a great week Evolio! And good luck for your upcoming SACs.
Thank you ArtyDreams!
Hope your Spec sac went well as well! Yeah, Spec is weird. I mean it's so painful to do but once you get the hang of it and do bucketloads of questions, I think it gets a bit easier, which is such a relief. Totally agree! Especially when I'm 100% sure I've got the correct answer but I check the solutions and it's wrong lol.

Yeah, that was a very looooong period that we were away from school, but I think it was refreshing in a sense.
Hope you have a great rest of the week ArtyDreams!

YAYYY an update! It's super-duper awesome you are feeling more motivated (my fingers are crossed for you)
OMG! Your school is letting you wear casual! That's so cool I love that for you! It is definitely crazy to think that that was the longest not-holiday holiday we've ever had during our schooling and I hadn't even thought of it like that😱
With reference to UCAT stuff, from what I've seen you've been really consistent and I'm sure it'll pay off
Good luck for your SACS (you don't need the luck tho you're gonna smash it!)
Thank you J_Rho! Yes, hopefully I don't fall into the unproductivity slump.

Yeah, casual's great!! It's so weird to travel to school in these clothes on public transport because it feels like we're adults sort of? Because we're not in school uniform, so they just assume we're adults. 😄

Yeah, it's very strange to think about, isn't it?
Haha, UCAT is the bane of my existence but hopefully I pull through and do okay in the real thing because if I mess up, it's going to get very ugly. 😬

Thank you J_Rho for your encouragement! Haha, I think I would've needed the luck for spec though because that sac was a monster!
Have a great rest of the week!

Ahh, time for an update! It’s been so busy with sacs and all, the last two weeks were pure agony!! 😣 BUT, I barely survived conquered them in the end so hopefully it paid off!

Literature
So, let me break this down for you, I wrote my creative piece in 1 day and I wrote my commentary in 1 day as well when it was supposed to take us 3 weeks to write. I really hope it's not too bad but judging by my teacher's feedback, my creative is okay so hopefully I get a decent mark. Basically, last week, I had Specialist and Psychology on the same day (30 mins apart) so I literally started on the Friday, the day after. BUT, that wasn't even my final draft, which I wrote on Saturday. We did the commentary in class yesterday and we were allowed notes. I wrote everything I wanted to but my expression definitely suffered so that's going to bring me down. 😥 I really need to work on that.

Specialist Mathematics
So, I had my first ever SPEC SAC last Thursday and it went terribly. To be completely honest, I thought I wouldn’t be able to do any of the questions because I’m not exactly at that level of Math Smartness to do Spec questions, added onto the fact that my school’s sacs are so hard...and weird (apparently). It was a modelling task and not questions you would expect to see on the exam, like some questions weren’t even math related but required you to use your common sense lol. Like, what? There was this giant 5 marker at the end, and I completely failed that. I ran out of time!! I didn’t have time to cry and yell and scream and collapse into an ocean of tears because I had to quickly rush to my Psychology SAC which was right after.

Anyways: all jokes aside, I don’t feel sad? Like, I should be crying and being very sad, but I sort of felt numb after it happened? since I’m pretty sure I failed. But, I did so much prep: the Atar Notes topic tests, all the extended response from the chapter reviews, checkpoints. But that still wasn’t enough. What’s it going to take for me to get a 41? Like, I hadn’t ever studied so hard for a sac anymore and this went badly. What do I do now? Yeah, I know I can’t give up, but it’s so scary because all that hard work went to waste. But then again, I shouldn’t be anticipating great results, when I just realised what went wrong last year. But then again, I DID try to UNDERSTAND rather than quickly finishing the questions and remembering the formulas. I DID spend much more time, desperate to achieve the impossible. But, it still wasn’t enough. People say it’s not the end of the world, but for me, it is. Like, IT REALLY IS. If I don’t get the study score I want, I’m afraid I’ll actually break. And that’s just who I am and I can’t change that.

Then, I had my last part of the SAC yesterday and it was so easy lol. I'm saying this now but when I get my marks back, it'll be terrible. Really though, it wasn't even application?!? They were questions you'd find in the exercises. And half the questions were multiple choice...I was able to check over the whole thing 2 times but I'm unsure of these 2 MCs so that was saddening but I'm over it now. BUT, I didn't make any silly mistakes so hurray for that!

I'm actually really starting to like Spec! I don't know if that's because my remaining brain cells are fried but like, it's actually fun?! Also, I did the 4 recent VCAA Exam 2s and they were better than expected! I mean, I didn't get everything right, but they were actually okay! I found the questions waaay better than methods exam 2 questions. Like, the questions are very straightforward and they ask you directly whereas in methods (in my opinion), they were much less straightforward and there was so much writing and deciphering required.

Psychology
Yeah, after Spec SAC Part 1 ,I rushed to Psychology and it was in the hall so I was late. Anyways, it went excellently. It was pretty chill to be honest. I have no regrets about it, as in I think I answered every question adequately which is a major plus because our teacher’s a very harsh marker and if you don’t add something, then you’re done for lol. ALSO, I didn’t run out of time!! That’s probably because of the fact that it was ONLY out of 27 marks and we had 5 mins of reading time. For some of the questions, we had to write a full on essay, and while I was answering the questions, I was like ‘Is this Literature or Psychology?!’. I’m aiming for 90% or above so fingers crossed I’ve achieved that! 

Chemistry
Haha, LOL. Is this even a subject? The only chemistry I’ve been doing is in class. We’re just working on our practical investigation and we're conducting the experiment in groups so it’s pretty fun as we’re literally just chatting the whole time as we wait for our experiment to blow up run it's course. We just need to submit a logbook each week but the real fun begins when we need to write our report, which won’t be that hard ( I don’t think) anyway although I will be annoying my teacher for feedback lol so I can get FULL marks!

UCAT
Yeah, this doesn’t exist so let’s move on, thanks.

Thoughts
Another edition of Evolio’s repetitive reflections about how horrendously last year went! Who’s excited? Feel free to ignore this if you get bored easily.

Methods
Studying for Specialist has made me realise how if I had studied how much I did for this spec sac, I actually would’ve gotten higher. I strongly believe that, however presumptuous that sounds. I know Methods is DONE, but it hurts so much knowing that I could have done way better. That 38 hurts so much that it makes me want to travel back in time to Year 11 or Year 9 even where I could have started studying for my VCE subjects. This may be a bit dramatic but that's what I'm feeling every. Single. Day. Call me crazy, but these are desperate times and this is how I roll. Spec is so much harder than Methods,sometimes I wonder why oh why did they make this a VCE subject? Like, it’s that hard. But then again: I shouldn’t give up just because it’s hard, ya know. That sucks so I need to keep fighting even though I know I may fail Spec.

Biology
Same. This could have gone way better. Biology was easier than Methods last year but I got a pretty similar score for methods.


Where was my mind at last year? Sometimes I wonder whether I have a small brain, because I feel so slow compared to EVERYONE else around me...they understand things much more easily.

Year 12
Year 12 being so stressful is an understatement. It’s like holding up the sky for the entire period, afraid that you’ll be crushed under the pressure, but you still need to hold it up to achieve what you want.

Not a smooth transition, but have a great rest of the week everyone! 😊
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Chocolatemilkshake on June 17, 2020, 02:37:37 pm
Hi Evolio,
A MASSIVE congratulations on finishing an entire spec application task (and smashing a literature creative and psych SAC in one week, that's incredible.) Was the spec SAC just two parts? It's funny how the second one was easier than the first (usually they do it the other way round? haha). Anyways, don't worry, I'm sure that you did better than you think, especially after all the hard work you put in! I hope you have some time to celebrate and relax this week before starting up the study again  ;D

Chemistry
Haha, LOL. Is this even a subject? The only chemistry I’ve been doing is in class. We’re just working on our practical investigation and we're conducting the experiment in groups so it’s pretty fun as we’re literally just chatting the whole time as we wait for our experiment to blow up run it's course. We just need to submit a logbook each week but the real fun begins when we need to write our report, which won’t be that hard ( I don’t think) anyway although I will be annoying my teacher for feedback lol so I can get FULL marks!
Nice. We are doing the chemistry poster in class at the moment too  :) What is your investigation on?

Spoiler
Also, it sucks knowing you didn't do as well as you could have last year but keep using it as motivation! The work you put in will definitely pay off at the end of the year 8) Plus you DEFINITELY do not have a small brain, believe me! You are incredibly talented, smart and hard-working!! You've got this (literally only a term and a bit to go!)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 17, 2020, 04:10:29 pm
Hi Evolio,
A MASSIVE congratulations on finishing an entire spec application task (and smashing a literature creative and psych SAC in one week, that's incredible.) Was the spec SAC just two parts? It's funny how the second one was easier than the first (usually they do it the other way round? haha). Anyways, don't worry, I'm sure that you did better than you think, especially after all the hard work you put in! I hope you have some time to celebrate and relax this week before starting up the study again  ;D
Nice. We are doing the chemistry poster in class at the moment too  :) What is your investigation on?

Spoiler
Also, it sucks knowing you didn't do as well as you could have last year but keep using it as motivation! The work you put in will definitely pay off at the end of the year 8) Plus you DEFINITELY do not have a small brain, believe me! You are incredibly talented, smart and hard-working!! You've got this (literally only a term and a bit to go!)

Hey Chocolatemilkshake! 😀
Thank you so much for your kind words!! Technically, the SAC was 3 parts so it was comprised of Part A, Part B and Part C. Part A was a modelling task and we were allowed to collaborate with others and take it home. Apparently, they'll be marking that with a rubric. We had one week to do it and it was due last week on Thursday, when we had to do Part B (the hard one). Yeah, I know right?! I was thinking the same thing. Like, easing into the hard one would've been better than giving us a heart attack and then giving us baby questions a week later, lol. Haha, yes!! I didn't do any work yesterday and watched a movie and today ( we have a day off), I've just been binge-watching a tv show on Netflix!

Cool! We're investigating how different amounts of current affects the electroplating process! Our teachers limited it so that we were only allowed to do our experiments on electrolysis, so as a result, literally the whole year level's investigating the same thing! 😂 What are you investigating for your practical?

Thank you for your encouragement! 😊I'll be sure to put in the hard yards and achieve the goals! Yes, as you said, there's still time so hopefully I get there in the end!!

Thank you for your reply Chocolatemilkshake and have a great rest of the week!!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Chocolatemilkshake on June 17, 2020, 04:29:16 pm
Ahh yes my specialist application task was similar although we weren't supposed to collaborate for the bit we could do at home.

Our teachers limited it so that we were only allowed to do our experiments on electrolysis, so as a result, literally the whole year level's investigating the whole thing! 😂 What are you investigating for your practical?

