ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => Victorian Education Discussion => Topic started by: Greatness on December 13, 2010, 11:10:40 am
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Once again congratulations to the VN 2010 cohort what amazing scores!!
Now that many of you have completed VCE quite successfully, what are your tips and advice for the 2011 cohort??
VN is a invaluable resource and the advice you give in this thread will again be very beneficial for all of us.
What are your regrets?
What were your study habits?
What is required to get a 95+ ATAR (well for you personally as it's different to each individual)
Any other advice or tricks that you have learnt this year which will help us??
Thanks and congratz again :D :D :D
To the 2011 cohort we have a big task ahead of us...
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Do not copy me and follow a timetable where the study to gaming to procrastination ratio is 0.1:1:1. :D
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Do not copy me and follow a timetable where the study to gaming to procrastination ratio is 0.1:1:1. :D
Haha, good advice!
Congrats on your atar btw, thats awesome! :)
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Aren't there threads on this
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Develop a proper mindset to take into the exams.
Your mental wellbeing contributes significantly to your performance in your exams - this was one of my down falls - so many stupid mistakes.
But I'm still happy with my score.
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Get a head start seriously, especially with sucjects like methods.
And guys sacs do matter.
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study lots?
That's probably the simplest way.
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And guys sacs do matter.
+9000
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And guys sacs do matter.
+9000
I know!! FARK!! My high rank in further got me an okay score, but becoz my bio teacher marked harshly i was ranked lower :( therefore my ranking cost me an extra 1-2 study score points :'(
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My further sac marks helped me sooo much.
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1) Not doing two year 12 subjects in year 11...( actually, when I think of it, in my case, I guess it was better because in year 11 i didn't care and didn't know the value of year 12 yet :P)
2) I like the four hour study per day..at the start of the year you might be following it so well, then to the end..Stay motivated and firm! I think that's the key.
-Do revision of all your subjects at school in one hour ( so like 15 min each or so, but divide your time equally)
-the rest, do study of your chosen subjects
3) have a study score goal..and try to reach it
Do all that you can..then just leave the rest on whatever happens. Believe me your hard efforts will be recognised and don't ever think that they won't. Seriously, after my exams my confident was so low that I believed that I will be so ever lucky to even touch 90..then I got 95 + and I was like :D realised that nothing can simply go in thin air..
That's all I have to say. Do your best, at the end, you're not actually defined by your ATAR..just a four digit number that either reflects or gains you an enter to your uni course!
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1) Not doing two year 12 subjects in year 11...( actually, when I think of it, in my case, I guess it was better because in year 11 i didn't care and didn't know the value of year 12 yet :P)
2) I like the four hour study per day..at the start of the year you might be following it so well, then to the end..Stay motivated and firm! I think that's the key.
-Do revision of all your subjects at school in one hour ( so like 15 min each or so, but divide your time equally)
-the rest, do study of your chosen subjects
3) have a study score goal..and try to reach it
Do all that you can..then just leave the rest on whatever happens. Believe me your hard efforts will be recognised and don't ever think that they won't. Seriously, after my exams my confident was so low that I believed that I will be so ever lucky to even touch 90..then I got 95 + and I was like :D realised that nothing can simply go in thin air..
That's all I have to say. Do your best, at the end, you're not actually defined by your ATAR..just a four digit number that either reflects or gains you an enter to your uni course!
Cheers for great advice! =) ... and WELL DONE.
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thanks for the advice Souljette_93 :D congratz on your atar :)
Do you think that it's a good idea to aim for 50 in your subjects or for the subjects taht you know you are capable of?? Because i was talking about this with a friend. By aiming for a 50 you will woork on al your weaknesses so you dont make any errors therefore you will work very hard; my point is if you aim for a 50 and you fall short say you geta 46 then you can be proud of what youve achieved as you have given it your best shot and still ended up with an absolutley awesome score :D
Would this method of aiming work? lol it may sound a bit extreme, but its just something that i thought of because i was slack this yr and just wanted high 30s in m 2 yr 12 subjects (becoz i always knew they would be my 6th and 7th subjects)
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motivation
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Thanks guys !
..and swarley,
I think that's the best thing to do and it's not extreme. i like your reasoning. I think some one mentioned once before that hope to get it, just don't expect it ( so you won't be disappointed)
Aim very high for your all your subjects..that way you can make sure you give it your ultimate best. But then once you start to get the marks, don't fall into the trap of being arrogant and thinking that you are definitely going to get it. ( you can never really know unless you get your mark )
And anyway, you are a lot more advantaged then me, since you did two subjects and you are considering them to be the last. ( I did as well, and it was ) And hopefully they will be ;)
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@ Souljette_93: Im definitley going to aim for high study scores, i will hope and try my best to get it but ultimately i will get the score that reflects the effort put in :)
Thanks again for the advice
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Hi, so I'm new to the forum, and I don't have a clue whether this is the appropriate place to post this question, but here goes anyhow..
So for yr 11 I've been doing IB, thus I didn't get a chance to do a 3/4 subject this year. Now I am changing schools and they don't do IB, only VCE. The ATAR score requirement for the course that I want to get into is 99+,
do you guys think that it is worth doing my pre-planned 5 subjects, but also doing something like P.E (not saying that this requires less work/is easier, it's just that I could probably afford to be less involved compared to say, physics) and getting even just a 15 (according the atartcalc would boost my score by 0.20)? Or would this just look really bad to prospective universities? Is this worth it?
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Hi, so I'm new to the forum, and I don't have a clue whether this is the appropriate place to post this question, but here goes anyhow..
