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Author Topic: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student  (Read 38891 times)

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alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #90 on: September 11, 2020, 05:12:24 pm »
+3
Week 8 UPDATE

I have finally gotten all my Trials results back!!! Overall, I think Trials really helped me realise how underprepared I was in terms of exam practice. My timing became an issue in multiple exams, which I'm definitely working on. Good thing is that I've maintained my ranks except for Modern, and also finally gotten ranks for History Ext since we didn't have any assessments until Trials. Best to worst:

SAC: 100%, 1/16
English: 92.5%, 4/94
Legal: 90%, 1/32
Japanese: 87%, 3/12
Modern: 83%, 9/32
History Ext: 78%, 5/9

I was such a stress head going into Trials, and I think this seriously impacted my Modern and Ext results. I remember my PIP was due the same day as the Modern exam, so I basically didn't study for it at all (and dropped ranks  :-\), which in hindsight was quite foolish of me for not preparing earlier EEK. For Ext (which was the next day) I also barely studied, and I really regret not putting more effort into my History Project but I guess my rank is average so it's okay. I know I didn't try my hardest for my internals, and I'm definitely aiming for higher in the HSC exam. I ALSO MISREAD THE FIRST QUESTION FOR MODERN. I wrote my answer based on the wrong source and only realised once I finished the question, and had to rewrite it completely - this completely screwed up my confidence (like come on it was the first question and you couldn't even read it  :'()

My Ext teacher was saying how he could tell how stressed and anxious I was just by looking at my handwriting - not a good sign! I think this ultimately comes down to me not having the practice under exam conditions (and also not studying for the histories LOL) -  this timing also became an issue for Legal; I finished my last essay JUST as the timer went off, and hence didn't get any time to check over my multiple-choice - that's why I got significantly lower in the MC section than I was hoping for.

For English, it was the opposite actually. I read the clock times before they changed it to the correct ones (since we started later), and thought I was running out of time - so I completely rushed my Mod C and then when I looked up I realised I actually still had 10 minutes left!!! Though I still did relatively well, I could have done better had I planned my time properly. A really hopeful thing my Eng teacher has said - that our cohort is better than last year (even despite COVID somehow) and that they're expecting more Band 6's!

Well, now it's really just up to me to study as much as I can to prepare for the exams - as well as working with the cohort so everyone can be boosted up. Graduation is only 8 school days away!!! Today in Modern our class agreed that we felt super indifferent to graduating, but then our teacher started giving us a lecture on why we should care and I started tearing up lol. I have a feeling my emotions will come super delayed, probably during these school holidays. Like is this really how high school is going to end??

I'll probably spend tonight doing some speaking practice with my Japanese class, and hopefully get a good night's sleep for tomorrow.

Thanks for reading : )
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #91 on: September 19, 2020, 06:59:00 pm »
+6
Week 9 Update

Hey everyone!!! It really just hit me that there is only one month until HSC...like how did this happen wth. All those study timetables and plans I made did not end up working lol. The end of term has got everyone caught up in all these celebrations and parties, so I haven't really been studying as hard as I thought I would be. I can't even keep count of all the class parties lined up for this week, everyone's scrambling to get gifts ready for our teachers and taking opportunities to celebrate with friends as much as possible during these times.

If any year 11 is reading this, ACTUALLY, TRULY LISTEN TO PREVIOUS YEAR 12s ( inc. me). Do not underestimate how far in advance you need to start preparing. If you think you are preparing well in advance, well... you probably are not. I thought I was going well for Trials but turns out I seriously underestimated how much there really was to revise and prepare for. Please be organised to a T and if you think x amount of time is sufficient, probably double that amount : D I don't mean to scare anyone haha but that's reality.

I guess the purpose of this post is just a kinda farewell before I retreat into intense HSC-study hermit mode. I think I only have 1 plan to go out during the holidays, excluding group study sessions. Once week 10 is over, I think I can seriously knuckle down.

