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March 29, 2024, 05:47:38 am

Author Topic: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...  (Read 22809 times)

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r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #45 on: August 02, 2019, 11:33:25 pm »
0
Also I just watched your video, and as it turns out we basically have the same first name, what is this lol

Wait, whaaat, that is the strangest coincidence  ;D ;D ;D
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Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #46 on: August 25, 2019, 08:19:46 pm »
+11
Hey y'all,

Hope everyone is doing well! I'm procrastinating at the moment, so why not update y'all on what's been happening ;D ;D ;D

So... trials had just finished. Last week Tuesday to be exact. I took a break on Tuesday night, studied a bit on Wednesday and procrastinated on Thursday. Actually ended up doing good work on Friday, but this weekend was totally wasted to be honest. Trials had made me realise how behind I actually was at everything, and that I needed to spend more time studying than procrastinating. However, here I am, procrastinating away...

Hopefully this will end soon. I really want to get back to full-time study, and I really need to. The biggest blessing I have received from trials is that I am BEHIND, and I need to run in order to push my mark into the band 6 range.

Now, in terms of marks, below are some of my trial marks and my experiences with it:
Maths 2U: 84.5/100, not too sure about rank but high up there. I have worked hard for this one, at least the day before ;D, doing at least 4 trial papers. The paper was from western region (my school is not catholic) so I just worked on working from 2018 WME to 2014 WME. I also screen-shot the mistakes I made with each paper into a document, and it ended up (kind of) pushing my mark up a bit. Would have definitely got high 90's with no silly mistakes, and I think the reason I did this was because of no sleep ;D.
Chemistry: 82/100, this paper was NEAP. Again, could have got 96 (I actually calculated it) if omitting the silly mistakes. This exam really frustrated me. I would have done so well if I actually had some sleep, since I slept late and woke up at 4 AM to study for this exam.
Maths X1: 51/70, top rank ;D ;D ;D. I am really happy with this one, considering it was CSSA. While some questions I should have gotten right, I felt with the effort I put in, this can be considered a good mark, albeit not great. I ended up scoring shit in multiple choice (4/10!) but good in section 2. Again, silly mistakes due to lack of sleep, so I definitely could have done better.
Physics: Surprisingly good exam, not CSSA but my teacher combined some trials as we have not covered the entire course as yet. Scored 18/20 for multiple choice, so that's a plus. I felt extended response was a bit too easy, definitely easier than the half-yearly. Overall, I think this is a kind exam and I. think the only reason to lose marks would be silly mistakes.
Ancient History: Meh, it went alright except for society, totally trashed that section ;D.
Science Extension: It didn't count to my assessment mark so I didn't end up caring a lot for it. I did try my best, but I felt with preparation I could have done better.
Advanced English: I was dreading to write this part. I don't know how I went, but judging from the comprehension section, I didn't do too well. I am really really worried about this exam, so let's see how it goes.

Overall, trials have been a blessing since they have taught me the value of good sleep, but also to just exemplify how behind I am in each of my subjects. I'm currently in a dilemma: I want to do hard work but I just can't. I guess I am kind of burnt out, but that should not be an excuse for not doing work. I need to work at pushing myself and keeping focus on my end goal.

I find myself not wanting to put effort in things I would have done so previously, so I need to research about it and fix it up pretty soon. I'l let you guys know how it goes :).

I will update soon, anyone have any suggestions for the dilemma above? Would love to hear some new approaches ;D

Peaceeee,

R1ckworthy.
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

Bri MT

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #47 on: August 26, 2019, 07:54:40 am »
+5
Congrats on getting through trials!

If you're 'a bit burnt out' (and I suspect that that is the case) taking some time to manage that is being productive & not an excuse. The study guilt is hard to ignore - especially if you're behind - but focusing on your wellbeing is going to help you be more efficient in catching up later.

As you've learnt sleep is important for your academic performance.  It's also important for your emotional regulation, self dicipline & learning.  You're probably going to struggle with going to sleep early enough given your late night studying so I'd encourage you to prioritise things like exercise that will help you get enough sleep & also improve your wellbeing.

