ATAR Notes: Forum
HSC Stuff => New South Wales Education Discussion => Topic started by: guy_332 on March 13, 2016, 02:11:13 pm
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So basically I have been bludging and not doing jack s**t in my HSC for chemistry (ranked 22/22), physics (ranked 16/22) and EXT 1 maths (ranked 10/15). I am really low ranked in all those subjects but doing OK in standard english (40 / 115) and business studies (20 / 48) and fortunately doing really well in mathematics (ranked 3 out of 45).
Im about to sit my HSC half yearlies for which I will most probably keep the low rank for chem, drop ranks in physics to maybe 20, drop the english rank to about 60, hopefully raise my rank for Business to top 5, keep my top 3 rank in mathematics and definitely drop my extension rank to last. All these predictions are based on my preparation for these exams and are a personal evaluation.
Based on all that information what can i still hope for ATAR wise? I have had a complete mind shift in prepping for these half yearlies and am totally willing to put 1000% effort into my work and studies but would love some sort of indication so I know what to aim for.
Thanks you heaps for reading my story and hope for some replies. =D
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So basically I have been bludging and not doing jack s**t in my HSC for chemistry (ranked 22/22), physics (ranked 16/22) and EXT 1 maths (ranked 10/15). I am really low ranked in all those subjects but doing OK in standard english (40 / 115) and business studies (20 / 48) and fortunately doing really well in mathematics (ranked 3 out of 45).
Im about to sit my HSC half yearlies for which I will most probably keep the low rank for chem, drop ranks in physics to maybe 20, drop the english rank to about 60, hopefully raise my rank for Business to top 5, keep my top 3 rank in mathematics and definitely drop my extension rank to last. All these predictions are based on my preparation for these exams and are a personal evaluation.
Based on all that information what can i still hope for ATAR wise? I have had a complete mind shift in prepping for these half yearlies and am totally willing to put 1000% effort into my work and studies but would love some sort of indication so I know what to aim for.
Thanks you heaps for reading my story and hope for some replies. =D
Hey Guy_332!
It is really hard to give an ATAR estimate, mostly because I hate giving them, and I'm under-qualified anyway. And if I did, I wouldn't be more confident than giving it to a Band range (90+, 80-90, 70-80), and even that makes me uneasy. I could give you one fairly confidently if I had your HSC Marks, but your way far off that, who knows what 8 months will bring!
The thing is, it depends on a whole lot of things besides rank; what your mark is sitting at for each, which will likely reflect your HSC Exam Mark, which is where half your ATAR comes from. It depends on how far behind first you are mark-wise, it depends on the performance of the rest of your grade, it depends on... A whole bunch of stuff. I wrote an article on How Your ATAR is Calculated, it might be worth a read for you!
I try and emphasise not focusing on an ATAR. All the time you spend trying to figure that out is time you could spend working on getting good results. Rather than analysing, "Okay, my rank will probably do this", be optimistic! Whose to say you won't smash your English exam and your rank jumps to Top 20! You never know, and mindset is super important, be optimistic!! ;D
What I will say is that your ranks sound great! It sounds like you are really doing well overall. Don't stress too much about ranks and all that sort of stuff. It is important to keep track of, but use it to set goals for yourself, rather than resign to rank-drops. You are obviously really dedicated, aim for the highest band you think you can achieve! :D
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I'll also pipe in to say that you have no idea what can happen when you smash some effort. My girlfriend went ballistic on study maybe three quarters of the way through the year and score 25 points higher than projected. I also tutored a guy who didn't speak a word of English before he moved here when he was 7. Safe to say he was not in a good spot for his English, but he came to me maybe halfway through the year and ended up graduating with a score in the top 8% for English - after a lot of effort.
Don't lose hope just because you have some pretty low ranking subjects. Just work hard at it and you'll be surprised how much your ranks jump and happy with the score you end up with - because you'll know you worked for it.
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this gave me life thank you for externalizing my inner worries guy_332
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Hey!
