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People who got >90 in subjects: how did you study? (1 Viewer)

Menomaths

Exaı̸̸̸̸̸̸̸̸lted Member
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I have never listened in class and never made any notes. I did not do any classwork, homework or prac reports
All I did was read and cram textbooks 2 days before exams and It has proven to be really effective.
Maths 3U - 94
Maths 4U - 97
Chemistry - 92
Physics - 97

.....and for English I got 80 xD My improvisation skill clearly wasn't good enough xD
 

BlueBerrySun

Banned
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Jan 17, 2014
Messages
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2012
The 'Just Do It' slogan by Nike sums it up pretty well.

There is really no need to look for 'How To Study' guides because if you're dedicated enough you would come up with your own guide that suits you. From my experience, people who ask about study tips are not really asking about study tips at all, but rather how to avoid procrastination. And to this I tell them to just study, 'Just Do It'.

Listen in class, understand the content, make notes, revise your notes, etc. There's no magic formula, and there's certainly no need to buy 'How To Study' guides or even hire a tutor. Many people who achieved a 99.95 (including myself) got it by raw, hard work.
 

mcookieman

New Member
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Sep 10, 2012
Messages
14
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HSC
2013
I got over 90 in 3U Maths & 4U Maths & Chemistry

I'll admit that I didn't put as much effort into it as I could have but this is what I did.
  • Listen in Class <-- Important! even if you don't revise at least it's in your head if you pay attention in class
  • Work with your friends <-- Sharing difficult problems and helping explain stuff to each other not only helps yourself but it also helps your cohort which is important for the external exams
  • Notes <--If possible make your own and then revise off someone else's notes to get two perspectives(they have to be a good set though) - I was lazy so I didn't have my own notes for the entire year but luckily I had generous friends :)
  • Past Papers <-- Didn't pay attention in class? Past Papers are you friend, go through as many as you can, discuss as many as you can with friends, if possible get teachers to mark and comment on as many as you can

Also one last thing, it probably isn't a good idea to do a different option that you haven't studied for no matter how good of an idea it seems at the time. It isn't fun to just miss out on a Band 6 by one single mark and then doubt yourself on whether you could have done better.
 

hayleyemma96

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2013
Messages
236
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Penrith, NSW
Gender
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HSC
2013
General Maths (93): Essentially, I did past papers/textbook exercises (best way to learn in maths is to practice questions), make sure you know the formulas that aren't on the formula sheet, know when to use certain formulas, READ THE QUESTION PROPERLY (not doing this definitely cost me marks)
Legal Studies (92): Keep up to date with legislation/case law/media articles etc, analyse a few pieces of legislation/cases in detail rather than listing tons of cases (it shows you understand the content rather than simply memorising cases/legislation)
 

gudetamago

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2019
Uni Grad
2023
I received final marks of over 90 in all my HSC courses so I believe I am qualified to contribute to this thread :)

To keep it short and simple the greatest tip I have for those aiming for a 99+ atar is SELF-DISCIPLINE and CONSISTENCY.

Studying on your own or without the guidance of others can be really difficult. I learnt to hold myself accountable during my study sessions and to study as much as I thought I would need. I found out what study methods best suited my personal needs in Year 11, which I took as an experiment year. (Don't take Year 11 for granted! Work as if you're preparing for the HSC that year!) Personally, I spent about 4-5 hours a day after school doing my notes, revising and completing past papers when it came for Trials and the HSC, but this would vary so I would spend more hours on the weekend and more hours (9-10) in the holidays or just before my HSC. Being consistent is one of the best tips I can give in terms of being able to retain information in the long-term so that you wouldn't waste days of trying to re-learn concepts you've already been exposed to earlier in the year. Whether that be making flashcards, condensing your syllabus notes so that each topic is max a page long, or even reading aloud to yourself your notes every, single night before bed. I would say I was pretty religious in reading my notes and I would even bring them, ngl, EVERYWHERE I go. To the shops, on a cruise, overseas, wherever. I remember the day before my English Paper 2 exam I was at Woolworths shopping with my mum and I was pushing the trolley while holding a folder of my essays for each module in my hand. People stared at me obviously but just shows how much I was commited to study and to earning that 99+ atar! But take these tips with a grain of salt. They might not work for everybody! :)

Oh, and one more massive tip: Make your own notes! As tempting as it is to use notes from a former Band 6 student posted on forums such as BOS, they will never amount to how valuable making your own notes and summaries will be. Trust me. Don't rely on others to bring yourself up. Work hard! No pain no gain!
 

JuliaRose

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I am learning, really all the time. I have no days off. Every day I study. That's the whole secret)
 
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2019
2u math - 99
3u math - 98
Biology - 93

hm it's been a while but I do somewhat remember how I studied

math - past! papers! if you don't complete past papers for math then consider yourself doomed. there's no other way to succeed in HSC maths. the more questions I exposed myself to, the more it became second nature for me to answer them correctly. the questions that I got incorrect, I would write them and the correct solutions in a separate "mistakes book", and at the bottom of the page I'd write a note to myself regarding where I went wrong, or I'd emphasise a formula or concept that I messed up. this way, I was more likely to remember my mistakes and not make them again. the day before the HSC I was most certainly not doing past papers - I was flipping through my mistakes books (you'll definitely have more than one book) because at that point it's not about what you're getting right, it's about your potential screw-ups the next day. also if I had a weakness (e.g. in 3u I sucked at binomials) then I would quit doing whole papers and instead focus on doing binomial questions all day for the next week until it became a strength (note: it never became a strength lol rip) if you do 3u then speed is important. if you do 2u then strategy is important. I studied for both subjects by keeping this in mind. but yea essentially I just did past papers and worked on my weaknesses till the very end

biology (I know I didn't do as great compared to math but I still have tips lol) - memorise the syllabus and know it like the back of your hand. treat every syllabus dot point as a potential question and answer it, and these answers become your notes which you also need to know like the back of your hand. doing past papers under both timed and untimed conditions is important. I remember doing past papers with friends and then marking their responses while they marked mine - this gave me some valuable insights about how to answer questions. I would also discuss the answers with them which really really helped to consolidate my understanding of concepts and clear any confusions that I had. I definitely recommend studying in groups or with peers for biology especially because it makes a heavy and stressful subject kinda fun and engaging. mind maps worked for me too but I did this with friends on the school whiteboards. they were truly works of art and once again helped to consolidate my understanding of things. highly recommended!