Thanks for reading!
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

Nomsie

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #92 on: September 19, 2020, 11:19:43 pm »
0
Week 9 Update

Hey everyone!!! It really just hit me that there is only one month until HSC...like how did this happen wth. All those study timetables and plans I made did not end up working lol. The end of term has got everyone caught up in all these celebrations and parties, so I haven't really been studying as hard as I thought I would be. I can't even keep count of all the class parties lined up for this week, everyone's scrambling to get gifts ready for our teachers and taking opportunities to celebrate with friends as much as possible during these times

If any year 11 is reading this, ACTUALLY, TRULY LISTEN TO PREVIOUS YEAR 12s ( inc. me). Do not underestimate how far in advance you need to start preparing. If you think you are preparing well in advance, well... you probably are not. I thought I was going well for Trials but turns out I seriously underestimated how much there really was to revise and prepare for. Please be organised to a T and if you think x amount of time is sufficient, probably double that amount : D I don't mean to scare anyone haha but that's reality.

I guess the purpose of this post is just a kinda farewell before I retreat into intense HSC-study hermit mode. I think I only have 1 plan to go out during the holidays, excluding group study sessions. Once week 10 is over, I think I can seriously knuckle down.

Thanks for reading!

Hey!

so excited for you that you are almost done and I wish you the best of luck for your HSC. I am almost in year 12 (like 3 weeks to go), do you possibly have any organisational or study tips. i want to walk into year 12 prepared and with a system, but I'm kinda struggling. i also am doing SAC and Hist ext, so if you also have any tips for those major works, please share them!!
Remember, pain is temporary, but the HSC is for life
(Only Kidding!!)

HSC 2021
Eng Adv, Eng Ext 1, Eng Ext 2, Society and Culture, Modern History, Math Adv, Community and Family Studies

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #93 on: September 20, 2020, 09:39:08 pm »
+4
Hey!

so excited for you that you are almost done and I wish you the best of luck for your HSC. I am almost in year 12 (like 3 weeks to go), do you possibly have any organisational or study tips. i want to walk into year 12 prepared and with a system, but I'm kinda struggling. i also am doing SAC and Hist ext, so if you also have any tips for those major works, please share them!!

Hi Nomsie!

Thank you! I am definitely ECSTATIC for the end of HSC. And now it's time for you to enter Year 12 awwww  ;D I would love to share some tips with you! Would you also be able to tell me how exactly you are struggling?

Well since you're almost starting year 12, I think you would have begun to grasp your preferred studying and learning styles, etc. Everyone studies differently, but I have found that I prefer verbalising and presenting content to help me learn (teaching others is a great way to study!). I know there's a bunch of categories on 'what type of learner are you' on the net, but I don't think it's efficient to take all of that into heart. Ultimately, everyone benefits from a mixed learning approach. It also depends on the subject. You probably wouldn't be drawing up mindmaps for Maths; that would be more useful for Modern History or something more conceptual/thematic.

But definitely organise some group study sessions and teach the content to each other; this is the most effective, proven way to study! You could perhaps do this every 2 weeks or so; gather a few people from each class (they don't have to be your friends! In fact, it's probably better you don't talk to them as often, since you'll learn new things!), make it a habit. Always try and help each other, so everyone gets boosted up. If you know the ranks, try and get advice from those of a higher rank; see what they are doing different and whether you can try implement it in your study too.

One really useful thing a few students did for English in our grade was to create a Google Classroom for the whole Advanced cohort (personal accounts). We share resources, exemplar essays, etc. to help elevate everyone. This might not be as helpful with a smaller cohort; instead, try a Google Drive folder (I did this for SAC). Yes, I think everyone has a Google Classroom for each subject set by their teacher, but with your own you can upload all types of resources and not clutter the Classroom and the teachers' announcements.

Here are some things I did at the start of year 11/12 and have continued:
- Update notes everyday/every week. I did it every day since I knew I wouldn't be bothered to do it on the weekend. I wasn't always consistent on it, but I used the holidays to catch up. I have all my notes done now for every topic of every subject! I would STRONGLY suggest you finish all your notes before Trials so you don't have to do them after (it's really unmotivating afterwards). But also if you don't think you need notes, that's fine too. Just make sure you have a consistent source for your syllabus content.

- Print out the syllabus for every module/topic/depth study et. of every subject. Glue these in your book as you're going through it in class, makes for a quick and easy reference. Always follow the syllabus!!! Really know what the syllabus is asking you to do.

- Print out another copy of the syllabi and stick it in a binder. I chose to organise each binder as one topic/module etc. of each subject, as I received so many handouts and papers. I think it's easier this way than to have a super big binder for each subject, as you would have to flip through to find a specific topic.

