Extremely unhappy with half yearly results

[Lumenoria]

Hey guys,
Today, I received my results for the unseen texts component of my English Advanced half yearly and I received a lousy 12/15. I'm really annoyed at myself, because I walked out of that exam feeling relatively confident and I feel like my results don't quite reflect that. I'm probably getting the second component (AOS essay) for Advanced English back this Friday, so I'm really hoping I get over 90, though I'm beginning to doubt it. I just feel like my overall English capabilities have deteriorated and it's really bothering me, especially because the school is cutting the bottom 30 students out of the Advanced course for Year 12 out of a cohort of 70 ish. I really do not want to be forced into standard, but I'm really unsure at this point. I got 13/20 for the creative writing at the beginning of this year, so I was hoping to redeem myself with these exams but it doesn't look promising in any regard.

Also, I got my English Extension essay results back and I got 16/20. I'm so upset with this mark, because I prepared for this essay well in advance of the submission date. I also emailed my teacher to get feedback on it and fixed it accordingly. Again, this was only the first component of the half yearly and I'll probably be getting the second half (creative) back within the next two weeks or so. Really hoping I can get over 90%, but I'm not too confident on my performance because that stimulus was terrifying lol.

Basically, the point is, how do you do well in English? How do you write a well rounded essay? I'm usually fairly strong in English but atm, I feel like I'm sacrificing time for other subjects for the sake of maintaining a good mark in English. I basically walked out of those classes on the verge of tears and now I just can't get my mind off it. Ughh sorry for the long post/half rant, but any input would be appreciated. Thanks

[Wales]

How do your scores compare to the cohort? Judging off mark sometimes isn't the best indication if it was a harshly marked paper.

It's good that you asked your teacher for feedback, it's a step in the right direction. Don't stop there, seek others for advice. I had 6 people read over my creative and give me comments on it, (shoutout to Jamon for giving solid advice). You have this forum too, bombard the essay marking threads if you feel the teachers advice doesn't go into enough depth. I'm not saying you didn't do enough but only taking teacher/tutor feedback isn't enough. There's always errors that you wont see From experience. Take your half yearly paper, ask your teacher for advice on how to improve. Make after school appointments, spam your tutor/friends for feedback.

Regarding your confidence, it's one of the main factors to how well you do. If you go into the next exam thinking you're not great at English then it'll only get worse. I wish I could tell you to just brush it off and move on but as a fellow student I know it isn't as simple as that and I know that it plays on your conscience. You'll probably only feel redeemed after scoring a good mark on your next exam. I feel the same. Take your current mark and use it for motivation. I sure as hell know after seeing my 10/20 for Task 1 I worked like a madman to ensure my next task was 15/15. There's nothing you can do about the mark you got, no matter how much you blame yourself it won't change, it'll only negatively affect your mentality. Use it as a learning experience and redeem yourself at your trials.

If you at believed that you were confident going into your exam then that's already fantastic. I know many people who go into the exam shaking. Don't let that confidence go. It's integral to your success. You're a capable student, you clearly possess initiative and a willingness to grow. Develop that further. Start getting more active on the forums.

Most importantly, stay positive and DO NOT burn yourself out. It's the last stretch mate.

https://atarnotes.com/half-yearly-results/ I found this a nice read after seeing my half yearlies.

Solider on fam

Regards, Wales

[Lumenoria]

How do your scores compare to the cohort? Judging off mark sometimes isn't the best indication if it was a harshly marked paper.

It's good that you asked your teacher for feedback, it's a step in the right direction. Don't stop there, seek others for advice. I had 6 people read over my creative and give me comments on it, (shoutout to Jamon for giving solid advice). You have this forum too, bombard the essay marking threads if you feel the teachers advice doesn't go into enough depth. I'm not saying you didn't do enough but only taking teacher/tutor feedback isn't enough. There's always errors that you wont see From experience. Take your half yearly paper, ask your teacher for advice on how to improve. Make after school appointments, spam your tutor/friends for feedback.

Regarding your confidence, it's one of the main factors to how well you do. If you go into the next exam thinking you're not great at English then it'll only get worse. I wish I could tell you to just brush it off and move on but as a fellow student I know it isn't as simple as that and I know that it plays on your conscience. You'll probably only feel redeemed after scoring a good mark on your next exam. I feel the same. Take your current mark and use it for motivation. I sure as hell know after seeing my 10/20 for Task 1 I worked like a madman to ensure my next task was 15/15. There's nothing you can do about the mark you got, no matter how much you blame yourself it won't change, it'll only negatively affect your mentality. Use it as a learning experience and redeem yourself at your trials.

