Class is back on track and I have extension 2 due really soon. I've finished both my reflection and my draft, but I'm worried about what they'll say especially since it's worth like 60% of our final mark! I never got an external mentor since all the people I emailed refused, and I'm scared of the critcism I'll get from the external markers since my mentor is as invested into the process as I am :/
I'm not sure who to ask, especially since my family situation makes it difficult for me to afford expensive tutors. Any advice?
I've received my extension 2 maths marks back, and got 90%. I know it's a good mark, but if not for stuffing up that one question, I could have gotten 100% and that is literally my dream for extension 2. But I'll continue to work hard and see where it goes!
Spoiler
The thing with 4u maths is that I really can't drop it because of how guilty I'd feel. My parents have spent so much on tutoring and have paid for all of it by sacrificing their own desires and comforts for my studies. I catch a train every weekend to go there and it's kinda physically draining but I'm constantly motivated by what my parents have done for me. That's why I'm kinda (very) cut about my results, bc every mark I lose makes me more worried for my internals. I'd be so disheartened if I don't get an E4, because it's the least I can do. The same goes for physics, which I'm hopeless at but I can't drop and risk all that money going down the drain. So I'm determined to prove everyone that I was deserving of all that time and money spent on me, and do the best I can do!
Going to get maths advanced, extension 1 and chem back tomorrow! I'm looking forward to advanced, since it doesn't count haha and hopefully I do really well on all of them!
Well, I got all my marks back before the break, except for Extension 2 English, which was due on the last day of school anyway. I'm not exacty sure of what to say because none of my marks matched any of my predictions? or at least surprised me in some kind of way, both good and bad. I had a lot of things to say and it's probably a bit boring so I'll leave it under spoilers if anyone is intereted!
Physics
Spoiler
I was probably the most nervous for physics and thought I'd either aced it extremely well or flunked it extremely badly. It was one of those exams that was easy theoretically, but also was extremely vague and it seemed like numerous answers were right for each question. I spent half the exam doubting myself and that kinda threw me off for the rest of it. After listening to other people talk about the exam, I was sure that I did miserably because all their answers didn't match up with my interpretation. Tbh, both interpretations were equally as valid, and the entire cohort agreed that it was something the markers ought to have made clearer.
The other classes got their results back before my class did and that wait was painful.The kids that are topping physics are largely in another class but even their marks ranged from mid 90s to 40%, just because the teachers marked weirdly, though consistently, to a confusing marking criteria. So, I was dreading physics and then I got my results- 92% and was first in my class! I still think the questions were silly, but I'm so so glad I was able to do well after my bad half-yearlies!
Chemistry
Spoiler
Well, unlike physics, I entered this test with a lot more confidence that I was probably entitled to. Context of composer: Tired HSC student on their last exam, over the stress and anxiety and who trusted they knew what they were doing. When you consider the fact I spent most of my study time not studying chem thinking I could just revise it in the gap after my other exams, I was theoretically stuffed yet lacked the foresight to study.
This fresh and meaningful discovery hit me when I strolled into the exam hall and discerned that I was grossly underprepared and I might have wanted to not play tetris and go on facebook the night before. But alas for my conscience, I persisted with my cockiness when I saw the test, which was straightforward and simple. It made sense and I was 80% shook at my good luck. A voice in my head, my ego probably, congratulated me on acing what seemed like the easiest chem test we ever did and doing perfectly on it :)
Then, I got my marks back rip. I got 94% and don't actually know what I lost marks on since our teacher kinda lost our papers ::) but I'm kinda (very) salty at myself for (most likely) being overconfident and stuffing everything up. We'll see what happened when we get the paper back for good.
Maths Ext 1 Spoiler
Tbh, I'm glad I made the mistakes I did as I would have otherwise never have thought about those questions like that. I got 91%, which isn't that high, but wow, the average was surprisingly low for our year, even though it wasn't on many topics and most of the test was very doable.. One of my friends gets high 80s, low 90s for every exam and her ranks is in the thirties, though you'd expect it to be higher.