So for yr 11 I've been doing IB, thus I didn't get a chance to do a 3/4 subject this year. Now I am changing schools and they don't do IB, only VCE. The ATAR score requirement for the course that I want to get into is 99+,
do you guys think that it is worth doing my pre-planned 5 subjects, but also doing something like P.E (not saying that this requires less work/is easier, it's just that I could probably afford to be less involved compared to say, physics) and getting even just a 15 (according the atartcalc would boost my score by 0.20)? Or would this just look really bad to prospective universities? Is this worth it?
Just saying to get <20 study score in a VCE subject means to be in the bottom 7% of the state (it is pretty hard to get.. like not studying at all for SACs/ exam, not paying attention in class). As long as it can fit in your study regime I say go for it.
And also Uni's don't look at all your study scores individually unless they are prerequisites or middle band bonuses.
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get lots of sleep!
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This threads pretty awesome! :D
1) Not doing two year 12 subjects in year 11...( actually, when I think of it, in my case, I guess it was better because in year 11 i didn't care and didn't know the value of year 12 yet :P)
My bad! ;D
2) I like the four hour study per day..at the start of the year you might be following it so well, then to the end..Stay motivated and firm! I think that's the key.
-Do revision of all your subjects at school in one hour ( so like 15 min each or so, but divide your time equally)
-the rest, do study of your chosen subjects
This may sound dumb but its a genuine question. When you say revision, do you mean, look over notes etc? And when you say study do you mean doing questions, past papers etc?
motivation
How can somebody possibly find motivation in VCE?!
To me its like demotivating on every scale! :'(
get lots of sleep!
My bad...again... >:(
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I spent like ALOT of time (8 hours?) a day on FB/VN this year and still got above 95.
I think that alot of people do work without learning or perfecting anything, so when you're doing something, the moment you finish, try and figure out exactly what you got out of what you did. That way you cut out alot of the crap from VCE, and do what's only relevant to you.
By the way finding out what you "got out" of something could involve learning something new, or identifying a weakness which you take steps to fix up (see a teacher/tutor/vcenotes/textbook).
Alot of people do meaningless tasks, which waste time, and leave you feeling disappointed when you find out you got nothing out of doing them.
So just make what you do more efficient, and with the enthusiasm you already have, you're on your way to a good score! :)
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Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?
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Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?
yes i would say do it.. coz the second time u learn it at skool, it will be easier for u to understand + wudnt need to spend much time on it wen at skool
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@ Taiga: How did you manage to spend so much time on VN??? I think im going to have to limit the amont of time i spend on the internet xD Once i go on i cant really be bothered getting off :P
I like your advice as well. Thanks!! :)
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swarley, you average 27 posts a day! That's a lot...
I'm going for 1 hour a day next year only
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swarley, you average 27 posts a day! That's a lot...
I'm going for 1 hour a day next year only
LOL yeah i know... I think ill go on maybe 2 times max a weekday for an hour and 3 hours maxx each day on weekends. I will end up going on VN during my internet sessions :P Unless i have to do some research for sacs or whatever.
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OMG SACS matter big time! :/ Just found that out with my ESL, A+ A A+ ...47... Oh and do ESL if u can guys...seriously...
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OMG SACS matter big time! :/ Just found that out with my ESL, A+ A A+ ...47... Oh and do ESL if u can guys...seriously...
Some guy at my school is doing ESL and CSL, I don't know how that works/or is possible.
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I think study habits are the main thing.
To me, I didn't study anything in the holidays leading up to Unit 3 and that automatically put me behind those kids that had done it. I missed things that the teacher didn't explain, thus some of the finer details that I should've known just weren't there all year. Keeping on top, ahead of the class and maintaining good study habits are a definite must. I didn't have study habits - I studied before SACs and started studying for exams a few days beforehand and it's not a good idea. Always stay on top of your work, study 2-3 hours a night at the very least and if you can, perhaps cover some of the topics that're going to be discussed the following class.
Revision notes are a must for end-of-year exams. Don't slack on those and don't use someone else's.
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ESL seems so easy... all the students who havent been in Australia long from my school are all picking it up even thogh they are capable english students :(
Although what you learn seems quite easy, you will be competing against others who have undertaken ESL for similar reasons - that is taking advantage of the system with their mediocre-good english skills.
In saying that getting a 40 would be just as difficult as any subject, right?
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study lots?
That's probably the simplest way.
study smarter not harder everyone knows that? :D
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study lots?
That's probably the simplest way.
study smarter not harder everyone knows that? :D
Do both and you're on your way to good results :)
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study lots?
That's probably the simplest way.
study smarter not harder everyone knows that? :D
If everyone knew that then no one would get less than 70.00 :P
inb4 it's a ranking system so people will always get <70
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I'd like to suggest that you don't actually over-study. I spent the first semester and a bit of this year doing a lot of co-curricular activities, including three school productions - at one point, I had about 15 hours of rehearsals total per week. This way, you're not constantly feeling as though you're caught in the "school environment" - if you study too much, you'll feel trapped, and psychologically, it'll be harder to work hard at the end of the year, where everything counts. I reckon for the first semester I studied maybe five to ten hours a week, whereas in the term 3 holidays, I was doing about five hours a day; the fact that I had done little up until that point made it much easier for me to concentrate IMO, and I was definitely feeling a lot more motivated than a lot of my friends were.
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NICE !
im gonna be really active in sport next year! i miss my sport....
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study lots?
That's probably the simplest way.
study smarter not harder everyone knows that? :D
Do both and you're on your way to good results :)
i loved your tip on page 2 about aiming a 50 but not expecting a 50 :) haha
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i was wondering if reading through the text books/course during the holidays, knowing what concepts to expect...
does it help?
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study lots?
That's probably the simplest way.
study smarter not harder everyone knows that? :D
Do both and you're on your way to good results :)
i loved your tip on page 2 about aiming a 50 but not expecting a 50 :) haha
yeah i really do think that it would work - as in getting a high study score
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yerpp i defs should apply it nxt year =D
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Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?
