HSC Class of 2016 Discussion Thread

[RuiAce]

How did so many of the Maths/Science oriented folk on these boards get >90 english adv marks? Genuinely curious, I can't write fast for the life of me

By answering the question. But also by writing fast lol.

My final mark may have been 87 but I barely scraped a 90 in the final exam. Because I had a much better idea of what I was doing. I sat down, wrote out my quotes, planned my paragraphs, did I agree or disagree with the question and went along with it. My ideas actually came to me.

Get your essay structure right, know what you're writing about and how you're going to argue the question, and then just let it happen.

(As for how I wrote fast? Well, the thing is I use cursive. That speeds it up for me. It was really worth it trying to get my cursive up to speed since Yr 5 so I'm sorry but I can't offer that much top notch advice on handwriting speed )

(Even without cursive though, the more you write the quicker you get. Oh and in the exam you feel pressured to writing faster because you're too busy processing content.)

[willy-boy]

Good advice again, ty Ruii. Your course choices make me simultaneously fear and respect you. Sucks for me because I bombed out first assessment and started at rank 28. At 11th now, hoping for rank <7 after trials. Hope that Band 6 is not too far out of reach...

[RuiAce]

I don't bite lol

I was rank 38/58 at one point. Pulled up to 22 at the end of it all. Yes the internal assessment is all about establishing your rank but it's not the end of it - you can still perform well in the final exam

[jamonwindeyer]

I don't bite lol

I was rank 38/58 at one point. Pulled up to 22 at the end of it all. Yes the internal assessment is all about establishing your rank but it's not the end of it - you can still perform well in the final exam

Massively agree with this, keep working! A Band 6 is never out of reach 

I suppose I reduced English to being very logical. Essays can be approached like substituting values into a formula. Technique + Explanation + Audience + Context = Powerful Analysis. 5 x Powerful Analysis + Intro + Conclusion = Paragraph. You get the idea, I got really good at knowing what needed to be written, and my study revolved around making sure I could do that effectively 

Of course, that is less effective for Creatives. It took me ages to get up into the Band 6 range for Creative, but when I did it was a massive personal accomplishment that I was really proud of 

English is for both the naturally talented writers, and the logical. You just need to know how to approach it! 

PS - An article on handwriting speed, and another on English for Math-Oriented Students, might be worth a read!! 

[willy-boy]

Thank you man - this advice is actually so valuable, I don't know how I wasn't using this resource earlier! You're all bloody legends

[jamonwindeyer]

Thank you man - this advice is actually so valuable, I don't know how I wasn't using this resource earlier! You're all bloody legends

Ahaha thanks mate!! Happy to hear that the forums are proving useful for you, be sure to let me know if you need help with locating resources or anything 

[Spencerr]

I don't go tutoring for most of my subjects and I barely listen in class because these forums are all you need to succeed!!

[jamonwindeyer]

I don't go tutoring for most of my subjects and I barely listen in class because these forums are all you need to succeed!!

That's what I like to hear 

[Lauradf36]

That's what I like to hear 

The "barely listening" in class bit too?? 

[jakesilove]

The "barely listening" in class bit too?? 

Maaaaaaaybe listen in class, just a little

[RuiAce]

I had no tutor for my HSC year (which is ironic cause I'm offering a tutoring service now) but I always listened in class lel

[jakesilove]

I had no tutor for my HSC year (which is ironic cause I'm offering a tutoring service now) but I always listened in class lel

I listened in everything except English. Still got a pretty good mark, can confirm that it's not necessary if you put the work in outside of school. It's still a WAAAAY better use of your time to listen in class though.

[jamonwindeyer]

I listened in everything except English. Still got a pretty good mark, can confirm that it's not necessary if you put the work in outside of school. It's still a WAAAAY better use of your time to listen in class though.

Good save Jake  will also say that I didn't have a tutor, suited me well  Of course, it is definitely great for certain students and those students benefit massively from it. But it isn't for everyone, and definitely not a necessity for success 

[conic curve]

I don't really like it when people say "if you don't go 4U tutor you'll stuff up". This isn't true because I've seen students getting E4's without tutoring and I've seen students getting not as great even though they do go tutoring. Do you think tutoring gives better results (due to the advantage of being ahead) or do you think it worsen's results (given that it is an overburden of work)?

Also Jake, mind if I ask you why didn't you listen in english?

[jamonwindeyer]

I don't really like it when people say "if you don't go 4U tutor you'll stuff up". This isn't true because I've seen students getting E4's without tutoring and I've seen students getting not as great even though they do go tutoring. Do you think tutoring gives better results (due to the advantage of being ahead) or do you think it worsen's results (given that it is an overburden of work)?

Also Jake, mind if I ask you why didn't you listen in english?

Tutoring works differently for different people: For some people it's great! For others, as you said, it creates unnecessary stress. It depends on the person I think!