The SHM was tricky tho and so was the inverse trig questions. but I was able to get them out ;D My rank should have risen somewhat bc of that exam so I'm glad. I hope trials is similar in difficulty and my capability, though our teacher admitted that last years' trials were unreasonably hard for all units. Not many of the kids doing advanced only passed the 2U exam, which makes me worried at how hard it'll be this year :-\ Fingers crossed!
We have two more topics to do at school before we're done! And that's a scary but also exciting feeling. It's been a long road but we're almost there ;)
I was listening to a song the other day and it gave me the necessary motivation for the journey that's ahead of us. i've posted the lyrics below and hope it'll give you the same message of hope it gave me. The song is SNSD's Into the New World if anyone's interested :)
Don’t wait for a special miracle
There’s a rough road in front of us
With unknowable future and obstacles, I won’t change
I can’t give up
It's been a very long time since I've last posted and for anyone still interested, I'm alive barely! I've a lot to update since I've done both trials and UMAT in that time frame.
UMAT
Spoiler
Honestly, I'll regret this line in two weeks, but I don't think it was as hard as I expected. Like it was hard, don't get me wrong, I looked at half of those pick the middles, laughed hysterically (hopefully only internally, though that could explain why my supervisor looked like I was insane...) and guessed C. But I think I expected something 1000 times harder, I expected to have to guess all those 134 questions and have no clue for anything and resign myself for sitting the GAMSAT haha. And I call myself an optimistic person!
For the first time, I think my Section One was the best :o, which is hilarious because I think I flunked all the practice tests with Section One. Usually my scores go: Section 2, Section 1, Section Three, but I think it will go 1, 2, 3. But I'll learn whether I was right soon :( Though the way I answered was all over the place, I think I started with Q131 and then just flicked the booklet to random questions and did all my Section 2, and then went chronologically and then went to the end again to keep up the adrenaline. My leg started jiggling argh, it's honestly my biggest annoyance and it kept on happening.
I went in the morning to Olympic Park and though I had to wake up a bit earlier, it was actually probably better for me, because it was over! After the exam, my dad bought pizza and I fell asleep on the short ride home haha and couldn't be bothered to head back to class. What was once the focus of my life was done, and a month later I have to admit, I'm proud of myself for getting through it. Hopefully, it went better than I expected to save my failing ATAR from crumbling into the dust.
Trials
So this beast also came by and attacked with the gusto of ...idk tbh, it just ended me. I am not confident with my results at all, but my teachers keep on reminding me it's my rank that matters more than the mark for this. Though I'm not sure whether my rank would be improved at all... but last time, I was sure I did the best on chem and flunked physics, but there wasn't much of a mark difference between them. Fingers and toes and eyes crossed!
Maths Ext 1
Spoiler
I walked in confident and smiling since my friends and I were all making stupid jokes before and then I opened the exam. Haha, what a joke. :-X It was somewhat harder than the HSC, but we all thought the teachers did a really good job at mimicking it- the questions were very HSC like rather than textbook questions. And luckily, there weren't any typos- our school always seems to end up with a typo in our Advanced papers. Though I feel like the marks would have to be adjusted, since we had an induction question worth one mark! And our teacher figured it out today and changed the scheme for it, though some kids skipped it bc of the low mark associated with it.So idk what's happening there. I know I lost around 5 marks but even then, I had done some killer trials before, I'm looking at you, Ruse, so I was glad it wasn't on that level of difficulty. Our teachers have finished marking our exams but they can't give out marks or anything until the security period is over (we use independent papers)
Spoiler
My ext 2 teacher is a honest beast and finished marking our papers the day after we did it. Give me some time to recover haha. I'm ranked 5th overall, and I'm happy with that. I'm a bit worried though, our teacher said that was a hard test but I thought the HSC was significantly more difficult? There were more questions I could do in our paper than in the HSC (though our paper didn't include binomial bc we haven't covered it in ext 1) and I'm reminded of the need to continually work hard and keep improving my marks. My rank can't change (it better not, I'll fite someone lol) but my mark can and will with my dedication to the course.
