Reasons for wanting to be a high achiever

[Surgeon]

Buying supplementary textbooks is a terrible idea (heck buying prescribed textbooks is usually a terrible idea) and everybody skips lectures all the time

Supplementary textbooks being a bad idea, I can understand. Prescribed textbooks a "terrible" idea? How am I supposed to study? Unless of course the university library has enough copies of the textbooks for everyone to borrow.

[Russ]

Lecture notes and course notes are what are important.

You don't need textbooks except to look up something you just don't understand and the internet is almost always a better option, especially if your course allows you access to online journals/bookshelf etc.. The only case textbooks are better is when it's a niche area or an advanced area where the internet has too much layman simplified stuff.

In all the time I've been at uni I've bought...3 textbooks iirc. One I still have to teach Bio out of, the other 2 were mistakes that I rarely opened and shilled off to lower years ASAP

[JinXi]

Lecture notes and course notes are what are important.

You don't need textbooks except to look up something you just don't understand and the internet is almost always a better option, especially if your course allows you access to online journals/bookshelf etc.. The only case textbooks are better is when it's a niche area or an advanced area where the internet has too much layman simplified stuff.

In all the time I've been at uni I've bought...3 textbooks iirc. One I still have to teach Bio out of, the other 2 were mistakes that I rarely opened and shilled off to lower years ASAP

Textbooks are useful now that I started reading ahead before lectures. It helps immensely in terms of understanding the content during lectures if you have the determination to keep it up. However, I still don't recommend buying them. You can find most of them in the library and even if you can't find the prescribed ones, older editions are still equally good.

Not sure about other course but for Engineering/Maths, having a deeper understanding (which is normally excluded in lecture notes) of the content makes problem solving alot easier

[Russ]

Yeah, they are, but I think we can put "reading ahead" in the basket of other things I always intend to do and never actually do

[paulsterio]

It depends, I like my textbooks! I find that they're helpful, better than the lecture slides we get. Like they're good to read, and to get a good understanding of things. I don't particularly like some lecturer's slides, they are complete and utter rubbish because they have next to nothing on them sometimes. So textbooks are good, I've also found that there are some textbooks which are just essential to have (I use some textbooks on a daily basis)

[nisha]

My bro just got into Melbourne High. He now gets a Macbook computer, IPhone 4S, unlimited amount of purchases on ebay, no chores.
I want these things. So hoping to kick his ass for them....with my work that is:)

[paulsterio]

My bro just got into Melbourne High. He now gets a Macbook computer, IPhone 4S, unlimited amount of purchases on ebay, no chores.
I want these things. So hoping to kick his ass for them....with my work that is:)

Wow, since when was getting into MHS that big of a deal? :\

Idk, personally I just don't agree with this, maybe it's because of the way I've been brought up (knowing my parents won't reward me or treat me any differently whether I get a 99.95 or a 70.00 ATAR) - I personally am against the whole "bribery" to encourage studying - this is because one day, when the bribes are no longer available, the incentive to study is taken away. Rather, kids should study or work harder because they understand and value education.

One of the things which I'm quite happy about as I've grown up is that I've learnt to value education, from a very young age, I've always wanted to do better than what I previously did because I loved the thrill and the satisfaction of beating my own self as well as the pride which came with it. It's just like how some athletes train and strive to become better not because they are tempted by medals or money, but because they take pride in doing better.

[Surgeon]

I didn't get anything when I got into MHS lol.

I did however come home to a new belt the day after my parent teacher interviews Was a lovely surprise seeing it on my bed!

[charmanderp]

Yeah my parents were just stoked that I got an MHS offer, given that I'd never done any form of tutoring before then (except for a month in year 6). Otherwise, there was no reaction haha.

[Jenny_2108]

My bro just got into Melbourne High. He now gets a Macbook computer, IPhone 4S, unlimited amount of purchases on ebay, no chores.
I want these things. So hoping to kick his ass for them....with my work that is:)

I got them since I had visa to study in Mel. Thats why I wanna be a high achiever so that I wont let my mum down.
She is my biggest motivation <3

[Limista]

I know what I want to do after I leave school. I know the requirements for that course, and I'll do whatever I have to in order to achieve that goal  That's what urges me on day after day....my reason for wanting to be a high achiever!!

[kensan]

My bro just got into Melbourne High. He now gets a Macbook computer, IPhone 4S, unlimited amount of purchases on ebay, no chores.
I want these things. So hoping to kick his ass for them....with my work that is:)

My younger brother is getting the iPhone 5 because he got into MHS. Is it right to rewards kids because of their natural ability? He did no tutoring programs or stuff like that, I just feel it's unfair haha (I didn't get into MHS).

[charmanderp]

My bro just got into Melbourne High. He now gets a Macbook computer, IPhone 4S, unlimited amount of purchases on ebay, no chores.
I want these things. So hoping to kick his ass for them....with my work that is:)

My younger brother is getting the iPhone 5 because he got into MHS. Is it right to rewards kids because of their natural ability? He did no tutoring programs or stuff like that, I just feel it's unfair haha (I didn't get into MHS).

As long as it motivates him to want to do well in the future, then yes.

[paulsterio]

My younger brother is getting the iPhone 5 because he got into MHS. Is it right to rewards kids because of their natural ability? He did no tutoring programs or stuff like that, I just feel it's unfair haha (I didn't get into MHS).

I'm personally against it - I think if your parents want to get him an iPhone 5 then they should get him one regardless of whether he gets into MHS or not, I am completely against the whole bribery aspect because I think kids should be given the responsibility and power to try to get where they want to get. Otherwise, one day, when the enticements are taken out, they will lose their lust to work hard.

Either way, getting into MHS is already the reward of hard work.

[nisha]

My bro just got into Melbourne High. He now gets a Macbook computer, IPhone 4S, unlimited amount of purchases on ebay, no chores.
I want these things. So hoping to kick his ass for them....with my work that is:)

My younger brother is getting the iPhone 5 because he got into MHS. Is it right to rewards kids because of their natural ability? He did no tutoring programs or stuff like that, I just feel it's unfair haha (I didn't get into MHS).

My brother had natural ability, but he got in, purely on hard work.

@paulsterio: No it isnt that. My parents don't bribe my brother. He just worked extremely hard (since he was in year 4) to get there. I remember him going through so many tutors, and him coming home and just studying all day. He really worked his heart out, and never asked my parents for anything -the only reason he wants to go there is because its such a high achieveing school, he feels he would be more likely to get higher marks there (because of their scaling effect), and the most important one=he has to travel to the city to get there- and laboured on. I don't see why my parents giving him all these rewards is a bad thing. I just want them too