I got 50 in psych without starting in the holidays. I just went at the same pace as everybody else. I think the main thing is peaking when it counts. If you're going nuts during exam time and you've worked steadily throughout the year then you can get whatever score you want even if you haven't started early. Sure it would help, but you're not heavily disadvantaged if you haven't started early. I know a lot of people would gloat about all the summaries they made for psych over the holidays and yet they got mid 30s. If you're passionate about the subject, and you do heaps of work then you can get any score you want :)
Now back to the topic of advice.
Here's my own PERSONAL opinion on what I think would help you (You probably already know most of this stuff but I'll say it anyway cos I think it's important enough to repeat!):
1) Buy a binder folder for each of your subjects. As soon as possible get your hands on as many practice exams as you can for each subject and store them in the relevant binder folder.
This helped me a lot when it came to exam time because I just went to a binder folder and got an exam out of it then got started. It made doing practice exams a lot easier.
2) Print out a copy of the study design (only the relevant year 12 pages) for each of your subjects. Have this at the front of your class workbook and binder folder. If you're making notes for your subject use this as a guide for what to base them on. And if you see something you don't know make sure you check with your teacher or a classmate.
3) Don't rely on your teacher. My teachers personally were setting up the class to get a study score of 30-35 for each subject. So I knew I had to do extra for the subjects that would be in my top four. Your friends will probably help you more than your teacher. I know for english and media, me and my friends would discuss the texts and mark each others essays or look over each others answers cos our teachers were pathetic when it came to giving good feedback and teaching in general for that matter. It helped overcome crap teachers. So don't neglect your friends! It really helps to have a few friends that you want to do well with, and I don't mean competing with. I mean, you all want to get high scores TOGETHER. This helped with psych cos my best friend and I would motivate each other to do more work and always try our best.
4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.
5) Know how assessors mark your subject. This was especially important for me in english, psych and media. If you know how the assessors mark, then in the exam you'll be able to tell if your answer is not good enough for full marks. You NEED to learn how to mark your answers. You are seriously putting yourself at a disadvantage if you've never marked your own work - especially in short answer/extended response subjects. Get your teacher to mark your stuff, but then also mark it yourself and see how they compare.
6) Practice exams > Textbook questions.. ALWAYS. You can do all the textbook questions perfectly, but if you haven't done practice exams (especially vcaa ones) then don't expect to get a high score. VCAA sometimes tests things that aren't featured in your textbook or are only briefly mentioned. From looking at past papers you can see patterns on what they like to ask.
7) Do at least 10 practice exams for each subject. That'll help you HEAPS.
P.S. there are always gonna be exceptions. People can go "well I only did textbook questions and I got a 50". Just remember, these are EXCEPTIONS. They are rare. The above tips are written with the MAJORITY of people in mind.
I hope this helps someone :D :D Good luck class of 2011!
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study lots?
That's probably the simplest way.
study smarter not harder everyone knows that? :D
Do both and you're on your way to good results :)
i loved your tip on page 2 about aiming a 50 but not expecting a 50 :) haha
Yes I agree. Getting a 50 is very hard to do and it partly comes down to luck on the day. Just work your best and aim for over 45. Cos then you won't get disappointed if you didn't get a 50. And you'll be even more happy if you do get one.
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Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?
I got 50 in psych without starting in the holidays. I just went at the same pace as everybody else. I think the main thing is peaking when it counts. If you're going nuts during exam time and you've worked steadily throughout the year then you can get whatever score you want even if you haven't started early. Sure it would help, but you're not heavily disadvantaged if you haven't started early. I know a lot of people would gloat about all the summaries they made for psych over the holidays and yet they got mid 30s. If you're passionate about the subject, and you do heaps of work then you can get any score you want :)
Now back to the topic of advice.
Here's my own PERSONAL opinion on what I think would help you (You probably already know most of this stuff but I'll say it anyway cos I think it's important enough to repeat!):
1) Buy a binder folder for each of your subjects. As soon as possible get your hands on as many practice exams as you can for each subject and store them in the relevant binder folder.
This helped me a lot when it came to exam time because I just went to a binder folder and got an exam out of it then got started. It made doing practice exams a lot easier.
2) Print out a copy of the study design (only the relevant year 12 pages) for each of your subjects. Have this at the front of your class workbook and binder folder. If you're making notes for your subject use this as a guide for what to base them on. And if you see something you don't know make sure you check with your teacher or a classmate.
3) Don't rely on your teacher. My teachers personally were setting up the class to get a study score of 30-35 for each subject. So I knew I had to do extra for the subjects that would be in my top four. Your friends will probably help you more than your teacher. I know for english and media, me and my friends would discuss the texts and mark each others essays or look over each others answers cos our teachers were pathetic when it came to giving good feedback and teaching in general for that matter. It helped overcome crap teachers. So don't neglect your friends! It really helps to have a few friends that you want to do well with, and I don't mean competing with. I mean, you all want to get high scores TOGETHER. This helped with psych cos my best friend and I would motivate each other to do more work and always try our best.
4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.
5) Know how assessors mark your subject. This was especially important for me in english, psych and media. If you know how the assessors mark, then in the exam you'll be able to tell if your answer is not good enough for full marks. You NEED to learn how to mark your answers. You are seriously putting yourself at a disadvantage if you've never marked your own work - especially in short answer/extended response subjects. Get your teacher to mark your stuff, but then also mark it yourself and see how they compare.
6) Practice exams > Textbook questions.. ALWAYS. You can do all the textbook questions perfectly, but if you haven't done practice exams (especially vcaa ones) then don't expect to get a high score. VCAA sometimes tests things that aren't featured in your textbook or are only briefly mentioned. From looking at past papers you can see patterns on what they like to ask.