- With any handouts you're given, as soon as you have taken all the information from them (for me, synthesising it into my notes), stick it in your binder! You'll never be scrambling to find them ever again if you ever need them!

- Colour coding!!! I have colour coded all my subjects since the start of year 12. I think it helps me a lot because I also enjoy learning visually. It helps you find things better, also colour code WITHIN your books too; e.g. red for main heading, yellow for subheadings, blue for key concepts, etc.

- Also I printed out the NESA key verbs glossary and I stuck that on my study wall so I always know what the question is asking me :)

- I recommend a 'past papers tracker' -> a bit extra, but I like to keep track of all past papers (including other schools' trials) that I have done

- An internal assessments tracker! Also a bit extra, but I set out my subjects and each assessment result in table form to see how I'm going (also include ranks)

- I recommend you make a study plan for each subject, since they're all different and require different study methods

- A study timetable might help you if you really try and stick to one; but I couldn't and still can't. I just do whatever feels right to me, say I don't think I've gone over Power and Authority for Modern in the past week, then I'll go revise that. So if you do decide to stick to one, make sure it's as flexible as possible!

- I have monthly calendars stuck on my wall, for both the current month and the next -> I like seeing the bigger picture, it helps to visualise the time. I also made termly planners; during the holidays, before each term, I mapped out everything that I knew for sure; check your assessment schedule! Put those assessments in. See if there are any school events; incursion, club events, etc. Also put your extracurriculars, weekend commitments. Put everything in there (not just school). I had Monday-Sunday for each week, and also another column for goals -> things I wanted to have completed by then. I ALSO have a whole year schedule thing; basically I just took out the assessment schedule, which has every single term. Again, it helps me visualise the time passing.

- I have mini filing cabinets; I use one for each subject, I also have ones designated for extra stationery, spare paper (I accumulated a crap ton since year 10 for math working out, but now I don't do math and don't use the spare paper at all), school notes and stuff. My dad just had some lying around and they turned out to be the absolute best! I'm lucky my study desk is quite long, so there's space to fit. What I store in each drawer is the schoolbooks, any current handouts/booklets etc. that I need to reference regularly, and current things to do (homework). As I mentioned before, as soon as I don't need the handouts anymore, I transfer them to the binder. This way your drawer isn't chock full of unnecessary things.

- Keep a journal/diary thingo! My school gives out diaries each year, but I like to customise my own. I keep it pretty simple, I just make to do lists for each day. Make sure not to have unrealistic, super long to-do lists. Prioritise the top 3 things, then write down the next 3. This way you don't get unmotivated. I also like to do weekly reflections sometimes; write down my achievements, write down what I could have done, write down things to do for next week. This doesn't have to be the only school-related! It can be personal too.

- Make use of study apps and nifty little tools on your devices! I made a post a while ago about useful study apps:
https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=190925.msg1165266#msg1165266

- Whiteboards are pretty cool. So are flashcards, post it notes, etc. They're not for everyone. I like post it notes the most; for Japanese, I stick Kanji around the house so I learn from exposure. I also like to have a bunch of post it notes next to me as I study; sometimes I'll randomly think of something that doesn't really 'match' anywhere (idk if that makes sense?), and so to prevent me from forgetting, I quickly scribble it down and go back to studying. Flashcards I use liberally for Japanese vocab. Whiteboards I use for upcoming assessments etc.

- For English, I preferred to purchase my own copy of the prescribed text. This way you can write all over it as much as you want. (or you can use post it notes like a normal person)

One thing I wish I did: do practice questions every single week!!! Just finished a syllabus dot point? Do a past paper question on it. I didn't start regularly doing this until Trials, which I highkey regret.

For the PIP...oh boy.
- You MUST work on it consistently. I only really started doing proper work on it in March, and from then it was a stop and start situation. Don't be like me; do it every week. Every period you're given to work on it; actually work on it. You can talk to your friends any other time! And don't spend an exorbitant amount of time doing research; if you're like me, you'll end up over researching and wasting your time. Get your topic and every part of your PIP structured and planned before the summer holidays. I went on holidays during the summer and so I didn't spend much time on it (except I don't think anyone will be going anywhere these holidays lmao, so may as well use this time to work ahead).
- Make sure you annotate as you go! I did this and it made things so much less stressful. I saw my friends frantically trying to write up their annotated sources the day the PIP was due; not only did they have to write all of it at once, they also have to keep going back to the sources to remind themselves of what it provided. If you do it as you go, you won't need to waste this time.
- Ultimately, do not stress about the PIP. Looking back, it was actually extremely manageable, and you could have produced a solid PIP with 2 weeks of solid work. It isn't actually that much. 5000 words isn't much at all; I went over the word count by basically double (oops). As long as you consistently work on it, you'll be stress free and ready to hand it in.

