rumbleroar
Survivor of the HSC
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2011
- Messages
- 2,271
- Gender
- Female
- HSC
- 2014
Hi all!
So I've been seeing a few threads popping up related to the year 11 to year 12 transition and having just completed trials and having experienced the exhaustive rollercoaster known as year 12 (which is still going...as of this post haha) I wanted to impart some advice for year 11s as they make the leap I made about last year into year 12
This is more or less an extension of a similar thread I started last year iirc. Hope you guys find it helpful!
I'm pretty sure this will be a long post, so the "key" sections are:
1. Subject selections
2. Managing time - balancing EC's, study and social life (yes they exist!!)
3. Approaching year 12
Also, the jump from year 11 to 12 isn't as dramatic as its made out to be - yes, the work definitely intensifies, but you need to keep in mind everyone else is going to experience the same. Don't let that affect you. The more you keep cool (but do not get complacent!) and don't let anxiety affect you, the better.
1. SUBJECT SELECTIONS
This was one of the most tricky things I found during my transition into the most senior years of high school because to put simply, I didn't know what subjects to drop. Of course I wanted to drop English Advanced, but that's compulsory (boo), and wanted to pick up extension 2 maths but nobody in their right mind wants to do 13 units for the HSC.
For people that are in the same position I was, the best way to approach this, for me, was to draw up a table and evaluate the positives and negatives of keeping the subjects I was deliberating between. I looked at scaling, the HSC marks I could achieve, my enjoyability of the subject, consequences of keeping the subject (i.e. do I have to do extra tutoring), teachers (you have no idea how much difference a teacher makes between enjoying and hating a subject) and interest in the content.
Often, its more clear cut, i.e. you're doing well in 10 units so drop the 2 dead ones, but for me, my performance was more or less the same across all my subjects. In the end, the defining factor was enjoyability of the subject. I don't regret my choice and I think its also something you need to think about with your subjects - will you regret dropping it or will it feel like you've been set free from its chains (of rote learning)?
For people not looking at picking up extensions and just wanting to drop from 12 to 10, there are the obvious benefits and risks associated with both. The biggest one is the notorious "safety net". Personally, I don't really believe in the concept of a safety net unless you're really good at all 12 units and honestly cannot decide what to drop. If there are 2 units you are performing miserably in, drop it!! Theoretically, all the time you have gained from dropping extra 2 units (about 7 hours a fortnight + extra study time) can be spent to better your other subjects. You honestly do not want to realise this and drop before trials, where you have done pretty much most of your assessments. It will just feel like a big fat waste of time.
Also, I know a lot of people's choices are partially influenced by family, peers and school admin (my school sometimes does not let you drop subjects). I think you should take their concerns with a bit of consideration, but ultimately you should make the final choice. Your mum or dad might be pressuring you to not drop physics or whatever, but if you know its going to drag you down, drop it, because at the end of the day, its your HSC, not theirs.
tl;dr: do the subjects you enjoy most (if you're going to go through the HSC, at least make your year of suffering somewhat enjoyable right?) and be confident in your choice (no regrets!)
2. MANAGING TIME
This is the pitfall of everyone entering year 12. I struggled with this too. Just a bit of background, I have about 6-8 hours of tutoring a week, am part of the SRC and did touch football in the summer and netball in winter. I also went out a lot during the course of my HSC year (TBH, I think HSC was my most socially active year haha - I went to concerts, overseas and quite a few parties/outings throughout the term). It may seem as though HSC is the time where you have to drop your life to devote a year of pure study for getting dat .95, but it should not be that way.
HSC is just another year of school, except your results actually mean something. Don't let that kind of stupid hype (i.e. omfgGG HSCcC bettah study 24/7 no breaks) get in the way of having a life. Actually, having a lot of extra-curricular forces you to manage your time a lot better during year 12 because you learn how to allocate your time to certain things a lot better and devise to-do lists that are more effective. Also, consider your EC's as a break from the study. Even the best HSC machines need a break from time to time!
Of course everyone is different, but this was the time management strategy I used and found it worked for me. You'll need to find your own strategy, because this may not suit your personality, etc. I often looked at my week, blocked out days where I had stuff on and worked around that schedule. That meant that my schedule changed weekly. I also prioritised my work a lot, which is an extremely useful skill. I would often set out goals of what I wanted to finish each week, so an example of my weekly to do list would look a little bit like:
- Finish dot point notes for X, Y, Z
- Finish exercise # for maths
- Finish this section of my body of work
- Compile notes for X chapter of English text
By setting out little "milestone" type of goals, it makes the concept of studying more manageable and less overwhelming. Don't set out vague goals like "english study" because what does that really mean? Another skill in crafting to-do lists is to make them specific and manageable (don't make them overly specific like each task is 1 question of an exercise because that's counterproductive haha)
Generally, in terms of structuring how you study, the subjects you are most confident in should be done last, whereas subjects you're not too great at, should have the most amount of time dedicated at. This ensures your performance is more consistent, which is quite vital if you think about ranks, etc. But I know the feels of not wanting to do certain subjects so try and reward yourself a bit after you finish a chunk of study for the subject you don't like.