Taking care of yourself isn't a cop out; it's important

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #48 on: August 26, 2019, 04:07:28 pm »
+6
Congrats on getting through trials!

If you're 'a bit burnt out' (and I suspect that that is the case) taking some time to manage that is being productive & not an excuse. The study guilt is hard to ignore - especially if you're behind - but focusing on your wellbeing is going to help you be more efficient in catching up later.

As you've learnt sleep is important for your academic performance.  It's also important for your emotional regulation, self dicipline & learning.  You're probably going to struggle with going to sleep early enough given your late night studying so I'd encourage you to prioritise things like exercise that will help you get enough sleep & also improve your wellbeing.

Taking care of yourself isn't a cop out; it's important

That is true, I should carve out some time for self-help. Now that I'm thinking about it, I guess that is one of the things that is stopping me from reaching my potential. I find there is often a misbalance in my productivity:, if you know what I mean: work light or not at all during the first few weeks or so of school and then going more than full throttle when exams are approaching. I think I need to work on being consistent and being satisfied with doing a little bit each day, even if I don't see immediate results.
And yeah, it was pretty hard to get to sleep early. I went to bed at 10:30 yesterday and woke up at 6:30, but I have been feeling tired and irritable. I suspect this only lasts for a few days though.

Thanks so much for the comment Bri MT! I'm glad I have this reminder now just before any major burn out sesh happens again ;D ;D ;D
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #49 on: September 02, 2019, 11:17:45 pm »
+2
The following is inspired from Kurzgesagt’s video ‘The Egg’. It’s kind of silly, but here you go.
You might want to listen to this song while you read. Enjoy. I’m pretty sure I’ll be cringing at it in a few days. I certainly don’t believe what I have written, but I think it’s nice.

Spoiler
You look up to the stars. They are very beautiful.

They sparkle and blink here and there. You see one star, almost red.

It’s starts to blink. It blinks even more. And more so. Blinking so fast, it disappears.

The stars around it start to blink. And start to disappear.

One by one. They start to disappear.

Soon enough, almost like a wave, the bright spots begin to vanish.

You are before a dark sky.

You seem to be floating in mid air. You can’t see a thing.

You feel submerged. Suddenly, a faint white spot appears above you.

You pretend to swim, reaching out for it with your tiny hands.

You hold your breath. As you reach the top, the dark begins to transform into white.

You take in a deep breath.

Land begins to form underneath your feet.

Clouds begin to form around you.

Eventually, you see a dirt ball rise up.

Some blue appears, and eventually covers 70% of it.

Soon enough, spots of green start to appear. You decide to take a closer look.

Some small creatures wiggle out of nowhere. You help them move a bit.

Soon enough, they transform into fishes. Into fishes, and so on. You know how the rest of it goes.

Eventually, it becomes you.

It becomes you.

A perfect, unspoiled version of you.

No longer held back. You begin to admire the eyes of this creature.

You see it wisp into a tiny space. You reach out for it.

Your hands immediately transform and fade into that spot.

You lie in bed, opening your eyes.

Staring out a small hole out of a window, you see a star blinking.

Eventually, it disappears. The next star starts to blink.

It disappears, and so a wave of bright spots begin to vanish.

You go through the process once again. And again. And again.

The perfect you lies before your eyes. And fades before your eyes.

You reach out for it.

You lie in bed, your eyes opening.

You watch the stars blink.

You feel yourself letting go. Of what, you don’t know.

You feel your muscles relax.

The process repeats itself, and the perfect you fades to dust.

Finally, your eyes open.

You eventually let out a smile.

The stars no longer blink.

They continue to shine.

You look out, and smile.

They continue to shine.