For History Ext:
- Again, it's not as much as it seems. 2500 words is equivalent to 2 normal English essays. Don't waste your time over-researching!!! Once you start finding sources that repeat the same info, it means it's time for you to start writing. Albeit my History Ext class was quite disrupted due to COVID; no assessments until Trials, so we never really had essay practice.
- There is no structure for the History Project; it's so vague, you'll either love it or hate it. I personally hated it. There really are no rules for it; it's not a traditional essay. As long as you're getting the point across, and your teacher agrees, I think you'll be fine. MAKE SURE TO GIVE IN AS MANY DRAFTS AS POSSIBLE.

I hope this helped you!
Alice : D
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

Nomsie

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #94 on: September 22, 2020, 11:53:12 pm »
+1
Hi Nomsie!

Thank you! I am definitely ECSTATIC for the end of HSC. And now it's time for you to enter Year 12 awwww  ;D I would love to share some tips with you! Would you also be able to tell me how exactly you are struggling?

Well since you're almost starting year 12, I think you would have begun to grasp your preferred studying and learning styles, etc. Everyone studies differently, but I have found that I prefer verbalising and presenting content to help me learn (teaching others is a great way to study!). I know there's a bunch of categories on 'what type of learner are you' on the net, but I don't think it's efficient to take all of that into heart. Ultimately, everyone benefits from a mixed learning approach. It also depends on the subject. You probably wouldn't be drawing up mindmaps for Maths; that would be more useful for Modern History or something more conceptual/thematic.

But definitely organise some group study sessions and teach the content to each other; this is the most effective, proven way to study! You could perhaps do this every 2 weeks or so; gather a few people from each class (they don't have to be your friends! In fact, it's probably better you don't talk to them as often, since you'll learn new things!), make it a habit. Always try and help each other, so everyone gets boosted up. If you know the ranks, try and get advice from those of a higher rank; see what they are doing different and whether you can try implement it in your study too.

One really useful thing a few students did for English in our grade was to create a Google Classroom for the whole Advanced cohort (personal accounts). We share resources, exemplar essays, etc. to help elevate everyone. This might not be as helpful with a smaller cohort; instead, try a Google Drive folder (I did this for SAC). Yes, I think everyone has a Google Classroom for each subject set by their teacher, but with your own you can upload all types of resources and not clutter the Classroom and the teachers' announcements.

Here are some things I did at the start of year 11/12 and have continued:
- Update notes everyday/every week. I did it every day since I knew I wouldn't be bothered to do it on the weekend. I wasn't always consistent on it, but I used the holidays to catch up. I have all my notes done now for every topic of every subject! I would STRONGLY suggest you finish all your notes before Trials so you don't have to do them after (it's really unmotivating afterwards). But also if you don't think you need notes, that's fine too. Just make sure you have a consistent source for your syllabus content.

- Print out the syllabus for every module/topic/depth study et. of every subject. Glue these in your book as you're going through it in class, makes for a quick and easy reference. Always follow the syllabus!!! Really know what the syllabus is asking you to do.

- Print out another copy of the syllabi and stick it in a binder. I chose to organise each binder as one topic/module etc. of each subject, as I received so many handouts and papers. I think it's easier this way than to have a super big binder for each subject, as you would have to flip through to find a specific topic.

- With any handouts you're given, as soon as you have taken all the information from them (for me, synthesising it into my notes), stick it in your binder! You'll never be scrambling to find them ever again if you ever need them!

- Colour coding!!! I have colour coded all my subjects since the start of year 12. I think it helps me a lot because I also enjoy learning visually. It helps you find things better, also colour code WITHIN your books too; e.g. red for main heading, yellow for subheadings, blue for key concepts, etc.