Thank you for your encouragement! 😊I'll be sure to put in the hard yards and achieve the goals! Yes, as you said, there's still time so hopefully I get there in the end!!
Funny...I'm ALSO investigating how different currents affects electroplating  ;D At our school we were allowed to pick any variable to change (so some people are doing temperature, distance between electrodes, concentration of electrolyte, etc). Haha I'm sure you'll do great... have an awesome week too!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 25, 2020, 07:59:53 pm
Hey everyone!  ;D Time for an update!

Psychology
Pretty great but I can see myself losing interest because of the content. Consciousness is alright but I’m really looking forward to the Mental Health part. Also, our teacher has given us so much homework, I am not even kidding! Like, so much!! But that’s alright, I’ll get it done. I’m still aiming for a 45+ study score for this subject. I think I have the potential to achieve it with the support I’m receiving but let’s see whether I actually achieve it.

Chemistry
Handed in my SAC 2 Practical Report today! Really glad that’s over because I can focus on the next sac now. Technically, I finished all the preparatory materials I wanted to complete, but I did that a long time ago, so I need to go back over those questions and do them again. Also, apparently, everyone in our cohort did BAD in SAC 1. Eeeek. I mean, we haven’t gotten them back yet but if the teachers say we didn’t do great, then you know we did horrible. Fingers crossed I got above average. My study score goal is still 45+.

Literature
I received my SAC 1B mark today and I got 38/40. My teacher said I was so close to the 39-40/40 range which was a bit disheartening but I’ll try harder for the next essay. The main feedback I’ve been getting is that my expression isn’t that great and the fact that I need to flesh out my ideas more. My goals for these holidays are improving in those weak areas. Also, we’re watching Othello in class and just annotating our plays so that’s really relaxing and fun. I’m still aiming for a 40 study score but right now, that has maybe increased to a 43 due to my decent marks, but then again, they’re not a true reflection of my lit ability and who knows maybe everyone got 100% on the sacs. 😶

Specialist Mathematics
Ever since I finished the last part of the sac, my fears of making extremely dumb mistakes are growing larger day by day...I really hope I did decent otherwise I can wave goodbye to the 40 study score. Anyways, I’m hoping to finish Differential Equations and Kinematics/Mechanics on the holidays so that I’m in a good position for my next (and last!) sac. Apparently the first SAC will just be on DEs so that’s going to be fun. I need to get my foundations down pat for these so that I can tackle those more difficult application questions. I was aiming for a 45+ study score in the beginning of the year but that’s dropped to a 40.

UCAT
These holidays + the 3 weeks after the holidays, I’ll just be doing UCAT. It is my sole focus until I actually do it. I think I am improving. I really hope I am because if I don’t get that 90+ percentile, that’s going to be really bad. On the first mock, I got 44 percentile, the second, I got 77 and the third one I did yesterday, I got 82. Yeah, it’s bad. I’m still a long way away from the 90s so I’ve really got to work extremely hard and achieve that score otherwise I’m doomed.

Verbal Reasoning:
- My weaknesses are sometimes not finishing on time, especially near the end, resulting in me frantically guessing the questions.
- I also misread/misinterpret/misunderstand information which results in me getting questions wrong.

Quantitative reasoning:
- LOL, I actually got 730 on the mock I did yesterday, even though I sort of gave up (not really, but I had the mindset I was going to fail this section) because my parents were talking downstairs at the time and my attention span is trash. So, it was my highest scoring section but that was lucky
- Timing is the main thing I need to work on + those insanely difficult, long stem questions since I don’t really get what they’re asking so I end up skipping them and not even attempting the question (because I don’t really get how to do them)
- I’ve been mixing untimed + timed and I’m praying that it’s working

Abstract Reasoning:
- In the 36-39/55 range, which isn’t good. This section’s sort of a hit or miss for me, because you either get the pattern or you don’t. BUT, the only way I’m going to do great in this section is if I get the pattern or at least a part of it every single time. I was actually getting good at this a while back but I stopped practising, because of SACs, so that ability declined.
- I need to read through the mega document of patterns (I made) daily so that they get ingrained in my brain
I’ve finished all the Medify questions for AR so I really need to do the official questions again because they look harder, in my opinion
- ALSO, can I just say, some of those patterns are impossible to figure out?! Like, you literally need to be a MENSA GENIUS to get those. Like, how?

Decision Making:
- Drawing conclusions (especially the ones with the graphs) + evaluating arguments + probability questions is where I lose the marks. (Logical puzzles are fun lol)
- I’ve been practising ‘drawing conclusions’ but I need to find a way to practise the probability and the graph questions individually as well
- I run out of time during the mini mocks, resulting in me guessing questions, when I shouldn’t have to, because this is the nicest section in terms of timing!!

Situational Judgement:
- Lol, I’m actually pretty good at this now. I used to get literally every question wrong but I’m actually getting like 60/69 questions right which is definitely a mood booster. Let’s keep this up!!

I think the main thing I suck at for all of these sections is misinterpreting, misreading, misunderstanding the question. To combat that, I'm trying to mediate every day because that helped me a few years ago when I was in a similar position.

My goals: 2880 which yields me a 92 percentile (according to last year’s) which is about 720 in each section.
That is my goal as of now. More ambitious goals are reaching a total score of 3000 as in my eyes, that’s a ‘safe’ score because I don’t know how the cohort will do this year.

In the end, I’ll be happy with a 93 percentile

So, right now, I’m aiming for a 93 percentile in the UCAT + a 99+ ATAR. They’re set in stone so let’s go and achieve them!!

ALSO, YAY, HOLIDAYS!!  ;D They've arrived quite quickly but I'm not complaining because no SACs. 😎 Although, next term is going to be really busy and I'm just hoping I don't die during that time.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on June 25, 2020, 10:04:36 pm
Hey Evolio!! ;D

I absolutely love reading your journal and this journal update is so detailed :D
Congrats for the amazing marks in Lit! Give yourself a pat on the back for the amount of effort you put in and I'm pretty positive that when the next sac comes around you will be smashing it ;). I'm so glad to hear that Psych is going so well too! (You know when the teachers say the cohort didn't do great something is up). I totally understand you and the silly mistakes in maths subjects (twinzies🤣) and I must say kinematics in Spesh sounds super fun!

Also, I love seeing your UCAT progress Evolio and your dedication for it is super inspiring🥺🥺. You can DEFINITELY get that 90+ and I absolutely have faith in you. YOU CAN DO IT!

Thanks for the update Evolio and have a relaxing holidays. :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 26, 2020, 07:18:10 am
Yay! A reply from Ashmi!!  ;D

Thank you so much Ashmi!
Haha, yeah, let's hope Psych keeps going well and doesn't spiral into chaos.
Yeah, I'm getting even more scared by the day about the chem sac, but it's okay, that's for future me to deal with.
Yeah, silly mistakes are the worst. Hopefully we find a way to combat them! Yes, kinematics is a nice break from all the other topics so looking forward to it.

Thank you for your encouragement!  ;D Let's put in that effort and achieve that score!

Have an amazing holidays too Ashmi!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: blueycan on June 26, 2020, 12:11:40 pm
woahh, congratulations on your lit marks!!
it's so interesting to see your UCAT prep, you ARE improving and that's reflected in how you can look back on what you need to improve on. I know you can smash it and get that 90+, so keep at it ~
enjoy your well deserved break, evolio ;D best of luck!!
 
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on June 26, 2020, 02:35:56 pm
Hey Jeyda!  ;D

Thank you so much!
I'm improving in UCAT so let's hope it stays that way, and I don't decline in my performance over these few weeks!  8) Just need to grind and hope it pays off in the end.

Have a fantastic holidays as well!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on July 29, 2020, 07:34:15 pm
Hello everyone!
It’s been a pretty long time since my last update. Can you believe I used to update this journal every day after coming home from school? This is going to be a long one, so sit back, relax and let’s dive right in.

UCAT
It’s been 2 days since I completed my UCAT and honestly I’m so over it. I’m ecstatic that I can just focus on my 4 beautiful subjects without that extra thing.
Deets about experience:
Spoiler
I did it on the Monday so I missed a lit period and my chem sac for this. My dad and I set off about 2 hours before my test appointment and we still had an hour and a half left when we arrived. We waited a bit and finally decided to enter the building. Going in, I was anxiously wondering whether they would have keyboards with the numpad, but it turned out that they had one and the facilities were much better than expected! I was shown to a tiny room and was told to start whenever I was ready. I don’t know why but I felt so happy in that moment that I smiled. The writing was horrendously stretched across the screen which was a bit of a shock but I quickly became used to it and started the test. I found VR to be alright in the beginning but after another candidate entered, all hell broke loose. It was super duper distracting because the supervisor entered like 5 timed in total and they were speaking quite loudly.  I lost my concentration and focus and my heart started beating dangerously fast. All hell broke loose. I ended up losing my calm state and completely botched the section. It was tragic. I was relieved for DM because it was a much more relaxing section for me personally. It went alright but some questions were straight up weird. QR was next and the questions were generally easy but I probably lost a lot of my marks due to silly mistakes. AR was alright but I left it with a sinking feeling, thinking I’d gotten below 800. After that, I was so scared that I’d failed and my brain just decided to give up. I was thinking about how I might’ve gotten really low due to my poor performance and how everything was a waste, and how all the work I’d done was wasted. I wasn’t really thinking straight in SJ so I’m surprised with the mark I got for the section.
On the drive home, I was super anxious and devastated. My whole mind and body closed up and I was frozen with shock. After my 3rd try, my results were finally available.
Results:
VR: 590 (yuck)
DM: 680
QR: 800
AR: 800
TOTAL: 2870
SJT: 659 (pretty proud of this, actually)

Deep down though, I sort of expected a score around this because I only started mindfully studying for 3-4 weeks. The preparation before that was mindless and I was just doing preparation for the mere sake of it.
According to last year’s percentiles, this would have given me a 92 percentile which I was aiming for BUT, I made a big mistake. I should’ve aimed higher. It didn’t occur to me that if I was to maximise my chances of getting into MonashMed, I had to achieve for the highest. I thought that if I get a 90 UCAT, then I’m definitely going to get an interview offer (provided my ATAR was decent).
After that, for the whole day, my emotions kept fluctuating between sorrow, disappointment, happiness, discomfort, anxiety and joy. All these questions swirled through my mind: what if the percentiles change so drastically that I end up with a super low score? What if I fail my ATAR? Have I just decimated any chances of getting into MonashMed? Why am I like this? Should I be happy or sad? Do I deserve to celebrate? What should I do now? Did I mess up again? DEFINITELY. I kept thinking how if I hadn’t gotten distracted, maybe, just maybe I could’ve gotten a 2900 which would have increased my percentile anyhow. I’m still thinking that.
I’m so grateful for my parents for being so supportive. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for them. I’ve just got to focus on maximising my ATAR and forgetting about this experience until the percentiles are released in mid-September. Future me can worry then. Present me needs to focus on the chem sac + ATAR.
After talking with my parents, I rewatched a really nice movie which really calmed me down and marched upstairs to study for my chem sac the next day. The chem sac went alright.