7) Do at least 10 practice exams for each subject. That'll help you HEAPS.
P.S. there are always gonna be exceptions. People can go "well I only did textbook questions and I got a 50". Just remember, these are EXCEPTIONS. They are rare. The above tips are written with the MAJORITY of people in mind.
I hope this helps someone :D :D Good luck class of 2011!
Thankyou :)
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Very nice advice Slumdawg :D
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ESL seems so easy... all the students who havent been in Australia long from my school are all picking it up even thogh they are capable english students :(
Although what you learn seems quite easy, you will be competing against others who have undertaken ESL for similar reasons - that is taking advantage of the system with their mediocre-good english skills.
In saying that getting a 40 would be just as difficult as any subject, right?
Ok, lets clarify a few things.
Firstly, ESL is easier than English, DUH...But to what extent? This depends.
For English and ESL, we learn the exact same thing. In the exam, we are required to produce a text response, a context and a persuasive language analysis. Essentially, the catch is in Section 3, for the Per Lang, we are only required to do a shorter version, somewhere around the 600 mark. But we also need to do a separate note-form summary for the article given (same but 20-30 words shorter version of the English one). Trust me, the note-form summary is a pain in the ARSE to get right, especially with all the delicate, intricate rules VCAA has so kindly set out for us.
In terms of difficulty, well, to get a 40 raw in ESL is so easy that it is not funny, provided that you can speak the language well enough without having your listener asking you to repeat every 5 seconds. Though, ESL can be bloody frustrating to more advanced learners of the language. So other than having an easier competition, it does not in any sense, provide any other advantages to those who have a better grip on the English language. Instead, it has its own disadvantages:
1) There are not many classes in ESL, about 2-3 small groups. So, it is fiercely competitive, especially with the teachers. It is sad really, teachers know their students ' too ' well, and will have favorites. Like many of us would put it, the teachers are more interested in impressing one another than actually helping the students. Not good if you are caught ratting on one. cough*
2) For a subject like ESL, examiners and teachers want precise, clear-cut writing. So to those who likes flowery proses, truth is, you will be highly discriminated against. Flowery writing tends to sacrifice clarity, and thus, for a subject like ESL, it is advisable to relax your language, tho it may be very difficult to completely change the style a person is used to. They advocate straight-to-the point, mechanical writing to the point where ploddy writing is imminent.
3) It is frustrating to see your peers, especially those who struggle to put simple words together to make a fluent sentence, get As and A+es. While English and ESL examiners both prefer complex ideas over complex language, the fact that some ESL students get away with their ambiguous and confusing sentencing, makes me wanna jump of a cliff. It goes to the point where it seems that ESL examiners are going, ' Ah, I think that's the big ideas she/he is trying to communicate...so tick.' It is simple psychology, examiners are humans, they WILL form their own pre-conceived ideas and WILL usually empathise with weaker students that are trying hard.
4) I know I am in the minority here, like I've always been, but seriously, YOU CAN'T LEARN ANYTHING IN ESL. I still remember in year 10 where our teacher went through the whole class asking about our favorite fruits before the start of each lesson, though the whole dilemma is rectified with the awesome marks she gave me for my final Year 10 exam. :) In year 12, same old story, you really can't learn that much during class time, that is why I indulged myself to English Assessor Reports the whole year...and only look at the ESL assessment reports the day before the exam, just to boost confidence. ;) True Story.
Ok, I've realized, I have gone way out of topic :P, but just think of it as a poor, ESL student taking out his accumulated anger of his entire VCE ESL year on VCE/ATARNotes. To conclude, ESL is easier than English, though do not be demoralized, you can do just as well in English with bare-bones writing, considering the many duds who does VCE English.
Note- I have no intention in offending any ESL students out there, many have worked hard to get to the point they are in, so cheerios! :)
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This way, you're not constantly feeling as though you're caught in the "school environment" - if you study too much, you'll feel trapped, and psychologically, it'll be harder to work hard at the end of the year, where everything counts.
Lalalalal this happened to me =D But I pulled myself out of it when exam prep time came
Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?
I got 50 in psych without starting in the holidays. I just went at the same pace as everybody else. I think the main thing is peaking when it counts. If you're going nuts during exam time and you've worked steadily throughout the year then you can get whatever score you want even if you haven't started early. Sure it would help, but you're not heavily disadvantaged if you haven't started early. I know a lot of people would gloat about all the summaries they made for psych over the holidays and yet they got mid 30s. If you're passionate about the subject, and you do heaps of work then you can get any score you want :)
Now back to the topic of advice.
Here's my own PERSONAL opinion on what I think would help you (You probably already know most of this stuff but I'll say it anyway cos I think it's important enough to repeat!):
1) Buy a binder folder for each of your subjects. As soon as possible get your hands on as many practice exams as you can for each subject and store them in the relevant binder folder.
This helped me a lot when it came to exam time because I just went to a binder folder and got an exam out of it then got started. It made doing practice exams a lot easier.
2) Print out a copy of the study design (only the relevant year 12 pages) for each of your subjects. Have this at the front of your class workbook and binder folder. If you're making notes for your subject use this as a guide for what to base them on. And if you see something you don't know make sure you check with your teacher or a classmate.
3) Don't rely on your teacher. My teachers personally were setting up the class to get a study score of 30-35 for each subject. So I knew I had to do extra for the subjects that would be in my top four. Your friends will probably help you more than your teacher. I know for english and media, me and my friends would discuss the texts and mark each others essays or look over each others answers cos our teachers were pathetic when it came to giving good feedback and teaching in general for that matter. It helped overcome crap teachers. So don't neglect your friends! It really helps to have a few friends that you want to do well with, and I don't mean competing with. I mean, you all want to get high scores TOGETHER. This helped with psych cos my best friend and I would motivate each other to do more work and always try our best.
