Sounds really interesting! However, enjoy studying for bio :)
You’ll definitely be able to get 80th-85th percentile in the UCAT!!!! Especially since your already interested. Hmmmm E.I huh? That’s a very rare subject speaks science school to me- don’t worry I won’t put you ;)thanks, nice person. The UCAT stuff is super draining me though, like I start doing stuff, realise how bad I am and just give up. Gotta get that resilience in so I can flex to my great-grandchildren
Good luck with bio and E.I I’m sure you’ll smash it!
thanks, nice person. The UCAT stuff is super draining me though, like I start doing stuff, realise how bad I am and just give up. Gotta get that resilience in so I can flex to my great-grandchildrenGuess that's what practise is for? :) (note I didn't/haven't/won't do the UCAT, so I dunno what it's like) Don't give up, because practise is what makes you better at it :)
hey penelope, i'm just a random year 10 but i can't wait to follow your journal. u sound like you'll do amazing for bio and everything else. but i relate so much with the medicine thing and getting to AN ;D. i've been so active on AN bc i'm procrastinating a lot lol. u got this penelope :)
Guess that's what practise is for? :) (note I didn't/haven't/won't do the UCAT, so I dunno what it's like) Don't give up, because practise is what makes you better at it :)
Your approach to bio sounds solid! Makes me wanna actually (properly) learn unit 4! I’m worried my understanding is superficial and the exam will call me out.
Are there specific areas where you're finding it hard - happy to have discussions about u4 since discussions really help me get a more in depth understanding?EDIT: I just saw this. I literally struggle with human evolution(like Australopithecus and homo erectus features as in the difference between these humans like controlled use of Fire first ones simple tools etc) and just all of that stuff *sigh*. I guess I still have a week left to become super confident with it. Maybe also the biotic/abiotic stuff.
Hey I’m sure you’ll get at least 40 in bio and EI you work so hard!!! About being worried about not getting good scores think of year 11 as a “test” run. If this year doesn’t work out you can do a 5th subject next year and cancel out on of the bad ones this year. I’m only doing 5 subjects and (was) aiming for a 97-98 the difference between me getting 25 and 35 in Methods (my 5th subject) is minimal. English + the other 3 is important so good to see you working on vocab! My exams in 6 weeks and I wish I could turn back time and Aquire non basic vocab :(
Hey I’m sure you’ll get at least 40 in bio and EI you work so hard!!! About being worried about not getting good scores think of year 11 as a “test” run. If this year doesn’t work out you can do a 5th subject next year and cancel out on of the bad ones this year.Definitely considering a 5th subject to buffer any bottoms I get this year, thanks for your kind words :)
My exams in 6 weeks and I wish I could turn back time and Aquire non basic vocab :(From experience I will tell you this: vocab doesn't mean good writing. I'm doing Eng Lang now so things are different but most of my Year 9/ 10 English essays lost marks for obfuscation. Vocab isn't the same as analysis, VCAA assessors are more impressed if offer thorough analysis, which you still have time to work on- I'm sure your English essay is gonna be great!
EDIT: I literally struggle with human evolution(like Australopithecus and homo erectus features as in the difference between these humans)
Maybe also the biotic/abiotic stuff.not sure what you mean? biotic = living, abiotic = non-living. could you give context?
Stay strong, Penelope.[/spoiler]Thanks for that, whys. I'm trying to be better but it can be a very meticulous journey sometimes. I also appreciate your reply to my 'spoiler' about my annoyance at not getting the response I wanted. I agree with your advice about bringing it up directly rather than marinating my feelings - but I don't want to make anyone feel guilty (after all, she was not obliged to text me), so I'm just trying to let it slide. In ten weeks, it won't seem as big of an issue so I'm probably exaggerating in my mind. But I'm feeling a lot better after your response - cheers!
I really appreciate the fact that you acknowledged how I felt as being a normal part of VCE and it was somewhat comforting to receive your replies. I sound like a youtuber so I'll stop.You got this penelope! We are here to support you!!! :)
bio has only made me realise how incredible our bodies are. Such little nuances that keep us going and in such a delicate balance that I always wonder why it all works and how we're all alive.