Anyways, I’m not sure if I’ve said this before but I’ve really got to STOP comparing myself to others. I’ve seen so many people achieve/aim for 3000+ scores and that was part of the reason why I started aiming for 3000 myself, because I thought my goals weren’t good enough (getting 2880). I didn’t always compare myself to others. It came about when I moved to my current school and after going on various forums online, where extremely high achievers were common. It made me think that I wasn’t good enough and that I was a ‘bad’ person for not getting good study scores or good sac marks. I need to drill into my mind that this is MY journey and everyone’s journey is different. I might fail, yes, but I might also succeed so I need to keep going, focusing on my line of sight rather than other people’s. I need to live my own life, rather than getting caught up in other people’s. I need to do this for myself because it is MY LIFE, for crying out loud. I need to be looking after myself.

Okay, onto my glorious VCE subjects. I haven’t put any effort whatsoever into any of my subjects lately since I’ve just been preparing for the UCAT. So, as you can imagine, they are real train-wrecks.

Specialist Mathematics
HAHAHA. You have no idea: I totes regret picking up this subject! I wished I had chosen Further instead. Anyways, I got my past sac mark back and I got a 78%. I got this when all I cared about was UCAT, but in class, as I inputted my scores into the calculator, and it churned out that abysmal score, I could feel my soul closing up and my face growing hot. That was very disappointing, Evolio. Very disappointing. So many silly mistakes. I ran out of time. I missed easy marks. Every dumb thing I could possibly do accumulated into this low score. Anyways, I’m over that, but I have my next sac in 12 days. ARGH! You know, I’m actually so angry because when students asked when our next sac was, teachers always said ‘oh, don’t worry. It’s like in week 8’. So, I became super relaxed after that. BUT THEN, they dumped a super soon sac date on us and left us crumbling to pieces. It is just one chapter, but it’s literally the hardest and most unfamiliar chapter in the entire course: Differential Equations. I hope 12 days is enough to prepare adequately for this sac. I also want to prepare in strict timed conditions because this sac’s going to be another of those ‘modelling sacs’ and I really suck at those and they don’t give us much time.

Psychology
I got my last sac back. 85. I lost 4 marks, only one more than the last one, but it was out of 27 so it dragged down my percentage quite a lot. I made so many dumb mistakes, as always, despite finishing comfortably on time. The average was 72, I think. My rank’s plummeted, for sure. Our school doesn’t give us our ranks but Psychology’s my only subject where we’re given the average, so I’m grateful for that. My next sac is in the same week as Specialist (what fun), 2 days later and I better ace that, otherwise my dreams of getting 45+ are crushed. Psychology’s probably the only subject that I still have high hopes for.

Chemistry
Yeah, the sac was ok. I have a feeling I failed it though, because I always do that. 🤦‍♀️We got our last sac back, after 10,000 years. It was so long ago that I didn’t care that I got an abysmal score. That, and also, everyone did bad so it’s fine. I didn’t answer questions properly and didn’t link back to the question and all that jazz (sweet memories of bio are racing back). Anyways, I HATE organic chemistry. Like, it’s so much memorisation and I hate that. Seeing all those reaction pathways for all the different molecules, makes me want to tear my hair out and scream with frustration. Anyways, I’m still aiming for the highest in this subject.

Literature
Ahh, apparently we’re getting our sacs back soon so joy. We’re just talking about all the different theories, and it’s turning my small brain mushy because I can’t understand anything that’s going on in class because of UCAT. I need to continue sending feedback to my tutor.

Uni preferences
I know what my first preference is but I’ve also become interested in possibly studying Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne University with a Chancellor’s Scholarship. Wow, slow down, Evolio, you know you need a 99.90 ATAR for that, right? AKA, you gotta be MENSA GENIUS smart?! Yeah, I know, dudes, but it’s a pretty sweet opportunity and I’m going to try my hardest. Like, if I don’t get into MonashMed (which is looking pretty likely), it’s a pretty good option to fall back on. Also, I’m thinking of going interstate if I get into unis there. Like, I don’t know how I’ll survive but that’s another option, however my mum’s hesitant so gotta convince her if things don’t work out.

This has gotten really long but I just had to get this down. Also, I found these memes I thought I'd share. The second one is literally me after every assessment before collapsing onto one of my friends. I hope everyone's staying safe! See yas.
Spoiler
(https://imgur.com/XEqsjQq.png)
(https://imgur.com/FqGId5U.png)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Coolgalbornin03Lo on July 29, 2020, 08:17:51 pm
Congrats on the great UCAT score, Evolio!!!!! I could only dream! And you did a Chem sac afterwards?!?!? I think you still have a good chance of getting an interview for monash med (judging from previous years interview offers based ATAR/UCAT scores on MSO) and definitely interstate just keep working at that atar!!!! And take a mini-rest to congratulate yourself on completing the test 😊😊😊
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on July 29, 2020, 08:48:13 pm
That's a great score, I'm mighty proud! ;D You did amazingly - I get it can be difficult not to compare, and I'm glad you're taking steps to minimise doing that. Also, nice SJT score. 8) Also, now that UCAT is over, you can chill out and take a break (I mean SACs are a thing, but you deserve a break!) As for now, there's nothing you can do about the past and you should definitely focus on what you can do for your future. And with psych (and any subject, really) it's okay to bludge a SAC, you can still do well! You didn't do bad either, and the SAC was only out of 27. I hate when SACs are out of a small number of marks, because each one counts so much more. I prefer SACs with 40 or 50 marks - so much better tbh. Now that UCAT is done, you've got so much more time on your hands! You'll be able to catch up, I believe in you.

Thanks for the cool update, and have a great rest of the week!
P.S. love the memes
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on July 29, 2020, 09:25:32 pm
Hey Evolio,

So awesome to see an update from you, I love reading your journal entries!
Congratulations on a wicked UCAT score! You worked so hard all throughout the year, doing practice question after practice question and all your hard work has paid off!  I'm super proud of you, and the best part is, is that you can say goodbye to the UCAT and take some time to chill.

I 100% feel you with chem! Last year I really like organic chem, but wow did I forget how much memorisation was involved! All I want to do is shove the textbook into my head, i'm struggling to remember it all! I'm sure you'll redeem yourself in Pysch, enjoy the rest of your week!
Spoiler
BTW, it's awesome that you're looking at other options like biomed. What pulled you towards it? I use to want to do biomed, but I didn't like how constrictive is was, and wanted a little more freedom in what I wanted to do, so I'm leaning more towards BSci.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on July 29, 2020, 09:50:01 pm
Congrats on the great UCAT score, Evolio!!!!! I could only dream! And you did a Chem sac afterwards?!?!? I think you still have a good chance of getting an interview for monash med (judging from previous years interview offers based ATAR/UCAT scores on MSO) and definitely interstate just keep working at that atar!!!! And take a mini-rest to congratulate yourself on completing the test 😊😊😊
Thank you, Elle !! 😊 If I can do it, you can do it! I believe in you!! Yeah, after the chem sac, the first thing I did was collapse onto the sofa haha and started binge-watching a tv show. I really do hope so.

That's a great score, I'm mighty proud! ;D You did amazingly - I get it can be difficult not to compare, and I'm glad you're taking steps to minimise doing that. Also, nice SJT score. 8) Also, now that UCAT is over, you can chill out and take a break (I mean SACs are a thing, but you deserve a break!) As for now, there's nothing you can do about the past and you should definitely focus on what you can do for your future. And with psych (and any subject, really) it's okay to bludge a SAC, you can still do well! You didn't do bad either, and the SAC was only out of 27. I hate when SACs are out of a small number of marks, because each one counts so much more. I prefer SACs with 40 or 50 marks - so much better tbh. Now that UCAT is done, you've got so much more time on your hands! You'll be able to catch up, I believe in you.

Thanks for the cool update, and have a great rest of the week!
P.S. love the memes
Thank you whys! 😊 Yeah, it really drags your whole score down which sucks. Yes, I feel so free!! As soon as I woke up, I was going to login to Medify and do ucat practice...until I realised I'M DONE!! I never have to do a UCAT question ever again (hopefully). Have a great rest of the week too whys!

Hey Evolio,

So awesome to see an update from you, I love reading your journal entries!
Congratulations on a wicked UCAT score! You worked so hard all throughout the year, doing practice question after practice question and all your hard work has paid off!  I'm super proud of you, and the best part is, is that you can say goodbye to the UCAT and take some time to chill.

I 100% feel you with chem! Last year I really like organic chem, but wow did I forget how much memorisation was involved! All I want to do is shove the textbook into my head, i'm struggling to remember it all! I'm sure you'll redeem yourself in Pysch, enjoy the rest of your week!
Spoiler
BTW, it's awesome that you're looking at other options like biomed. What pulled you towards it? I use to want to do biomed, but I didn't like how constrictive is was, and wanted a little more freedom in what I wanted to do, so I'm leaning more towards BSci.
Hey Geoo! Thank you! 😊 Yeah, I think my brain has reached its full capacity so it's struggling to fit all that organic chem. Hopefully, it becomes easier soon for the both of us.
I'm considering Biomed, particularly through the Chancellor's Scholarship pathway, because if I don't get into Med at Monash, I'll still be able to get into Medicine and stay in my home state, even though I'd start Med 2 years later. Also, with Chancellor's, it's guaranteed entry into post-grad med while if I just do Bachelor of Biomedicine with no Chancellor's, I've heard it's super duper competitive to get into post-grad med. Yeah, I guess I'm just considering it because it may lead me towards med, not so much because of the content. BUT, the degree does look pretty interesting by itself anyway.
Although, I can see how Biomed doesn't cover as many subjects as Science would. Are you thinking of doing Bachelor of Science at Melb Uni?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on July 30, 2020, 07:00:15 pm
Quote
Are you thinking of doing Bachelor of Science at Melb Uni?
I'm a little back and forth to be honest between UniMelb and Monash. I like how at monash I could choose more than one major or dable into to a minor, but at the same time I don't mind the breath system at Melb. So it's a tough one i'm still figuring out. I also haven't seen the campuses, so i'm going in a little blind on my choices and what I read online, but I should hopefully make a decision soon. I can totally see the appeal in the chancellor scholarship and I really hope you're able to get it! That would be such an epic opportunity! Staying in the home state too especially with med is a great idea as well, even if it is an extra two years, i'd rather be in Victoria too (although Uni of Tas does have nice views and hiking trails.....).
Best of luck :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: homeworkisapotato on August 02, 2020, 11:21:48 am
Hi Evolio, that's an amazing UCAT score! also love the second meme ahaha. I'm looking forward to reading more updates  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on August 14, 2020, 10:02:46 am
Hi Evolio, that's an amazing UCAT score! also love the second meme ahaha. I'm looking forward to reading more updates  ;D
Thank you!