Also, since I commuted a lot, I did a lot of my work on the train, so on some days I would finish a past paper on my way to school haha (but I only did this in lead up to exams. Usually, I sleep haha)
In preparation for exams, just a week before, I would drop a lot of my commitments and focus on my study if I found it necessary to. It's much better than dropping all of your EC's all at once.
tl;dr: keep EC's and somewhat of a social life - remember, HSC is another year, not a reason to forgo having a life! Also find time management strategies that work for you, as everyone is different.
3. APPROACHING YEAR 12
Now the more logistical things have been covered, approaching the HSC with the right mentality is extremely important. I would definitely suggest any year 11 to take the break between year 11 and 12 as a real break, not a time to finish all the syllabi in two weeks. Why?
a. You need to go into year 12 refreshed. You don't want to go into year 12 extremely tired and unable to absorb content. That places you at a significant disadvantage.
b. It's probably one of the last "real" breaks you'll have before HSC - the ones after will have study related things in there somehow.
c. Enjoy yourself! You'll be in a much better mood when you enter year 12 and help shape a more positive mentality towards your final year of high school.
A lot of people say "the HSC is a marathon", and it's true. There have been times where I thought I honestly cannot keep going but somehow, some academic monster emerges from within and demolishes (or got demolished by) those English essays and math past papers. Remember to pace yourself and work hard at the right times. Do not go crazy after the first day - of course its fine to learn ahead, but only if you're really up for it. I honestly don't recommend going all out in the first week because it gets extremely draining and only go for it when it really counts (i.e. a week or two before assessments). Never create unnecessary stress for yourself.
Also, you run the risk of burning out if you push yourself too much. I did burn out at one point, and realised any time I feel the stress is too much, I take a break. It really helps you re-energise and get back into the groove!
I only ever really "studied" one or two weeks before assessments (by "studied" I mean revision, past papers and excludes learning of new content) because that's when I felt I really needed to. Of course I did little bits throughout the term, i.e. syllabus dot points, etc., but I always found I didn't have enough time to do proper study until the week or two before. You will also find time can sometimes escape you, but you'll always make time to do things Of course everyone is different, so this one or two week "cram" (it is effectively cramming haha) worked for me, but if you're someone who requires constant revision throughout the term, you need to cater for that.
You also need to reward yourself and feel better about doing study. For me, I usually turned to retail therapy or TV. Probably not the best ways to "reward" myself but it made me feel better after studying. Never punish yourself because you don't want to lock yourself into an unconfident and self-deprecating mentality - that will only hinder your performance.
Also, be clear of your goals. Whether it is a university degree, ATAR rank or HSC mark, know what you want from your final high school year. It makes your approach to study more focused and determined. For me, a few of my goals were related to marks, ATAR, ranks and personal achievements and they have guided me throughout the year. You need to have a focused mindset towards the HSC because that kind of intrinsic motivation is something that will keep you going even when things feel kinda shitty and ceebs.
You also need to adopt a more resilient mindset and realise even if you screw up an assessment, it honestly is not the end of the world. A big habit of HSC students (myself included) is overly dramatising unsatisfactory results. You need to realise that its not a defining moment of your life, and people will know you for greater things than a measly maths mark, so things must always be kept into perspective. Yes, the feelings are demoralising, but never, ever let your emotions get the better of you when you have assessments approaching. Speaking from personal experience, emotions are extremely dangerous and the times I did let my emotions overwhelm my rationality, my performance was much poorer than the times I kept it cool.
In terms of exams, I would always say to be relaxed and confident. I did this one assessment block and my results definitely peaked. When your mind is cleared of stress and anxiety, you tend to perform a lot better. I also definitely recommend sleeping a lot more pre-exams so you rest up and are refreshed for the next day. You don't want to be sleep deprived and grouchy on your exam days where you need to be mentally "peaking".
tl;dr: take a break in the holidays pre year 12, take breaks whenever necessary to limit the risk of burning out, adopt a resilient and focused mindset towards the HSC.