Omg congrats on finishing EI!!!!!!!! It’s okay to celebrate! You just did a subject that not many people do.....and did it well ;D ;D
I travel for 3 hours a day and it’s so bad that I’m doing nothing because I have FIVE 3/4 exams coming up! (6 including methods lol). So it’s completely okay if sometimes your too tired to do work. Your in such a good spot right now so a little rest is well deserved, good luck Penelope/dedformed
Memory says that yes, if you have three exams on one day it must be rescheduled/take a derived exam score. Not certain if you can reschedule rather than get a DES, though, since I've not got a problem with that.random anecdote 4We had this biology exam prep class with the whole cohort and they made us do pair activities. I was just paired with this random year 12 idek and he was on his phone the whole time. He said he wasn't even sitting the biology exam on the 13th because he had three exams in one day so he rescheduled his to another day in late November. I told him that couldn't be true, but he was pretty convinced.
I'm feeling bad because I don't think he'll show up to the exam in his misunderstanding. I only know his first name and he didn't even bother asking for mine - so I can't contact him. I just hope he realises his exam date and confirms with a teacher - I think I told him to double check, and that should be my bit, right?
Memory says that yes, if you have three exams on one day it must be rescheduled/take a derived exam score. Not certain if you can reschedule rather than get a DES, though, since I've not got a problem with that.
Memory says that yes, if you have three exams on one day it must be rescheduled/take a derived exam score. Not certain if you can reschedule rather than get a DES, though, since I've not got a problem with that.
Hello beans,Good luck for your exam on Friday!! :D :)
I was a bit sick today so I'm at home. I should probably use this time wisely and for good use but I'll take a break and add a mini Biology update before my exam on Friday.
As I write this, the year 12s are sitting their English exam. So proud of Class of 2020 - their experiences are one of a kind and if you're one of them, I congratulate you. You deserve to be proud of yourselves after such an overwhelming year.BiologyI did do my last year's checklist. I haven't managed to get a single exam with all the MCQ right even though I've done about 20 practice exams. It's just annoying because I keep making silly mistakes like saying CO2 is an input for light dependent photosynthesis or saying ATP is an input for Electron Transport Chain. Dumb mistakes, but they're gonna cost me a lot.
I feel like company papers are either too difficult or too easy compared to VCAA's standard. I did all Insight exams for this study design and found them quite challenging (at first it made me realise how behind I was lol). I have a friend and we basically swap an exam a week (now an exam a day) to cross mark. It helps heaps to get a different perspective, and although I mark my own exams really harshly it's still quite hard to eliminate the bias in my own work. Anyway, I digress. I found VCAA exams HEAPS easier than Insight's papers. On the other hand, I sat some Access exams and found them relatively laid back. I don't know what kind of energy I should have right now: should I boost my confidence and gain some momentum or go through some speed bumps so that I can drive carefully through my exam? I didn't do VCAA 2017 sample since I didn't find answers but my Bio teacher agreed to mark them for me so I'll do that today.Biology to do list for this week- Tuesday (today): Do VCAA sample exam (full), Neap 2020
- Wednesday: Do Access 2020 (I've only done 2019) and Edrolo 2020
- Thursday: Chill a bit and go over mistakes from my practice papers. Get an early sleep for Friday's exam.
Getting there, peeps. It's finally hitting me that Biology will affect my ATAR what the hell I'm so old already. I should consider names for my grandchildren. Abcde?
I did do my last year's checklist. I haven't managed to get a single exam with all the MCQ right even though I've done about 20 practice exams. It's just annoying because I keep making silly mistakes like saying CO2 is an input for light dependent photosynthesis or saying ATP is an input for Electron Transport Chain. Dumb mistakes, but they're gonna cost me a lot.Sounds like you've put in a lot of work so be confident in yourself when walking into that exam room! I totally understand the frustration of making stupid mistakes within the exam and it's great that you're trying to minimise them. Just remember that you can lose a LOT of marks in biology (comparatively to other subjects) and still receive an amazing study score (I feel like a lot of times people don't realise that you can drop 10 marks and still get high forties, but you can because it's so hard to full mark a bio exam).
Good luck for your exam on Friday!! :D :)
And as I write this, the year 12s have finished our English exam. :D :P
I don't think I've popped into your journal to say hi yet so hello
Awesome journal and it's super cool that you've finished EI! I have no idea how this subject works at all but it sounds like one that really pushes you to think outside the box. So congratulations!
This entry is going to sound so broken because I'm still getting myself together after yesterday.
The biology exam. So.