Spoiler
I did this the day after Ext 2 and was more dead than not. I feel I answered stupidly for some questions, and I don't remember what I answered for the long response. Tbh, was totally expecting a q on transistors/semiconductor doping/Einstein's contribution/Planck, but did I get any of those? Nope, which was probably a good thing bc I forgot everything rapidly after my exam :) We haven't gotten our marks back, apparently one of the teachers hasn't started marking though we did it in the first week of exams, but he apparently just didn't want to start since he finished marking year 8 science tests... interesting priorities haha, but I can't fault him for not looking forward to our fudging.
Spoiler
I'm going to get roasted so hard in chem. Out of a combination of stress and stupidity, I totally forget about lead acid cells and fudged the comparison between them and button cells so badly (worth 7 marks). I also I'm hoping I get pity marks but idk. Not looking forward to my results but hopefully I just edge out a 90, I'll find out soon. crossed fingers and hands and everything, wishing on 11:11, shooting stars and four leaf clovers here
Spoiler
I handed it! It was a huge weight off my shoulders and a lot of my blood, sweat and tears have gone into it. I'm actually happy about it and really enjoyed the writing process. I found it to be more rewarding than I initially imagined it to be and a welcome break from all my other subjects. I'm hoping my results will reflect that but either, it's an unit done!
I hope that recap was a solid summary of my last month and a bit. I'm going to be more regular as I get my marks back though :) Until then, see you!
I was going to reply a few days ago when I got my UMAT results. But in a strange twist of fate, those results motivated me to have a few days off and just reconsider my life for a bit.
I briefly posted on Sarangiya’s journey about how the UMAT results aren't the be all or end all, and it’s ironic how long it took me to acknowledge that. Because when the results came out, I was heartbroken and felt like that was it, goodbye undergrad med. In retrospect, I had always been over-dramatic, perhaps I should have done drama instead. Let bygones be bygones, hey?
Setting
I had a study period in the library and it was a line where heaps of other kids were there as well. I was in the middle of a conversation when I noticed my phone had lit up- ACER notified me that UMAT results were out. Almost on auto-pilot, I excused myself and went to the bathroom. It was kind of an out of world experience, I didn’t know how I made it there, but I locked myself in a stall, sent a little prayer for any divine deity watching and, with trembling fingers, fumbled out my password and details.
Crunch Time
Then I saw my results. My heart lurched and it seemed like my entire world just shattered see what I mean about dramatics?). You see, I had always needed a high UMAT so my ATAR could afford to be that bit lower. But now, I had to gun for the highest ATAR possible because I had no other choice. Ofc at the time, I didn’t think of it like that, I called my dad and sobbed out, “I’m not going to get into med,” and sent him my UMAT results. And I think his thinking kind of changed at the same time, because for all this time, he had complete faith in my abilities- he believed that I could get a med interview for UNSW or WSU or Monash, that my ATAR could be in the 99s.
That was all ruined.
Results
I thought putting my marks here would be more dramatic lol: (62, 52, 60), 174 score, 84 percentile. Would have been so happy if my section 2 was in the same range as my others haha, but apparently my people skills suck :o
The day ended and I went home, exhausted. My dad, after pondering the news, was furious and he kind of attacked me about my marks and efforts this year. It was a common scolding and probably shouldn’t have hurt as much as it did. But it did haha. His hurt was a parallel to my own and we both dealt with it in our own ways- he yelled and I cried. It wasn’t fun for either of us, and it’s something I wish to forget than ever live through again.
Hope!
I went through a bunch of UMAT forums and I realised I still had hope. Luckily, my sections were all above 50 and section 1 was my strongest (hey, I predicted this! But don’t hold me accountable for saying it wasn’t that hard). I had a shot for UNCLE, Adelaide and Monash! Not entirely sure if Monash would accept me because I’m interstate and idk how they rank UMAT. JCU was also available!
This is from the god themself:
84th percentile is a solid mark, particularly since you passed every section. If you get an ATAR into the 99s, you should be good for interviews at Monash, Adelaide and JMP.
Life goes on. And as I posted:
Afterwards, as hard as it was, I realised that everything has a reason for happening. Perhaps this will give you an opportunity that you would have never seen before. But you are more than your mark, you're made of all your strengths and memories and stories, and in five years' time, the UMAT would seem nothing more than a bad dream because I know you will make a difference to the world using your courage and passion and drive. I can't wait to see what you'll do in the future because you are capable of so much more!