They continue to shine.
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

caffinatedloz

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #50 on: September 03, 2019, 05:24:19 pm »
+1
This is beautiful! Certainly goes great with some background music ;D

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #51 on: September 04, 2019, 11:11:55 pm »
+12
Hey y'all,

Thought I should update y'all on what's happening. Got some marks back:

Physics: 94%, TOP RANK!!!! Honestly, this was the exam I was most relaxed for in a way due to consistency learning the content throughout the year. I should say that other classmates and I agreed the exam paper to be very kind to the class so I guess I should ramp up my preparation and not let this result get to my head and make me relax.
Ancient History: 81-82%, not sure on that because my teacher told me my mark was 80 and afterwards added 1-2 marks after reviewing it again. Honestly, I was kind of lucky and I really need to ramp up my preparation. I am really confident that I will score highly in the externals if I memorise all the content, so we will see how it goes. This exam was also annoying as I scored almost full marks for the core and essay section, but dropped marks in the short answers in society and personality sections. Rank is up there though, so I am not worrying as much. I need to get memorising!

That's all my trial marks, except for advanced english and science extension. I am okay with most of my marks, considering no 70's except maths  X1 (but again, not too worried as I have top rank but need to work my ass off ;D). I have a feeling that I will perform waaaay better in the HSC, and that my internals will drag me down. I am not trying to focus on marks right now though, just the system and habits through which I will earn those marks ;D.

My science extension major research project is due next Wednesday, and I really need to get ramping on it. I have everything I need, I just need to dedicate time and start writing! My plan is to dedicate a day out of the weekend as well as school time here and there.

My plan of attack for the HSC is as follows: Upto graduation, my aim is to cover all content effectively and at a deep level. This applies for humanities, english and science subjects. I hope to go through the content before the 26th of September (which is when I graduate), and so have the knowledge required to do past papers. In the three weeks before the HSC, my hope is to do as many past papers as possible for all my subjects. As well as that, I hope to start every morning in the holidays with reviewing content, and doing past papers in the afternoon and evening. The weekend and days before the English HSC is when I will focus my attention on english.

I have focussed this preparation on reviewing the content as actively as possible. I hope to write a series of questions for each chapter of my science subjects on google sheets. The first column will be questions and the next column will be answers. I will change the font colour of the answers so they are white and then I will try to go through all of them everyday day or so. I will colour code each question after writing the answer, depending on how much I recalled the information. My goal is to get all the questions to be colour-coded green ;D. BTW this is inspired from Ali Abdaal, in case you didn’t know  ;D. My plan for ancient history is to just physically write out information in the form of essay/ answer plans, and then try and memorise them effectively.

Here's the next big problem: studying for advanced english. I am so frustrated with english right now, and I am not sure on how to study for it. I hope to go through all my texts once more before graduation, but I would love if anyone could suggest ways in which I could develop a deeper amount of understanding and knowledge for the texts. It's very frustrating, and I am not sure how to prepare for it, would love if someone could chip in and suggest something.



Something weird happened on Tuesday.

So a bit of context: I have been heavily involved my my school's drama club since year 7, and last year was my final year. At first it was a bit like woah, last drama club but I did not feel anything particularly memorable or remarkable. Gave the kids a year below us some hugs at the end of the production, got a photo with the teachers who directed the play as well as other teachers and then we took some selfies. It did not feel like a big deal.

However, a few weeks ago, my english teacher (who co-directs the plays) asked me to act as a principal in a short film clip, as they could not get anyone else to do it.

Fast-forward to this week, and I came Monday afternoon, feeling a little bit anxious. The teacher who is responsible for the film sections was not available, so they asked me to come back on Tuesday afternoon. Okay, so no big deal so far.

Then comes Tuesday afternoon. I kept thinking of how I would act here and there during the day (1 or 2 times) and then went over to the hall where they are preparing. The teacher told me to change, and I swapped out my tie and coat. She also told me to comb my hair (as I have not cut it in a while) and so I went to the hair and makeup area (literally a classroom) to borrow a comb. To be honest, I was expecting them to be like hey, you missed us didn't you or welcome back or something like that but I guess they were too caught up in the madness that ensues 2 days before production (and it was a bit selfish of me). So I went down with a group of actors and the teachers to the office, and we shot two scenes first before mine. I helped around a bit, holding some stuff. And then, the teacher hands me their phone to read over my section and I try to grasp a general understanding and tone of my character (oooh, serious stuff ;D), while also trying to memorise my lines. So we went into the room and I did what I was supposed to do. The phone was hidden behind a pile of papers before me so I could review the lines while still being in character. It was shot in one-take, breakneck speed. After the teacher shot two takes, they said," Alright, we're done here."
I respond "We're done?"
They respond "we're done."