I was half an hour early to the venue, sitting outside. There was a lot of chatter and nervous anxiety in the room, but every now and then I could hear a "it's going to be over" and "we'll be so relieved". And to be frank, I felt the same. To anyone that was nervous, I told them to think about the relief that would flood them after so much intense work when they walked out of the hall. The sense of accomplishment they would feel after they put the final icing on this cake they'd been meticulously putting together for a whole year.
I avoided people that were too nervous, and sat outside until 8:50. I felt a ball in my stomach, but I soothed it telling it I was fine. I even wrote the entry the day before, how bad could it be? I was calm, and I was prepared, right?
I went through the exam, SA first. I smiled at a few questions because they looked really familiar. They seemed easy, just write write write. It was almost automated, once in a while my exam bubble would break and I would think "this is it, it's the exam, the real thing" or think about how my performance then would affect my atar. I pushed the thoughts away, and kept working at it.
It took me longer than I expected, but I finished SA with enough time for Multiple Choice. I rolled through some questions, but second guessed myself. Heaps.
And before I knew it, an assessor was telling me to put my pen down. I did. I finished.
How do you feel Penelope, I asked myself?
But my chest was heavy.
I walked out, went out with my friends for a walk. Didn't talk much about bio but the stuff I discussed I knew I all got wrong. I changed some questions last minute but it turns out my first go was right. I cringed at myself but I remained quiet. I'd told myself it was over.
I got home around five. My dad asked how I did, and I said "meh" and smiled. I felt hazy. I've had a hayfever for a while (I mentioned this in one of my previous entries, calm down it's not coronavirus I tested negative lol) so that didn't help either. I walked into my room, the same place I'd been in the morning. I was exhausted - I'd woken at 3:30am because I couldn't sleep. I hadn't eaten since breakfast at 4am. I felt like a dead person.
I sat on my bed and bawled my eyes out.
And I cried and cried, and could not stop. "It was easy" everyone said, and that's how I thought when I finished reading time, but every time I think back to the exam, I remember something I wrote wrong.
It's so unfair isn't it, how 2.5 hours of panic dictate all my effort? I thought I worked hard but I didn't. I thought I'd get a 45+ but now I'm questioning a 40, or even the high 30s. I have disappointed myself and all those people that believed in me. All those people that told me I would do well, my biology teacher, my parents, my friends who scolded me when I told them I cant get a 50.
I was supposed to be good at bio, right? It was meant to be my top fours subject. I loved the content, had hours of pun wars about it, nucleotried so hard, activated my action potential. I memorised the study design. And now I'm crying again lol.
When I walked out, I didn't feel relieved or happy. I felt helpless. I felt helpless and stupid and incapable because I tried so hard and still disappointed myself. I kept telling myself I did enough but I kept lying. I know this is hypocritical considering my last entry was all flowery, but until I walked into the exam, I was really positive about it. I have six more exams from year 11 next week that I've neglected this whole time and I cant find myself doing any work because I'm stuck in an emotional slump.
Yes, that's the end of this rant for now.
It's 100% okay to feel like that.
Don't beat yourself up too much, you never really know till the day with what you'll get. Hopefully you can get some rest now without having to do crazy amounts of study, and I hope you start feeling better soon. Go do some things you enjoy, and enjoy the break from exams :)
A dialect isLike it seems like they didn't even try.
a. Broken English
b. Just another variant of English
c. All of the above
d. None of the above.
However, if you're feeling exhausted, don't undervalue simply reading textbook/notes! I had two consecutive exams and between them all I did was reread my notes (and took time off, but for actual study, all I did was read notes). It was very helpful.Thanks for that advice, Cat In The Hat! It makes sense to do something instead of completely backing off from work.
Enjoy your Spec exam tomorrow! :)
hello,
It's nice to hear that you've been able to pull some learning out of this and that you're feeling better. It's also worth remembering that - especially given your future study and career goals - learning and appreciating biology has more value than just the study score.
As painful as this time was, I hope it does help you in your future exam prep.
Love the honesty about procrastinating for spec; I've got my last uni exam on Wednesday (it's a bio one) and I did a bit of revision for it yesterday but I lowkey don't want to study for it.
Good luck for spec!
Hey! I have no idea why I haven't commented on your journal and this is such a late reply but CONGRATULATIONS! The Bio exam was a bit funky so I'm happy we finally moved past it into Year 12.
8 3/4's is SUCH a flex but so is 7 BAHAHA!