And I hope the same advice also applies for me :)
On the other hand, I realised how grateful I was for my friends and how much I love them for being there for me. I don’t deserve such gems!
Hopefully, I’ll have better news next time haha!
It’s been a while since I last replied! So many mundane things have occurred in that time span and I’m keen to update you on all of them ;)
School
It’s our last week of school! I can’t believe it in a way and yet it also seems all too real. In four days, we’ll be done with all of it. And that’s what we’ve unconsciously being building up to for the last 13 years and it might just be me but that’s quite incredible! We have muck-up day on Tuesday and we’re going on a whole year picnic or something like that on Wednesday, followed by graduation on Thursday. Then we have formal and after that afterparty, which tbh I don’t know whether I’ll go to or not, there will be little other than our own dedication to one another tying us together. That's quite daunting..
There are people in my year who I know I’ll remain close with, no matter where we will end up or what we decide to do, there are others who I’d be glad to stop for a chat and a laugh if I run into them in the future. Some I might never see again- perhaps reunions and that’ll be it- and it might sound horrible, but I don’t think I’ll miss all the 160~ kids in our year? There were some I was close to back in year 7, others I shared one memorable moment or class with, but there also remain kids I haven’t really known that well and others I don’t really connect with. But that’s life. And after all these years together, I’m proud to say I don’t regret meeting any of them, especially the ones who have and still do play a significant role in the life of me today (somehow that ended up sounding like the acknowledgement of country, but I’ll take it!)
Marks
Oh dear… I don’t think I really mentioned it, but I had accelerated Advanced and Ext 1 English the year before (ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively) and ended up with a band 6 and E4 respectively. A low one for both, but that’s over anyway, and I recently realised that I was a lot better at English than all my other subjects!
Well, I came first or second in nothing this year, which was somewhat disappointing as I used to be first in maths until this year but I know my marks all improved from half-yearlies and I feel I have a far better sense of the course than before, which I am proud of too. It's too late to mope, I'll just continue to work hard and hopefully it turns out well in the end!
Ranks
Chem: 7/50~
English Ext 2: 5/30~
Maths Ext 1: 6/50~
Maths Ext 2: 5/30~
Physics: 7/45~
That looks like a parabola of sorts haha.
Life Outside of School!
So many of my friends are born in this awkward part of the year and it seems my Fridays are dedicated to their parties. I’m slowly growing too old for them and feel tired at 8pm, but that’s okay :D
Spoiler
I keep on getting dragged by my friends for not wanting to drink, which was kind of a personal promise to myself. My grandfather was something of an alcoholic and I remember him yelling at me in a drunken rage when I was a kid, and I would hate to lose control of myself and act like that. I know realistically that not all people that drink act like him, but that connotation is hard to discard, and I felt more comfortable with not drinking myself. Surely, it should be up to me!
University Applications
Even after my UMAT, I made a pledge not to stop myself from applying to everything- I don’t want to regret any chance I could have had! So with that in mind, here are the Unis I have applied to for med:
