ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => Victorian Technical Score Discussion => Topic started by: Coolgalbornin03Lo on August 25, 2020, 10:24:01 am

Title: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: Coolgalbornin03Lo on August 25, 2020, 10:24:01 am
With COVID a lot of people feel demotivated, maybe slacked off lowered their goals (me). In saying that does that mean the average score will be lower? (I.e C on exam goes from 55% to 50% because that’s were the median was)  I know it’s all relative but how do you think this will play out? Is this a good year to try and do well? Someone told me it is as a lot of people have given up. Although I’m not sure I can pick myself up either.
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: whys on August 25, 2020, 10:42:21 am
It's quite pointless trying to predict grade distributions, however, I doubt they will change by any significant amount. For each person that's slacked off or is demotivated or doesn't do well, there will be someone on the other side of the spectrum. At the end of the day the cohort strength will not have reduced, there will still be people really strong in their subjects and I don't think the average will decrease by a large amount. Right now you should be focused on what you can change, which is how you perform on future SACs and the exam, instead of worrying about things you can't control (other people's performances).
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: Coolgalbornin03Lo on August 25, 2020, 11:40:09 am
It's quite pointless trying to predict grade distributions, however, I doubt they will change by any significant amount. For each person that's slacked off or is demotivated or doesn't do well, there will be someone on the other side of the spectrum. At the end of the day the cohort strength will not have reduced, there will still be people really strong in their subjects and I don't think the average will decrease by a large amount. Right now you should be focused on what you can change, which is how you perform on future SACs and the exam, instead of worrying about things you can't control (other people's performances).

That’s not what I said. This is hypothetical. I’m not looking for way to do better and nowhere up there does it say that? ??? I’m not worrying about this it’s all just discussion. I feel slightly attacked :( and I’m sorry if I came off badly asking this.
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on August 25, 2020, 11:44:12 am
With COVID a lot of people feel demotivated, maybe slacked off lowered their goals (me). In saying that does that mean the average score will be lower? (I.e C on exam goes from 55% to 50% because that’s were the median was)  I know it’s all relative but how do you think this will play out? Is this a good year to try and do well? Someone told me it is as a lot of people have given up. Although I’m not sure I can pick myself up either.
I think it is a good year to try and do well: it could go either way. Just do your best... I think some are more likely to slack off but also some are more motivated. Still, I don't think it'll be normal. And even if putting in the same amount of effort would get you the same thing this year as normal - maybe if you put in more because of no travel time, etc., it's a good thing. So yeah, I suggest working hard. But I'm not very sure what you're asking.
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: Sine on August 25, 2020, 11:47:42 am
With COVID a lot of people feel demotivated, maybe slacked off lowered their goals (me). In saying that does that mean the average score will be lower? (I.e C on exam goes from 55% to 50% because that’s were the median was)  I know it’s all relative but how do you think this will play out? Is this a good year to try and do well? Someone told me it is as a lot of people have given up. Although I’m not sure I can pick myself up either.
It is really hard to say what will happen to the average score. E.g. it is possible that people slack off but then if VCAA makes an easier exam it may be a higher average.

I don't think there will be a significant difference between the students this year and say last year, especially at the top end (potentially some people would be a lot more efficient studying at home rather than at school). At the bottom end, I guess it is possible those who usually don't do much work did even less this year given less supervision.
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: The Cat In The Hat on August 25, 2020, 11:53:19 am
It is really hard to say what will happen to the average score. E.g. it is possible that people slack off but then if VCAA makes an easier exam it may be a higher average.

I don't think there will be a significant difference between the students this year and say last year, especially at the top end (potentially some people would be a lot more efficient studying at home rather than at school). At the bottom end, I guess it is possible those who usually don't do much work did even less this year given less supervision.
So you're saying the ends are going to potentially be more outliers?
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: Sine on August 25, 2020, 12:03:35 pm
So you're saying the ends are going to potentially be more outliers?
just my speculation, no one knows for sure
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: whys on August 25, 2020, 12:29:57 pm
That’s not what I said. This is hypothetical. I’m not looking for way to do better and nowhere up there does it say that? ??? I’m not worrying about this it’s all just discussion. I feel slightly attacked :( and I’m sorry if I came off badly asking this.
Yep, my post was a reminder to anyone viewing the forum not to worry about these things and my opinion on if the grade distributions will change. I didn't mean to attack you, and I'm sorry if it came off in this way. You also asked if you could pick yourself back up in your original post, which I was referencing and saying that yes, do well in the exams and you can pick yourself back up.
Title: Re: What does everyone think the grade distribution will be like this year?
Post by: keltingmeith on August 25, 2020, 01:42:28 pm
That’s not what I said. This is hypothetical. I’m not looking for way to do better and nowhere up there does it say that? ??? I’m not worrying about this it’s all just discussion. I feel slightly attacked :( and I’m sorry if I came off badly asking this.

Sorry you felt attacked, but I think it's more a statement (and tbh I agree with that statement) that whether or not the grade distribution is different, it's always a year to "try and do well". People get lost in all the technicalities of VCE (and tbh high school in general). "How will scaling affect my mark", "how will my teacher affect my mark", "how will this bad SAC affect my mark", "how will the fact that it's a full moon during the retrograde of Mercury affect my mark" - none of these things are things you can control. The only thing you can control is how hard you work - it's the only thing you can ever control. And if working hard is all you can ever do to affect your mark, then why wouldn't you do that?

I think this is what whys is getting at - the grade distribution may be different, it may not. But of course this is still a year to "try and do well" - because every year should be a year to "try and do well".