Ok that was extremely long and I felt as though I've just published a monologue, but if you guys have any extra questions related to the transition to year 11 and 12 about things I haven't covered, please post or PM! I'll be happy to answer
So I've been seeing a few threads popping up related to the year 11 to year 12 transition and having just completed trials and having experienced the exhaustive rollercoaster known as year 12 (which is still going...as of this post haha) I wanted to impart some advice for year 11s as they make the leap I made about last year into year 12
This is more or less an extension of a similar thread I started last year iirc. Hope you guys find it helpful!I'm pretty sure this will be a long post, so the "key" sections are:
1. Subject selections
2. Managing time - balancing EC's, study and social life (yes they exist!!)
3. Approaching year 12
Also, the jump from year 11 to 12 isn't as dramatic as its made out to be - yes, the work definitely intensifies, but you need to keep in mind everyone else is going to experience the same. Don't let that affect you. The more you keep cool (but do not get complacent!) and don't let anxiety affect you, the better.
1. SUBJECT SELECTIONS
This was one of the most tricky things I found during my transition into the most senior years of high school because to put simply, I didn't know what subjects to drop. Of course I wanted to drop English Advanced, but that's compulsory (boo), and wanted to pick up extension 2 maths but nobody in their right mind wants to do 13 units for the HSC.
For people that are in the same position I was, the best way to approach this, for me, was to draw up a table and evaluate the positives and negatives of keeping the subjects I was deliberating between. I looked at scaling, the HSC marks I could achieve, my enjoyability of the subject, consequences of keeping the subject (i.e. do I have to do extra tutoring), teachers (you have no idea how much difference a teacher makes between enjoying and hating a subject) and interest in the content.
Often, its more clear cut, i.e. you're doing well in 10 units so drop the 2 dead ones, but for me, my performance was more or less the same across all my subjects. In the end, the defining factor was enjoyability of the subject. I don't regret my choice and I think its also something you need to think about with your subjects - will you regret dropping it or will it feel like you've been set free from its chains (of rote learning)?
For people not looking at picking up extensions and just wanting to drop from 12 to 10, there are the obvious benefits and risks associated with both. The biggest one is the notorious "safety net". Personally, I don't really believe in the concept of a safety net unless you're really good at all 12 units and honestly cannot decide what to drop. If there are 2 units you are performing miserably in, drop it!! Theoretically, all the time you have gained from dropping extra 2 units (about 7 hours a fortnight + extra study time) can be spent to better your other subjects. You honestly do not want to realise this and drop before trials, where you have done pretty much most of your assessments. It will just feel like a big fat waste of time.
Also, I know a lot of people's choices are partially influenced by family, peers and school admin (my school sometimes does not let you drop subjects). I think you should take their concerns with a bit of consideration, but ultimately you should make the final choice. Your mum or dad might be pressuring you to not drop physics or whatever, but if you know its going to drag you down, drop it, because at the end of the day, its your HSC, not theirs.
tl;dr: do the subjects you enjoy most (if you're going to go through the HSC, at least make your year of suffering somewhat enjoyable right?
) and be confident in your choice (no regrets!) 2. MANAGING TIME
This is the pitfall of everyone entering year 12. I struggled with this too. Just a bit of background, I have about 6-8 hours of tutoring a week, am part of the SRC and did touch football in the summer and netball in winter. I also went out a lot during the course of my HSC year (TBH, I think HSC was my most socially active year haha - I went to concerts, overseas and quite a few parties/outings throughout the term). It may seem as though HSC is the time where you have to drop your life to devote a year of pure study for getting dat .95, but it should not be that way.
HSC is just another year of school, except your results actually mean something. Don't let that kind of stupid hype (i.e. omfgGG HSCcC bettah study 24/7 no breaks) get in the way of having a life. Actually, having a lot of extra-curricular forces you to manage your time a lot better during year 12 because you learn how to allocate your time to certain things a lot better and devise to-do lists that are more effective. Also, consider your EC's as a break from the study. Even the best HSC machines need a break from time to time!
Of course everyone is different, but this was the time management strategy I used and found it worked for me. You'll need to find your own strategy, because this may not suit your personality, etc. I often looked at my week, blocked out days where I had stuff on and worked around that schedule. That meant that my schedule changed weekly. I also prioritised my work a lot, which is an extremely useful skill. I would often set out goals of what I wanted to finish each week, so an example of my weekly to do list would look a little bit like:
- Finish dot point notes for X, Y, Z
- Finish exercise # for maths
- Finish this section of my body of work
- Compile notes for X chapter of English text
By setting out little "milestone" type of goals, it makes the concept of studying more manageable and less overwhelming. Don't set out vague goals like "english study" because what does that really mean? Another skill in crafting to-do lists is to make them specific and manageable (don't make them overly specific like each task is 1 question of an exercise because that's counterproductive haha)
Generally, in terms of structuring how you study, the subjects you are most confident in should be done last, whereas subjects you're not too great at, should have the most amount of time dedicated at. This ensures your performance is more consistent, which is quite vital if you think about ranks, etc. But I know the feels of not wanting to do certain subjects so try and reward yourself a bit after you finish a chunk of study for the subject you don't like.