- Also I printed out the NESA key verbs glossary and I stuck that on my study wall so I always know what the question is asking me :)

- I recommend a 'past papers tracker' -> a bit extra, but I like to keep track of all past papers (including other schools' trials) that I have done

- An internal assessments tracker! Also a bit extra, but I set out my subjects and each assessment result in table form to see how I'm going (also include ranks)

- I recommend you make a study plan for each subject, since they're all different and require different study methods

- A study timetable might help you if you really try and stick to one; but I couldn't and still can't. I just do whatever feels right to me, say I don't think I've gone over Power and Authority for Modern in the past week, then I'll go revise that. So if you do decide to stick to one, make sure it's as flexible as possible!

- I have monthly calendars stuck on my wall, for both the current month and the next -> I like seeing the bigger picture, it helps to visualise the time. I also made termly planners; during the holidays, before each term, I mapped out everything that I knew for sure; check your assessment schedule! Put those assessments in. See if there are any school events; incursion, club events, etc. Also put your extracurriculars, weekend commitments. Put everything in there (not just school). I had Monday-Sunday for each week, and also another column for goals -> things I wanted to have completed by then. I ALSO have a whole year schedule thing; basically I just took out the assessment schedule, which has every single term. Again, it helps me visualise the time passing.

- I have mini filing cabinets; I use one for each subject, I also have ones designated for extra stationery, spare paper (I accumulated a crap ton since year 10 for math working out, but now I don't do math and don't use the spare paper at all), school notes and stuff. My dad just had some lying around and they turned out to be the absolute best! I'm lucky my study desk is quite long, so there's space to fit. What I store in each drawer is the schoolbooks, any current handouts/booklets etc. that I need to reference regularly, and current things to do (homework). As I mentioned before, as soon as I don't need the handouts anymore, I transfer them to the binder. This way your drawer isn't chock full of unnecessary things.

- Keep a journal/diary thingo! My school gives out diaries each year, but I like to customise my own. I keep it pretty simple, I just make to do lists for each day. Make sure not to have unrealistic, super long to-do lists. Prioritise the top 3 things, then write down the next 3. This way you don't get unmotivated. I also like to do weekly reflections sometimes; write down my achievements, write down what I could have done, write down things to do for next week. This doesn't have to be the only school-related! It can be personal too.

- Make use of study apps and nifty little tools on your devices! I made a post a while ago about useful study apps:
https://atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=190925.msg1165266#msg1165266

- Whiteboards are pretty cool. So are flashcards, post it notes, etc. They're not for everyone. I like post it notes the most; for Japanese, I stick Kanji around the house so I learn from exposure. I also like to have a bunch of post it notes next to me as I study; sometimes I'll randomly think of something that doesn't really 'match' anywhere (idk if that makes sense?), and so to prevent me from forgetting, I quickly scribble it down and go back to studying. Flashcards I use liberally for Japanese vocab. Whiteboards I use for upcoming assessments etc.

- For English, I preferred to purchase my own copy of the prescribed text. This way you can write all over it as much as you want. (or you can use post it notes like a normal person)

One thing I wish I did: do practice questions every single week!!! Just finished a syllabus dot point? Do a past paper question on it. I didn't start regularly doing this until Trials, which I highkey regret.

For the PIP...oh boy.
- You MUST work on it consistently. I only really started doing proper work on it in March, and from then it was a stop and start situation. Don't be like me; do it every week. Every period you're given to work on it; actually work on it. You can talk to your friends any other time! And don't spend an exorbitant amount of time doing research; if you're like me, you'll end up over researching and wasting your time. Get your topic and every part of your PIP structured and planned before the summer holidays. I went on holidays during the summer and so I didn't spend much time on it (except I don't think anyone will be going anywhere these holidays lmao, so may as well use this time to work ahead).
- Make sure you annotate as you go! I did this and it made things so much less stressful. I saw my friends frantically trying to write up their annotated sources the day the PIP was due; not only did they have to write all of it at once, they also have to keep going back to the sources to remind themselves of what it provided. If you do it as you go, you won't need to waste this time.
- Ultimately, do not stress about the PIP. Looking back, it was actually extremely manageable, and you could have produced a solid PIP with 2 weeks of solid work. It isn't actually that much. 5000 words isn't much at all; I went over the word count by basically double (oops). As long as you consistently work on it, you'll be stress free and ready to hand it in.