Looking forward to the next update and hope the 1/2s went well <3
It's so weird because I'm so familiarised with your posts/ journal entries that I couldn't believe we haven't interacted here before, lol. The best part of having a journal is that there's this sweet little niche where I get to tell myself: this is all normal and everyone goes through this. I'm not being dramatic when I say I have this strange connection with everyone that journals here.This is very VERY true!
I got really crap (I think?) GAT scores? I don't understand what 'scaled' and 'raw' scores mean though.In the e-mail you got, in the table, there's "raw" scores and "standarised" scores.
Hey!! CONGRATULATIONS for those amazing scores in Bio and EI! So proud and happy for you <3
Have a brilliant holiday!
Penelope!!!!
A massive congratulations on your scores!!! I'm so happy for you - you worked hard this year and you've got some pretty sexy scores to prove it. 8) The 'I could have worked harder' is super relatable, and I feel like no matter how much you study, you'll always come out of the year thinking you should've and could've done more (at least, this is how I always feel :P). Sometimes we don't get what we expect at all, and it's okay. Your mindset is brilliant though - and that EI score is super inspirational!
How did you manage to have a timer and not die of impatience and nerves? I'm truly astounded. All I did was pretend the 30th of December didn't exist ;D. Don't worry too much about the GAT - those scores barely matter despite the hullabaloo about the fact that they're supposed to matter more this year, but I really don't think the GAT 'moderated' my study scores anyway.
All the very best for year 12 and beyond. Have a wonderful 2021!
Hey Penelope!!
Congratulations on your bio and EI scores, they are incredible 🤩
I think you have worked super hard to get those results even if you don’t think so ❤️
Also, dw about the GAT, I did absolutely awful in one of the sections but it really doesn’t effect your SS if you do the exam so it’s fine! My study scores were both better than all 3 of my GAT sections :)
Penelope,
Massive congrats on your achievements. To do them in year 11 and during COVID is incredible :)
There will always be regret, even if you achieved perfection so let that feeling slide away. But it is perfectly normal.
Good luck for next year and for your holiday studies ;D
Congratulations to the classes of 2020 and 2021, we did our exams and got through this year. It’s a new day, and a new year. A blank slate to rewrite another chapter of our lives.... there is a whole new world awaiting us - a new beginning
Hey Penelope! ;D
I just wanted to say: a big congrats on your amazing results! You've worked incredibly hard and I'm so happy that it's come to fruition.
All the best for year 12!
Hey Penelope,
First of all, I'd like to thank you for annotating your text for me, now I don't have to when I write my AC. Your journal is intriguing, and for linguistic purposes I'd like to ask what "bean" means in this context. To my understanding, as a fellow EngLang student, EngLang is not a legume (though I could be wrong). So when you describe EngLang as a bean, I take it to mean metaphorically- but how so?
Glad to see you're liking chemistry by the way- it'sobjectively the best science because bio is too easy and physics is too hardreally fun to go into detail(but not too much ahdfaksfljsd physics)about how the universe works. May I ask what your favourite element is and why? I feel like that is a question that doesn't get asked enough.
UCAT prep has been decent. I've gotten a bit better but I still suck.It hurts how much I relate to that ahahaha. Which section are you the best and worst at? When people ask me that I'm like '...I'm crap at everything lmao.'
Hey dedformed,
Sorry to hear your SAC didn't go well.
How have you been lately?
Hopefully you don't go into the UCAT and tell it why it is beneath you, Mr Darcy style.Year 12, Episode 8A.
Pre-UCAT mess
HELLO BEANS (waves to my crowd)
I put so much thought into this day. I told myself, the UCAT update is going to be the 69th reply to this - clearly, unless the right number of people post here before I post my post UCAT mental breakdown, that won't happen.
But that is okay, maybe the perfect number refuses to bequeath the connotations of post UCAT pain.
I've got it all sorted. Today I get there in the morning, missing a double Chemistry, which may or may not have been deliberate on my part. I'm so behind in everything and I've become numb to it. UCAT has been consuming me, soul and everything. UCAT has bewitched me, mind and soul, Mr Darcy, I know how you felt now. It was scheduled for the 17th but I had this epiphany that I was barely making more progress and all my other VCE subjects were suffering too much because of it - perhaps UCAT wont elevate me but doesn't mean I break my other escalators. I have a Chemistry SAC on Monday and I have absolutely done no prep - all year I would be doing practice questions at least a week before each SAC and this time I haven't even read the chapter.