I'm pretty much on the same page as Jamon and Brenden here. Depending on how hard you study/work, your ATAR could be way higher than you think. The one thing I'd say is study smart - for physics and ext 1 maths ( I did both in year 12) - the BEST thing ever in my experience is for you to do plenty of past papers. My ext 1 maths results were pretty shocking for trials - I did 10 different past papers leading up to HSC exams and ended up doubling the mark I got for trials. Exact same thing with physics. Get your hands on the past 10 past papers, sit down for the 2 or three hours and pretend you're doing the actual exam at home, under timed (and distraction - free) conditions, (probably a good idea to just turn your phone off), and mark your papers at the end. With each paper, you'll probably see your marks will go up a little each time. By the end of the year, or at least by the time HSC comes around, you'll be set. As for English, I personally found rote learning worked for me. (But I reallllly enjoyed English and the texts I studied). Best tip I can give for English is to know your text inside and out. You have the rest of the year to know 4 or 5 texts. (I'm an English major an uni, and I had to study 2 novels a week - you can demolish your HSC texts in the amount of time you have!). When you know your texts really well, you can begin to draft and redraft your essays - become a little buddy buddy with your teacher, ask them to look over your drafts and give feedback - and you'll be able to smash the HSC. Practice makes perfect. And at the end of the day, no matter what ATAR you get, if you've given 100% dedication, then you'll be so proud of yourself - and your life outside of school can finally begin.
Good luck with everything! Do your best and you'll be fine :)
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I have a question about verbs: Can you list things in bullet points for the verb "Outline"? or do they have to be in full sentences?
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I have a question about verbs: Can you list things in bullet points for the verb "Outline"? or do they have to be in full sentences?
Hey cajama! I think it depends a little on the context (which subject are you thinking of), but yeah I think so! As long as:
- It answers the questions
- They still give a basic level of detail, kind of like these do ;D
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I have a question about verbs: Can you list things in bullet points for the verb "Outline"? or do they have to be in full sentences?
Most school diaries have a list of key words used in the HSC and what they mean. Otherwise, get used to the blooms taxonomy as an alternative
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I have a question about verbs: Can you list things in bullet points for the verb "Outline"? or do they have to be in full sentences?
The BOS has a glossary which gives official definitions (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/glossary_keywords.html)
Outline
Sketch in general terms; indicate the main features of
I just have the page bookmarked on my computer just in case I need to check the verbs sometimes when I'm doing past papers etc. :D
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The BOS has a glossary which gives official definitions (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/glossary_keywords.html)
Outline
Sketch in general terms; indicate the main features of
I just have the page bookmarked on my computer just in case I need to check the verbs sometimes when I'm doing past papers etc. :D
Convenient and basically what my school diary had. Definitely bookmark the page if it's not in your school diary
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I was just wondering if you know any good related texts for The Story of Tom Brennan? It has to be Australian too... The Module is 'Exploring Transitions' - use to be 'Into The World' - very similar
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I was just wondering if you know any good related texts for The Story of Tom Brennan? It has to be Australian too... The Module is 'Exploring Transitions' - use to be 'Into The World' - very similar
If you want an easy, Australian read with lots of themes to do with transition, belonging to the Australian culture etc. try Romulus, my Father! I'm not too familiar with much Aussie writing, so can't offer any other suggestions.
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If you want an easy, Australian read with lots of themes to do with transition, belonging to the Australian culture etc. try Romulus, my Father! I'm not too familiar with much Aussie writing, so can't offer any other suggestions.
Here is a list of related stories and films:
- Pleasantville (film).
- Vincent (shot animation) by Tim Burton.
-The Door by Miroslav Holub (Poem).
- The Little Train by Graham Greene (short story).
- No such thing - John Meyer (song).
- The Sea Child - Katherine Mansfield.
- Lighthouse - the waifs.
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If you want an easy, Australian read with lots of themes to do with transition, belonging to the Australian culture etc. try Romulus, my Father! I'm not too familiar with much Aussie writing, so can't offer any other suggestions.
Here is a list of related stories and films:
- Pleasantville (film).
- Vincent (shot animation) by Tim Burton.
-The Door by Miroslav Holub (Poem).
- The Little Train by Graham Greene (short story).
- No such thing - John Meyer (song).
- The Sea Child - Katherine Mansfield.
- Lighthouse - the waifs.
While I agree with all of these, my (standard) friends have used most of these texts for Mod C Transitions (those in bold) there is nothing stopping you from using the unseen texts that are in paper 1. The deconstructing has been done for you (well, you have already done it) and they almost always relate. The only downside with this is that in Paper 2 you have to mash it in, so (please dont take this the wrong way) the majority of standard students wont remember/be unable to mash in an unseen text into their essay. If you are good at english (as many people in standard are) then there is nothing stopping you from doing this.