UAC
1. MBBS at UNSW (unlikely, but more likely than WSU lol- but this would be my dream uni‼!)
2. MBBS at WSU (very very unlikely)
3. MBBS at UNE/University of Newcastle (I had a strong section 1, so I might have a chance here)
QTAC
1. MBBS at James Cook (finished that application and sent it to them by post- and even better, they’ve received it too!)
2. MD at University of Queensland (probably won’t make it in, unless I get a bonded place, which was also on my list)
3. Bonded placement MD at UQ
4. Bachelor of Medical Science, Griffiths (provisional entry to MD, I’m working on this whole ATAR >99.75 thing…)
5. Bachelor of Dental Surgery at James Cook
VTAC
1. CSP MBBS at Monash (hahaha rip my chances)
2. CSP Rural Cohort MBBS at Monash
3. Biomedicine/Dental Surgery at Melbourne (I stand as much of a chance as a moth to a flame)
4. Biomedicine at Melbourne
SATAC
1. MBBS at the University of Adelaide
2. Bonded MBBS at the University of Adelaide
3. Bachelor of Clinical Sciences/ MD at Flinders
4. Bachelor of Dental Surgery at the University of Adelaide
TISC
WA- tbh not too familiar with any of these universities or courses, but it’s still worth a try! Med is still med~)
1. MBBS at Curtin
2. Bachelor of Philosophy at UWA (provisional entry into Doctor of Medicine)
3. Bachelor of Biomedical Science at UWA (provisional entry into Doctor of Medicine)
4. Bachelor of Philosophy at UWA (provisional entry into Dentistry)
5. Bachelor of Biomedical Science at UWA (provisional entry into Dentistry)
I’ve also applied for the Co-op Actuary program at Macquaire and UNSW, and (thought) I finished my responses until 8vefable pointed out both some of my horrendous grammar and the fact I decided that one of my responses was 750 characters, not 1000… I cry every-time.
I’ll leave my responses down below if anyone wants to look over them/wants to find out a bit more about me 😊
Explain what it is that most attracts you to the UNSW Co-op Program and the academic field(s) that you have chosen? 750 character limit
Spoiler
My interest in actuarial studies emerges from my love of problem solving, drawing me to a field where I can simultaneously learn and solve real-world challenges. I also valued a career that has a strong interpersonal focus, with actuarial studies best complementing my interest in maths with the chance to explain complex projects to my clients and improve their satisfaction. I believe the Co-op program’s hands-on work experience and professional development program would enhance my potential, providing me with invaluable networking and vital commercial skills for the workplace. The stimulating challenges presented to a Co-op scholar would endorse my continual commitment to improvement, best equipping me to become an all-rounded professional.
Learnings: Select one or two activities from either list in Question 1 and tell us the most important things you gained or learned from these activities. 1000 character limit
Spoiler
Debating and public speaking were integral learning opportunities for me, teaching me the importance of having a voice about societal concerns. Through the collaborative discussions endorsed by debating, I learned the importance of critical thinking and cooperation in creating a supportive team environment where we all felt confident in expressing our ideas and adapted to feedback. Committing myself to improving, these lessons were the catalyst for our achievements, including (i had a specific example here but it might reveal my identity too much haha so I’ll add that in afterwards. Hope that’s alright :))
Through the OZCLO linguistics competition, I appreciated the importance of finding new and innovative solutions to challenges, strengthening analytical skills in face of setbacks and a high-pressure environment. As a team, we developed our work ethics and organisational skills, with the competition taking place during our exam period. By learning to delegate problems to each other and make calculated risks, we were fortunate enough to place (same as above!!)
Personal development: What do you regard as your key strengths and areas for improvement? 1000 character limit
Spoiler
I am proud of my dedication and commitment, always willing to put all my energy into making sure everything is to a consistently high standard. My drive to get things done often encourages others to perform at their best as well. I try to remain conscious of everyone’s opinions and enjoy collaborating with different people to express many different opinions and gain a group consensus. I also possess a creative mind and can adapt to different situations and personalities as required, always looking for opportunities for improvement. I am willing to challenge myself and always desire to persevere through the rigours of each job. However, while I always have respected a deadline, I have struggled with my perfectionist nature, which has led me to spend too long on tasks and take on too much myself. To resolve my focus on redundant details, I am careful to delegate tasks in group projects and set individual deadlines for sections of a project, refocusing on the bigger picture.
Leadership and teamwork: Tell us about a situation where you were effective as a leader and/or or as a team player, e.g. describe how you significantly influenced others, or contributed to the effective operation/successful outcome of a situation or team. 1000 character limit
Spoiler
As a senior SRC member, I oversaw the annual Shave for a Cure fundraiser and directed the passionate committee of student volunteers. To overcome my inexperience and initial lack of direction, I consulted with previous SRC members and read through past ‘Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threat’ analyses to make the event successful. By deconstructing the mechanisms behind efficient events and establishing aims, we strengthened our strategic thinking skills and effectively communicated these goals to students. I also made sure to delegate roles to the other volunteers and always listened to all their suggestions, which allowed us to implement new ideas such as newspaper coverage and bake-sales. As the leader of this group, it was my responsibility to encourage my team to always do their best and I learned the importance of promoting our team morale through this period. Throughout the entire event, I made sure we could adapt to deadlines, which helped us exceed our initial target.
