Keeping motivated, aiming for ATAR 95+ (2 Viewers)

[fly-away]

ahah its okay, i'm just clueless when it comes to games.

But you ended doing well anyway didn't you? So it worked out fine ^^

 

[mRJoJo]

the amount of money which had been pumped into my education

same like me.
rents spend soooo much on tutor for me
my teachers at my school are pretty bad so i need all the tutoring i can get lol

 

[spagbowl]

for me personally to get my 95.5 it was down to three things:

1. Motivation: I wanted to prove i'm not as dumb as i am thought to be and i wanted to make my grandparents proud.

2. Hard work: My motivation allowed me to work hard without burning out. studied lightly in the terms and pulled more hours around tests, i depended on short term memory.

3. Self Doubt: Horrible to know that this pushed me the most. I was told i would just make the 80's and i believed them. This ensued panic. The whole time i studied i believed that everyone around me was studying better than me and longer. I thought if u didnt go to a selective school to get above 90 u must be a genius. So when i studied heaps i felt like i was getting off lightly. Turns out everyone else was playing video games.

 

[M@ster P]

This may sound completely random. But if I'm having a lot of trouble focusing, i go on facebook and play one game of bejeweled. It lasts 60 seconds and it's intense focus. Then I'm not as affected by distractions somehow.

lol u discovered face book too early, i discovered it 3 weeks before hsc and it was not good lol, it distracted me but idc anymore lol i got enough atar for what i need

 

[Nadiaa]

wow..
hmm random but with notes, when did u guys do them?
espcially for biology and modern history iv got a truck load of notes to get through.. :|

 

[Essjaybee]

lol u discovered face book too early, i discovered it 3 weeks before hsc and it was not good lol, it distracted me but idc anymore lol i got enough atar for what i need

Discovering fb early is a good thing. It gives you time to become obsessed and bored with it so when you need to study, it's less of a distraction.

And congrats on your atar

 

[Eddykungfu]

I got an ATAR estimate of high 80s and I needed 95.. Once I found that out, I studied like crazy (This was just before trials) ..

Got 95.50 in the end so happy .

 

[atm1991]

I am finding studying really hard, eventhough i know very well the consequences of not studying.

So i'd like to ask all those high achievers (ATAR 95+?), what kept you motivated to study? And what study routine did you find best suited you (e.g. how many hours)?

Here's what I can offer you. Basically do more work more consistently than I did and you will get a higher ATAR than me and achieve your goal of 95+ (I got 91.95 at a school ranked in the 500's). In the Christmas hols, all I did was read one set text for English Extension and a Maths assignment. Actually get a little ahead in some of you study notes and you will reap the benefits later on. I found as the assessments start to build up, the study notes are the first thing to suffer. At the HSC, I had basically no study notes, no past papers and it got to the point where I was cramming the textbook. So just do some syllabus notes or past paper questions whenever you feel in the mood to do some school work and it will add up over the course of the hols.

At the beginning of the HSC I started with the mindset of doing say 3-4 hours per night. I soon found this didn't work. For some people studying in terms of number of hours works, but for others it doesn't. Some people will say "Oh I studied 3 hours last night" but that includes TV breaks, food breaks, OCD like cleaning etc so they have really done less than they think. Be realistic with study and don't kid yourself into thinking sitting in your bedroom spinning pens with a book open counts as study. Trust me, from experience, it is very easy to do.

Well I hope in this wall of text is something useful for you. Basically I was stoked with my marks, but I know many people here would be disappointed with them. I think the key to you getting higher into the 90's is to be consistent, have realistic goals from the study you intend on doing (don't bite off more than you can chew and end up disheartened and procrastinating), and still leave time for leisure, socialising and just relaxation. At times this balance went out the window for me, and the school work and commitment does suffer cause you feel inundated by it all.

 

[Sean432]

The way i did well was i maintained consistency throughout the year. I heaped on the study at trials and by the time the hsc came around i could get away with only doing a few hours a day as i had already covered the content extensively throughout the year.