4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.
5) Know how assessors mark your subject. This was especially important for me in english, psych and media. If you know how the assessors mark, then in the exam you'll be able to tell if your answer is not good enough for full marks. You NEED to learn how to mark your answers. You are seriously putting yourself at a disadvantage if you've never marked your own work - especially in short answer/extended response subjects. Get your teacher to mark your stuff, but then also mark it yourself and see how they compare.
6) Practice exams > Textbook questions.. ALWAYS. You can do all the textbook questions perfectly, but if you haven't done practice exams (especially vcaa ones) then don't expect to get a high score. VCAA sometimes tests things that aren't featured in your textbook or are only briefly mentioned. From looking at past papers you can see patterns on what they like to ask.
7) Do at least 10 practice exams for each subject. That'll help you HEAPS.
P.S. there are always gonna be exceptions. People can go "well I only did textbook questions and I got a 50". Just remember, these are EXCEPTIONS. They are rare. The above tips are written with the MAJORITY of people in mind.
I hope this helps someone :D :D Good luck class of 2011!
1. The main thing I suggest with practice exams is to keep a compilation of all the mistakes you make in your practice exams. Scrutinize each error carefully and determine how you can prevent the error from occurring in the future. And for Spesh I mostly did exams from a PDF file on my laptop, I never printed out exams and the only paper Spesh exams I did were the VCAA ones my school provided me. To show what I mean by compilation of mistakes, I have attached the one I made for Spesh.
2. Study design is a waste of time IMO
3. =/ I went too far on this "never rely on the teacher" things. In Spesh I would just do my own work with iPod plugged in whilst the rest of the class payed attention to the teacher; same for Physics and to a lesser extent Methods last year. But I always listened intently in class in English and the same for Chem (only because the teacher would become pissed when I put my iPod earphones in). I would suggest you listen to the teacher because the textbook doesn't teach everything, there are little details that only the teacher will provide you with. Not absorbing these little details will cost you on SACs - I was rank 5 or 6 for Physics and 15ish for Chem.
4. I don't agree =/ I paid attention to all my subjects except Uni Maths. Disregarding Uni Maths, I spent the most time on English and the least time on Spesh. But the only prioritising I did was over Uni Maths, and I focused on getting high amrks for all my other subjects. Sigh I always thought my Chem and Physics scores were going to be same 0.o
5. No comment =/
6. True, but I did all the important Spesh and Physics textbook questions throughout the year. I never touched the Chem textbook questions lol, could never be bothered.
7. IMO 15-20 is the ideal amount of practice exams. I did 22 for Spesh, 20 for Physics and 20 for Chem (End of year).
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kyzoo love the advice :D
im planning to have a book where i record every mistake that i make, whether it's a spelling error, or simple arithmetic error.
That spesh document seems very helpful!I should make one of those, but i dont know f i would have the time :P
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My advice was based off what I thought helped me in english, psych, media and bus man. But because I based my advice off those subjects it might not be very relevant to a more mathsy person. I think for maths the study designs aren't AS important as for psych or media.
Btw I think Kyzoo you fit in the "exception" category! You're obviously a freak at VCE! :D :D
"P.S. there are always gonna be exceptions. People can go "well I only did textbook questions and I got a 50". Just remember, these are EXCEPTIONS. They are rare. The above tips are written with the MAJORITY of people in mind."
^ From the bottom of my advice post^
My advice is mainly for people who just want 95+ :D
Also, I agree with Kyzoo that an error book would be a great idea. I personally had one during exam time but I forgot to mention it! Highly recommend doing that. It saved a lot of time.
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Also, I agree with Kyzoo that an error book would be a great idea. I personally had one during exam time but I forgot to mention it! Highly recommend doing that. It saved a lot of time.
yeah i had one for biology 3/4 this year; it helped a lot! i also had a list of what i had to really memorise before i go into the exams and i typed up a summary of vcaa tips and advice (eg watch out for certain types of questions yadidah) this helped me along the way :) i'll be applying the same method for year 12!
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Props go to Derrick Ha though for really forcing me to make one, after his lecture I felt it was really necessary. I'd done similar stuff before, but never a proper practice exam workbook for all my errors. Everybody.. get on it! haha. I think an error book can be applied to MANY subjects which is also great.
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since i did pretty shitty on my vce.
my one any only advice is dont get caught up with korean dramas like i did and day dream that you would end up with a hot korean guy.
Just to break and shatter your dreams(i'm doing you a favour), it will NEVER happen.
if only i had realised i could have done better.
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awwww physics lool i cant help but laugh when you mentioned korean dramas and dating a hot korean guy.. sounds a lot like my sister :O i shall show her this post ahaha
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I spent like ALOT of time (8 hours?) a day on FB/VN this year and still got above 95.
I think that alot of people do work without learning or perfecting anything, so when you're doing something, the moment you finish, try and figure out exactly what you got out of what you did. That way you cut out alot of the crap from VCE, and do what's only relevant to you.
By the way finding out what you "got out" of something could involve learning something new, or identifying a weakness which you take steps to fix up (see a teacher/tutor/vcenotes/textbook).
Alot of people do meaningless tasks, which waste time, and leave you feeling disappointed when you find out you got nothing out of doing them.
So just make what you do more efficient, and with the enthusiasm you already have, you're on your way to a good score! :)
Not bad, I think it has to do with doing study but also that X-factor where you can naturally "get" the subject. Ironically some people may spend a whole heap more time studying than you and get like only say 50+ for their ATAR like what happened to my sister years ago.