Hey y’all! 
It’s been a wild ride ever since online school began, yet again and there’s so much uncertainty (still) surrounding VCE but I know we can get through this if we persevere, even though it’s easier said than done. Anyways, I don’t have sacs for quite some time, so I can finally relax and work at my own pace rather than spending my time aimlessly studying for sacs.

Psychology
I just completed my first online sac and it went surprisingly well enough. It was after school so the day went by really quickly and before I knew it, I was at my desk with my camera propped up, ready to begin the sac (my laptop and mic don’t work so I use my phone for synchronous classes). I’m trying not to think about it because it’s done and I can’t change my performance but random thoughts about what I missed and how many marks I’ve lost are creeping around. Our teacher marks extremely harshly as well, which is excellent as it encourages us to answer questions very well, but it’s very difficult to know how many marks you lost. I’m super excited for Mental Health though!! I don’t know why but I find mental disorders extremely interesting which sparked the thought of becoming a psychiatrist. However, they got taken off the study design. Very angry about that.  I’ve started reading ahead because I’m anxious to finish the entire course soon so that I can start smashing practice exams. We’re also working on our research sac which isn't that exciting.
I have really high expectations for this subject and if I actually focus and minimise silly mistakes, I might actually make it. I’m in a much better position compared to my other subjects, and so I’m really betting on this one to carry me.
Exam countdown: 89 days

Chemistry
I love biomolecules! My prior knowledge of biological concepts is really helping me here so biology’s proving to be useful for something. Our next sac is in less than 3 weeks and I’m scrambling to finish the content because I’m behind again. I’m really behind in chem while the whole class is so ahead and I don’t know how I’m going to catch up. I’m super grateful to my teacher though because she answers my questions super quickly and in a way that makes sense. I don’t really like how online classes are being run for this subject because we don’t have any synchronous classes at all. Our teacher makes videos, gives worksheets, quizzes and we’re expected to do them but that doesn't really vibe with me, as I prefer face-to-face real time learning.
Exam countdown: 100 days

Literature.
I got my lit mark back: 45/50 >> 90 %. Not too happy with that as many people achieved way higher scores. If I’m being completely honest, I don’t deserve this mark at all as I didn’t put much effort into this one and my expression was very poor. I literally wrote my creative piece in one day and I used very simplistic language + poor grammar in my commentary. Our next sac is in less than 3 weeks but not that worried since it's open book which I again, hate. I haven’t done much work for lit this year, despite having high hopes for it so I hope I can pull myself together and actually do work for this subject. I don’t know what I was doing for the whole year. Where did all the time ago? Like, I still can’t write an essay with just my brain in timed conditions.
Exam countdown: 95 days

Specialist Mathematics  :-\
WHY? Our SAC’s in Term 4 lol so a long way away but I’m so close to finishing the course! I literally have a chapter and a bit to do and I’ve finished the entire thing! So excited, but at the same time, very anxious because it’d be time to smash out some practice questions. Eh, my goals haven’t changed much for this subject and if I just target my weak areas, I might be able to pull through with a decent score! All I know is that I’m really going to have to work extremely hard to make up for my poor sac scores.
I brushed this aside in my last entry but my last sac score was extremely bad. I knew I hadn’t done well but I didn’t expect it to be that bad?!? 😰The work I did wasn’t enough. I ran out of time and made lots of silly mistakes. In the majority of my journal entries, it’s honestly always these small problems that bring me down. When I focus on one weakness, I neglect the others and so I suffer. It’s just bad mark after bad mark after another and nothing’s changing. I’m not improving and it’s just this endless cycle of work > complete sac with immense regret > feel sad > get mark and feel even more sad > try and improve > results in a bad mark yet again > tries again > fails > tries again > fails. It's Methods all over again.
Exam countdown: 97 days

Unis
Spoiler
So, I’ve registered for VTAC, SATAC and UAC so far and I’ve put down the preferences for Medicine in all the unis that offer it.

Other Stuff
I’ve also been walking at around 12 pm when it’s very sunny and it’s so beautiful outside with all the greenery and fresh air! I don’t have many synchronous classes either so it sort of feels like holidays for me.
Also, I really need to cut down on my netflix/youtube time so that I can spend more time on my subjects, especially with exams fast approaching. Like, I literally watch 4 hours a day and half the time, I’m not even enjoying it.  I can’t let my ATAR suffer as well as my UCAT and so I’m going to try as hard as I possibly can because judging by my scores so far, this year’s going terribly and not how I wanted it to at all. I had so many high expectations that are now dwindling down into failure and I know I keep saying this but I really hope I can pull through. I’ve also been binge-watching ATAR Reaction videos recently and I’ve been thinking about how I want to be feeling on the day of the ATAR. On that day, at 7 am, or whatever time I open them, I want to be able to believe that I did enough work this year to achieve the ATAR I want. When I see that number, I want it to reflect all the potential that I had shown throughout the year. On a more happy note, I think I might film one of those ATAR reaction videos for the lols. 😄

Random
I had a dream I met the whole VCE Journal gang in real life, lol and it was so vivid. 😂
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: homeworkisapotato on August 14, 2020, 10:44:31 am
Hey Evolio! It sucks that you're upset with your marks but your optimistic attitude to keep trying is very inspiring! It's great that you're taking time off to stop and smell the roses outside as I feel that many don't do it enough. Which AN users did you meet in your dream?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on August 14, 2020, 11:51:14 am
Hey Evolio! It sucks that you're upset with your marks but your optimistic attitude to keep trying is very inspiring! It's great that you're taking time off to stop and smell the roses outside as I feel that many don't do it enough. Which AN users did you meet in your dream?
Yes, it makes me so happy when it's bright and sunny outside! Unlike today where it's very grey and gloomy .  :'(
Haha, honestly it was such a blur. I remember seeing a big group of people with unfamiliar faces and the thought of seeing you guys but it was highly inaccurate since I don't really know what any of you look like in real life, lol.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ArtyDreams on August 14, 2020, 12:31:22 pm
Hi Evolio - it was awesome to see an update ~ I love reading them!

Quote
WHY? Our SAC’s in Term 4 lol so a long way away but I’m so close to finishing the course! I literally have a chapter and a bit to do and I’ve finished the entire thing! So excited, but at the same time, very anxious because it’d be time to smash out some practice questions.
I feel you! I'm actually so surprised that we've nearly finished spec (I only have the last chapter to go) and its so reliving! I'm so glad they took off probability ahaha. Spec is such a drainer and I totally feel your pain! Keep at it and I'm sure you'll reach your goals.

Quote
I’ve also been binge-watching ATAR Reaction videos recently and I’ve been thinking about how I want to be feeling on the day of the ATAR. On that day, at 7 am, or whatever time I open them, I want to be able to believe that I did enough work this year to achieve the ATAR I want. When I see that number, I want it to reflect all the potential that I had shown throughout the year. On a more happy note, I think I might film one of those ATAR reaction videos for the lols.
Yessssss by far some of my favourite videos to watch! hey can be so motivating  :D

Quote
I had a dream I met the whole VCE Journal gang in real life, lol and it was so vivid. 😂
I loveeeeeee this ah ha. AN journal gang is the BEST!!!  ;)

Thanks for the update Evolio and I hope you have an awesome weekend!

P.S. Why are exams SO SOON??
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 02, 2020, 03:41:16 pm
Arty
Hi Evolio - it was awesome to see an update ~ I love reading them!
I feel you! I'm actually so surprised that we've nearly finished spec (I only have the last chapter to go) and its so reliving! I'm so glad they took off probability ahaha. Spec is such a drainer and I totally feel your pain! Keep at it and I'm sure you'll reach your goals.
Yessssss by far some of my favourite videos to watch! hey can be so motivating  :D
I loveeeeeee this ah ha. AN journal gang is the BEST!!!  ;)

Thanks for the update Evolio and I hope you have an awesome weekend!

P.S. Why are exams SO SOON??
Hey Arty! Yes, it's such a relief to have finished spec! Can't wait to start doing practice exam questions!
Haha, as you can tell, I have really weird dreams and they're just getting weirder if I'm being honest.
I know right! Exams are coming up so much faster than I had imagined.  :-\ Time to get down to business

Hey everyone! Long time no see, hey. (I literally just finished my chem sac, lol)

Psychology
I’ve finally finished all the content! I can start pumping out practice exams now, which is a relief. I’m still planning how I’ll go about it because last year, with Biology, as soon as we finished our SACS, I literally just spammed practice questions like a crazy person, doing as much as I could. I thought I was reflecting deeply when correcting and reviewing answers, but that was obviously not true. I can’t make the same mistake again. I have a rough plan but I should draw up a timetable so I'm more organised and have a clear path, rather than randomly doing exams when I have the time.
GAME PLAN
- Read over notes for problem areas
- Understand the nuances + things I don’t understand (esp research methods)
- Begin early VCAA papers
- Don’t immediately correct the exam but rather leave it for later in the day or even the next day.
- Take your time correcting because this is THE most important part.
- Self-correct 10-markers. Then, send to my teacher for additional feedback.

Specialist Mathematics
I’ve finished all the content! We still have one more sac to go and that’s in Term 4 so it feels like eons away. I need to pull up my ranking this one to maximise my chances of getting a decent score. I’ve done a 2019 Heffernan exam and I got alright, surprisingly, but it took me ages to do, like an hour and a half when I should only be taking 40 mins. I need to be both time efficient + accurate.

Literature
We had our sac on Monday and it went alright but I hated how it dragged on for 3 hours. Also, I chucked in irrelevant ideas so I'm worrying about how it might bring down my mark. This is the subject that’s worrying me the most for exams because we’ve never had REAL sacs where we only use our brains, rather than our notes. In the real exam, we won’t have that luxury and so I’ve really got to start practising writing paragraphs (doesn’t even have to be full essays to start) with paper and pen. I’m in awe of people who write so beautifully and meaningfully in timed conditions, all while maintaining nice expression and ideas. And then there’s me who writes like a 5 year old, finishing 2 paragraphs tops in the time limit. Gotta practise that. Also, I’ve rekindled my passion for lit after writing the Othello essay. We’re back to Ariel now, which is fantastic, because I love closely analysing and some of the topics explored are really abstract and fascinating. My study score goal for this subject might have increased a bit due to my decent sac marks so let’s see where this goes. I’ve just got to work really hard.