Decision making or problem solving: Drawing on your experience or involvement in a part-time job, community or school activity, describe how you overcame a challenging situation and what you learnt from the experience. 1000 character limit
Spoiler
After accelerating English, I was given the challenging opportunity to peer-tutor a student who was struggling at English. Dismayed by bad marks, this student had given up on improving and was initially reluctant to attend peer tutoring. Unsure of how to change his attitude, I decided to ask him to identify his weaknesses, then comprehensively explained the foundations of essay-writing and each module. Over a two-year period, we developed a shared rapport and I was able to incrementally increase his confidence in the subject by establishing small improvement targets. Working collaboratively to overcome his previous mistakes, he became more receptive to the offered feedback and started to actively participate in class discussions. This was a monumental experience for me, making me appreciative of the need to coherently express my ideas to everyone. Seeing him exceed his personal best throughout the year was very rewarding and it remains a privilege for me to aid him establish his goals.
Significant achievement or project: Describe an achievement in the workplace and/or designing, building, programming or creating something. You might choose to highlight your creativity; the ability to see alternatives; come up with many varied or original ideas; or willingness to try/learn new things 1250 character limit
Spoiler
During my role as an SRC member and school captain, I focused on reframing my school’s competitive nature towards academics, wanting students to be recognised for more than their marks. I had always been dismayed at how many of my peers defined themselves by their results, and the lack of clear information regarding support, establishing a committee to fix this attitude. After much consultation with the school community, we firstly introduced a male school counsellor, desiring to change the hypermasculine belief that boys should conceal their struggles. We then introduced ‘R U OK’ mentors for senior students and a lunchtime support group, both providing valuable discussion about mental health issues and personal concerns of the students. All these projects required approval by the school council and SRC, and I often liaised between these bodies, which strengthened my communication and consulting skills through forums, surveys and assembly announcements. This project also taught me the value of delegation, which improved productivity and allowed everyone to play an active role in such a vital issue. I would love to continue my commitment to improving someone’s life by consulting with clients on projects that better their life.
After graduation: What sort of graduate position do you imagine yourself in after university? 1000 character limit
Spoiler
My main goal is to adhere to the standards of conduct of a professional actuary, wanting to both be challenged and meet expectations. I would ideally like to work with risk and analysis in the role of an actuarial analyst in healthcare. Ultimately desiring to work for organisations like HCF, Bupa or even governmental health systems, like Medicare, I believe this opportunity to give someone the fairest access to care is both a vital and meaningful vocation. To combine logical insights across numerous disciplines, like an actuarial analyst does, would be a remarkable opportunity to develop a fresh and intensely meaningful outlook on a situation, which would be more valuable for the stakeholders at hand. I am also interested in modelling big data to find a personalised solution and encourage engagement between clients and investors. I believe this would enable me to uncover previously hidden links in data, identifying the connections that complete the picture in a fully productive role.
Personal qualities: Why should you be selected as a UNSW Co-op Program scholar? Describe the personal qualities and values that differentiate you and that you would bring to the UNSW Co-op Program. 1000 character limit
Spoiler
I believe I would thrive in the demanding but supportive environment in front of me. As a self-motivated, conscientious student, I enjoy working both independently and in a team environment, eager to learn from and represent other people’s opinions. I am willing to take risks and challenge myself for other people to enjoy it, having a resilient attitude that encapsulates itself in everything I do. I adore persevering through challenges and working to a resolution, with my commitment to improving myself through learning complementing the rigours of the actuary field. My interest in lifelong learning and strong interpersonal skills would allow me to give personalised support to others, my work ethic and passion supplementing my future goals. The invigorating nature of the course would be extremely rewarding, allowing me to simultaneously learn and apply my knowledge to real-world scenarios, which is something I have always desired in my future.
After that very long entry, I'm going to head off to sleep and will reply to Sarangiya's message tomorrow!