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Mmk here's my abridged advice:
1) If you do maths/science, eradicate careless mistakes. You can have an astonishing grasp on the subject material and miss out on a 50 because of a number of trivial errors. I was pretty good at chemistry, but I did idiotic things like misbalanced equations and completely misread an extended response question... and hence got 47 instead of 50 (although 47's still good). It's important to keep in mind that you can be great at a subject and miss out on a perfect score because of some unpredictable mistakes, so take your final results with a grain of salt. Try to go through the exams slowly to make sure that you reduce the scope for little mistakes.
2) If you do English subjects, write creative responses, but don't make them too creative. If you're using complicated ideas, balance them with common contentions. In any case, make sure that the evidence you use is interesting, but don't fill your essay with very esoteric ideas (even if you can justify them). The examiners don't have long to mark your essay.
3) In your LOTE oral exam, force yourself to smile. It'll help you to relax and speak fluently. To study for the French oral, I recorded myself talking into my computer and played it back to fix up my pronunciation errors. Rehearse a lot so that you're comfortable with your material, but explain things differently every time. In retrospect, I should've spent time learning repair strategies because I had some pretty difficult questions ("What exactly at schoolies is against your principles?" "Do you think that Charlotte Corday actually caused real change when she killed Marat?") which would've been hard enough to articulate in English, let alone French. I'd also advise nailing grammar throughout the year - I found that in the French exam, I had almost no time left to check my work, and I was relying on having 30 minutes or so to correct the myriad of mistakes that I thought I made. Make sure that you get it right the first time :)
4) Be organised. Cleaning up your study area will do wonders for your mental state.
5) Go out with friends who DON'T go to your school. It'll help you to get away from everything. I spent many an afternoon wandering around the city with my friends and binging on Breadtop. Highly recommended :)
6) Keep in mind that basically no one in the real world cares about VCE. Seriously, the difference between 99.5 and 99.95 is tiny. Most people will be amazed if you get over 90; 95's a real bonus.
7) Have a goal in mind. It doesn't matter if you change it. I had 99.75 and Science/Law written on a piece of paper on my door (99.65 or something was the cut off for science/law at USyd last year, and I wanted to be safe), and although I don't think I'll do science/law anymore, I still strived for that score to keep my options open.
8) Do NOT compromise your life for VCE. Lots of universities award bonus points to high performers in other areas (look at UNSW's website), and universities such as USyd base their <99.95 scholarships off extra curriculars. Keep up as much as you think you can handle. I know that EZ had an absolutely hectic schedule and still managed an awesome score... I had quite a bit on my plate too (I missed 6 weeks of school, had all of my olympiad study commitments for the first 8 months of the year, had a lot of rehearsals outside of school, held a leadership position in school, had school rehearsals, entered in competitions, did a diploma, took the SATs...). Your life shouldn't amount to just your ATAR.
9) Reflect on what YOU want to do with your life. Do you REALLY want to do medicine? Do you REALLY want to do law? Think about why you want to study these areas and investigate what they entail. Look beyond Monash and Melbourne for course ideas. There are some terrific courses interstate (UNSW law is amazing; USyd has great science/law and also has the talented students program and then ANU has fantastic research degrees). The world is not confined to Monash and Melbourne.
10) Work steadily throughout the year. I thought that I was decent at maths, so I only brought my maths textbook to school in the last week of term 2. It ended up being my lowest raw by far.
11) Try and be happy with how things pan out. Don't feel inadequate because of the people around you. I had a friend who was upset with 99.85, and I found that devastating because it's an epic mark. Try and take a step back and put things in perspective.
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Thanks appainway :) Great advice from a VCE pro ;)
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Thanks appainway :) Great advice from a VCE pro ;)
Agreed. Cheers for the advice, as well as everyone else's advice.
I also concur on Breadtop. It's really good stuff.
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I think the most important thing is to maintain consistency throughout the year. You don't want to overwork your brain even before school starts. (I'm talking about people studying up in the summer holidays) I only did the bare minimum which was doing the holiday homework set out by school, then just learnt the rest as i went along. I'm not saying this will work for everyone, but i guess different methods will suit different people.
I don't think i even studied like everyday. Because seriously if you do, its gonna be such a drainer, you will struggle to make it to end of year exams.
Also, try to gain exposure to as many sources as you can to help you understand concepts. For example, in Methods, i used Maths Quest, Essentials and Heinemann.
For exam prep, try to understand the theory behind the work fully before mindlessly tackling practice exams.
And lastly, find some sort of motivation to keep you going throughout the year and set yourself goals that you want to achieve, and also don't forget to take some time out and relax a bit, after all you are officially putting a chapter of your life behind you after you finish year 12.
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Thanks everyone for the above posts, I (and all the other '11ers) really appreciate it.
One quick thing I wanna mention, I think a few of the points mentioned depend A LOT on the school hat you go to.
I'm not trying to point out any errors in any of your advice, but for me some of it, in particular the "listening to teachers" is a complete waste of time for me, hence why I am learning the courses over the holidays. I try not to bag out my teachers, but if I relied on their advice I would get no where, so I think that if you don't go to a high performing school, you are at an advantage to start now and any help you need, ask here!
But other than that, solid advice guys, hopefully it'll guide me to success :)
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You can still have a life away from VCE and get a very good score; do other things to take your mind off school and talk to your friends about other things apart from your SAC marks etc etc.
Also, for those of you able to do so, play a sport! In my opinion, exercise undoubtedly helped me have a clearer mind and made me relax more during year 12. I recommend exercising regularly throughout the year, even if it is just a half hour walk after school before you start your study.
In terms of actual school work, gain knowledge of the content of your subjects via as many resources you can find! There is more than one or two textbooks for each subject. Use the notes on this site and the advice from those who have done the subject; this may not necessarily be right for you to emulate completely in your own work but definitely use VN (AN) as a resource in year 12.
