ATAR Notes: Forum

HSC Stuff => New South Wales Education Discussion => Topic started by: jamonwindeyer on August 03, 2016, 01:09:08 am

Title: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: jamonwindeyer on August 03, 2016, 01:09:08 am
Hi guys!

I thought it would be cool for us to share our Pre-Exam rituals. Advice for the night before. Really stupid stories from the night before an exam (any all nighters?), any superstitious things you just always do before an exam?

I'll start by saying that, for all my music performances from Year 9 onwards, I wore the same necklace. It was a pendant that I had bought after attending my first concert the year before, and I wore it for every performance. I didn't really think it gave me luck, or anything like that, but I just always did it, even to the point of turning my car around to grab the necklace in Year 11  ;D

Any advice for everyone else completing their Trials? Feel free to share!  ;D
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 08:56:57 am
Hi guys!

I thought it would be cool for us to share our Pre-Exam rituals. Advice for the night before. Really stupid stories from the night before an exam (any all nighters?), any superstitious things you just always do before an exam?

I'll start by saying that, for all my music performances from Year 9 onwards, I wore the same necklace. It was a pendant that I had bought after attending my first concert the year before, and I wore it for every performance. I didn't really think it gave me luck, or anything like that, but I just always did it, even to the point of turning my car around to grab the necklace in Year 11  ;D

Any advice for everyone else completing their Trials? Feel free to share!  ;D

Besides my lucky pen i have been using since the start of Year 11 (to the point where I had to refill it several times!!) I dont really have any superstitious things to do pretrials. I go to the toilet, bring water in a small bottle to ensure i dont drink too mucn and have to go to the toilet and have my favourite highlighters :)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 03, 2016, 09:04:10 am
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals

...woah
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 09:09:24 am
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals
Rituals

...woah

Hahaha i agree "rituals" is a very different way of describing pre exam prep!!
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: brenden on August 03, 2016, 09:13:24 am
I take goat bone marrow and mix it with pig juice while incanting "don't fuck this up" at rapid pace.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: pi on August 03, 2016, 09:15:02 am
Posted this a few years back :)

I have an enormous ritual. I get to the exam place wearing my favourite shirt and socks and ensure that I've spent exactly 11 seconds to put my tie on (top-button is not done up). I usually go to the school library before an exam and turn on my Nintendo DS (which is at exactly 79% charge), I then ensure that I have caught a shiny pokemon within the next 15 minutes of my DS being on. If I don't, I know I'm doomed. Once caught (in the time or less), I pull out my CAS and, to calm my nerves, sketch random polar and parametric equations for about 5 mins. This usually leaves me with 15mins to go. I go to my locker and store my phone, DS, CAS, etc and grab my pencil case, ID and drink bottle. I take one sip from my 750mL drink bottle (that's it). On my way to the exam room, I ensure that I don't bump into anyone or any walls, however, I do take the stairs by twos. Once outside the room, waiting, I talk to no-one except anyone who is not sitting the exam and hum a tune of my own choosing (preferably in iambic pentameter though). Once in the exam room, I ensure my table and chair are not wobbly and the take another sip from my drink bottle, then, the paper begins. Throughout the process, I ensure to not walk on any cracks or walk under any ladders, I also refrain from going anywhere near Platforms 12 and 13 in Flinders Street (safety, more than anything else).
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 09:16:14 am
I take goat bone marrow and mix it with pig juice while incanting "don't fuck this up" at rapid pace.

Woah I certainly have to try this one! Did it work for you? ;)
(The secrets of getting a 99 ATAR :P)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 03, 2016, 09:16:36 am
I used to just sleep and wake up the next day...