Also, since I commuted a lot, I did a lot of my work on the train, so on some days I would finish a past paper on my way to school haha (but I only did this in lead up to exams. Usually, I sleep haha)
In preparation for exams, just a week before, I would drop a lot of my commitments and focus on my study if I found it necessary to. It's much better than dropping all of your EC's all at once.
tl;dr: keep EC's and somewhat of a social life - remember, HSC is another year, not a reason to forgo having a life! Also find time management strategies that work for you, as everyone is different.
3. APPROACHING YEAR 12
Now the more logistical things have been covered, approaching the HSC with the right mentality is extremely important. I would definitely suggest any year 11 to take the break between year 11 and 12 as a real break, not a time to finish all the syllabi in two weeks. Why?
a. You need to go into year 12 refreshed. You don't want to go into year 12 extremely tired and unable to absorb content. That places you at a significant disadvantage.
b. It's probably one of the last "real" breaks you'll have before HSC - the ones after will have study related things in there somehow.
c. Enjoy yourself! You'll be in a much better mood when you enter year 12 and help shape a more positive mentality towards your final year of high school.
A lot of people say "the HSC is a marathon", and it's true. There have been times where I thought I honestly cannot keep going but somehow, some academic monster emerges from within and demolishes (or got demolished by) those English essays and math past papers. Remember to pace yourself and work hard at the right times. Do not go crazy after the first day - of course its fine to learn ahead, but only if you're really up for it. I honestly don't recommend going all out in the first week because it gets extremely draining and only go for it when it really counts (i.e. a week or two before assessments). Never create unnecessary stress for yourself.
Also, you run the risk of burning out if you push yourself too much. I did burn out at one point, and realised any time I feel the stress is too much, I take a break. It really helps you re-energise and get back into the groove!
I only ever really "studied" one or two weeks before assessments (by "studied" I mean revision, past papers and excludes learning of new content) because that's when I felt I really needed to. Of course I did little bits throughout the term, i.e. syllabus dot points, etc., but I always found I didn't have enough time to do proper study until the week or two before. You will also find time can sometimes escape you, but you'll always make time to do things
Of course everyone is different, so this one or two week "cram" (it is effectively cramming haha) worked for me, but if you're someone who requires constant revision throughout the term, you need to cater for that. You also need to reward yourself and feel better about doing study. For me, I usually turned to retail therapy or TV. Probably not the best ways to "reward" myself but it made me feel better after studying. Never punish yourself because you don't want to lock yourself into an unconfident and self-deprecating mentality - that will only hinder your performance.
Also, be clear of your goals. Whether it is a university degree, ATAR rank or HSC mark, know what you want from your final high school year. It makes your approach to study more focused and determined. For me, a few of my goals were related to marks, ATAR, ranks and personal achievements and they have guided me throughout the year. You need to have a focused mindset towards the HSC because that kind of intrinsic motivation is something that will keep you going even when things feel kinda shitty and ceebs.
You also need to adopt a more resilient mindset and realise even if you screw up an assessment, it honestly is not the end of the world. A big habit of HSC students (myself included) is overly dramatising unsatisfactory results. You need to realise that its not a defining moment of your life, and people will know you for greater things than a measly maths mark, so things must always be kept into perspective. Yes, the feelings are demoralising, but never, ever let your emotions get the better of you when you have assessments approaching. Speaking from personal experience, emotions are extremely dangerous and the times I did let my emotions overwhelm my rationality, my performance was much poorer than the times I kept it cool.
In terms of exams, I would always say to be relaxed and confident. I did this one assessment block and my results definitely peaked. When your mind is cleared of stress and anxiety, you tend to perform a lot better. I also definitely recommend sleeping a lot more pre-exams so you rest up and are refreshed for the next day. You don't want to be sleep deprived and grouchy on your exam days where you need to be mentally "peaking".
tl;dr: take a break in the holidays pre year 12, take breaks whenever necessary to limit the risk of burning out, adopt a resilient and focused mindset towards the HSC.
Ok that was extremely long and I felt as though I've just published a monologue, but if you guys have any extra questions related to the transition to year 11 and 12 about things I haven't covered, please post or PM! I'll be happy to answer
