Getting a 99+ ATAR: Tips from a 99.80 Student

[ccarolineb]

Hey lazydreamer! I can't say I've ever had the experience of a total mind blank, and I am fortunate in that way. What I will say is that my Year 12 Extension Math half yearly made me feel like absolute crap. I just saw questions I didn't know how to do, blanked on how to begin approaching them, got stressed and ended up not attempting quite a few questions in the paper. I never leave questions unattempted, so while my marks and rank ended up being pretty good for the exam anyway, it shook me up a little.

I actually think a little scare is a good thing, especially if it is in half yearly exams (not so fun if it happens in Trials). If you stuff up an exam, you get a weird combination of emotions. Depression (what the hell just happened), anxiety (what is going to happen now), confusion (I thought I was pretty ready), but perhaps most important of all... Determination. When I had this half yearly, that night I remember sitting down at my desk and thinking, "Right, I am never letting that happen again."

I studied like an absolute freak for Extension from that point on, and I ended up with a string of math tasks where I didn't lose a mark. The half yearly gave me a massive kick of momentum, it "woke me up" I suppose you could say.

So, my advice to not let this happen again is, pretty much, to capitalise on the fact that it did happen. Let it drive you forward, and make you say: "No, you know what, I'm not letting that happen again." The key is, don't stop working. Just stay focused, keep up with what is happening in class, and reflect on what went wrong and improve it for next time.

I know this post is very pseudo-inspirational pep-talk styled, rather than technical study advice, but I seriously think that momentum and mindset is so important for coming back from things like this. No amount of technical advice I give on "not stuffing up exams" (which I've written lots about for Math already and will write lots more about in the future) will matter if you aren't in the right frame of mind to use it 

So, think about what went wrong this time, think about why you came out feeling the way you did, and make a promise to yourself that you will never feel that way again. Use your setback as a deterrent for future setbacks, and as a drive to push you to better performances in the future 

PS - If you did want some technical study advice, let me know which subjects you struggled in! I can give you some pointers (if I did the subject) or it may even have a guide on the way 

any tips on how to study for english? especially the modules?

[jamonwindeyer]

any tips on how to study for english? especially the modules?

Lots, and lots, and lots of practice  I always spent a decent amount of time selecting my quotes and organising them into nice study sheets that were easy to reference and remember, but primarily, practice makes perfect for English. Write lots and lots, and get feedback on absolutely everything that you can. You've been posting stuff in our marking threads already, this is perfect! Even just smash out a paragraph and get us to read it, get a teacher to read it, get a friend to read it, the more you write (and get feedback) the better you will get 

[kimmie]

I use the pomodoro app too but mines like 30 minutes each study session

Hey there! Sorry for the late reply, with all the guides around I sometimes forget to check one or two threads.

I'll start by saying that I only started doing past papers in full after Trials. I never had time before my Trials. I used other study methods, which did include practice questions, just never in a proper practice exam scenario.

By programs for timing applications, I assume you mean like iPhone apps and stuff? There are two that I like. First, the Pomodoro Technique . Search it on any app store or in google and something will pop up, basically it is just the idea that you do 50 minutes on, 10 minutes off, or some similar configuration. I loved having the break, and most apps will do this automatically for you, and even keep track of how many "pomodoros" (study sessions) you complete over the day. I would normally do 3 hour slots, with 50 minute Pomodoros/10 minute breaks, then 1-1.5 hour breaks in between. If I was doing a practice paper, I'd obviously not take the 10 minute breaks. All in all I ended up with about 9 hours study a day.

The second app I love is 30:30 , a nice little iOS app. It lets you make a list of stuff with time limits then work through it. It can repeat stuff, change times on the fly, it's a cool flexible timer. Not as structured as a Pomodoro, so it worked better for me in certain situations (setting myself time limits to do questions in chapters, then needing to add 5 minutes because I hit a hard question, etc).

Besides these, any old reminders app and a timer will do. However, these two are free, so why not I say.