So I stood up, walked out, said bye to the group and went back to the hall. Near the bathroom, I changed back to my coat and tie and walked back to the hair and makeup area, where I returned the comb. As I walked out, a teacher asked how did it go and I said it went alright and I walked away to the library.



It feels very weird. Very, very weird. The moment that teacher said we're done signalled the end of my involvement with drama club. Thinking about it for the last two days, I guess I am now finished with drama club. This acting and being someone else other than myself had been a huge part of my entire life, where I fully immerse myself into characters and forget myself in the process. I have been involved with it since year 7, stumbling on it by accident in year 6, and I can say that it has been a huge part of my life. I guess I was mainly passionate about acting and I worked hard as hell for each role ;D. The nerves before walking out on stage, feeling (sorry for swearing) fucking amazing as you show off what you have worked so hard for... I guess they are now gone as soon as that teacher said we're done.

Obviously, I'm making this waaay too melodramatic but man, does it feel weird. I don't feel emotional, or angry, or pleased, or nostalgic. I just feel weird, finishing up something that has been an integral part of my life. And sure, I can go and try out for major theatrical productions but it just won't be the same anymore. Here's a quick story: I was acting as Grumio in the taming of the shrew, and I had to advertise tickets during school assembly, where the whole school meets up. I walked down the aisle singing, going waaay out of my comfort zone, and then a few minutes into the whole thing and I dab in front of the whole school. I caused (sorry for swearing) a fucking riot, and it felt great ;D. Those kind of experiences I will never get back.

It feels so weird right now. I guess it will feel even weirder during graduation, but I'll wait till that happens.

So there you go. I have finished one chapter out of my life, and am now moving onto the next.

I'll update y'all in a couple of days.

Peace,

R1ckworthy.
« Last Edit: September 04, 2019, 11:25:12 pm by r1ckworthy »
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

DrDusk

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #52 on: September 04, 2019, 11:35:33 pm »
+2

Physics: 94%, TOP RANK!!!! Honestly, this was the exam I was most relaxed for in a way due to consistency learning the content throughout the year. I should say that other classmates and I agreed the exam paper to be very kind to the class so I guess I should ramp up my preparation and not let this result get to my head and make me relax.
Well done ;)  that's what we all like to see

Bri MT

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #53 on: October 03, 2019, 04:43:03 pm »
+1
Any news on the next chapter so far? :)

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #54 on: October 03, 2019, 04:48:33 pm »
+7
Any news on the next chapter so far? :)

Mega post coming tonight! Posting this here so I actually do it ;D
Thanks Bri MT for the reminder!
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #55 on: October 03, 2019, 11:04:52 pm »
+11
Yeet, let's update ;D


Okay, so I left with writing about my drama club experience. Well, I did not go to the production as I was working on my science project for science extension, so I am hoping to buy a DVD of it at the end of the year, but the reception was pretty good. Everyone came up to me and congratulated me, so I'm glad everyone liked it. My family went to drama club and they loved it, so that's nice too :).

Let's get some marks out of the way first.

Advanced English: 75. I am so worried. This year's CSSA paper was also easy in my opinion so I am very worried about my HSC mark for english. I have been thinking of my problem, and I think I just need to bring more complexity and more control over language in my essays. That's why for the past week of holidays I have been working on essay plans, as I am redefining my ideas to make it more refined, complex and nuanced. This next week I am hoping to write some essays with some practice exams I have obtained from my tutor, so that should go alright. My rank is 4 or 5 out of 15 so it's alright.
Science Extension: 38/50. Honestly, feel pretty okay about this mark since I did not fully study for this exam. First rank out of two students, so yeah.