:D
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 09:19:01 am
Posted this a few years back :)

Wow this is so specific!! Well good on you at least for having a plan to stick to :D

I used to just sleep and wake up the next day...
:D

Lol then come in with a doctor's certificate and get an average or longer to sit the paper ;D
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 03, 2016, 09:20:07 am
Wow this is so specific!! Well good on you at least for having a plan to stick to :D

Lol then come in with a doctor's certificate and get an average or longer to sit the paper ;D
M8

It's called having a good immune system to beat everyone in the trials without the certificate ;D
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: pi on August 03, 2016, 09:21:09 am
Wow this is so specific!! Well good on you at least for having a plan to stick to :D

Clearly I wasn't being serious hahahaha :P
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 09:35:33 am
Clearly I wasn't being serious hahahaha :P

Lol well you have to wear school uniform dont you lol? What gave it away I wonder.. But DS's were the thing back in 2011!! :P
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: Essej on August 03, 2016, 02:30:34 pm
I know it's a little different to everyone else and please don't judge but

I go on atarnotes the night before every exam

(seriously elyse's media article on NT detention centres would have saved me in legal studies for young offenders today (maybe there was a question on it - my lips are sealed))

Also it's important to line up my pens in the exact order dependent on length, colour and usability (ball point inkjoys) before an exam because ocd :)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: jamonwindeyer on August 03, 2016, 02:45:59 pm
I know it's a little different to everyone else and please don't judge but

I go on atarnotes the night before every exam

(seriously elyse's media article on NT detention centres would have saved me in legal studies for young offenders today (maybe there was a question on it - my lips are sealed))

Also it's important to line up my pens in the exact order dependent on length, colour and usability (ball point inkjoys) before an exam because ocd :)

Best ritual ever  ;) I always had to line my pens up right next to each other on the top left corner of the desk! All papermates ;D
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 04:15:01 pm
Best ritual ever  ;) I always had to line my pens up right next to each other on the top left corner of the desk! All papermates ;D

Lol I have a ziplock bag and put no less than 5 pens in there.
All the lids have to be on the pens, all the pens have to be the same. All the pens have to be facing the same direction.

The exam starts and I rush in to my ziplock bag to find one and dont give two hoots about the way the others are then until the end of the exam. ;D

(This is not as bad as my friend though who insists on taking at least 7 highlighters into every exam because the first 6 might all run out :P)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: ssarahj on August 03, 2016, 04:40:00 pm
All papermates ;D

YES papermates are 110% necessary ;D
also i can't forget; unscrewing the lid of my drink bottle for easy access, taking three deep breaths and sacrificing the kidneys of my first born child #justritualthings
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 03, 2016, 04:41:07 pm
If it's a pen (that I like or is cheap) then I'll use it, be it artline or papermate or whatever :P
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 04:52:59 pm
YES papermates are 110% necessary ;D
also i can't forget; unscrewing the lid of my drink bottle for easy access, taking three deep breaths and sacrificing the kidneys of my first born child #justritualthings

Well that escalated quickly!!

goddaughter i give up on life! (Omg this was such a good autofail im going to leave it there)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: jamonwindeyer on August 03, 2016, 08:39:40 pm
YES papermates are 110% necessary ;D
also i can't forget; unscrewing the lid of my drink bottle for easy access, taking three deep breaths and sacrificing the kidneys of my first born child #justritualthings

I felt weird giving this a thumbs up ;)

Anyone take multiple calculators in?  ;D
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: ssarahj on August 03, 2016, 08:43:47 pm
I felt weird giving this a thumbs up ;)

Anyone take multiple calculators in?  ;D

hell yeah i take two calculators; same type but different colours, one for degrees and one for radians  8)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 03, 2016, 08:44:01 pm
I felt weird giving this a thumbs up ;)

Anyone take multiple calculators in?  ;D

Nah i just replace the batteries if they die ;)
But why dont people do this? They bring in extra pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, sharpeners, highlighters, compasses and protractors (even spare water bottles :P) but no spare calculator? What is with this?
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 03, 2016, 08:49:26 pm
Nah i just replace the batteries if they die ;)
But why dont people do this? They bring in extra pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, sharpeners, highlighters, compasses and protractors (even spare water bottles :P) but no spare calculator? What is with this?
It's a 2U thing. One for degrees, one for radians.

