• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

Are free periods beneficial? (1 Viewer)

lyounamu

Reborn
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
9,998
Gender
Male
HSC
N/A
At my school, there are 4 free (or "study") periods per fortnight for students in year 11 who are undergoing only 12 units over conventional 13 units.

Some people at my school would like to take advantage of that, you see. That's why many people chose to do 12 units.

I was just wondering if those free periods are beneficial in some ways that you would be better off doing 12 units because I actually wanted to do 14 units with either Economics or Physics. But I was recommended not to do so. That's why I ended up with 12 units.

Any comment will be appreciated. ;)
 

ccc123

Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
760
Location
In the backwaters of Cherrybrook
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Free periods, if taken advantage of, can be beneficial. The problem is, however, that they are wasted much of the time.

If you would like to take 14 units in yr 11, I would recommend doing so, and then dropping your worst subject/ the subject you dislike the most. If you like/are good at all 14 units, then you could keep them all for yr 12, though this would be a burden considering only 10 of them will be considered for teh calculation of your UAI.
 

Kujah

Moderator
Joined
Oct 15, 2006
Messages
4,736
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Depends on how you use them.

If you use them wisely and efficiently, they'll help give you more study and homework time which allows you have more free time at home.

If you use them to bludge and do nothing all the time , you're just basically wasting valuable periods that could be beneficial towards your exams.
 

Evilo

Active Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Messages
1,617
Location
NA
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
ccc123 said:
Free periods, if taken advantage of, can be beneficial. The problem is, however, that they are wasted much of the time.
Agreed

in 06 (when i did my hsc) i only did 8 hsc units in year 12 (already had done 6 units in previous years). Therefore i had 24 study/free periods over a 2 week period. It became a drain and they became counter productive. I'm probably the extreme of study periods so you know what i mean, but its just became really tiresom and i wouldn't do anywork. Set yourself a goal for each study period and stick to it, otherwise you'll get distracted. One study period a day might be good because you can catch up on work, but when 1/3 or your day is study, it just isnt fun at all.
 

dpospination

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Messages
210
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
yeh, they are good if u use them to good use, but if u just muck around in them, then tey won't help you
 

undalay

Active Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2006
Messages
1,002
Location
Ashfield
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
lyounamu said:
At my school, there are 4 free (or "study") periods per fortnight for students in year 11 who are undergoing only 12 units over conventional 13 units.

Some people at my school would like to take advantage of that, you see. That's why many people chose to do 12 units.

I was just wondering if those free periods are beneficial in some ways that you would be better off doing 12 units because I actually wanted to do 14 units with either Economics or Physics. But I was recommended not to do so. That's why I ended up with 12 units.

Any comment will be appreciated. ;)
In my opinion do 14 units. In year 11 the more subjects you do the better; as you will get a feel of your strengths and weaknesses. The free periods won't matter, as in year 11 not many people do much.
You can also drop a subject if you feel its too much.

In year 12, after completing a year of 14 units, you will know what you enjoy, and what you are good at. You can then drop 1-3 subjects and get alot of free periods. Free periods in year 12 mean alot more then in year 11.
 

Kirsty Xx

That's the price we pay
Joined
Nov 29, 2007
Messages
734
Location
Location? Location?! Intellectu
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
I had six free (study) periods in a fortnight for year 11. Four in one week and two in the next week. They were great to get all that extra work done and all that catch-up work, but then again they were great for just relaxation. It is probably more beneficial to you to have the free periods. At least you'll have that time for whatever you want (it was a great way to relieve stress).
Good luck :)
 

dpospination

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Messages
210
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
at my skool, likewise, if u have study periods, tey are completed under the supervisoin of a teacher, to ensure they are not wasted, which is good :D
 

tommykins

i am number -e^i*pi
Joined
Feb 18, 2007
Messages
5,730
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
I played Tekken 5 on PSP during 80% of my free periods. lol
 

yosemite sam

Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2006
Messages
356
Gender
Female
HSC
2007
I did 8 units in year 12 like Evilo and my free periods (all 21 of them) were both the most productive and the most fun times i had in year 12. Because a whole class of us had a free on one of the lines that lot of frees was primarily wasted but the frees that i had where i sat alone and knuckled down were very productive, especially getting closer to the hsc when there was study aplenty to be done. So if you use them, theyre useful. If you dont, theyre fun. Win/win situation.
 

powerdrive

Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
134
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
our free periods were awesome. both yr 11 and 12, all we did was go down to the courts and play soccer. sometimes we dogged class. once a couple of my friends ran out the back door to escape class. then when the teachers came to look for them they hid in the bushes hahaha
 

spence

Active Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2006
Messages
1,640
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
They're good to relax in. I played cards in basically all my frees. I soon regretted this. Quite surprised I went as well as I did
 

jet

Banned
Joined
Jan 4, 2007
Messages
3,148
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
Haha Im doing 14 units in year 11 this year and i get one free period. I actually didnt expect to get one. Normally noone in year 11 gets one. We have a classroom and a teacher to go to. They are basically our homeroom classes
with a different teacher.
 

Foxodi

Member
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Messages
308
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
Pretty much what everyone else said. They CAN be benefical if you use them correctly, however 60% of the time I wind up procrastinating in them.. and so does 90% of the year (though, 60% of the year would never study in free periods).

I'd say stuff the free periods, if you wanna push yourself, go the 14 units :) Esspecially if its yr 11, then you can cut it down to 12 or w/e in yr 12.
 

timlay

is gonna lawyer you
Joined
Apr 17, 2006
Messages
636
Location
Fobtown
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
from past experiences, no. they probably won't be.

i mean, i haven't really 'studied' or anything when i'm with friends. study groups don't work for me. we always muck around with the free periods. :)

just keep them as a break from the stresses of school :) and get yourself organised...

then go play!
 

cazchik

New Member
Joined
Jan 24, 2008
Messages
9
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
Free periods can be really good if you use them properly., If you really need to finish something they are awesome! But usually they are just a chat session and a break from stress!!!
If you want them to be benificial, find somewhere you are alone and can study.
 

eccentric-one

New Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2007
Messages
16
Location
Sydney
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
Kujah said:
Depends on how you use them.

If you use them wisely and efficiently, they'll help give you more study and homework time which allows you have more free time at home.

If you use them to bludge and do nothing all the time , you're just basically wasting valuable periods that could be beneficial towards your exams.
Very good point! It is all dependant on how you use them as to wether they are beneficial or not!
 

Artemis.

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2006
Messages
209
Gender
Female
HSC
2008
I find if your friends have frees the same time as you it's a lot easier to waste the time. Unless your friends are massive nerds. But generally, I find frees are a good thing. Depends on how motivated you are/how well you work. The majority of mine are by myself so I get a fair bit done.
 

accolade

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2008
Messages
63
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
2007
well from my experience i used free periods during my yr 12 and yr 11 to bludge and mcuk around the majority of teh time. sometimes use them to copy answers from friends homeworks because whenever i try to do work, i just cant get into it because tehres more entertaining things (play psp at school library) to do rather than sit my ass and study +theres also distractions and what not.

In the end its ur decision.

btw i got 92+ uai. and im sure theres loads of ppl who got higher without using their free periods 'wisely'.
 

barling89

McLovin it :D
Joined
Aug 17, 2006
Messages
115
Location
unicorn farm
Gender
Male
HSC
2007
ur just about to begin prelims, so don't worry about studying too much at this stage, just grasp the concepts and have fun in yr11...or study...either way, it'll all come down to ur Yr12 performance. I completed homework during my frees in yr12 and spent some of them just talkin; it all worked out in the end :)
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top