To be honest, I am trying to put these marks aside and just focus on studying. Below is what I am doing for each subject right now:

Advanced English: Essay plans and summarising scholarly articles for mod b. Honestly, I feel that this is what I should be doing now. Get my ideas to a complex and organised level without everything being all over the place. I have been rewriting, rewriting and thinking of paragraphs for my module essays, especially mod A. My goal is to finish refined and final essays plans for each of my modules by monday. Afterwards, I am going to work on past papers. I have obtained some trials from my tutors as well as tons of questions from my teacher so I should cover that. I am thinking of having an english session with my physics tutor, who scored pretty well in English and said he could help me with english so that's that. I have been focussing way too much on module A so I hope to get that finished by tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Maths (2U+3U): Right now, I would just begin a past paper and do questions that initially I am doubtful off. Every other question I would usually verbalise on how to do in my head and so I skip over that. If I could not do that question, I would look back at the answers, see the first step of the solution and then go back and try to do the problem myself. This is working good for me right now, so I plan to finish from 2010 to 2018 for all papers doing that method. I should do two fully timed papers next week for each subject. I am also going to review every question I got wrong or had no idea on what to do during the weekend, so that I don't forget. These questions I miss would also form as a question bank that I would do before the HSC so that should be that.

Physics + Chemistry:I have done two full papers in the past two days and it has been really beneficial, but it really has been taking a toll on my energy. For example, yesterday I completed a chemistry paper in the morning with full energy, only to be slumped and dead whilst doing a physics paper in the afternoon. So, I have adopted the approach I have for maths and do papers while checking the answers. I am now remarking my paper and it has been so helpful. Learning from a band 6 answer has been so useful, as I could see straightway how to structure answers and what band 6 students answer questions to gain full marks. What I did today is see the mistakes I made the previous day when I did the exam and do the question again, checking to see if the answer has really stuck. If not, I review the answer again and learn off of it. Whilst I have a desire to complete as many papers for science, I feel there is absolutely no point if you attempt a whole bunch of papers and not review them in detail. The last two days I have frantically tried to attempt full papers and try to mark them in detail in the same day, but it just didn't work. The approach I am taking right now not only makes me learn the content but also see straightaway my mistakes and what I am doing that is keeping me from getting a good mark. I hope to work hard and complete as many papers in this way over the next few weeks.

Ancient History:My teacher is a HSC marker and so knows how to get a good mark. She has given us a timetable where we summarise a given amount of content per day and answer questions. Honestly, I have tried doing this for the past few days but it hasn't really worked for me. I know it would be fully ingrained in my brain due to a past experience. Last year, I spent a tonne of time summarising preliminary biology, using pretty colours and working really hard on my notes. But by the time the exam rolled around, I got a 70-80 mark because I had not used my time to answer past paper questions. So from now, I am going to fully dedicate my ancient history study time to just writing up answers, open or closed book. I would first attempt the question without any reference, and then look back on the book and craft my answer again. I think this will be the best approach to take now.

Science Extension: This subject. No past papers, no resources, NOTHING since this is a new course. My plan is to just write notes. Since it's a computer exam, I am going to write notes underneath the syllabus dot-point on a computer. I am just going to try and understand everything as much as possible, especially the statistics module and apply my knowledge to scientific papers. My teacher had suggested that I write notes and see how scientific research reports apply all the knowledge I have learned. I have not done any study for this subject so I hope to get started tomorrow or as soon as possible.

So that's my plan for each of my subjects. It's a lot, but I have been getting it done. Ever since Monday, I have been on a routine where I begin at 8AM no matter what and work in 50 minute sessions with a ten minute break in between. After four sessions, I take a 30-45 minute break eating lunch, watching TV and so on. I have been slacking off during the evening though, ending up in me not accomplishing as much for subjects like ancient history and science extension. I hope to get on board pretty quickly. I have been studying at least 8 hours per day which to my standards is amazing. I have never been as studious before this holidays, where I meticulously record my time. I have been using the app forest as a timer and it is pretty solid. I hope to become more productive in the next few days. I don't think I will burn out since I have those ten minute breaks, but I have been feeling slumped in the evening and night. I think I will walk my dog or do some sort of exercise to fix that issue though ;D.