Anyone who needs any tips/assistance/whatever for the subjects I did last year please don't hesitate to PM me! Apart from Further Maths maybe ;) That's all. Good luck class of 2011!
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Thanks everyone for the above posts, I (and all the other '11ers) really appreciate it.
One quick thing I wanna mention, I think a few of the points mentioned depend A LOT on the school hat you go to.
I'm not trying to point out any errors in any of your advice, but for me some of it, in particular the "listening to teachers" is a complete waste of time for me, hence why I am learning the courses over the holidays. I try not to bag out my teachers, but if I relied on their advice I would get no where, so I think that if you don't go to a high performing school, you are at an advantage to start now and any help you need, ask here!
But other than that, solid advice guys, hopefully it'll guide me to success :)
There are bad teachers anywhere you go, even in high performing schools. High performing schools are high performing because they have a large number of students who are passionate about learning, have a strong work ethic or are fast at understanding and thinking.
I agree that sometimes listening to the teacher is a waste of time, especially when they not sure what they're saying is right and they rely on the top students to teach the class.
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There is still a clear difference between some schools and others in terms of the calibre of teaching on offer, regardless of student work ethic.
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There is still a clear difference between some schools and others in terms of the calibre of teaching on offer, regardless of student work ethic.
+1.
I reckon it's not just teachers, it's the whole environment of going to a low performing school. It really wasn't helpful having classes filled with only 2 people (on average) who cared and were working hard. Because you usually gauge how well you're doing in a subject by looking at how you compare with those around you if they're not doing much it can put you in a false sense of security. I know this year I had to be EXTREMELY independent. I was not told to do past papers or look at VCAA assessor's reports or all the other important things for most of my subjects. You have a lot of responsibility placed on you to do a whole heap of extra work to give yourself a chance to compete with those who're getting more support. Although you can definitely do well at a bad school, (there has been many cases of this) be prepared to work beyond what your teacher expects of you.
I think VN is so great because those who go to a low performing school can see the real competition and what level is expected for a 40+ score. If you can understand most of the posts in the forums for your subjects and can answer most of the questions posted in the forums then you're probably on the right track.
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There is still a clear difference between some schools and others in terms of the calibre of teaching on offer, regardless of student work ethic.
+1.
I reckon it's not just teachers, it's the whole environment of going to a low performing school. It really wasn't helpful having classes filled with only 2 people (on average) who cared and were working hard. Because you usually gauge how well you're doing in a subject by looking at how you compare with those around you if they're not doing much it can put you in a false sense of security. I know this year I had to be EXTREMELY independent. I was not told to do past papers or look at VCAA assessor's reports or all the other important things for most of my subjects. You have a lot of responsibility placed on you to do a whole heap of extra work to give yourself a chance to compete with those who're getting more support. Although you can definitely do well at a bad school, (there has been many cases of this) be prepared to work beyond what your teacher expects of you.
I think VN is so great because those who go to a low performing school can see the real competition and what level is expected for a 40+ score. If you can understand most of the posts in the forums for your subjects and can answer most of the questions posted in the forums then you're probably on the right track.
Agree with all that. In all my classes with the exception of English, there was probably 3-4 at most, in some cases me and one other person who were genuinely striving for a 40+ for the subject. And the resultant environment of the class being happy with mediocre SAC results throughout the year and distracting behaviour in class clearly has an impact.
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There is still a clear difference between some schools and others in terms of the calibre of teaching on offer, regardless of student work ethic.
+1.
I reckon it's not just teachers, it's the whole environment of going to a low performing school. It really wasn't helpful having classes filled with only 2 people (on average) who cared and were working hard. Because you usually gauge how well you're doing in a subject by looking at how you compare with those around you if they're not doing much it can put you in a false sense of security. I know this year I had to be EXTREMELY independent. I was not told to do past papers or look at VCAA assessor's reports or all the other important things for most of my subjects. You have a lot of responsibility placed on you to do a whole heap of extra work to give yourself a chance to compete with those who're getting more support. Although you can definitely do well at a bad school, (there has been many cases of this) be prepared to work beyond what your teacher expects of you.
I think VN is so great because those who go to a low performing school can see the real competition and what level is expected for a 40+ score. If you can understand most of the posts in the forums for your subjects and can answer most of the questions posted in the forums then you're probably on the right track.
Spot on. At my school, around less than 15 students (out of a cohort of about 250 year 12 students) manage to get 40+. Going beyond what the teacher expects at these schools is a must if you want to achieve a high study score and VN provides students like myself the ability to gauge the performance of other students around Victoria to see what level you're at, instead of relying on your cohort. This misconception that I was doing excellent compared to other students in my school this year lead to a relatively low score of 34.
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There is still a clear difference between some schools and others in terms of the calibre of teaching on offer, regardless of student work ethic.
+1.
I reckon it's not just teachers, it's the whole environment of going to a low performing school. It really wasn't helpful having classes filled with only 2 people (on average) who cared and were working hard. Because you usually gauge how well you're doing in a subject by looking at how you compare with those around you if they're not doing much it can put you in a false sense of security. I know this year I had to be EXTREMELY independent. I was not told to do past papers or look at VCAA assessor's reports or all the other important things for most of my subjects. You have a lot of responsibility placed on you to do a whole heap of extra work to give yourself a chance to compete with those who're getting more support. Although you can definitely do well at a bad school, (there has been many cases of this) be prepared to work beyond what your teacher expects of you.
I think VN is so great because those who go to a low performing school can see the real competition and what level is expected for a 40+ score. If you can understand most of the posts in the forums for your subjects and can answer most of the questions posted in the forums then you're probably on the right track.