 

[emmcyclopedia]

I am finding studying really hard... what kept you motivated to study?

Hey mate,
it's normal to struggle with study when you set your aims so high. I think you need to know when to take a break, get out, hang out with your mates. My motivation for study was pretty simple - it wasn't just about the marks. I chose subjects I really enjoyed, and that reflected the kind of career path I want to take.

I also am a little competitive - I think it's important to connect with classmates who have similar goals to you - have study sessions together in your free periods and work together. A little friendly competition between you will help push you further! So many times, the knowledge that one extra mark might push me into first place, say for a chemistry report, really made me hungry to keep going (even at 12am, when you know you're knackered but still have to keep going!!)

I also wanted a scholarship, plain and simple. Marks = $$$!

...And what study routine did you find best suited you (e.g. how many hours)?

To be honest, despite my marks, I had a pretty poor study regime. The only assessment that I ever did that wasn't the "night before" was for English Extension... it was finished a week early, and I topped the class. Then I dropped it. Lol.

Pretty much, everyone learns differently. You've probably heard this - but no joke, you'll see how relevant this is! It's tempting to make 50-page summary notes...hey, it's probably advisable too. I'm sure it would have helped looking over notes the night before the HSC.

But I will have to admit, I did nothing of this sort. I always did my set homework throughout the year, from Biology to Maths. Even English, sometimes =P
I made sure I understood things when I learnt it, so I didn't have to re-hash it. I probably took my in-class tests more seriously than my HSC. Once I knew the facts, and the module was long over, it was just a matter of looking over my syllabus dot points. Not notes on the dot-points. Just the actual syllabus. I'd look at all the key words and verbs, contemplate each one for a moment. I found that verbally teaching the wall in front of me, or talking it through with myself, helped me remember and articulate my ideas more clearly that route-learning (writing and rewriting information)

But are you a visual learner? Next time you're in a test...or maybe just after it... think about how you managed to answer the different questions. Did you do it by recalling what your teacher said about it in class? Or did you mentally see the mind map you made on it? Maybe you had memorised it? Or do you remember the paragraph you read on it?

Generally, it will be a combination of these things and others. See which ways seem to best suit your learning-style, and which are most time efficient.

Don't waste your time re-writing class notes or revision notes if you already know it - unless this is the only way for you to remember it. Also, past papers and practise questions, for modules, and of course at the end of the year, really help to show where you need to spend most of your time.

Most of all, stay happy =)
It's early days - work smart on assessments, try and get them done early, and seek to grab every mark where you can. Simple things, like reading ALL of the criteria, and satisfying it COMPLETELY - don't miss a thing. Attention to detail can get you far.
Keep your eye on the prize, but have a life outside of school, and don't let HSC consume you. Best of luck!

 

[Nyxie]

Wow, there's heaps of really good advice here, thanks guys! This is all really helpful

 

[fly-away]

THANKYOU so much guys! I appreciate all your advice/motivation and congrats on finishing your hsc!
@ emmycyclopedia; Unfortunately i have to rewrite/redo things to remember it, but even then i'm still a very forgetful person
I complete most of my hw, which i realise take up all my studying time (i blame maths lol).
But i am going to try to be more organised and balance out my study time + social life, thanks guys

 

[Nadiaa]

wow thanks. this has really helped!

 

[ninetypercent]

to maintain motivation, block out all the jealous people who are desperate to rip you off success
then get to work. study and don't stop
tell yourself, "ive been working for 13 years. why should I stop now?"
and keep studying

 

[M@ster P]

to maintain motivation, block out all the jealous people who are desperate to rip you off success
then get to work. study and don't stop
tell yourself, "ive been working for 13 years. why should I stop now?"
and keep studying

dont forget to have fun as well lol

 

[untouchablecuz]

what kept me motivated? nothing really i just did it for the sake of it

if anything, it was scholarships, but this was only at the latter stage of year 12

 

[Sayangliss]

I would say I worked consistantly throughout the year but something else.