Mannn, that's long!

Let me update y'all on what has happened since trials. My science extension project was due so I had that done. I first made a full science report without the word limits that science extension requires, and entered that into a competition known as Young Scientist. My school is known for entering and winning many places in that competition, and I had won a sponsored award back in year 10 for a science project I did so my teacher required these projects to be entered as well. That took some time, and it dragged on. It was pretty hard and ate up some of my study time which was not good. I had finally gotten that done and uploaded before 12 PM (got it in at 7PM). I reached a stage where I was just so tired with the project that I just uploaded it and finished it off. It was a similar experience to what martinstran had with his PIP (check out his journal!) and so that was that. I then worked in the next few days to cut it down to the 3000 word limit (I had 6000 words!) so got it down to 3200 words. My teacher and I didn't bother much with it because we thought the word limit would be flexible :), so I finished it up the day before it needed to be in. However, at night while I was getting started on some english work, I received a call. It was an unknown number so I was a bit hesitant but picked it up and guess who? My teacher! He said I had to come back to school as well as the other science extension student to cut it down to 3000 words. It was a small job, but I eventually cut it down to 2800 or something words. We then got it out of the way.

What else? I also submitted my JCU application for medicine. I put a lot of heart into this application as I really like the rural focus of JCU's medicine program. I sent it to my headmaster (my school is small so my headmaster acts as our career advisor), and he said he really liked my application as well. I had been procrastinating on it for some weeks, but I sat down one sunday night (week before it was due) and smashed it out. I also got some letters of recommendation from my principal and two teachers. One teacher was my drama club teacher whom I had worked with in drama club and film club (that is a story for another time!) and the other teacher was my science extension teacher, whom I had worked with all year on my project. I had chosen these two teachers to show my extracurricular and academic side, so that was that. I got it all checked by my headmaster, and posted it last Friday via express post. I do not expect at all to get an offer as my ATAR prediction is too low (95.95). I also don't want to go interstate as well so I am hoping in a way to not get an interview offer. In fact, I know I won't since my ATAR is too low ;D, but it was nice writing that application though ;D.

Another thing is my graduation experience. Over the past two weeks, we as a yr12 class had been filming for our final Yr12 ceremony video. I was going to be the primary editor, but as you all know, me and the two other guys behind this project left it all to the last minute. So in a final rush to get it done, I came to my friend's house on wednesday (graduation was thursday- we had to get it done!) after school. We discussed a lot about the film and edited through the whole night. The main main guy (the director of the film, as it were) left at 12 AM and I stayed up until 3 with my friend chipping it away. We had done all the main sequences, but he was too smashed and so went to bed. I kept going, frantically trying to get it done until 5 AM. It was a thrilling experience though, I had never been so awake during 3 AM as much as that night ;D. I finished off the video and my dad came and picked me up at 5 AM. He wanted me to be at home since this was going to be my last day of school and so I edited till the morning. I ran it off the director when we all came together in the morning, and we showed it to the class. They seem to like it, I am not too sure. I had two strong coffees by the time we showed it to the class, and even then I was way too tired. We then started to go off to classes, but then I had to stay back to setup up the whole video presentation, so I ended up not going to all the classes. Now that I look back, I kind of wish I did but someone had to stay back, or otherwise the video would not work, and that someone had unluckily had to be me. Even though I had missed out on what some would call the graduation experience, since I was rushing back and forth to get this video off my back, I am kind of glad because I had never been involved in something so much. I don't know, but that was the year 12 experience.

Afterwards, I came back home with my family. My sister was really disappointed that I could not come to her class (since I was busy with the video) so we ended up talking. I think we bonded so much during that afternoon that, in a way, makes me kind of glad I was busy with the video since I could have that experience, if that makes sense. Afterwards I took a nap, woke up, changed into a suit and went to my yr12 formal. My school's formal was pretty fancy, and I had a really good discussion with some teachers that night. We did not dance or anything like that, we ate dinner, talked a lot, and then each of us stood up to give a present to a teacher and talk about our experiences with the school as a whole. The teachers also talked, and they said that they were going to miss it. Thinking about it now, it is kind of weird to think that I will go no longer go to the classroom, yell good morning to my chemistry teacher (who is always there in the morning), sit down at a computer and just do random stuff as my classmates walk in. But anyways that was that ;D.