For History Ext:
- Again, it's not as much as it seems. 2500 words is equivalent to 2 normal English essays. Don't waste your time over-researching!!! Once you start finding sources that repeat the same info, it means it's time for you to start writing. Albeit my History Ext class was quite disrupted due to COVID; no assessments until Trials, so we never really had essay practice.
- There is no structure for the History Project; it's so vague, you'll either love it or hate it. I personally hated it. There really are no rules for it; it's not a traditional essay. As long as you're getting the point across, and your teacher agrees, I think you'll be fine. MAKE SURE TO GIVE IN AS MANY DRAFTS AS POSSIBLE.

I hope this helped you!
Alice : D


Just read through, and Thankyou so much for taking the time to respond! I will definitely consider most of these (as I already tend to do most of them).

Once again Thankyou and wish you the best of luck for your HSC!!!  :)
Remember, pain is temporary, but the HSC is for life
(Only Kidding!!)

HSC 2021
Eng Adv, Eng Ext 1, Eng Ext 2, Society and Culture, Modern History, Math Adv, Community and Family Studies

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #95 on: September 23, 2020, 07:39:43 pm »
+1

Just read through, and Thankyou so much for taking the time to respond! I will definitely consider most of these (as I already tend to do most of them).

Once again Thankyou and wish you the best of luck for your HSC!!!  :)

You are very welcome! I hope you enjoy Year 12!
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #96 on: September 26, 2020, 12:42:07 pm »
+9
Graduation!

The end to 13 yrs of schooling !!! Holy heck I feel so numb. I had my graduation on Thursday, and a picnic type celebration on Friday. My mind has been free of anything related to studying, and it was really nice to just live in the moment and enjoy everything with friends while it lasted. I think I cried at least 2 litres of tears, everyday this past week HAHA.

I woke up this morning however, realising that I had to start studying for HSC now (booooo!). I've been cleaning out my study room since I woke up to get me ready in the mindset. It'll probably take me a bit longer, plus some chores I need to do. I should be ready to do some proper study tonight. How daunting!!! I still feel like I'll be attending normal school next term, just like every other year.
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

fantasticbeasts3

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #97 on: September 26, 2020, 10:21:15 pm »
+4
Congratulations on graduating alice343!!!!! What an achievement! Best of luck for the HSC <3
HSC 2017: English (Standard) // Mathematics // Modern History // Legal Studies // Business Studies
2018-2022: B International Studies/B Media (PR & Advertising) @ UNSW

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #98 on: September 30, 2020, 08:54:50 pm »
0
Congratulations on graduating alice343!!!!! What an achievement! Best of luck for the HSC <3

Thank you!! I really appreciate it. : )
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #99 on: September 30, 2020, 09:08:28 pm »
+6
Beginnings of STUVAC

Progress has been made! Slowly but surely. My general study plan is to do as much exam practice/many past papers as possible, even if I haven't memorised all my content. I know content enough to do the paper, so if I come across something in the exam that I'm not sure about, I'll add it to a list of things to revise.

On Monday I sat down to do a History Extension paper and realised I didn't know any of my sources. So I went back to my notes and fixed them up a bit; hoping to do the paper tomorrow. I also did a practice English Paper 1, but some of the questions really stumped me. My essay was also a bit :/// since I haven't had much practice writing timed Common Mod essays. By the time night time hit, my motivation just disappeared and I only ended up doing some multiple choice for SAC.

Yesterday (Tuesday), I did the Power and Authority section of a Modern paper, timed. Modern really tires me out!!! I can't fathom doing all of that again; can't believe I managed for Trials. I also did the 2015 HSC Japanese paper, which was good. Japanese exams are probably the easiest to do out of all my subjects. At nighttime, my motivation went out the window again, so I just did some practice HR answer for Legal.

Today, I spent the whole day trying to do a practice Eng paper 2... I kept pausing the timer to take breaks, which definitely defeated the purpose of doing the paper together. I need to work on writing faster, especially for Module A since it's more content to pack into an essay. I managed to do Modules B and C together, but for Module C it was the first time the question asked for only a creative piece, worth 20 marks. I definitely struggled with writing enough for 20 marks, since I always thought the HSC exam would ask for a reflection piece as well?

I also sped through the English Adv lecture today, which definitely reassured me and helped quell my stress. I'm hoping to polish up my Module B quotes and do some essay plans for S&C, but I'm getting super tired so maybe I'll save it for tmr morning.