If you at believed that you were confident going into your exam then that's already fantastic. I know many people who go into the exam shaking. Don't let that confidence go. It's integral to your success. You're a capable student, you clearly possess initiative and a willingness to grow. Develop that further. Start getting more active on the forums.

Most importantly, stay positive and DO NOT burn yourself out. It's the last stretch mate.

https://atarnotes.com/half-yearly-results/ I found this a nice read after seeing my half yearlies.

Solider on fam

Regards, Wales

Hey, thankyou so much for responding! That was  uplifting to read. In comparison to my cohort, I'd say I performed alright. I think I placed 2nd or 3rd for the Advanced English unseen texts because hardly anyone achieved a mark above 10. As for English Extension, my mark was exactly average. I'm pretty sure the marks were super varied in that regard; there were two 18s and the rest were low 13s, 14s ish. But I feel like I should have the potential to surpass average, ugh. Honestly if I had gotten 17, I dont think I wouldve felt this way. I'll try, thankyou once again!

[Wales]

Hey, thankyou so much for responding! That was  uplifting to read. In comparison to my cohort, I'd say I performed alright. I think I placed 2nd or 3rd for the Advanced English unseen texts because hardly anyone achieved a mark above 10. As for English Extension, my mark was exactly average. I'm pretty sure the marks were super varied in that regard; there were two 18s and the rest were low 13s, 14s ish. But I feel like I should have the potential to surpass average, ugh. Honestly if I had gotten 17, I dont think I wouldve felt this way. I'll try, thankyou once again!

Then you shouldn't be too concerned If you're ranking in the single digits for Advanced you'll be set. Just keep motivated and don't stop trying. Put in all your effort. It's the HSC. It's only one year of your life. I realised this last year and started going to the library every single day to study.

Don't let yourself look back and have regrets. It's the worst feeling you'll endure.

[jamonwindeyer]

Wales has got your back with exactly what I would say in addition:

- The marks you are getting now are about what most people who ended up with a Band 6 at my school were getting at this point in the year. You aren't expected to be at the 15/15 stage immediately, even though it is awesome if you are and it does take some pressure of later. What counts is the HSC exam, and you've got like 5 months to improve for that
- Check out this thread with a whole bunch of resources for English - We'll do whatever we can to help you meet your goals!
- A rank of 2nd or 3rd in Advanced is incredible - I know it doesn't meet your expectation in terms of an overall picture, but you should take some happiness from this! It's a great position to be in

[Wales]

Wales has got your back with exactly what I would say in addition:

- The marks you are getting now are about what most people who ended up with a Band 6 at my school were getting at this point in the year. You aren't expected to be at the 15/15 stage immediately, even though it is awesome if you are and it does take some pressure of later. What counts is the HSC exam, and you've got like 5 months to improve for that
- Check out this thread with a whole bunch of resources for English - We'll do whatever we can to help you meet your goals!
- A rank of 2nd or 3rd in Advanced is incredible - I know it doesn't meet your expectation in terms of an overall picture, but you should take some happiness from this! It's a great position to be in

The prophet Jamon has arrived

His completely right. Maybe the results weren't to your expectations but they are amazing regardless. Band 6 is something you should be able to get if you keep it consistent.

Seriously, take advantage of the resources here. It's amazing. It's the one of the reasons why I'm enjoying and doing well in english as well

Goodluck. Post back if you have any concerns and I look forward to seeing you around.

Regards, Wales 🐳

[Lumenoria]

The prophet Jamon has arrived

His completely right. Maybe the results weren't to your expectations but they are amazing regardless. Band 6 is something you should be able to get if you keep it consistent.

Seriously, take advantage of the resources here. It's amazing. It's the one of the reasons why I'm enjoying and doing well in english as well

Goodluck. Post back if you have any concerns and I look forward to seeing you around.

Regards, Wales

Ah thankyou so much! I'll try my best to keep your advice in mind for any upcoming exams.