Disclaimer: I am not sponsored by either of these apps, but if either company wants to sponsor me, I accept food donations.

[shailerpennell]

whoops 1 year late but god damn Atar notes is my life saver! This post was so so so helpful, thank you!!!

[jamonwindeyer]

whoops 1 year late but god damn Atar notes is my life saver! This post was so so so helpful, thank you!!!

You are welcome! So happy it helped you!!  be sure to let me know if you need help finding stuff around the forums! 

[Lauradf36]

Suggestions on handwriting v. typing notes? I handwrote my notes for ages, but then figured out that everyone else typed them, so I freaked out and then started typing them all from scratch. I'm nearly finished all my subjects, but it takes a long time! Bad idea? Should I go back to handwriting??

[RuiAce]

Suggestions on handwriting v. typing notes? I handwrote my notes for ages, but then figured out that everyone else typed them, so I freaked out and then started typing them all from scratch. I'm nearly finished all my subjects, but it takes a long time! Bad idea? Should I go back to handwriting??

Keep your handwritten notes; I'm sorry but going back to typing is a bad move. It's taking a step backwards and consuming valuable time you could spend on doing past papers and etc.

There is virtually no difference between handwritten and typed. This is a matter of preference. Most are typed simply because they look neater (and potentially quicker if you're much faster at typing than writing), but one can easily argue that handwriting forces your hand and actually activates your memory.

[jamonwindeyer]

Suggestions on handwriting v. typing notes? I handwrote my notes for ages, but then figured out that everyone else typed them, so I freaked out and then started typing them all from scratch. I'm nearly finished all my subjects, but it takes a long time! Bad idea? Should I go back to handwriting??

Ditto with Rui, I personally typed because I preferred the neatness and portability (on my iPad). It was faster too! But stick with what you have, handwriting your notes has been proven to be more beneficial in terms of remembering what you've written anyway! 

If you have got typed notes now, of course, use both!! But don't spend time on that instead of other, more useful avenues of study 

[asd987]

Anyone have any tips/experiences worth notifying regarding studying/time management? I'll be doing the HSC in 2017. Any tips on how to manage essay writing for eco/legal/sor? Ty any response will be greatly appreciated

[stephanieazzopardi]

Anyone have any tips/experiences worth notifying regarding studying/time management? I'll be doing the HSC in 2017. Any tips on how to manage essay writing for eco/legal/sor? Ty any response will be greatly appreciated

Hi! My top tips for studying effectively and maintaining time management is to write a to-do list, work from it and cross things off as you go. Make sure you allocate times of the day for the items on your to-do list. Make sure you are completing your work and studying in an environment that you work best in. I study best alone in my room. Make sure to take breaks, and set aside time in the week for extra curricular activities, and spending time with family and friends.

[mattmorley]

Another thing that i found massivly helps is making a table in excel where u have each day of the week and under it the tasks u need to get done that day and then below that them in priority order. Really helps to stay organised

[RuiAce]

Another thing that i found massivly helps is making a table in excel where u have each day of the week and under it the tasks u need to get done that day and then below that them in priority order. Really helps to stay organised

Do you mean a schedule?

[stephsteph_xx]

Thank you so much for your advice! Would 12 units be too much?

[jamonwindeyer]

Thank you so much for your advice! Would 12 units be too much?

No problem!

Short answer, definitely not! I did 12 units and it worked really well for me (well, technically I did 14 units, but I purposely didn't sit the HSC Exam for 2 units. It was a Retail Services traineeship through work, had no interest in actually counting it towards my HSC, just did it for the knowledge).

Long answer - If you feel like you are struggling with the work, handing in assessments late, that sort of stuff, then 12 units might be too much for you in your current circumstances. It's a very personal decision to make. Just know that dropping a subject to go back to 10 units is not a bad thing, and it isn't an admission of defeat. It's being strategic with your time!

But yeah, 12 units is definitely not too much, and it worked really well for me

This article could be worth a read!

[Rathin]

Just curious, when you mean my band 3u mark in the half yearlies..what do you exactly mean?