Feel like I just contradicted myself an awful lot there, and I am not doing standard so feel completely free to disregard, ignore, ask or hate anything ive written here (preferably over pm if its a hate thing tho, we dont need that on the forums :p)
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While I agree with all of these, my (standard) friends have used most of these texts for Mod C Transitions (those in bold) there is nothing stopping you from using the unseen texts that are in paper 1. The deconstructing has been done for you (well, you have already done it) and they almost always relate. The only downside with this is that in Paper 2 you have to mash it in, so (please dont take this the wrong way) the majority of standard students wont remember/be unable to mash in an unseen text into their essay. If you are good at english (as many people in standard are) then there is nothing stopping you from doing this.
Feel like I just contradicted myself an awful lot there, and I am not doing standard so feel completely free to disregard, ignore, ask or hate anything ive written here (preferably over pm if its a hate thing tho, we dont need that on the forums :p)
Hmm
Depending on how you argue the related text you can use it for any module. (Obviously I don't advise the same related text for all modules but you can pick which one you use which.)
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Hmm
Depending on how you argue the related text you can use it for any module. (Obviously I don't advise the same related text for all modules but you can pick which one you use which.)
Umm.. The only module which needs a related text is Module C isnt it? And then the AoS
EDIT: Forgot Mod A because in standard to compare texts, one is prescribed one is related?
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Umm.. The only module which needs a related text is Module C isnt it? And then the AoS
EDIT: Forgot Mod A because in standard to compare texts, one is prescribed one is related?
Yeah only in advanced do you get prescribed two texts.
But even though a related text you thought was good for Mod C may be better for the AoS. Which leaves my point still valid.
Of course, it's up to you how you argue it though.
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General tips when you have trials in a week and feel like you have never been more underprepared in your life??
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General tips when you have trials in a week and feel like you have never been more underprepared in your life??
Stuff in here relate to once the trial block has started but why do you claim to feel underprepared?
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General tips when you have trials in a week and feel like you have never been more underprepared in your life??
Rui's guide above is awesome! Beyond this, relax. This is just a Trial run, there is no need for it to cause you undue stress ;D just study when you can, rest often, target your big problem areas (the topics that make you queasy thinking about them), and besides that, just do your best!! The biggest part of Trials is figuring out what works for you in big exam blocks, it's a testing ground. Yes, it counts towards assessment, but that's not a big deal. Figuring out what works for you is a much more important aspect in my opinion ;D
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Stuff in here relate to once the trial block has started but why do you claim to feel underprepared?
I have all my notes, but not all my quotes, and no time to study them properly! I normally like to hand-write them to get it in my head but obviously there is no time for that... so I feel like I'm just going to remember nothing :-\
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I have all my notes, but not all my quotes, and no time to study them properly! I normally like to hand-write them to get it in my head but obviously there is no time for that... so I feel like I'm just going to remember nothing :-\
You'll be amazed at how much you remember when you actually get into the exam room!! For both Paper 1 and 2 before going in i couldn't remember squat about my ORT's. In there, quotes and techniques just naturally came to me. Weirdest feeling especially when I had not used my Paper 1 ORT for 9+ months.
But if you are positive now you will be positive in the exam room. If you are miserable now and stress out then you will probably stress out in the exam room. It is all about mindset.
I know im such a hypocrite lol
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I have all my notes, but not all my quotes, and no time to study them properly! I normally like to hand-write them to get it in my head but obviously there is no time for that... so I feel like I'm just going to remember nothing :-\
If you want to cram your quotes, the best way to do it is to just spend 2 hours memorising out loud. Read your first quote aloud. Turn around and repeat it out loud 3 times. Turn back, read the first and the second quote. Turn back around, repeat both three times. Keep that going, then when you are done, do it in reverse! ;D
It is the most boring thing ever, but it works, I crammed all the quotes for Paper 2 in a couple of hours this way (and there were well over 100 of those) ;D
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I have all my notes, but not all my quotes, and no time to study them properly! I normally like to hand-write them to get it in my head but obviously there is no time for that... so I feel like I'm just going to remember nothing :-\
I managed to memorise my quotes (and relevant techniques) by just copying them over and over again until they were drilled into my head. After a while I started writing them module by module without looking at the sheets
Then I wrote them in the order module A -> module B -> module C -> AoS -> rinse and repeat.
By the end of it they were absolutely in my head.