And it's not that I've been studying my buttocks off for the UCAT, I very much have a lot of butt left despite the frequency of "lmao" in my texts. It's just that I'm so burnt out and tired that I just need to move past it. I'll go in there today, do my absolute best, and then see what happens. VTAC applications are open and hell, I'm excited. If UCAT doesn't work, I can accept that and consider a proper back up plan. It's okay to not do well. I know I'm probably gonna cry a bit and have a bit of a crisis but who doesn't. This is VCE.
On the note of crying, I've got a bunch of options. I know there's a breakdown on the way, I'm generally a very emotional person, but I just wanna make it a bit more fun, ya know. So I've got three options post testing. I either go back to school to English Language and be a brave girl and cry when I get home, I could go home directly and cry dramatically on the train, but I spoke to my friend and she recommended something that changed my entire outlook.
I COULD GO TO MYER.
So here's the rough plan. I do makeup. I dress up like a handsome beast. I wear a little mascara, and grab expensive facial tissue. Graceful like a queen, I go into the test, stay hydrated and stress pee because why not. Then I take the test and do a post stress pee because I probably doused my insides with enough water for them to start turning hippo in the hypotonic environment (yes that's how I remembered it).
THEN I GO TO MYER.
Here I pick the most extravagant outfit I can find. Even more extravagant than what I dress up as. I donn this beauty in the changing rooms and look into the mirror. This is an emotional moment. I look into my eyes. Take my mask off, and sanitise my hands.
THEN I CRY.
This is a release of emotions. A relief. I'm happy. I'm lighter. I'm calm.
This is the end of it. The stress from the past six weeks. I'm over it.
This is the moment. My mascara smudges down my face and I blot it with expensive tissue. My snot glistens in the perfect lighting of the changing room. Maybe I could play some emotional music to make the moment more poignant. The breeze kisses my cheeks subtly, and I feel a cool tickle as the moisture of my tears glistens in the light.
The moment is perfect. I'm alone. The sun is at its zenith.
Obama is there.
And then, I can go home. Calmed down, study for Chemistry on Monday. Catch up to spesh. Get on with the rest of my life.
Because this whole thing, I'm making it so dramatic so might as well add costume and do the whole ritual. I'm gonna look back at this and think how ridiculous it was to stress over such a small thing in the big scheme of life. Might as well make it memorable.
I can do this, guys. I can try my best, because that's the only thing I can control about this situation.
I'll post an update sooner or later. Good luck, me. Perhaps also Good hard-work, because luck can only meet you halfway there.
*this post was not sponsored by Myer*
PENELOPE! Not that you need it in any capacity but I wish you THE BEST OF LUCK!!!! You'd better get in that testing room with your oversized brain choc-a-block with AR patterns, runway-worthy couture, and Pulitzer-Prize-winning poetry and absolutely SMASH that UCAT to pieces! If anyone can do it, it's you :D
I guess it's stupid, me saying not to worry too much, but don't stress out! You know what you're doing and the hard work you've put in for this test is honestly inspiration to so many of us fellow UCAT takers and year 12 students. (and remember you've always got David Jones as plan B xd) You got this!
Hopefully you don't go into the UCAT and tell it why it is beneath you, Mr Darcy style.
I hope it all goes well. I hope you do as well as you can and don't stress too much (although stress, of course, is normal). Try your best; I know you can do it!
Well, it's over with, now you don't have to worry about it.
I love the way you write these kinds of things, it's oddly immersive.
YES an update! Love this journal! Congrats on submitting VTAC (and all the other -TAC) preferences penelope, it's a step closer to next year (when you'll be free of yr 12 forever). All the best for your last 4 SACs, you're really at the final few hurdles 8)
Hey Penelope! I just caught up with your journal and your posts are so entertaining I lost track of time. I hope you're doing well and that your remaining assessments are going smoothly! I noticed you put down Law as well as the med stuff in your preferences– I really admire people who have so many different interests and passion areas, even doing the UCAT is so admirable to me and I hope you're not too down on your score because I think if you put your mind to anything you'll be able to achieve it. I hope exam preparation treats you well!!
+ I'm so sorry because it's totally out of context but "pissing is a privilege" in post #61 made me quite literally spit out my water
Life, y'all, is a trigonometric graph. It has ups and downs. And you sin a lot, cos that's how it be.[/font]
There were only medstudentonline girls flirting with their princes, posting boastful or proud instances of a little kiss stolen here, a peck given there.Captures the essence of the MSO offer threads perfectly 😁