Chemistry
My sac went alright. It was on Google Forms and it was giving me so much anxiety because if we didn't submit at the right time, our work would be LOST. Like, imagine getting a 0 for the sac just because you submitted a second later.  :o The joys of online sacs. This is the only subject that we haven’t finished content for which sucks because there’s still quite a bit to go. Plus, it’s the spectroscopy stuff as well which is soo boring and not as straightforward as the Food Chemistry unit. I’ll be starting practice exams though anyway because there’s not much time left.
GAME PLAN
- Finish the course
- On the 3/4 chem website, trawl through topics you have trouble with and attempt and correct those questions
- Ask teacher any questions you have
- Early VCAA papers
- Make mindmaps to link concepts together
Raw thoughts
My UCAT is at the most, about 86th percentile. When I realised that 2920 was the 90th percentile, I collapsed. That was the worst feeling in the world. I was well below that, not even a little bit, but like by 50 which didn’t help matters. I have a next to impossible chance of getting Monash Med and I’ve sort of accepted defeat even though I shouldn’t (plus, I’m being a hypocrite). That’s the golden career for me, while everything else I’m interested in has no career options or they don’t exist as careers. If I get Med, I’m set but that doesn’t seem like it’s happening. I’m still trying for my ATAR because there’s no point ignoring it and giving up but there are only about 230 spots and so many people are going for med and there are much better candidates than me. There are many people who have scored above 3000. There are many people who are on their way to getting >99.5 ATARs. There are many people who have a next to certain chance of getting in. The worst part is that I know I could have done better. My goals are all shattered. Outside, I’m still the person who’s saying ‘yes, I can do this. Never give up. Keep going. Keep trying.’ Inside, I’m a collapsed being who is being swallowed by intense regret, depression, emptiness. My chances are gone. Even if I go through Biomed, the chances of getting Graduate Medicine are even lower and I can’t really imagine myself passing the interview. And with that Biomed degree, the career options aren’t really something I’m interested in. It doesn’t seem as exhilarating as what I’d learn in Medicine. I feel so down and right now, I’m like a robot who’s mindlessly aiming for a 99+ ATAR, which doesn’t even seem possible right now. There are things that make me hopeful in achieving that, such as how I am a part of a strong cohort and especially with the sciences, I think I’m in a good place to achieve 45+ but then again, that’s just speculation and everything I hope for never comes true. I know you need to focus on things you can change rather than things you can’t but I feel so behind compared to everyone else who seems so ahead. I don’t want to end up going into a career that I don’t feel fulfilled by. I mean, this is the rest of my life we’re talking about. (Wow, I’m sweating and my heart’s beating fast as I’m writing this).
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on September 02, 2020, 04:34:58 pm
Hey Evolio!

I'm jumping in between uni meetings so I don't have long to write but I can see you beating yourself up because you're not confident you'll score in the top 0.5 % of the state in the VCE system and with your UCAT score you think you're around top 15%. VCE does this hyper-weird thing where it's easy to convince yourself that you're not enough and that you're doing poorly when the numbers are telling you you're doing far better than average. It's twisted. I know med is hyper-competitive and I know that these numbers do mean something for your goals and the options you have at the end of the year but there is nothing they say about you being unworthy or undeserving. I know it's a lot easier for me to write it out than it is for you to believe it but I promise you that these numbers aren't as big and important later on as they seem now. I don't know how many other options you have for med - interstate applications maybe? I'm sure there's threads on this somewhere and people more able to help you with that than me but one thing I really want to highlight here is this:

In continuing to push and try despite your doubts and the feelings of hopelessness you are showing incredible resilience. You know from psych about that being useful, and that's something no number can take away from you. You've got an amazing trait there, you've got a kind and generous heart that I see in how you help others and interact with them here, and you have determination and passion and belief. These things are important and valuable and they say so much more about you than these test results.

It's normal to feel these terrible emotions and to doubt everything but I don't doubt that you have strong potential for your future - however the rest of your VCE pans out. There are many roads to many destinations; I do not believe that year 12 was the most important year in my life or that it will be the most important year in yours.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us and thank you for the psych help I see you giving others. Good luck for your chem sac
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: David Miot on September 02, 2020, 04:35:37 pm
you take everything so serious. just do ur best and not be defined by a number. so sad society has become this
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: angrybiscuit on September 02, 2020, 05:20:17 pm
you take everything so serious. just do ur best and not be defined by a number. so sad society has become this
I think Evolio has every right to feel disappointed (though they shouldn't be because the score they achieved is amazing nonetheless :)). It is absolutely normal to be disappointed when we do not achieve as highly as one wants and we shouldn't judge that. But please, do not go commenting that they "take everything so serious," as disappointment is normal.




It is far from over, your goals are far from "shattered" and your chances are far from "gone." You have one thing that most people don't and it's that passion and I swear to you that thing will get you through. If it helps, the interview matters too and I know a number of people from Monash who got in with UCAT scores of mid 80s. I know it probably won't help to give you a comparison of some sort but I hope it gives you some peace of mind that it's not over.

Congrats on everything you've achieved thus far. Keep your chin up and keep going, keep remembering the goal that you have in mind and let that propel you forward rather than drag you back. :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: homeworkisapotato on September 02, 2020, 06:10:24 pm
Hey Evolio, I know it's hard to pull yourself back up again because I too understand that it's hard to believe the positive side "when it's all just speculation" but you seriously still have a chance! You still have your vce exams which can definitely pull your atar up! You can do this!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 02, 2020, 09:43:43 pm
Hey Bri!  :D

Thank you so much for taking the time to write this. It’s hard not to feel belittled when your goals seem so far out of reach. It’s just hard sometimes for these numerical scores not to determine my worthiness, especially since as you said, med schools want these crazy atars and crazy ucat scores, making me believe that if I don’t achieve them, then I’m sort of ‘not allowed’ to get in, or that ‘I’m not accepted’. But then again, the reason I believe they have these high expectations is because it’s super competitive and so many people are aiming for med. I’m considering moving interstate as well to maximise my chances.

I didn’t think of it that way, with resilience, but I see that it is important. I’m grateful that I’m facing hardship ( as weird as that sounds), because it’s making me a stronger person who’ll adapt to challenges later in life. Thank you for your kind words and for making me look at these feelings from a fresh perspective! I'll definitely keep that in mind. You've always been there for me from day one so thank you!

you take everything so serious. just do ur best and not be defined by a number. so sad society has become this
I need to take things seriously, because if I don't, then I won't get anywhere. When you're trying to achieve goals, you need to push yourself and be hard on yourself, otherwise you won't accomplish what you wanted to, especially if it's difficult to achieve them. Yes, ATARs don't define you, but the reason I'm aiming for a higher one is because I need it for the course to be competitive.

I think Evolio has every right to feel disappointed (though they shouldn't be because the score they achieved is amazing nonetheless :)). It is absolutely normal to be disappointed when we do not achieve as highly as one wants and we shouldn't judge that. But please, do not go commenting that they "take everything so serious," as disappointment is normal.

It is far from over, your goals are far from "shattered" and your chances are far from "gone." You have one thing that most people don't and it's that passion and I swear to you that thing will get you through. If it helps, the interview matters too and I know a number of people from Monash who got in with UCAT scores of mid 80s. I know it probably won't help to give you a comparison of some sort but I hope it gives you some peace of mind that it's not over.

Congrats on everything you've achieved thus far. Keep your chin up and keep going, keep remembering the goal that you have in mind and let that propel you forward rather than drag you back. :)
Thank you angrybiscuit!  ;D
I just need to keep ploughing on and trying even harder and hopefully I'll get there in the end. That's true, although the interview is another thing to worry about...No. I need to focus on my ATAR and I can worry about that later. I've just got to keep my eyes on the prize and keep going.
I hope you have a great week!

Hey Evolio, I know it's hard to pull yourself back up again because I too understand that it's hard to believe the positive side "when it's all just speculation" but you seriously still have a chance! You still have your vce exams which can definitely pull your atar up! You can do this!
Hey homeworkisapotato! Yeah, I've just to keep going and hopefully, I'll push through and get to the other side.  :D

Thank you so much for your support everyone!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ashmi on September 02, 2020, 10:24:27 pm
Hey hey Evolio!💕💫

Jumping on with what Bri MT, angrybiscuit and Potato have said above, you have already achieved so much already and I'm pretty sure each and every one of us is proud of you for the amount of resilience and dedication you have.

It is absolutely fine to feel disappointed at times and your feelings are 100% valid. You most certainly have a chance and even if it looks like the probabilities are stacking against you, the chance is still there. I understand [maybe not to the fullest extent] what you mean by everyone seems so far ahead, but just remind yourself that you are running your own marathon.
Spoiler
Now let me just remind you of the beautiful qualities you have:
✨Outgoing, energetic and a bubbly personality with such a strong passion when it comes to her goals
✨Always willing to help anyone out no matter what, even in times when you are super busy
✨"Bounces back" even in the toughest of times
✨One of AN's best cheerleaders when it comes to motivation and support
✨Very good patience
✨A one-of-a-kind beautiful soul that you cannot miss
✨Looks at the positives no matter how negative things get
✨Adapts quickly and take initiative to improve!
✨A strong heart that belongs to an amazing person
✨Has excellent food taste [Yes Carbonara I see you. Ashmi approved 💯]
Keep going sister and we are all here to support you every step of the way!

Also, loving the game plans! You are super organised and woohoo congrats that you have finished the content!!!! Big achievement alone and definitely worth celebrating. Thanks for the journal update Evolio and I'm looking forward to seeing some more from you in the future💕
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 02, 2020, 10:38:10 pm
Hey hey Ash!  ;D

Thank you so much!

So true though. I AM running my own race and I've really got to just focus on my own goals.

Aww, that spoiler honestly made me so happy! *virtual hug*

You're honestly my real life guardian angel. So grateful for your encouragement and positive vibes! 💕

😂, let's hope that I stick to those plans and not go on a rampage when doing questions.

Have a great week Ash!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Geoo on September 02, 2020, 10:53:30 pm
I'm a little late, but just like the other amazing posts, you have achieved so much throughout the year, and I am so proud of you for the strength, work ethic, resilience and kindness you have shown throughout your VCE journey. It's okay to go through the rocky emotions that come with disappointment, it's all apart of being human. I think the important thing to remember that this won't last forever, and there may still be a chance, you never know, but it's important not to give up hope. Out of all the things vce can put us through, it is certainly the number game. It's hard not to associate yourself with all of these numbers the year throws at as, and at the time it can feel as if it means everything or nothing at all. It's certainly hard to overcome, but you just have to remember you are as a person, and that shouldn't be defined by what you do or what numbers you get. Its still screws with my mind every once and a while!