Holy crap I got the second component of my English Advanced half yearly back today (AOS essay) and I freaking got 80% AGAIN. It's really frustrating me, it's like I'm getting cursed with dead 80s in literally every English assessment. I know 80 isn't terrible, but I really wanted atleast within the mid-high 80s range. Now I'm just waiting on the second component (creative) of my English Extension half yearly, which I hopefully did not get 80% AGAIN in. I might shit myself if I do hahahaha

[Lumenoria]

Wales has got your back with exactly what I would say in addition:

- The marks you are getting now are about what most people who ended up with a Band 6 at my school were getting at this point in the year. You aren't expected to be at the 15/15 stage immediately, even though it is awesome if you are and it does take some pressure of later. What counts is the HSC exam, and you've got like 5 months to improve for that
- Check out this thread with a whole bunch of resources for English - We'll do whatever we can to help you meet your goals!
- A rank of 2nd or 3rd in Advanced is incredible - I know it doesn't meet your expectation in terms of an overall picture, but you should take some happiness from this! It's a great position to be in

Ah that's comforting to hear! Thankyou so much Jamon, your input is greatly appreciated. I'm just worried about being within the bottom 30 out of a cohort of 65 because English has always been my strong point so if I'm cut from Advanced & forced to do Standard, it'll be the death of me I swear hahaha. Plus, this has made everyone so much more competitive ah and it's stressing me out so bad.

Holy crap I got the second component of my English Advanced half yearly back today (AOS essay) and I freaking got 12/15 (80%) AGAIN, with a class average of 9.5/15. It's really frustrating me; it's like I'm getting cursed with a dead 80 in literally every English assessment. I know 80 isn't absolutely terrible, but I really wanted atleast within the mid-high 80s range. Plus, I'm pretty sure I've significantly exacerbated my rankings due to this. Now I'm just waiting on the second component (creative) of my English Extension half yearly, which I hopefully did not get 80% AGAIN in. I honestly might shit myself in a pool of disappointment if I do hahahah

[elysepopplewell]

Ah that's comforting to hear! Thankyou so much Jamon, your input is greatly appreciated. I'm just worried about being within the bottom 30 out of a cohort of 65 because English has always been my strong point so if I'm cut from Advanced & forced to do Standard, it'll be the death of me I swear hahaha. Plus, this has made everyone so much more competitive ah and it's stressing me out so bad.

Holy crap I got the second component of my English Advanced half yearly back today (AOS essay) and I freaking got 12/15 (80%) AGAIN, with a class average of 9.5/15. It's really frustrating me; it's like I'm getting cursed with a dead 80 in literally every English assessment. I know 80 isn't absolutely terrible, but I really wanted atleast within the mid-high 80s range. Plus, I'm pretty sure I've significantly exacerbated my rankings due to this. Now I'm just waiting on the second component (creative) of my English Extension half yearly, which I hopefully did not get 80% AGAIN in. I honestly might shit myself in a pool of disappointment if I do hahahah

Laughing out loud at your last sentence!
At this point in the game, I was receiving the same marks as you for some subjects and I still got an ATAR over 90! The way I see it, is you can only improve from here on in. It's only upwards from here!

[Lumenoria]

Laughing out loud at your last sentence!
At this point in the game, I was receiving the same marks as you for some subjects and I still got an ATAR over 90! The way I see it, is you can only improve from here on in. It's only upwards from here!

OMFG I GOT MY MARK BACK FOR MY ENGLISH EXTENSION CREATIVE AND I DIDNT GET 80%, I got 85%! (17/20) I'm literally so ecstatic right now hahahah, thankyou for your words of encouragement

[Wales]

OMFG I GOT MY MARK BACK FOR MY ENGLISH EXTENSION CREATIVE AND I DIDNT GET 80%, I got 85%! (17/20) I'm literally so ecstatic right now hahahah, thankyou for your words of encouragement

Nice . Keep that up, make it a 90% next time. You're going strong, it's the last stretch of HSC life anyway.

[jamonwindeyer]

OMFG I GOT MY MARK BACK FOR MY ENGLISH EXTENSION CREATIVE AND I DIDNT GET 80%, I got 85%! (17/20) I'm literally so ecstatic right now hahahah, thankyou for your words of encouragement

Well done!! One ladder rung away from a Band 6 level mark

[Lumenoria]

Well done!! One ladder rung away from a Band 6 level mark

Thankyou!

Nice . Keep that up, make it a 90% next time. You're going strong, it's the last stretch of HSC life anyway.

Hahhaaha yeah I hope so, thankyou so much!

Mod Edit: Post merge

[good_stuff]

Just scrolling through procrastinating and: ARE WE THE SAME PEOPLE??? I'd literally gotten the exact same marks as you and am in the same boat  anyway, I'm happy for your improvement!!!!

[Lumenoria]

Just scrolling through procrastinating and: ARE WE THE SAME PEOPLE??? I'd literally gotten the exact same marks as you and am in the same boat  anyway, I'm happy for your improvement!!!!

Hahhaha man, idk why but I just saw this? Anyways, how you doing now? Hahahahha and thankyou!