I had a life. So, I'd go out (not excessively but enough), come home and feel guilty about lack of studying. So I'd do some questions, understand concepts (I find making notes a waste of time for myself personally). Then I'd get really sick of studying, so I'd go out again. Then the viscious cycle continues!

Ohh... and deactivating facebook during crucial moments and challenging myself as to how long I could last without it was one of the best study choices I had ever made during my HSC year.

 

[accio.brain]

I'd keep up studying consistently, making lists is good and use your christmas holidays to get ahead with related texts etc, but again: TAKE A BREAK. otherwise, if you're like me at least, you will burn out. you need to make sure you're still just as motivated (even more so) to study when it comes to trials etc when it really matters. i don't mean go out a lot or spend hours on facebook each night, but what i did was that once every week i'd set aside a night that i did no work and just took the time to watch tv and unwind. Or, if i'd made a list of things to do, i'd reward myself when i got to a certain point, or whatever. Oh, but if you have a major work to complete, this is what your christmas holidays are good for! I guess one of the main things that motivated me though was that I wanted to maintain my 1st ranks in some of my subjects. Competition never hurt But yeah, take breaks and set realistic goals for yourself.

 

[fly-away]

Thanks accio.brain!

I still haven't really completed any studying yet D: Too many outings unfortunately.

 

[Failure_123]

Hey mate,
it's normal to struggle with study when you set your aims so high. I think you need to know when to take a break, get out, hang out with your mates. My motivation for study was pretty simple - it wasn't just about the marks. I chose subjects I really enjoyed, and that reflected the kind of career path I want to take.

I also am a little competitive - I think it's important to connect with classmates who have similar goals to you - have study sessions together in your free periods and work together. A little friendly competition between you will help push you further! So many times, the knowledge that one extra mark might push me into first place, say for a chemistry report, really made me hungry to keep going (even at 12am, when you know you're knackered but still have to keep going!!)

I also wanted a scholarship, plain and simple. Marks = $$$!



To be honest, despite my marks, I had a pretty poor study regime. The only assessment that I ever did that wasn't the "night before" was for English Extension... it was finished a week early, and I topped the class. Then I dropped it. Lol.

Pretty much, everyone learns differently. You've probably heard this - but no joke, you'll see how relevant this is! It's tempting to make 50-page summary notes...hey, it's probably advisable too. I'm sure it would have helped looking over notes the night before the HSC.

But I will have to admit, I did nothing of this sort. I always did my set homework throughout the year, from Biology to Maths. Even English, sometimes =P
I made sure I understood things when I learnt it, so I didn't have to re-hash it. I probably took my in-class tests more seriously than my HSC. Once I knew the facts, and the module was long over, it was just a matter of looking over my syllabus dot points. Not notes on the dot-points. Just the actual syllabus. I'd look at all the key words and verbs, contemplate each one for a moment. I found that verbally teaching the wall in front of me, or talking it through with myself, helped me remember and articulate my ideas more clearly that route-learning (writing and rewriting information)

But are you a visual learner? Next time you're in a test...or maybe just after it... think about how you managed to answer the different questions. Did you do it by recalling what your teacher said about it in class? Or did you mentally see the mind map you made on it? Maybe you had memorised it? Or do you remember the paragraph you read on it?

Generally, it will be a combination of these things and others. See which ways seem to best suit your learning-style, and which are most time efficient.

Don't waste your time re-writing class notes or revision notes if you already know it - unless this is the only way for you to remember it. Also, past papers and practise questions, for modules, and of course at the end of the year, really help to show where you need to spend most of your time.

Most of all, stay happy =)
It's early days - work smart on assessments, try and get them done early, and seek to grab every mark where you can. Simple things, like reading ALL of the criteria, and satisfying it COMPLETELY - don't miss a thing. Attention to detail can get you far.
Keep your eye on the prize, but have a life outside of school, and don't let HSC consume you. Best of luck!

holy shit, you must've been bored.