I have absolutely no doubt that you'll get where you want to be, whether it takes the low road or the high road. Wishing you the best, and take a break if you need it. Taking a step back can go along way, especially when dealing with with uncertainty and disappointment. Your an amazing person and it has been amazing to always read an update from you! Here if you need :)
Take it easy and best of luck with the chem SAC!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 03, 2020, 08:00:29 am
Hey Geoo!

Thank you so much for your support!  :D Yeah, I've got to keep pushing and hopefully it works out in the end. I can't give up now when it's all ending very soon and it's so close to the finish line. The numbers game is tough and as you've said, it's hard not to get caught up in it but yeah, it's better to just do your maximal best and keep going with all your work.

Have a great week, Geoo!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on September 11, 2020, 03:55:06 pm
Time for another update

I feel like I always update after sacs but then again, it's much more relaxing to write after a sac rather than the night before one. Not much has happened but I still want to update this journal regularly.

Specialist Mathematics
I have a lesson with my tutor tomorrow and I'm really looking forward to it because I'm so lost about how to prepare for Specialist. I don't want Specialist to be another repeat of Methods and I really want to improve my timing and skills in time for exam. Over the past few days, I've been feeling really pessimistic about Spec (what's new, am I right?!), and it's a very dangerous mindset because there's not long to go and I can't be having breakdowns. What really irks me is silly mistakes as they always bring me DOWN, to the depths of the earth, and it's just humiliating. I have one more sac and I've really got to ace it.

Literature
I've written two analyses for 2 Ariel poems and surprisingly, it was much more fun than I thought it'd be! 😍 Let's keep this up! I have 9 more poems to write analyses for but in the meantime, I need to be refining my analyses continuously. For Section A, I'm really comfortable with post-colonial theory for Othello but not really feminist so I've got to brush up on that and make structured notes. I'm aiming to handwrite regularly (and timed!) as well as I do ALL of my lit work on my laptop which isn't great for the final exam. I still have one more sac to go but it's literally the repeat of sac 1 lol.

Chemistry
I've basically finished the content but there is A LOT to go over *ahem* organic reaction pathways and basically that whole AOS. I've started exam questions but they're proving to be really difficult and some of the questions are straight up weird. The company's known for difficult questions but my teacher recommended it. I have one more sac to go.

Psychology
OMG, all our sacs are being crammed into the span of 5 days!? Like, I had one just now and then we have one next week 🤦‍♀️. We're rushing through everything insanely fast and we literally finished the content yesterday. I don't know: maybe it's just me but I prefer to have a 2 week period after we've finished content (at least!) before we do the sac. Anyways, I'm just trying to do my best on the sacs and I'm really counting on the exam to boost me.

Miscellaneous
Ever since last Saturday, I've been using study with me videos, particularly Study Vibes' channel and OMG, it's helping me so much with being productive and it's making studying FUN. It's very comforting that I'm not alone in this and makes it feel like I'm not the only one studying, because I have a feeling, that's what makes me 'unproductive' and 'unmotivated' because I see no one else studying. It's been a real game changer for me and I've managed to get so much done, even the tasks that I loathed doing in the beginning, such as lit, but it became easier as time went by.  :) Studying is turning out to be more enjoyable which is making it easier to do all these exam preparations. Although, I still have fluctuations in motivation so that's a thing but this newfound comfort is helping me so much. I'm trying to balance everything but I still haven't started preparing for the GAT, interviews or even started any applications. So much to do but too little time...imagine if there wasn't lockdown, I'd be so tired and have literally no time to do anything!

Another magical thing. I forgot to mention this in the last update (I don't know how?! My brain must have died when I was writing the update), but I reconnected with a friend recently after 11 years and it was amazing! We were super duper close friends in prep. But then, she left to another country. BUT, just recently, she reached out to me via Facebook by sending me a friend request and we talked and talked and talked. It was such a wonderful surprise to see when I finally reset my password and I really hope we can meet again some day :))

Have a great weekend everyone 8)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: brothanathan on September 11, 2020, 04:20:22 pm
Time for another update

Daym, it's surreal that you got in touch with a friend you haven't spoken to for 11 years AND YEP the study vibe channel is insane. 12 hour super-revision days.. Oouf  :o

Hang in there Evolio, trying to find yourself while seeking the acceptance of others, is a dangerous feat. You don't need to seek validation from anyone else but you

Take care you legend, my PMs are always open for a vent or two  ;D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: homeworkisapotato on September 11, 2020, 09:31:24 pm
I have one more sac and I've really got to ace it.
You can do this fam!

I still have one more sac to go but it's literally the repeat of sac 1 lol.
All the best!!

I've started exam questions but they're proving to be really difficult and some of the questions are straight up weird. The company's known for difficult questions but my teacher recommended it. I have one more sac to go.
I hear you with questions being weird. They sometimes make me feel like stopping the exam ahaha but dw you've only got one sac left!

Anyways, I'm just trying to do my best on the sacs and I'm really counting on the exam to boost me.
What a great mindset! I wish I was more like you dude. Seriously.


It's so cool that you're in touch with a friend from eleven years ago! Sometimes life throws mud at you but times like these feel magical. It's great that you've find your key to motivation with the study vibe channel, I know you will definitely keep the amazing work up. All the best for your sacs, I'm sure you'll do great!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on October 03, 2020, 10:09:05 am
Daym, it's surreal that you got in touch with a friend you haven't spoken to for 11 years AND YEP the study vibe channel is insane. 12 hour super-revision days.. Oouf  :o
Hang in there Evolio, trying to find yourself while seeking the acceptance of others, is a dangerous feat. You don't need to seek validation from anyone else but you
Take care you legend, my PMs are always open for a vent or two  ;D
Hey brothanathan!
Yeah, it's pretty cool, isn't it? Definitely one of the highlights of this year. Haha, study vibes' is amazing, I'm so glad I found it because now I have a virtual study buddy instead of studying alone, which definitely made studying super hard.
That's so true.
Thank you. Take care too and all the best for Year 12 and exams!

You can do this fam!
All the best!!
I hear you with questions being weird. They sometimes make me feel like stopping the exam ahaha but dw you've only got one sac left!
What a great mindset! I wish I was more like you dude. Seriously.
It's so cool that you're in touch with a friend from eleven years ago! Sometimes life throws mud at you but times like these feel magical. It's great that you've find your key to motivation with the study vibe channel, I know you will definitely keep the amazing work up. All the best for your sacs, I'm sure you'll do great!
Hey homeworkisapotato! Yes! Can't wait to finish all my sacs and then I can just focus on exam revision! But then again, my sacs aren't until a bit later so I can afford to ignore them for a while haha.
Thank you for your kind words and good luck with your bio exam revision!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: homeworkisapotato on October 03, 2020, 08:02:45 pm
Quote
Can't wait to finish all my sacs and then I can just focus on exam revision!
There's nothing that feels better than having all your sacs lifted off your shoulder ahahaha

Quote
good luck with your bio exam revision!
Thank you so much <3 It means the world
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 23, 2020, 07:58:38 pm
Omg, I’ve been gone for sooo long, you guys must have thought I journeyed to a foreign land and had never come back. Anyways, I’m back!  8)

Honestly, I’m feeling exactly how I thought I’d be feeling at this time: numb. I feel like I’m a very emotionless person and I don’t really feel the immense relief that many people feel after their exams. After my Psychology exam, I felt numb and I didn’t even feel stressed for any of my exams. I don’t know whether this is a gift or something to be worried about. Does it mean I ‘don’t care’ or is it because I’m ‘confident’ (whatever that means). I mean, I definitely feel unburdened and free like a bird but at the same time, I’m just like whatever. Maybe it’s because I’m so tired, I can’t feel anything or it’s the fact that I haven’t put as much effort into this year.

I don’t feel it now but there are moments when my heart starts racing super fast whenever I think about that day: 30th December. I know I should enjoy my life right now (13 years of schooling are done, for goodness sake! You should definitely celebrate that!) but I can’t help thinking about my ATAR. I’m 99.99% sure I won’t get a 99 ATAR and I don’t even know if I’ll get a 98 ATAR. Heck, I’m not even sure if I’ll get a 95 ATAR. I don’t think I put in the amount of effort that constitutes a 98 ATAR. All in all, that day’s going to be the scariest day of my entire life and I’ve had a lot of stressful stuff happen in my life. It all went downhill after lockdown started. Some of my teachers are like ‘whatever happens, we’ll be proud of you. You've had a tough year and you've endured so much' and I agree with them but not to a full extent. I don’t want to be like ‘yeah, this year was hard and so whatever ATAR I get, you did the best you could etc. It doesn't matter if I get a bad ATAR'. Because, I'm still going to be sad in the end and feel that I haven't worked hard. Like, although they endured a lot, there are going to be people who achieve really good scores for their subjects for instance. A lot of people I know say that they're expecting a sub 30 study score and end up with 45+ study scores but I don't think that's going to happen to me as I genuinely feel that I didn't put enough effort. However, thinking like this isn’t going to change the disappointment I feel when I receive that abysmal ATAR. But then again, I can’t really change that, can I? Oh, how I wish I could invent a time machine and travel back in time to the end of Year 10 and just do it all over again. That’s literally my biggest desire right now. This immense regret I have; some of you might think I’m being dramatic but I don’t think anything in my entire life will be worse than this.

Study score predictions (*cue deflated sigh*):

Literature: 39
Okay, all my sac scores were in the 90s but everyone’s (in the cohort) scores were probs in the 90s as our cohort’s so strong lol. So, my sac scores are probably going to scale down. Also, we were allowed notes for all our sacs and we never had a real sac :( I did minimal work for this subject throughout the year as I was only doing work whenever we had sacs; I wasn’t consistent. And I was reading critical articles like crazy in the month before my exam, making mindmaps when I should have been doing that throughout the year!! I’m honestly so surprised that I managed to nearly finish the answer booklet. I thought I wouldn’t be able to write two full essays, but I did and I’m happy about that.

Specialist Maths: 36
My sac scores aren’t that great (what a surprise) + I probably made a lot of silly mistakes. Exam 1 was disgusting with all that ugly algebra but exam 2 was much better. Although, I probably made very dumb mistakes so yay. Failure, here I come…

Psychology: 40
This exam was the hardest I had ever done. I found the MC much better than 2019. But, short-answer, wHaT? I actually died during that exam. My teacher talked to me afterwards (on the day of the lit exam, lol) and she was super sweet, asking me how I found it and how she wanted to check how I was doing. She agreed that it was hard which made me feel a tiny bit better after that horror, especially considering the fact that she’s been teaching Psychology for so long + she’s a VCAA assessor. Psychology is not easy. I didn’t even write enough for the last question. I was so pushed for time!! An issue I never had in my timed practice exams. This was the only exam I was genuinely ‘heart beating like a jackhammer’ nervous for and I still didn’t do as I wanted to (although let’s be honest, that didn’t happen for any of my exams).