Well, there's my mundane study update. Hope you guys are all studying well!
Alice : )
« Last Edit: October 01, 2020, 10:09:38 am by alice343 »
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #100 on: October 22, 2020, 12:05:21 pm »
+9
i never have to write an english essay ever again in my life

english papers 1 and 2 done woooooo!!!

Overall, I felt pretty good. I studied for English the most and did a ton of practice essays, so there wasn't anything super surprising about the papers. In fact, I felt that the short answer section of Paper 1 was easier than most of the practice papers I did. (Also, everyone seems really annoyed at the boat question; I thought that was a good question??)

Also, my English teacher totally predicted the essay question would be on storytelling; I'm so thankful it was a generic question and didn't specific a theme like last year.

As for Paper 2... I can't believe NESA specified an imaginative urghhhh. Literally only practiced discursive and reflective writing the whole year LOL. It reminded me of the NAPLAN days. So for Mod C I'm not expecting anything good at all. Mod A and B questions were pretty good, both generic. Mod B asked for 'aesthetic qualities' which I wasn't too sure meant, I just assumed it was stylistic features and stuff like characterisation, setting, structure etc.

I've got 4 exams from Tuesday to Thursday next week, so I need to start focusing on those subjects. HIGHKEY worried for Modern, so I'll probably spend more time on it.

I hope everyone's taking care of themselves during these stressful times! Thanks for reading : D
Alice
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #101 on: October 29, 2020, 09:28:31 pm »
+7
10 UNITS OF EXAMS DOWN

WOOOOOOOOO i feel so gooodddd rn. I had Legal on Tuesday, Japanese on Wednesday and Modern and Society today, meaning I've locked in 10 units of my exams now!! Funnily enough, as each exam has passed, I've started caring less and less what my marks and ATAR will be. I still definitely tried in each exam, but probably not as much as I would have panicked about at the start of this year. I'm gonna do a little reflection for each exam, and rating based on overall how I felt after the exam (not on how well I did)

Legal Studies: better than I expected. I was stressing about the crime essay question so much, since they could have asked anything. Luckily it was just on the trial process, which I did an essay plan on the day before so I knew what to write. The multiple choice was a bit harder than the practice papers I've done, the family law question was exactly the same as my assessment task, and the indigenous peoples question was pretty broad and allowed me to write about anything. Overall rating: 8.5/10

Japanese: harder than expected!! Granted I didn't do much study leading up to the exam, I only did a few past papers during STUVAC. Usually the past papers are quite easy, but this time the reading AND writing was hard. The texts were quite lengthy and had a lot to unpack, and the writing questions were so unexpected and different compared to previous years; we were asked to write about a reunion, a scholarship and a fundraiser; these words weren't even in some of the dictionaries lol. Overall rating: 8/10

Modern: oh dangggg I stressed big time for this exam. I barely did any study for Modern leading up to it, only touched 1/4 of the topics, and Modern has a crap ton of content so I was quite worried. I woke up at 4:30 this morning to do some last minute preparation, which consisted of going through every practice question possible and seeing if I could answer it. This turned out to be quite beneficial! Luckily, most of the predictions from other students and teachers were right, and all that I studied were in the exam. All the questions were quite fair, but the Indochina essay probably pulled me down a bit since it's my weakest (I also highly dislike the topic). I'M SO GLAD THE USA QUESTION WAS ON THE GREAT DEPRESSION. Literally would not have known what to do if it was anything else. Definitely could have done better with proper study. Overall rating: 7/10

Society and Culture: HOW is it possible for a 2 hour exam to cause so much pain. I was extremely worried for the two essays, since our teacher taught the most OBSCURE depth studies ever, and I could never find any resources online. For Social Inclusion and Exclusion, most people in our class just chose to write about the group they researched for an assessment task, which I was also planning to do; then I realised I didn't have enough info in relation to the syllabus so i started FREAKING. Then I got into the exam and didn't even end up using that group, I actually used a group of people I researched for LEGAL HAHA. The question was about housing and technologies, and guess who did land rights for Legal???? Guess it worked in my favour. Also the multiple choice was quite hard??? All the past papers were so easy smh. During reading time, as soon as I saw the belief systems question my heart just dropped. But then I thought about it and it was quite doable. Also wtf was the short answer; a 9 marker??? That's so long. And it sounded like an essay question from the Legal exam. Either way, I'm kinda glad the SAC exam was challenging, because I felt quite proud of myself after for being able to complete it and BS my way out of those wack questions. Overall rating: 8/10