Spare everything-else (aside from spare pens of course) isn't really meaningful :P
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: elysepopplewell on August 03, 2016, 08:54:59 pm
At our school, like most, you don't have to wear your uniforms for the actual HSC exam. For the first two papers I did wear my uniform. It was partially about the familiarity of getting ready in the morning, and partially the study mindset it gave me for the exam!

For every exam, I got up at about 5am to study before the exam. I'd study for an hour, have some kind of breakfast or OJ, keep studying, and then do a 15-30 min YouTube, social media, whatever session before getting in the car to go to the exam.

The morning study really helped me. The stuff I studied in the morning seemed to be the most fresh for me in the exam. And by study, I moreso mean revise. Like, I wasn't learning new stuff. Just bringing old stuff to the forefront of my memory.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 03, 2016, 09:47:54 pm
At our school, like most, you don't have to wear your uniforms for the actual HSC exam. For the first two papers I did wear my uniform. It was partially about the familiarity of getting ready in the morning, and partially the study mindset it gave me for the exam!

For every exam, I got up at about 5am to study before the exam. I'd study for an hour, have some kind of breakfast or OJ, keep studying, and then do a 15-30 min YouTube, social media, whatever session before getting in the car to go to the exam.

The morning study really helped me. The stuff I studied in the morning seemed to be the most fresh for me in the exam. And by study, I moreso mean revise. Like, I wasn't learning new stuff. Just bringing old stuff to the forefront of my memory.

Speaking of uniforms and exams, heaps of schools seem to be strict with uniforms and exams

Also another thing I want to point out is that after literally every exam, you'll year people saying "Oh no, I messed up. I forgot to do this, I forgot to to do that". Furthermore they keep discussing the exam with their mates to see how they went and some still have that same old reaction haha. I don't know if anyone has realised this though
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 03, 2016, 09:53:22 pm
Yeah uniforms were important at my school. They did, however, say you can wear your jerseys and not your blazers
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 03, 2016, 09:56:48 pm
Yeah uniforms were important at my school. They did, however, say you can wear your jerseys and not your blazers

Were blazers compulsory at your school? Do prefects only wear them or what?
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 03, 2016, 10:04:20 pm
Were blazers compulsory at your school? Do prefects only wear them or what?
Yeah.

Whilst the education systems at Catholic schools are better (usually), they are definitely stricter as well.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 03, 2016, 11:03:32 pm
Yeah.

Whilst the education systems at Catholic schools are better, they are definitely stricter as well.

lol what do you mean by the education system at Catholic schools are better? Do you mean there are better teachers or what?

Catholic schools are quite expensive though
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: studybuddy7777 on August 04, 2016, 07:42:32 am
Were blazers compulsory at your school? Do prefects only wear them or what?

Blazers were only compulsory with winter uniform and a recent change has seen everyone from 7-12 where them instead of just the seniors (11-12)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: elysepopplewell on August 04, 2016, 10:22:00 am
Yeah.

Whilst the education systems at Catholic schools are better, they are definitely stricter as well.

Sweeping call Rui! I went to a Catholic school but I wouldn't say the system is better :)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 04, 2016, 10:25:15 am
Sweeping call Rui! I went to a Catholic school but I wouldn't say the system is better :)
Oh whoops my bad! I meant in general, not always
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 04, 2016, 06:08:31 pm
Oh whoops my bad! I meant in general, not always

I know for a fact facilities at catholic schools (or private schools in general) are better than public schools. What about teachers (especially english teachers)? Are they much better and more dedicated than ones at public schools?
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 04, 2016, 07:02:58 pm
It's mostly facilities yeah.

Teachers? Not necessarily.
Also the teachers at my school are not applicable for random open discussion.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 04, 2016, 07:12:23 pm
It's mostly facilities yeah.

Teachers? Not necessarily.
Also the teachers at my school are not applicable for random open discussion.