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I managed to memorise my quotes (and relevant techniques) by just copying them over and over again until they were drilled into my head. After a while I started writing them module by module without looking at the sheets
Then I wrote them in the order module A -> module B -> module C -> AoS -> rinse and repeat.
By the end of it they were absolutely in my head.
Ahaha quote learning is seriously boring stuff >:(
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Ahaha quote learning is seriously boring stuff >:(
Ikr :(
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will applying them through practice essays help you remember it better?
What if you fill your bedroom with wallpapers of quotes you need to remember for english?
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will applying them through practice essays help you remember it better?
What if you fill your bedroom with wallpapers of quotes you need to remember for english?
Both are awesome ideas!! My bedroom wall was full of Math formulas, so I took another route with my English quotes, but it definitely works as long as you give it time to sink in ;) and practice essays definitely help as well! ;D
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Thanks everyone, these are wonderful tips! I will definitely have to have a serious quote learning day this weekend. :-\
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I managed to memorise my quotes (and relevant techniques) by just copying them over and over again until they were drilled into my head. After a while I started writing them module by module without looking at the sheets
Then I wrote them in the order module A -> module B -> module C -> AoS -> rinse and repeat.
By the end of it they were absolutely in my head.
Ahaha quote learning is seriously boring stuff >:(
Lol by the end of that i would be going mod a -> mod b -> mod c -> aos -> drown out sorrows with bleach and give up on life/procrastinate ;D
But i agree with you fully quote learning is so long and arduous... :(
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Lol by the end of that i would be going mod a -> mod b -> mod c -> aos -> drown out sorrows with bleach and give up on life/procrastinate ;D
But i agree with you fully quote learning is so long and arduous... :(
I think this is one of the reasons why heaps of students dislike english. Because things like quote learning is so long and arduous and english itself is a subject which takes up a lot of time
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I think this is one of the reasons why heaps of students dislike english. Because things like quote learning is so long and arduous and english itself is a subject which takes up a lot of time
Also why i didnt pick any history subjects as history is mainly dates quotes and people. Couldnt deal with all of that!! :D
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I dropped my only other essay subject... SOR...
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I dropped my only other essay subject... SOR...
Lol SOR is my only other essay subject.. Bible and Quranic quotes arent so bad though, as they tend to be more of a different style of english and hence easier to remember :D
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Lol SOR is my only other essay subject.. Bible and Quranic quotes arent so bad though, as they tend to be more of a different style of english and hence easier to remember :D
Finding the quotes was what I didn't like
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Finding the quotes was what I didn't like
Lol i loved finding quotes! My favourite ones were for ethics ;D
"Any hand that reaches the navel shall be cut off"
"A man and woman shall cleave to one another and become one flesh"
"Be fruitful and multiply"
- dont you think these are great ways of describing 'the act'? ;)
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Does anyone have any tips on staying motivated and maintaining concentration during the exam?
I had paper one today, and i got quite bored during the middle and found it hard to write more.
If anyone's got any tips on how to overcome this, that would be great :D
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Lol i loved finding quotes! My favourite ones were for ethics ;D
"Any hand that reaches the navel shall be cut off"
"A man and woman shall cleave to one another and become one flesh"
"Be fruitful and multiply"
- dont you think these are great ways of describing 'the act'? ;)
Only heard of the third one before
Yeah I don't know how to find quotes. I have no skill at that.
Does anyone have any tips on staying motivated and maintaining concentration during the exam?
I had paper one today, and i got quite bored during the middle and found it hard to write more.
If anyone's got any tips on how to overcome this, that would be great :D
Does anything trigger your boredom? Or is it spontaneous?
If it's spontaneous then I don't exactly feel you since once my brain is switched on it is switched on until it is tired. It usually does tire out towards the end. When that happens rather than writing I just end up checking my previous responses.
I mostly get bored when I run out of things to write. Then I just have to force myself to think, what can I write? Sometimes I scribble on the qn booklet to figure that out.
(At uni though I've had times where my brain tired out halfway in. I... you don't want to know what I do then.)
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Does anything trigger your boredom? Or is it spontaneous?
If it's spontaneous then I don't exactly feel you since once my brain is switched on it is switched on until it is tired. It usually does tire out towards the end. When that happens rather than writing I just end up checking my previous responses.
I mostly get bored when I run out of things to write. Then I just have to force myself to think, what can I write? Sometimes I scribble on the qn booklet to figure that out.
(At uni though I've had times where my brain tired out halfway in. I... you don't want to know what I do then.)