Chemistry: 38
My sac scores are gross. My cohort’s extremely competitive but I really don’t know if sac scaling’s enough tbh. The exam was alright. It was a bit rushed in the end and I was writing as if my life depended on it, because let’s be honest, it does. Almost everyone I know hates Chemistry but I actually really enjoyed it and I loved the subject!

Well, I’m officially DONE with school. School was (wow, I can actually say that now) literally what defined me as a person. I didn’t have anything else and it was probably the most important thing to me. Now that it’s done, I feel empty. Like, a hollow shell. It’s as if I’m stepping into someone else’s life. Like, I’m actually going to be a uni student next year?!? UMMM, what? Anyways, I have a big list of all that I want to do:
Fun things
BINGE-WATCH ALL THE TV SHOWS I COULDN’T DURING EXAM REVISION. This is probably going to take up the bulk of my time. I’m literally addicted to tv and I don’t think that’s going away
- Skincare stuff
- Go on lots of walks. Maybe jog?
- GET FIT AGAIN. (I was actually in a really good shape pre-year 12 and I was really strong! But now, I’m a literal blob. Let’s change that)
- Look for a job
- DRIVING. (I haven’t even taken that computerised driving test thingy. I know, I’m terrible)
- Cook my fav dishes
- Try painting maybe?
- Learn new stuff

Also, I’m 99% sure I’m not getting into Med at Monash. I’m not being pessimistic, I’m being realistic. No, I’m not giving up! I’m still going to do interview preparation but I’m probably going to do Biomed at Melb/Monash or something and go from there. Hopefully at that time, I won't make the same mistakes and start early! Previously, I would have thought this was the end of the world, not getting into med. But honestly, it doesn't really spark any feelings of sadness, catalysing waterfalls of tears and disappointment. I feel normal. I’m still going to try my best to get in though! After all, there’s no harm in giving it your best shot!!

All the best to the Year 12s who haven’t finished their exams yet! Go and smash them! To the year 11s venturing into Year 12 next year: I wish you the best of luck.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: homeworkisapotato on November 23, 2020, 08:07:13 pm
Congratulations Evolio I'm so proud of youuuuuu <3 You're so inspiring and hardworking, I'm so happy for you for finishing the huge journey. Your list of things to do sounds great and I hope you have the relaxing holiday you deserve.So proud of you for having a positive mindset, it's going to take you places! Are you planning on having a uni journey journal?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: tiredandstressed on November 23, 2020, 09:12:51 pm
Feel free to PM me any questions you may have about Biomed @ UoM I just finished my second year :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on November 23, 2020, 09:41:26 pm
Congrats for finishing!!

After my english and bio exams I felt exactly as you did. I kind of didn’t care after those 2 and I was sort of just like ehh whatever, I can’t be stuffed. Most of my friends felt like that too, and I think it’s pretty normal (maybe an early sign of burnout or something???). Anyways, I’m so proud of you for successfully getting through!!! It’s time to relax. I relate so hard to the rest of your journal entry like not meeting expectations and feeling stressed for ATAR release, but all we can do is wait. And while we wait, we might as well have lots of fun and for at least a month, forget about all things VCE.

P.S. can definitely relate to being a complete blob!

Have a great break!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: blueycan on November 24, 2020, 03:20:14 pm
Congratulations on finishing Evolio!! Proud of you!
Enjoy your loooong break (:
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: angrybiscuit on November 24, 2020, 04:31:06 pm
Congrats Evolio :)

I relate with psych. Pretty sure there was steam coming out of my pen as I race to finish. What a lonngg exam with questions that needed loongg answers.

You might have disappointments now, but it will heal with time. Don't let this be a hiccup to your success. Getting through this year with the work and effort you put throughout is an achievement in itself. Super proud of you!!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: ArtyDreams on November 24, 2020, 04:49:32 pm
Congrats on finishing your exams Evolio!! It is definitely a big accomplishment. I've enjoyed your journal posts this year!!  :)

Enjoy your break! (And try not to worry about your exams too much. (Easy to say, harder to do though. I really feel you) This break only comes once in a lifetime, and I thinks its best to enjoy it!!)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on November 29, 2020, 09:36:10 pm
Congratulations Evolio I'm so proud of youuuuuu <3 You're so inspiring and hardworking, I'm so happy for you for finishing the huge journey. Your list of things to do sounds great and I hope you have the relaxing holiday you deserve.So proud of you for having a positive mindset, it's going to take you places! Are you planning on having a uni journey journal?
Aww, thank you so much! Yess, it's much more relaxing now but at the same time, I think I'm getting bored haha. I've got to find more things to do. Hmm, about the journal, I might have one. I think it'd be cool to have a sequel to this VCE Journal!  :D

Feel free to PM me any questions you may have about Biomed @ UoM I just finished my second year :)
Cool, thank you so much!  :D


Congrats for finishing!!

After my english and bio exams I felt exactly as you did. I kind of didn’t care after those 2 and I was sort of just like ehh whatever, I can’t be stuffed. Most of my friends felt like that too, and I think it’s pretty normal (maybe an early sign of burnout or something???). Anyways, I’m so proud of you for successfully getting through!!! It’s time to relax. I relate so hard to the rest of your journal entry like not meeting expectations and feeling stressed for ATAR release, but all we can do is wait. And while we wait, we might as well have lots of fun and for at least a month, forget about all things VCE.

P.S. can definitely relate to being a complete blob!

Have a great break!
Thank you so much!! Yeah, that makes sense. It was just a bit terrifying that I was feeling like that: I mean, it's my exams!! I shouldn't be feeling relaxed! But oh well, it's done and dusted and it's in the past. Glad I'm not the only one though! It felt wrong to be feeling like that (for some reason). Yess, I'm trying to forget about all the stuff that's making me cry and trying to focus on the stuff that will make me happy (for now, anyway).

Congratulations on finishing Evolio!! Proud of you!
Enjoy your loooong break (:
Thank you, Jeyda!!  ;D Great job on finishing your HHD exam and enjoy your break too! All the best for next year!

Congrats Evolio :)

I relate with psych. Pretty sure there was steam coming out of my pen as I race to finish. What a lonngg exam with questions that needed loongg answers.

You might have disappointments now, but it will heal with time. Don't let this be a hiccup to your success. Getting through this year with the work and effort you put throughout is an achievement in itself. Super proud of you!!
Thank you! Yeahh, the psych exam was a weird one. I'm just glad it's done! Yeah, I'm sure it will. It's just: so many regrets! Argh! Thank you for your kind words though!  :D

Congrats on finishing your exams Evolio!! It is definitely a big accomplishment. I've enjoyed your journal posts this year!!  :)

Enjoy your break! (And try not to worry about your exams too much. (Easy to say, harder to do though. I really feel you) This break only comes once in a lifetime, and I thinks its best to enjoy it!!)
Thank you!! Yeah, I'm not really thinking about exams anymore which is good I guess but sometimes, a random thought pops into my head about a random question on the exam haha. I never thought about it like that, it being our last break. That's true, we may as well enjoy it and deal with the other stuff later.

Thank you for all your support everyone. 💚
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Joseph41 on November 30, 2020, 04:47:34 pm
Fantastic work, Evolio. 👍
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 14, 2021, 01:57:05 pm
Thank you Joseph41!

Hey everyone. Long time no see. I wanted to post both my results + offers in the one update. This is going to be a short one.

I want to talk about my results first.

Results
I’m just going to get straight into it. I’m really disappointed with my results and I just feel terrible. I think I should have gotten a lower ATAR. I deserve a lower one.

Chemistry: 37
Literature: 37
Specialist:33
Psychology: 50.
Biology: 41 (last year)
Methods: 38 (last year)
ATAR: 98.10

My results are all over the place. I can’t believe I only got two subjects above 40. One of them was barely over and the other was way over. There’s not much else to say here so I’m going to leave it at that. I’m only happy with my Psychology study score. I thought that there was no way I would get that. The first reason being I got soo low for two of my sacs (but to be fair it was out of like 15 marks). The second reason being I wasn’t rank 1 (yeah, I know you can still get a 50 without being rank 1 but that just destroyed any confidence I had when I saw that). I really should have listened to my teacher when she said “don’t worry about your rank” huh. Also, rank 1 ended up getting 47 so I duxed the subject which was nice. To be honest, it IS a bit disconcerting how I did so differently to my other subjects. Specialist is truly upsetting. I didn’t think I did that bad. Same with Chemistry.

Interviews
Also, I did end up getting a Monash interview offer since I had SEAS + Monash Guarantee.

Uni Offers
I didn’t get into Monash Med but I feel that I don't deserve it anyway. I didn't put my heart into ucat, atar and maybe even interview prep. This is not how I imagined it would go but this is what happened and I've got to accept it and move on. I keep thinking that this is a terrible nightmare and that I'm going to wake up and feel that everything's going to be alright. I'm upset, angry and annoyed at myself to say the least. It's really difficult to explain what I'm feeling. I got into Monash Biomed and I’m thinking of going there but now I’m rethinking it all.

This is probably going to be the last entry to my journal. I realise how blunt this update is but I just wanted to get this down.
Thank you so much for all your support everyone.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Sine on January 14, 2021, 02:09:03 pm
congratulations on completing vce, duxing psych and your uni offer!!

sorry to hear that you are dissapointed with your results

objectively you did really well but it is still ok to be dissapointed with them if that is not what you wanted

I know this won't help but a 33 in specialist maths is still an extremely good score (it beats out a 45 in Further Maths which is also a very good score).
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Bri MT on January 14, 2021, 02:36:23 pm
Congratulations on psych!!

No one can tell you how to feel about results, and I think going for something as competitive as med makes results a more difficult time in that you can score something amazingly (in the top 2% !) but still not get the offers you wanted. Yes, you've got to accept and move on & make new plans at some stage but please don't feel that you need to make all of your decisions now. You can take some time to process a bit before you figure out your new path.

It being harder to get lots of 40s is reflective of the competitiveness of the cohorts for the subjects you chose - that's why you have  scaling to balance that out.   

It's going to be easy for you to look back now and imagine doing x or y differently but no one can be 100% productive over a long period of time, especially not with lots of stressors. That you did still score very highly is a testament to how much you did do; please try to be kind to yourself.