Spot on. At my school, around less than 15 students (out of a cohort of about 250 year 12 students) manage to get 40+. Going beyond what the teacher expects at these schools is a must if you want to achieve a high study score and VN provides students like myself the ability to gauge the performance of other students around Victoria to see what level you're at, instead of relying on your cohort. This misconception that I was doing excellent compared to other students in my school this year lead to a relatively low score of 34.
I always have a chuckle at your Mick McCarthy avatar.
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Once again congratulations to the VN 2010 cohort what amazing scores!!
Now that many of you have completed VCE quite successfully, what are your tips and advice for the 2011 cohort??
VN is a invaluable resource and the advice you give in this thread will again be very beneficial for all of us.
What are your regrets?
What were your study habits?
What is required to get a 95+ ATAR (well for you personally as it's different to each individual)
Any other advice or tricks that you have learnt this year which will help us??
Thanks and congratz again :D :D :D
To the 2011 cohort we have a big task ahead of us...
Consistency was the key for me. I probably worked on average 2 hours a night for the entire year (with some nights where I did zero and other nights I would do 4-5 hours if I had a SAC on). Term 3 holidays are crucial to your exam preparation, the couple of weeks between term 3 holidays ending and swatvac starting were quite strange to me...I only did about 2 hours a night in that period of time but ended up doing a lot during swatvac. I ended up with 99.00 as my atar.
I did relatively easy subjects (such as PE and Further, as well as Psych in Year 11) but spent a lot of time on them, and it sure reaped rewards (got 48 in both). Don't underestimate and hence spend less time on easier subjects because you will probably be disappointed with your score in the end, particularly if you were hoping for a high score in them.
With English, not only should you be writing a lot of essays in the lead-up to exams, but try to perfect each essay you do. For example, let's say three weeks away from the exam you focus entirely on context that week. Write out a context essay and give it to your teacher to mark. Get some feedback from him/her and then write a new and improved essay the next day. Keep doing this over and over until you're entirely satisfied with your mark and feel that you can pull off a quality essay on the exam. You might be reading this and thinking 'crap...that's a lot of essays' but trust me, when you're less than a month away from exams then you will want to write heaps of essays - I never stopped and thought 'wow I have to do lots of essays' - just achieve your short-term goals and eventually your long-term goal will be reached. Another small tip: for context, make sure you have somewhat of a template or format to your essay that can be easily adapted to the prompt they give you. I had a fully memorised piece that could be adapted to any prompt and that saved me SO much time on the exam. Ended up scoring 10/10 for it.
There is such thing as studying for English without writing actual essays, such as practicing introductions, explaining quotes and writing up character profiles. I used the York Notes Advanced study guide for text response, seriously the quality of stuff in there is guaranteed to get you a 45+ if you read it thoroughly and jot down useful phrases that you could incorporate into any essay. Try to have a memorised introduction to your text response too, but of course one that can be adapted to the question given to you. I got 9/10 on my text response in the exam.
I'll be honest and say I did zero study for language analysis, matter of fact I probably did 5 language analysis essays for the whole year, I still pulled off a 10/10 for it on the exam but personally I found it to be easy (DO NOT DO WHAT I DID FOR LANGUAGE ANALYSIS - every person has their own strengths and weaknesses so this may not apply to you). I did end up getting 46 which I was happy with, but my teacher marked SACs very harshly. I'm not too fussed now though.
As for maths, I did both further and methods and the key is definitely consistent work. Aim to get ahead in your maths subjects over the holidays (and I mean WAY ahead) then do about 30 minutes per night on normal school nights - this seems easy but remember it would stressful if you didn't put in the hard yards during holidays. Complete a plethora of practice exams in the lead up to the real exam, and make sure you know where you make mistakes. I know one guy who kept a notebook of every mistake he made in his exams and kept updating it after every exam he did so that he didn't make the same mistakes. He was by no means acing his SACs throughout the year but nevertheless he ended up getting 50 in methods due to very strong exam results.
As for regrets, I have none whatsoever. I was very happy with the year because I managed to balance my life out with sports, going out on weekends and working shifts twice a week every week of the year (apart from two or three due to the exam period). Just give it your best shot and leave everything in that exam room at the end of the year.
If anyone needs help with more specific questions about study habits in particular subjects or tips in English essays etc then feel free to PM me anytime. Best of luck class of 2011 :)
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4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.
Might I also add: so true.
Remember, to get a high ATAR then you need to be tactical about things. It's not like primary school where if you do well in every subject then you get a distinction for the year and lift your nose up in arrogance to the other kids. It's all about your top 4 in VCE. All the subjects in my top 4 were 'easy' ones that scaled down (I was lucky to get high enough in all of them so they just stayed the same i.e. 48,48,46,43) and my bottom two were subjects that scaled up heaps (42 and 37 both scaled) so I knew I could put less effort into those and focus on the ones that actually count.
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4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.
Might I also add: so true.
Remember, to get a high ATAR then you need to be tactical about things. It's not like primary school where if you do well in every subject then you get a distinction for the year and lift your nose up in arrogance to the other kids. It's all about your top 4 in VCE. All the subjects in my top 4 were 'easy' ones that scaled down (I was lucky to get high enough in all of them so they just stayed the same i.e. 48,48,46,43) and my bottom two were subjects that scaled up heaps (42 and 37 both scaled) so I knew I could put less effort into those and focus on the ones that actually count.
Definitely. By about term 2, I realised I hated Further Maths and that it was going to be my 10% subject, so I neglected it entirely for the rest of the year and concentrated on the subjects I thought would be in my top 4, which proved to be correct. As a result, my Further score added 3.1 onto my aggregate; had I put the effort in and say got a 39 or something, it would have added 3.7 onto my aggregate. So there was no point doing the work for Further. You must take this into account; it is much easier concentrating on 4 subjects that 5, obviously.