I believe school uniform as well. WHat do you mean by "teachers at my school are not applical for random open discussion"?
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: elysepopplewell on August 04, 2016, 11:50:56 pm
I'm very envious of a lot of state schools as opposed to my Catholic High school actually! The diversity of extra curricular activities is mainly the biggest reason I feel this way! :)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 05, 2016, 10:52:15 am
I'm very envious of a lot of state schools as opposed to my Catholic High school actually! The diversity of extra curricular activities is mainly the biggest reason I feel this way! :)

Do you think the education system is better at private schools or better at public schools (talking about top 100)?
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: jakesilove on August 05, 2016, 10:55:45 am
Do you think the education system is better at private schools or better at public schools (talking about top 100)?

As a general rule, schools who are able to pay their teachers more will attract better teachers. This absolutely isn't always true, and there are countless incredible teachers working at public schools who could move to private schools, but prefer working in the public sector. However, good teachers can make a big difference (not necessarily to the single student who is going to try freakin' hard regardless, but to the cohort as a whole). This is a really unfortunate byproduct of the private/public distinction; teachers, who may PREFER teaching to a wider group of students who are receiving education for a much lower price, often move to the private sector because the pay differential is often quite substantial.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 05, 2016, 10:59:46 am
As a general rule, schools who are able to pay their teachers more will attract better teachers. This absolutely isn't always true, and there are countless incredible teachers working at public schools who could move to private schools, but prefer working in the public sector. However, good teachers can make a big difference (not necessarily to the single student who is going to try freakin' hard regardless, but to the cohort as a whole). This is a really unfortunate byproduct of the private/public distinction; teachers, who may PREFER teaching to a wider group of students who are receiving education for a much lower price, often move to the private sector because the pay differential is often quite substantial.

Yeah true, thing is are there really any bad teachers who work in private schools?

I know for a fact even top selective schools have bad teachers. I personally think that teachers who work at selective schools should get paid more

I don't know whether or not the department of education (i.e. if you go to a public school) takes into account a teachers teaching ability and their dedication to their students
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on August 05, 2016, 11:01:19 am
Yeah true, thing is are there really any bad teachers who work in private schools?

I know for a fact even top selective schools have bad teachers. I personally think that teachers who work at selective schools should get paid more

I don't know whether or not the department of education (i.e. if you go to a public school) takes into account a teachers teaching ability and their dedication to their students
Yeah. I didn't approve of every single teacher at my school.

But one thing to note is that there's always a case that's flawed. It might be a rare occurrence but hardly does it never happen.
I'm very envious of a lot of state schools as opposed to my Catholic High school actually! The diversity of extra curricular activities is mainly the biggest reason I feel this way! :)
Oh really?

Hmm, from memory we were offered Duke of Ed, had an annual college concert and also still your typical school-wide and state-representative sports competitions
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: ssarahj on August 05, 2016, 11:10:36 am
Yeah true, thing is are there really any bad teachers who work in private schools?

I know for a fact even top selective schools have bad teachers. I personally think that teachers who work at selective schools should get paid more

I don't know whether or not the department of education (i.e. if you go to a public school) takes into account a teachers teaching ability and their dedication to their students

I agree with Jake and also Rui here, there are DEFINITELY less than awesome teachers at private schools. There's always going to be exceptions to any of the blanket statements that are put onto schools in terms of private vs. catholic vs. public etc.
At schools where you pay a substantial amount of money to attend there's often more resources and an emphasis on "getting your money's worth" which may create the perception that the teachers are superb and get better results, but I think there's also heaps of other factors that determine a school's quality.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: conic curve on August 05, 2016, 01:15:00 pm
Yeah. I didn't approve of every single teacher at my school.

But one thing to note is that there's always a case that's flawed. It might be a rare occurrence but hardly does it never happen.Oh really?