Know that this does not define you. You're a capable, intelligent & more importantly kind and considerate person. Your values and the choices you make say more about you than a result you're given ever will.

Over time today will start to feel less important to you. You can persevere through this.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: dutyfree on January 14, 2021, 10:39:39 pm
Hey Evolio!
Congrats on finishing yr12 with smashing results (acing psych)!
Um wow, this is super relatable. I get it, (if it helps - I also didn’t pass my interview), it sort of crushed me.
I don’t even know if I’m allowed to say this, but I’m pretty sure I went to the same school. It’s great for the competitive environment + like-minded peers, but with scores, it can be brutal. It’s completely okay to take some time to feel frustrated and finally, let yourself breathe after such a wacky year. But also reflect on how damn well you did, dude.
Just wanted to say (if you are still aiming for med), these scores, themselves, don’t translate to any of your qualities. Reading your entries, you sound like an amazing candidate!
I wish you all the best in whatever you do!
(I can’t believe I wasn’t following your journal earlier than the freaking last post!)
 :)
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: whys on January 15, 2021, 12:20:09 pm
OH MY GOD I'M SCREAMING THAT PSYCH STUDY SCORE THOUGH. Massive congratulations, it was well-deserved and I know how passionate you were about psych. I'm so mighty proud of you - all that hard work and passion paid off in the end! It's not easy to score so high, but you were more than capable and you did amazing. I can definitely understand that imposter syndrome kicking in. It sucks. Be aware of the fact that VTAC calculates everybody's ATAR in the same way to ensure fairness (I'm not saying the ATAR itself is a fair system, but that the way it's calculated from your study scores is). VTAC thinks you deserve that amazing ATAR, and so you do. It's definitely okay to feel like you don't - I hope that when time passes, you will also realise that you deserve this ATAR after your time studying in year 12. Spesh is a hard subject, try not to be too harsh on yourself. I am so so proud of you for what you've achieved - it's not easy (especially during a pandemic)!

Echoing everyone else, you are not defined by your study scores. As the wise Geoo once said - study scores are only a reflection of a period of time that may not have been the best time for you, and that is also influenced by so many other factors.

Congrats on the biomed offer - not an easy course to get into. I know you are disappointed, and it's normal and okay to feel this way, but know that we are all here for you and that if you want to pursue medicine in the future, there are other avenues for that.
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: K.Smithy on January 15, 2021, 10:26:30 pm
Congrats on your incredible accomplishments Evolio!! :) I'm sorry that you aren't feeling so great about them - and you are 100% entitled to have those feelings. But I hope you take some time to be kind to yourself :) It's ok to take time to process everything that has happened, but I truly hope that in the future you can look back and not lose sight of everything you have accomplished and the fact that you survived grade 12 in what was such a difficult year. I wish you the best of luck for the future!
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on January 17, 2021, 04:28:59 pm
congratulations on completing vce, duxing psych and your uni offer!!

sorry to hear that you are dissapointed with your results

objectively you did really well but it is still ok to be dissapointed with them if that is not what you wanted

I know this won't help but a 33 in specialist maths is still an extremely good score (it beats out a 45 in Further Maths which is also a very good score).
Thank you Sine!
Yeah, it's not really what I wanted. It just hasn't gone the way I wanted it to and it's my fault. Hopefully I learn from what happened and take this as a setback.

Congratulations on psych!!

No one can tell you how to feel about results, and I think going for something as competitive as med makes results a more difficult time in that you can score something amazingly (in the top 2% !) but still not get the offers you wanted. Yes, you've got to accept and move on & make new plans at some stage but please don't feel that you need to make all of your decisions now. You can take some time to process a bit before you figure out your new path.

It being harder to get lots of 40s is reflective of the competitiveness of the cohorts for the subjects you chose - that's why you have  scaling to balance that out.   

It's going to be easy for you to look back now and imagine doing x or y differently but no one can be 100% productive over a long period of time, especially not with lots of stressors. That you did still score very highly is a testament to how much you did do; please try to be kind to yourself.

Know that this does not define you. You're a capable, intelligent & more importantly kind and considerate person. Your values and the choices you make say more about you than a result you're given ever will.

Over time today will start to feel less important to you. You can persevere through this.
Thank you Bri!
Yeah, I completely agree with that. I've been trying to think about all the things that went wrong and all the things that I didn't do and it's giving me some insight about who I am as a person and what I'm seriously lacking. It’s really eye-opening. Tbh, the future looks very scary. It's like the great unknown but I've been thinking about the different scenarios that may occur in the future which is making me feel more at ease.
Thank you for your kind words and for always being here for me. 💕💕 It means a lot.

Hey Evolio!
Congrats on finishing yr12 with smashing results (acing psych)!
Um wow, this is super relatable. I get it, (if it helps - I also didn’t pass my interview), it sort of crushed me.
I don’t even know if I’m allowed to say this, but I’m pretty sure I went to the same school. It’s great for the competitive environment + like-minded peers, but with scores, it can be brutal. It’s completely okay to take some time to feel frustrated and finally, let yourself breathe after such a wacky year. But also reflect on how damn well you did, dude.
Just wanted to say (if you are still aiming for med), these scores, themselves, don’t translate to any of your qualities. Reading your entries, you sound like an amazing candidate!
I wish you all the best in whatever you do!
(I can’t believe I wasn’t following your journal earlier than the freaking last post!)
 :)
Aww, thank you dutyfree!! Yeah, it crushed me too. I really thought that it had gone alright but it didn't. Like, I actually took this seriously for once but ah, my poor ucat and low atar didn't help. Omg, you went to the same school!! (When I saw this, I got super excited!) Yeah, I totally agree with you on that. Like, it has become the norm to be receiving 40+ study scores in our school. It’s just: I wanted to do better and nothing has worked out the way I envisioned it to.
Thank you for your kind words! Yes, I’m still aiming for med and I’m going to try and get in the second time around.  :D
OH MY GOD I'M SCREAMING THAT PSYCH STUDY SCORE THOUGH. Massive congratulations, it was well-deserved and I know how passionate you were about psych. I'm so mighty proud of you - all that hard work and passion paid off in the end! It's not easy to score so high, but you were more than capable and you did amazing. I can definitely understand that imposter syndrome kicking in. It sucks. Be aware of the fact that VTAC calculates everybody's ATAR in the same way to ensure fairness (I'm not saying the ATAR itself is a fair system, but that the way it's calculated from your study scores is). VTAC thinks you deserve that amazing ATAR, and so you do. It's definitely okay to feel like you don't - I hope that when time passes, you will also realise that you deserve this ATAR after your time studying in year 12. Spesh is a hard subject, try not to be too harsh on yourself. I am so so proud of you for what you've achieved - it's not easy (especially during a pandemic)!

Echoing everyone else, you are not defined by your study scores. As the wise Geoo once said - study scores are only a reflection of a period of time that may not have been the best time for you, and that is also influenced by so many other factors.

Congrats on the biomed offer - not an easy course to get into. I know you are disappointed, and it's normal and okay to feel this way, but know that we are all here for you and that if you want to pursue medicine in the future, there are other avenues for that.
Thank you whys! And thank you for giving me advice throughout the year.
Yeah, I think I’ve come to understand that I deserve this ATAR but I just wish that I had worked harder. It sucks that I didn’t take things more seriously.

Yeah, I’ve got my eye on Med still - I’m excited to see what the future holds!
Congrats on your incredible accomplishments Evolio!! :) I'm sorry that you aren't feeling so great about them - and you are 100% entitled to have those feelings. But I hope you take some time to be kind to yourself :) It's ok to take time to process everything that has happened, but I truly hope that in the future you can look back and not lose sight of everything you have accomplished and the fact that you survived grade 12 in what was such a difficult year. I wish you the best of luck for the future!
Thank you Katelyn!! All the best for the future too!  :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: homeworkisapotato on January 18, 2021, 11:16:00 am
Hey Evolio super sorry for the late reply!! Congratulations on your results Evolio they're amazing! I'm sorry you are disappointed in your results and I can't tell you how to feel but I hope you are still very excited for the future ahead! Your journey is so uniquely your own so I hope you are excited that a chapter has closed and a new chapter has begun! All the best! Are you going to have a uni journey journal?
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: mang0 on January 19, 2021, 10:37:53 pm
Hey Evolio,
I've been reading your journal for quite a while now, and I just wanted to say congrats on your awesome results! The psych score is AMAZING! I'm sorry about the disappointment you're feeling but you're totally allowed to feel like that. I'm just really happy that you're motivated to keep striving to achieve your goal to get into Medicine, through other pathways and that you were able to take a break to rest as well as to review last year. Well done, and all the best for 2021! No matter what pathway you take, I know you'll excel and do great  :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Ionic Doc on January 19, 2021, 11:30:46 pm
Hey Evolio,
I'm sorry you feel that way about your results.
I hope you enjoy biomedical science at Monash and I believe that you will make it into med! There are a whole variety of pathways! Keep up the grind  :D
Title: Re: Evolio's VCE Journey
Post by: Evolio on February 15, 2021, 09:51:25 pm
Hey Evolio super sorry for the late reply!! Congratulations on your results Evolio they're amazing! I'm sorry you are disappointed in your results and I can't tell you how to feel but I hope you are still very excited for the future ahead! Your journey is so uniquely your own so I hope you are excited that a chapter has closed and a new chapter has begun! All the best! Are you going to have a uni journey journal?
Thank you homeworkisapotato! Yeah, I surpisingly am excited for the future ahead even though it is definitely not what I envisioned. I'm excited for what could happen so let's see if I get there. Unfortunately, I won't have a uni journal. I wish you all the best for Year 12 and beyond!

Hey Evolio,
I've been reading your journal for quite a while now, and I just wanted to say congrats on your awesome results! The psych score is AMAZING! I'm sorry about the disappointment you're feeling but you're totally allowed to feel like that. I'm just really happy that you're motivated to keep striving to achieve your goal to get into Medicine, through other pathways and that you were able to take a break to rest as well as to review last year. Well done, and all the best for 2021! No matter what pathway you take, I know you'll excel and do great  :D
Hi mang0! Nice to meet you and thank you! Yes, I've reflected on what happened and hopefully I learn from my mistakes, rather than committing them again. Thank you for the support and I wish you all the best on your VCE Journey!

Hey Evolio,
I'm sorry you feel that way about your results.
I hope you enjoy biomedical science at Monash and I believe that you will make it into med! There are a whole variety of pathways! Keep up the grind  :D
Thank you Ionic Doc! Actually, I'm leaning towards Bachelor of Biomedicine/Master of Engineering @ Melb Uni !! Thank you for your encouragement and support and I wish you all the best on your med journey too!  :D