Overall thoughts: I think I am genuinely a very lucky person. In most of my school assessments and stuff, things have always worked in my favour. Like all my exams have had such good questions that helped me somehow??? Idk if it's real (maybe I have perfect the art of bullshitting), but I'm gonna appreciate this. I just have my Ext His exam next Wednesday, and then I'll be DONE WITH HSC!!!! It doesn't even feel like anything is ending.

Thanks for reading!
Alice  :)
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #102 on: November 05, 2020, 10:44:29 am »
+7
DONE WITH HSC!!!

I had my History Extension exam yesterday, meaning I've finished all my HSC exams!!! It feels quite liberating to not have to worry about studying for the next thing and finally have finished 13 years of compulsory schooling. I've been binging Hannibal on Netflix (almost done with season 2... I started watching on Monday)

History Extension reflection:
- After my SAC exam last week, motivation just left the building so I didn't really study that much
- I could not memorise the quotes for the LIFE of me, so I ended up only using probably less than half of the ones I prepared
- As always, I overstressed for nothing tbh. The questions were pretty good, I just wished I had memorised some quotes for academic v popular history debate oops! The section II question was a bit weirdly worded, and the quote was quite strange?
- They specified 2 areas of debate for Section II LOL... our whole class was depending on there being 1

I made a huge list of post HSC plans before and during my exams, but now I don't even feel like doing any of them??? I just wanna stay at home, watch Netflix, bake and read all the books that have been on my to-read list for the past years lol. I guess I should also start looking for a new job... bank account is looking pretty grim. I have sign out today; not sure if I am saying goodbye to all my teachers ?? It still doesn't feel like it's over. But I am DEFINITELY adding my teachers on Facebook lol.

To anyone with exams still:  you can do it!!! It's not long now, do the best you can!
To anyone who has finished: what are your thoughts and plans for post HSC?

Thanks for reading!
Alice  :)
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension

The Cat In The Hat

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #103 on: November 05, 2020, 11:14:25 am »
+2
DONE WITH HSC!!!

I had my History Extension exam yesterday, meaning I've finished all my HSC exams!!! It feels quite liberating to not have to worry about studying for the next thing and finally have finished 13 years of compulsory schooling. I've been binging Hannibal on Netflix (almost done with season 2... I started watching on Monday)

History Extension reflection:
- After my SAC exam last week, motivation just left the building so I didn't really study that much
- I could not memorise the quotes for the LIFE of me, so I ended up only using probably less than half of the ones I prepared
- As always, I overstressed for nothing tbh. The questions were pretty good, I just wished I had memorised some quotes for academic v popular history debate oops! The section II question was a bit weirdly worded, and the quote was quite strange?
- They specified 2 areas of debate for Section II LOL... our whole class was depending on there being 1

I made a huge list of post HSC plans before and during my exams, but now I don't even feel like doing any of them??? I just wanna stay at home, watch Netflix, bake and read all the books that have been on my to-read list for the past years lol. I guess I should also start looking for a new job... bank account is looking pretty grim. I have sign out today; not sure if I am saying goodbye to all my teachers ?? It still doesn't feel like it's over. But I am DEFINITELY adding my teachers on Facebook lol.

To anyone with exams still:  you can do it!!! It's not long now, do the best you can!
To anyone who has finished: what are your thoughts and plans for post HSC?

Thanks for reading!
Alice  :)
Envious of you finishing your exams - as a VCE student, I haven't even started yet!
Anyway, .
VCE 20
HHD MM Revs (F/R) Eng T&T
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HNN114
I hope I don't fail....
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she/her

Basically inactive now. May change. Have a nice day.

alice343

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Re: Life of a Chronically Stressed HSC Student
« Reply #104 on: November 05, 2020, 12:37:37 pm »
+2
Envious of you finishing your exams - as a VCE student, I haven't even started yet!
Anyway, .

You'll be done soon!! Good luck!
2020 HSC: English Advanced, Modern History, Legal Studies, Japanese Beginners, Society and Culture, History Extension