Hmm, from memory we were offered Duke of Ed, had an annual college concert and also still your typical school-wide and state-representative sports competitions

My school never had this (I go to a public school by the way). We have a talent quest (which is really lame) and literally not many people show interest in it

My school only has some state wide competitions, has crap facilities, like they don't bother to paint over or fix up old broken things and uniform is so expensive, like for a public school why would it be so expensive? They have a second hand store though for all the old donated uniform from ex-students which costs less than $10 per piece. The principal gets really mad if you don't wear uniform but if you have financial issues he can understand and he'll speak to you

Anyways what are facilities like at your school? Also how does the deputy principal/principal react to students not wearing uniform?
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: elysepopplewell on August 05, 2016, 03:57:30 pm
I have a great interest in politics, current affairs, gender, race, sex and sexuality, etc, etc. And being in a Catholic school, a lot of this was restricted in the extra-curricular. We could only contribute to Catholic charities (as directed by the CEO of Parramatta), our inter-school debating topics had to comply with Gospel values, (which meant that when we had the debate topic "technology will be our downfall" - arguing about IVF being a positive advance was a complete no no), and there were some Legal Studies concepts that I had to research myself. I know these are all small things, but for someone incredibly interested in world affairs and modern advance, I would have loved to see more diversity. My geographic location comes into this a lot as well.

My school was great, I had great teachers, I took up every opportunity I could. But, I did an assignment at Burwood Girls High School for Uni earlier this year and it was a school after my own heart. Posters about Gonski funding everywhere - charity events for FGM survivors, etc, etc.

So that's what I kind of mean about the "extra-curricular" stuff. I wish it was a more secular approach to learning so that I could have adapted a lot more worldly stuff to my learning, rather than more Catholic stuff. I'm saying this from the perspective of someone who became increasingly less Catholic through High School as well. My geographical position, being in Sydney's far west, definitely impacted on the way I received education as well. Like I said, I was so fortunate to receive awesome education. But if you asked me to be critical, I'd prefer secular education for High School, because it is more suited to me.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: kb123 on October 05, 2016, 01:34:31 pm
What I do before an exam:
 
Day before: Skim over the types of questions and review notes for around an hour. Then I stop, do something relaxing such as watching a movie or reading. At this point, you should know everything that could be in the exam you are doing inside out :)

The Day (could be done earlier on too): If you can, talk to a friend about the topics your are going to be tested on, maybe swap notes in case you both have information the other doesn't. This actually helped me in many situations when I just forgot to mention simple points in my notes that would later be in the test (but because I looked at my friend's notes, I remembered the answer :) )

Most of all: STAY CALM. Don't fret crazily over the exam. You should feel confident. This feeling would come naturally if you studied the topics on the test thoroughly and have done heaps of practice papers. Remember to check your answer, make sure it actually makes sense and you didn't make a stupid mistake.

Talking about stupid mistakes, the most stupid mistakes I have ever made during high school was arranging numbers in ascending order incorrectly in year 7 or 8 maths (it was the only freaking mark I lost in the whole test!) and forgetting to write the C in 4 degrees celcius....

Katya :)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: christopherk8 on October 06, 2016, 11:37:50 am
honestly, my method during trials was to sleep early and hope for the best because no matter how much more i studied it wouldnt sink in anymore than it already had
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: ssarahj on October 06, 2016, 11:48:46 am
honestly, my method during trials was to sleep early and hope for the best because no matter how much more i studied it wouldnt sink in anymore than it already had

Ha love that!  8) A decent sleep is so so so important, and hoping for the best isn't a bad idea either  ;)
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: RuiAce on October 06, 2016, 12:08:24 pm
Ha love that!  8) A decent sleep is so so so important, and hoping for the best isn't a bad idea either  ;)
Sleeping. Hah.

I was so good at it during high school. And then uni happened.
Title: Re: What are your Pre-Exam Rituals?
Post by: ssarahj on October 06, 2016, 12:41:26 pm
This is a helpful little article about choosing the right foods during exam time ;D:

https://www.buzzfeed.com/gyanyankovich/eat-your-way-through-exams?bffb&utm_term=.nmb2ONne9#.cq418ZmM6

Spoiler
I wouldn't usually trust Buzzfeed for nutritional advice but this one is actually sourced from two really awesome, fully accredited and experienced dieticians  :) :)