Hmm, not really anything triggering it. More like, it's such a long time to stay focused and my concentration wavers a lot, if that makes sense. Seems arduous having to sit there for another 2 hours writing.
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Hmm, not really anything triggering it. More like, it's such a long time to stay focused and my concentration wavers a lot, if that makes sense. Seems arduous having to sit there for another 2 hours writing.
Do the more rigorous writing based questions first, i.e. essays then. Then do any short response/multiple choice later because that requires less effort.
If it's English paper 2 however, that's something you just need to get used to. I'm not sure about you but I found that if I always had something to write, then my brain would not lose its concentration. And I also had a thing called go with the flow. The more I wrote, the more ideas came to me and the more I could write.
Also replicate exam conditions at home. You do need to do a sufficient amount of past papers in exam conditions so that your brain adapts to the necessity of thinking for so long.
(Can't offer full advice here, sorry)
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Hmm, not really anything triggering it. More like, it's such a long time to stay focused and my concentration wavers a lot, if that makes sense. Seems arduous having to sit there for another 2 hours writing.
Haha I feel your pain completely! (Quite literally :P) My suggestion is after you finish each essay to have a drink of water (helps if you brought your bottle in which i forgot for my last exam so :() and maybe up to 5 minute break if you are struggling to comcentrate. Think about something you enjoy, look outside (if possible) or gaze off for a few minutes if you are having trouble focussing in exams.
I'll just emphasise how important rui's post is. Do the full past paper at home, and replicate exam conditions. If you set a timer, its amazing how much more efficient you can work.
Totally agree with Rui as well in doing the hardest questions first and work back towards the easiest. With Maths this gets interesting, but generally start at the back of the paper because that is where the hardest questions are (as long as you wont burn out on the easier ones then).
At the end of the day, it all comes down to mindset (Elective 2 Mod C Advanced- sound familiar :D) If you are really unable to concentrate or focus then just remind yourself of your ATAR goal or course you want to get into. Maybe even write it somewhere so you can have it on your desk with you, always there. This should help you focus more.
Sorry I couldnt really give much advice here, but this is what worked for me at least. Hopefully it works for you! Be sure to flick me a PM or post on here if you need any clarification, or want questions/concerns on here. But remember you are not alone. Lots of people face this issue of not being able to concentrate/remain focussed the entire exam. Hope i could help :)
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Hi everyone, I have an urgent question for those who do/did a language subject:
I have a listening exam for French Continuers tomorrow, and I am in need of help. Although I tend to do above average in all other areas (speaking, writing, reading), I absolutely fail in listening. I'm more or less at the bottom of my class for this and tend to get less than 50%. I'm not really sure how to improve? I simply find it so difficult to translate in my head instantly and even if I do, the recording has already moved on to the next couple of sentences which I have missed. Please help? thanks in advance :)
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Hi everyone, I have an urgent question for those who do/did a language subject:
I have a listening exam for French Continuers tomorrow, and I am in need of help. Although I tend to do above average in all other areas (speaking, writing, reading), I absolutely fail in listening. I'm more or less at the bottom of my class for this and tend to get less than 50%. I'm not really sure how to improve? I simply find it so difficult to translate in my head instantly and even if I do, the recording has already moved on to the next couple of sentences which I have missed. Please help? thanks in advance :)
The best advice I have is something I presume you're already doing: write notes. Absolutely cram the note-taking section of the listening paper with notes. If there's a word you're not sure of, just write it down and then look for it in the dictionary quickly if you have time (I assume that in French you're allowed a dictionary). And if the track moves on before you finish your answer, just go ahead and come back to it. Language exams, based on my experiences with Japanese, give you heaps of time to do your answers, so if you have good enough notes from during the listening, you can easily finish your answer later.
Also, 100% go on the BOSTES website and do all the listening sections of past HSC exams. When you run out of ones to do, look at VCE ones, which is what I did for my trial.
Also remember that, sometimes, just answering the question isn't really good enough. Often you have to include that extra info that isn't explicitly asked for in the question just to make you answer impressive because, above all, the markers want to see that you understood the text.
So basically:
- take notes of everything you hear
- if you hear a word you're not sure of, write it down and then quickly look in your dictionary
- get all the details of the text in order to make your answer impressive
- don't get caught up if you miss something minor; just move on because it's better to lose one mark than several
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Hi guys! I have a question regarding the number of units i'll continue to have during the HSC examinations.