The Saturday afterwards was a birthday party for one of my friends. I first went to the english ATARNotes lecture in the morning, where Emily gave us some amazing advice. Unfortunately, I was a bit zoned out as a result of that all-nighter but it was a pretty valuable experience. I will not forget the peptalk Emily gave us of why she worked hard during the holidays. It was really inspiring, and if anyone from the ATARnotes lecture or tutesmart team is reading this, please convey on how that peptalk really changed the way I view work and HSC. Doing it for myself instead of my parents, ambition or that kind of stuff and just purely doing it for myself is a viewpoint I had not really thought about, and it really did change my game. That was awesome, and I am glad I attended the lecture!

Anyways, that night was the birthday party. I was initially not going to go, but later during the day I thought it would be rude if I did not show up. The party started at 6 and ended at midnight. I thought that I would do some sort of study and go at 8 PM, stirring up an agreement with my parents that I will spend 1.5 hrs there. At first it was a bit boring. I danced here and there, talked with one of my friends, and just roamed around. I then started talking to a particular girl, and then we decided to go dance. Some other girls joined us and it was so much fun. It was kind of breaking my comfort zone, since I would not have imagined dancing a few years back. But now dancing and that too with anyone had shown me that I had actually grown as an individual, as strange as that may sound. Back then, I was alway shy, especially of girls, as embarrassing as that sounds ;D. But to actually be relaxed, not shy and be an actual grown up is a remarkable achievement in terms of my personal growth, and I am so glad I did it. We danced the whole night, with little to know breaks. Some classmates of mine were kind of surprised at my doing so, as I would be reserved at school. But they all embraced it, and I embraced it, and I had a hell of a night ;D.

So there's an update. There's some stuff going on right now dominating my thoughts, so I'll do a braindump tomorrow or in the next few days just to get it out of my system. Almost 2800 words this update, probably my longest post yet!

I'm gonna go bed, and I'll update tomorrow with some stuff dominating my thoughts. Hope y'all enjoyed it!

Peaceeee,

R1ckworthy.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2019, 03:03:53 pm by r1ckworthy »
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

Bri MT

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #56 on: November 03, 2019, 03:44:47 pm »
+1
Any updates? :)

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #57 on: November 03, 2019, 03:50:54 pm »
+5
Any updates? :)

Haha, will update tomorrow after my maths X1 exam ;D.

Teeeny update: I have been procrastinating. A lot.
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #58 on: November 04, 2019, 10:03:56 pm »
+10
Hey all,

Feeling a bit crushed by the maths extension 1 exam (not anymore), so I'll do a full in-depth update next week monday :).

So I have chemistry on thursday and physics on monday. My plan is to go through the Atarnotes topic tests first in depth and then do as many trials as I possibly can for both subjects. However, I have been procrastinating so much the past 2 weeks, so we'll see how that goes.

Right now, I'm procrastinating on chemistry by reading up the wiki article on string theory. Pretty cool stuff, but as you can see, not relevant to the course at all :)

I have a ton of plans after HSC. First is to read some books, learn advanced physics and chemistry, learn LATEX and make mock exams for physics and chemistry (maybe maths!), using latex to write these exams. I probably will prepare on tutoring stuff for chemistry and physics as well, such as notes, module tests (hopefully to upload on atarnotes as well for all!!!). I also want to write some science extension exams, so we'll see how that goes. Also want to go to the gym daily, been eating too much junkfood in this exam period :P

Tutoring is inclined on what marks I get, so we'll see how I go. Honestly, I can understand why, but I am going to go for it anyways since I love to teach. Especially maths, I hope to relearn a whole lot of stuff at a deeper level in the holidays for tutoring and making practice exams. I think without the pressure of the hsc, I will be able to relearn topics at a deeper level, and so be able to teach other students. I hope to tutor students that are not high achievers but rather students who are struggling a lot, especially in maths + sciences.  As well as that, I would like to go out with friends, watch movies, all that jazz :).