huge thanks to my teachers back then, they were straight up gods. wouldn't have gotten the marks that I did if it weren't for them (^-^)
 

Reptilette

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Oct 28, 2020
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Re: ppl who got >90 in subjects how did u study?!?!

Does the ranking you get at school determine how high your mark for that subject will be in the HSC...???
It determines half of it; the mark you get yourself and the mark you get for your rank are averaged.
 

chaevely_park

Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2020
Messages
34
Gender
Female
HSC
2022
I received final marks of over 90 in all my HSC courses so I believe I am qualified to contribute to this thread :)

To keep it short and simple the greatest tip I have for those aiming for a 99+ atar is SELF-DISCIPLINE and CONSISTENCY.

Studying on your own or without the guidance of others can be really difficult. I learnt to hold myself accountable during my study sessions and to study as much as I thought I would need. I found out what study methods best suited my personal needs in Year 11, which I took as an experiment year. (Don't take Year 11 for granted! Work as if you're preparing for the HSC that year!) Personally, I spent about 4-5 hours a day after school doing my notes, revising and completing past papers when it came for Trials and the HSC, but this would vary so I would spend more hours on the weekend and more hours (9-10) in the holidays or just before my HSC. Being consistent is one of the best tips I can give in terms of being able to retain information in the long-term so that you wouldn't waste days of trying to re-learn concepts you've already been exposed to earlier in the year. Whether that be making flashcards, condensing your syllabus notes so that each topic is max a page long, or even reading aloud to yourself your notes every, single night before bed. I would say I was pretty religious in reading my notes and I would even bring them, ngl, EVERYWHERE I go. To the shops, on a cruise, overseas, wherever. I remember the day before my English Paper 2 exam I was at Woolworths shopping with my mum and I was pushing the trolley while holding a folder of my essays for each module in my hand. People stared at me obviously but just shows how much I was commited to study and to earning that 99+ atar! But take these tips with a grain of salt. They might not work for everybody! :)

Oh, and one more massive tip: Make your own notes! As tempting as it is to use notes from a former Band 6 student posted on forums such as BOS, they will never amount to how valuable making your own notes and summaries will be. Trust me. Don't rely on others to bring yourself up. Work hard! No pain no gain!
Hey! Thanks for such great advice :)

I had a couple more questions!

1. When and how did you start preparing for school exams, especially with limited resources (i.e. past papers released by the school)? For my first HSC assessment block, I began preparation a MONTH early, but this still made me quite stressed as I had other extracurricular activities + tutoring lessons and work to get through.
2. Is it necessary to revise Year 11 content continuously throughout the term, i.e. does Year 11 content make up a significant proportion of exam and HSC questions?
3. Do you recommend doing 10 units, or doing 10+? I am currently considering to drop Biology, because (as you probably know) making module notes and revising takes a lot of time. If I drop it, I know that I will definitely improve in my other subjects (esp. chemistry) and it's the only subject I have available to drop right now (basically my worst subject with chem, but I can't drop chem for medicine application).
 

4321suomynona

Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2020
Messages
87
Gender
Male
HSC
2022
I received final marks of over 90 in all my HSC courses so I believe I am qualified to contribute to this thread :)

To keep it short and simple the greatest tip I have for those aiming for a 99+ atar is SELF-DISCIPLINE and CONSISTENCY.

Studying on your own or without the guidance of others can be really difficult. I learnt to hold myself accountable during my study sessions and to study as much as I thought I would need. I found out what study methods best suited my personal needs in Year 11, which I took as an experiment year. (Don't take Year 11 for granted! Work as if you're preparing for the HSC that year!) Personally, I spent about 4-5 hours a day after school doing my notes, revising and completing past papers when it came for Trials and the HSC, but this would vary so I would spend more hours on the weekend and more hours (9-10) in the holidays or just before my HSC. Being consistent is one of the best tips I can give in terms of being able to retain information in the long-term so that you wouldn't waste days of trying to re-learn concepts you've already been exposed to earlier in the year. Whether that be making flashcards, condensing your syllabus notes so that each topic is max a page long, or even reading aloud to yourself your notes every, single night before bed. I would say I was pretty religious in reading my notes and I would even bring them, ngl, EVERYWHERE I go. To the shops, on a cruise, overseas, wherever. I remember the day before my English Paper 2 exam I was at Woolworths shopping with my mum and I was pushing the trolley while holding a folder of my essays for each module in my hand. People stared at me obviously but just shows how much I was commited to study and to earning that 99+ atar! But take these tips with a grain of salt. They might not work for everybody! :)

Oh, and one more massive tip: Make your own notes! As tempting as it is to use notes from a former Band 6 student posted on forums such as BOS, they will never amount to how valuable making your own notes and summaries will be. Trust me. Don't rely on others to bring yourself up. Work hard! No pain no gain!
lmao thats all amazing tips and im so happy you got a 99+ atar with your hard work. However the irony in you telling other people to make their own notes and saying not to use notes from a former band6 students but right under your message it says "I'm also selling Band 6 notes! Check out my thread in Buy/Sell!" is hilarious lol.
 

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