I was planning on dropping ext. maths and sticking with 10 units altogether. But the thing is that my English rank isn't the best and I'm afraid that having 10 units will result in a bad atar since English is counted automatically.
For ext. maths, my rank is pretty bad too, but my cohort for Ext. Maths is helping each other out to boost each others' atar.
My question is, if I do bad in English, will Ext. Maths "cover"/ compensate for the bad marks for English, assuming that I do well in Ext maths. Thank you.
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Hi guys! I have a question regarding the number of units i'll continue to have during the HSC examinations.
I was planning on dropping ext. maths and sticking with 10 units altogether. But the thing is that my English rank isn't the best and I'm afraid that having 10 units will result in a bad atar since English is counted automatically.
For ext. maths, my rank is pretty bad too, but my cohort for Ext. Maths is helping each other out to boost each others' atar.
My question is, if I do bad in English, will Ext. Maths "cover"/ compensate for the bad marks for English, assuming that I do well in Ext maths. Thank you.
Keep in mind that (unless you did Ext 1 English), at least two units of English must count, and hence English Adv will inevitably count. If Ext. 1 Maths counts, it means that it replaced one of your other 8. So you need to do what's best for yourself.
You should keep Ext. 1 Mathematics if you feel it can replace one of your other units. And especially keep it and work hard in it if you need such level of maths for future studies. Not because it's going to "stave off" English setting you back.
(There's nothing wrong with doing just 10 units either.)
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Hi guys! I have a question regarding the number of units i'll continue to have during the HSC examinations.
I was planning on dropping ext. maths and sticking with 10 units altogether. But the thing is that my English rank isn't the best and I'm afraid that having 10 units will result in a bad atar since English is counted automatically.
For ext. maths, my rank is pretty bad too, but my cohort for Ext. Maths is helping each other out to boost each others' atar.
My question is, if I do bad in English, will Ext. Maths "cover"/ compensate for the bad marks for English, assuming that I do well in Ext maths. Thank you.
Ditto with Rui above, the fact is, Extension 1 Math scaling will not make a huge difference. Like, it's not going to pull a Band 4 to a Band 6, or anything like that, so you should make your decision completely irrespective of that.
According to your profile, you are in Year 12 right? You've done all the hard work for MX1 already, you know the content. For me, there is no reason not to sit the MX1 exam. Your mark will improve if you put the work in with your mates, and invest the time to improve. If it doesn't quite get there, oh well, it doesn't count anyway!
I reckon you should sit the exam, pulling out of it won't benefit you much besides some extra study time, and you have heaps of that already!! ;D
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Random Q - can you use pencil for multiple choice? I always do because I am an incorrigible mind-changer hahaha
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Random Q - can you use pencil for multiple choice? I always do because I am an incorrigible mind-changer hahaha
No. You must cross out your answer if you think it is incorrect, and if you change your mind you must point to the correct one with an arrow.
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No. You must cross out your answer if you think it is incorrect, and if you change your mind you must point to the correct one with an arrow.
:( :(
Damn it wish I knew that one before trials instead of after :(
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:( :(
Damn it wish I knew that one before trials instead of after :(
Trials your teacher shouldn't be cruel. But for the HSC it will matter because that pencil isn't going to be the easiest thing to scan.
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Trials your teacher shouldn't be cruel. But for the HSC it will matter because that pencil isn't going to be the easiest thing to scan.
yeah I did assume, but they never tell us these things agh :(
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Random Q - can you use pencil for multiple choice? I always do because I am an incorrigible mind-changer hahaha
Hey! I'm pretty sure you have to use pen, but I'm happy to be corrected, I know you have to write in pen ;D
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Hey! I'm pretty sure you have to use pen, but I'm happy to be corrected, I know you have to write in pen ;D
I think you are allowed to use pencil-only for diagrams though
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I think you are allowed to use pencil-only for diagrams though
That's definitely not true, I used pen for diagrams in all my Math exams ;D I probably should have used pencil, and sometimes I did, but quick sketches were always pen. The only time I used a pencil was for really tricky curve sketches, from memory ;D
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I think you are allowed to use pencil-only for diagrams though
You are not permitted to use pencil unless explicitly stated at the front of the examination book. This happens for subjects such as physics where you are occasionally required to sketch graphs and because you don't have unlimited writing space it's too hard to do otherwise.
Under normal circumstances, including mathematics, you must sketch in pen. If you insist on pencil to do a rough sketch, that's probably fine. But you should always trace over them in black pen.