I'll probably use this journal for updates in the holiday as well (why not ;D) until results day. Right now, I hope to achieve a 90 ATAR, which I am confident on gaining, as I have procrastinated a lot in the HSC period. With a 90 ATAR, I'll get 8 extra atar points from Australian Catholic University ( 3pts for a band 5pts in physics, chem or english + 5 for being located in the area!), from which I'll hopefully get into physio. From there, I hope to solidify good habits and earn a solid GPA, using that to either transfer to undergraduate medicine in the next couple of years (provided I do well on my UCAT) or attempt to gain a place in postgrad med. Either way, getting into physio will be great ;D. I am not too happy with the ATAR I will achieve, since I had placed high expectations on myself. But I am glad to have gone through year 12, or else I would never have learned such valuable lessons. University is going to be really hard but if I can set myself up in good habits (which I did not do in yr12) then hopefully I can start the path to good grades.

Overall, unhappy that these HSC exams are not going too well for me :(. But now I understand why, and how I can prevent future exams from going awry ;D.

Like I said, all of this will be explored much further next week (probably in a video)!!!

Peaceeeee,
R1ckworthy ;D
« Last Edit: November 04, 2019, 10:07:46 pm by r1ckworthy »
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!

r1ckworthy

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Re: The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update...
« Reply #59 on: November 08, 2019, 08:47:43 pm »
+11
Hey y'all!

Procrastinating on studying for physics so why not a journal entry ;D

So, what's new, you ask?

I now want to go to Western Sydney University to study physiotherapy, for a couple of reasons. Mostly that I am more attracted to a larger uni, while ACU is a smaller uni. As well as that, I would also like to transfer into wsu medicine in the next couple of years (if I get a good UCAT!) so I guess it would be easier?

But alas, due to these HSC exams, I might not be able to get an ATAR > 95 and thus be unable to get into physio at all. This freaked me out one night (night before chemistry!), and put me on edge. However, I quickly reminded myself that physio is not my goal at all. The end goal of all this is to become a doctor, so whatever I do, I should put in the hard work and see what happens ;D

My backup choice would be advanced science at UNSW (or USYD, but unlikely). While it requires a 95 ATAR, I'll get some extra ATAR points that would allow me to get into the course (due to my subjects). Majoring in neuroscience is a real possibility, looking at the different subjects and everything has really attracted me to this major. All subjects sound so interesting, and is the kind of thing that captures my attention. We'll see how it goes!

Also made some plans after HSC. Below is what I would like to do (in decreasing priority):
(1) Join the Gym and go everyday (made a bet with my sister so I have to go everyday!)
(2) Make HSC revision videos. This is what excites me a lot. I hope to get an iPad pro with apple pencil in the upcoming weeks for uni, so I will use that to teach particular concepts that are hard to understand EG. Back and precipitation titrations, gravimetric analysis calculations, spectroscopy questions in chemistry etc. etc. As well as that, I hope to use this channel as a way to document my university journey, so think of it as a study/ revision youtube channel. Got a lot of plans to execute, which I will do in the holidays ;D
(3) Make a game plan for university. Now having gone through year 12, I now understand how I can learn most effectively. I'll probably talk about it in a post after the physics exam.
(4) Read some books. Will let you know which ones!
(5) Hang out with friends and stuff. Explanatory.

Obviously there are more, but I will go into each one in more detail in the next few days (after the physics HSC). Honestly, no matter what degree I choose or what ATAR I get, I am so excited for the future!

Be back after the physics hsc ;D

Peaceeeee,

R1ckworthy.
HSC 2019: English Advanced || Mathematics || Mathematics Extension 1 || Physics || Chemistry || Science Extension || Ancient History ||

Bachelor of Physiotherapy @ ACU

The Yr12 journey- a diary I "hope" to update... || Halfway through Year 12... lessons I've learned so far. || Check out my youtube channel!