(Note that this was not always the case - the new scanning system they introduced last year was terrible. When I found out that blue pen was not ok and I had to use black pen I had nothing to say; I was just annoyed lol)
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That's definitely not true, I used pen for diagrams in all my Math exams ;D I probably should have used pencil, and sometimes I did, but quick sketches were always pen. The only time I used a pencil was for really tricky curve sketches, from memory ;D
I think you are allowed to use pencil-only for diagrams though
Actually for Chemistry (and maybe other Science subjects as far as I know) require you to use pencil for all diagrams/graphs! Not really sure about the logic behind it with all the scanning etc. but it's definitely a thing for Chemistry. But as Rui said, it will clearly say on the exam booklet.
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Actually for Chemistry (and maybe other Science subjects as far as I know) require you to use pencil for all diagrams/graphs! Not really sure about the logic behind it with all the scanning etc. but it's definitely a thing for Chemistry. But as Rui said, it will clearly say on the exam booklet.
Definitely true, but to be perfectly honest, at the end of the day it doesn't matter! The scanning system will pick up pen or pencil; it's just more likely to pick up pen. Try to use pen as much as possible; it won't matter how you draw diagrams. Would recommend Pen though
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I bought my papers back. The scanning they used for the physics paper was good and I actually saw a pencil graph I did get picked up.
As opposed to the MX2 and English Adv ones. That scanning was horrible.
(I'm not allowed to post up the papers due to copyright issues)
Fact is, you should never use pencil unless the front of the book has permitted you to.
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How much ground can I realistically make up in the HSC exams? Can I go from being ranked last in all subjects (but my overall internal mark being 50+ for my subjects which are; Mathematics, Extension Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Business Studies and Standard English) to still achieving an ATAR of say 70+?
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How much ground can I realistically make up in the HSC exams? Can I go from being ranked last in all subjects (but my overall internal mark being 50+ for my subjects which are; Mathematics, Extension Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Business Studies and Standard English) to still achieving an ATAR of say 70+?
Absolutely you can! You will need to put in a lot of hard work to really smash the HSC Exams though, if you smash the exams then you can definitely achieve that goal! ;D Work with your friends, you want your whole school to do well and minimise the negative moderation effects of your rank (if close to everyone does well, those effects are minimal) ;D more detail can be found here! ;D
But yep, you can always achieve whatever ATAR you like, your ranks just mean you have to work a little bit harder :)
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I was just wondering everyone's thoughts on taking a gap year after HSC?
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I was just wondering everyone's thoughts on taking a gap year after HSC?
I think it's a great idea! Particularly if you aren't totally sold on any specific course at uni ;D
In general though; I think it is awesome if it suits your needs. Take a break from study, earn some cash working, travel, for many people I think it works really well!
Of course there are drawbacks: Longer to get a degree (if that's your plan), perhaps breaking the academic routine would make it tougher to go back to study, etc etc :)
Just some thoughts, I considered taking a gap year (I got offered to go live and work in Canada for 6 months), but in the end I decided to just go straight to uni ;D
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I think it's a great idea! Particularly if you aren't totally sold on any specific course at uni ;D
In general though; I think it is awesome if it suits your needs. Take a break from study, earn some cash working, travel, for many people I think it works really well!
Of course there are drawbacks: Longer to get a degree (if that's your plan), perhaps breaking the academic routine would make it tougher to go back to study, etc etc :)
Just some thoughts, I considered taking a gap year (I got offered to go live and work in Canada for 6 months), but in the end I decided to just go straight to uni ;D
For some reason (I don't know why) but I feel that gap years are a "waste of time"
Anyways does anyone agree/disagree with me?
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For some reason (I don't know why) but I feel that gap years are a "waste of time"
Anyways does anyone agree/disagree with me?
They are just fine. Life isn't just about doing shit, it's also about fun
Just not my cup of coffee either.
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They are just fine. Life isn't just about doing shit, it's also about fun
Just not my cup of coffee either.
But isn't it hard to get back on track when it comes to learning
Also how often do people change uni courses?
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But isn't it hard to get back on track when it comes to learning
Also how often do people change uni courses?
Only if you make it hard
What do you mean by change uni "courses"
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Only if you make it hard
What do you mean by change uni "courses"
Go from one degree to another
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Go from one degree to another
It's pretty simple but you definitely need to work hard and get a good 1st year W.A.M
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One thing I never understood but why is "maths" considered a "science" disciple?
I thought they were 2 different things because schools usually have their own maths and science faculty rather than 1 faculty with lots of teachers
I find it quite weird
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It's pretty simple but you definitely need to work hard and get a good 1st year W.A.M
True! Although occasionally you have to go through UAC again, and they can completely disregard your W.A.M/GPA from your initial course, particularly if you are changing disciplines entirely. I have a friend who is moving from Communications to Education and now that he knows he has to go through UAC, and his GPA won't be considered, you can bet his current Communication marks aren't going too well :P
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One thing I never understood but why is "maths" considered a "science" disciple?
I thought they were 2 different things because schools usually have their own maths and science faculty rather than 1 faculty with lots of teachers
I find it quite weird
It just is. Universities structure it however they want to. If you find that uncomfortable, go to a uni that has separate Maths and Science departments.
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One thing I never understood but why is "maths" considered a "science" disciple?
I thought they were 2 different things because schools usually have their own maths and science faculty rather than 1 faculty with lots of teachers
I find it quite weird
Maths IS a science. It's the study of phenomena such as quantity and change.
Maths was never its own thing. It is only split in school due to the fact there's much more to teach and it requires more specialisation. Also the ways of thought in maths are a bit more unique in comparison to the rest.
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Go from one degree to another
I'll just add that I know a heap of people that have changed majors, changed degrees, even changed unis! You are going into a course essentially blind to what it will actually be like, so it's reasonably common to change after one or two years, even if that change is within the same disciplinary school ;D
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Just curious but is it possible to self learn most of the uni content before you go to uni in the first semester first year?
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Just curious but is it possible to self learn most of the uni content before you go to uni in the first semester first year?
I think that would depend on the subject! If you could get your hands on online lectures for the subject (UNSW does these), and perhaps the prescribed textbook, then I think you could! You'd just have to be wary of learning things you don't need to, subjects can change slightly year to year in precisely how much/what gets taught and assessed :)
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I think that would depend on the subject! If you could get your hands on online lectures for the subject (UNSW does these), and perhaps the prescribed textbook, then I think you could! You'd just have to be wary of learning things you don't need to, subjects can change slightly year to year in precisely how much/what gets taught and assessed :)
Are textbooks and ex student resources efficient enough? (i.e their notes and assignments)
Does the uni syllabus change often?
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I think it's a great idea! Particularly if you aren't totally sold on any specific course at uni ;D
In general though; I think it is awesome if it suits your needs. Take a break from study, earn some cash working, travel, for many people I think it works really well!
Of course there are drawbacks: Longer to get a degree (if that's your plan), perhaps breaking the academic routine would make it tougher to go back to study, etc etc :)
Just some thoughts, I considered taking a gap year (I got offered to go live and work in Canada for 6 months), but in the end I decided to just go straight to uni ;D
Yeah, I'd rather not do the wrong course and then completely change because aren't uni debts a massive problem :( :(
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Yeah, I'd rather not do the wrong course and then completely change because aren't uni debts a massive problem :( :(
But doesn't the Govt pay for them and then when you start working fulltime, you repay them back?
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But doesn't the Govt pay for them and then when you start working fulltime, you repay them back?
Pretty much! But those repayments are what we want to minimise. Like, they should be secondary to getting into something you love (even if it takes transferring), but it is nice to minimise them where possible. Uni can still get close to $10,000 a year even with Commonwealth assistance :P
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Pretty much! But those repayments are what we want to minimise. Like, they should be secondary to getting into something you love (even if it takes transferring), but it is nice to minimise them where possible. Uni can still get close to $10,000 a year even with Commonwealth assistance :P
Let's not even discuss the cost of doing a Master's degree...
But essentially, don't let the cost of a course, that is puts on HECS anyway, to stop you from doing what you feel is best for you in tertiary education.
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Pretty much! But those repayments are what we want to minimise. Like, they should be secondary to getting into something you love (even if it takes transferring), but it is nice to minimise them where possible. Uni can still get close to $10,000 a year even with Commonwealth assistance :P
Oh btw lol I paid UNSW $9.8k this year up front
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Oh btw lol I paid UNSW $9.8k this year up front
Why'd you choose to pay upfront Rui (if you don't mind my asking of course, I considered doing this myself) ;D
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Why'd you choose to pay upfront Rui (if you don't mind my asking of course, I considered doing this myself) ;D
I had to :P
Permanent residency status