Summer Headstart 2017: Connect Education in addition to other lectures?

[ardria]

Hi all!

So I'm a little neurotic and I've signed up for TSFX Headstart Chem 3/4 and I've gotten a copy of their 2016 Methods 3/4 notes. I'm also going to ATARNotes Bio/Chem/English/Methods.

I'm wondering if it's worth additionally going to Connect Education's Biology 3/4 Summer lecture, or their Methods (which I'm especially worried about) or Chemistry? Their Summer lectures are Unit 3 only and have some focus on SACs, which seems quite valuable. I've heard good things about Connect lectures, especially their Methods.

Should I just wait for their 2017 notes books to be released and get those instead, as they cover all of Unit 3 and 4 comprehensively, and are half the price? Or are their lectures good enough to be worth the $89 each?

[K888]

Hi all!

So I'm a little neurotic and I've signed up for TSFX Headstart Chem 3/4 and I've gotten a copy of their 2016 Methods 3/4 notes. I'm also going to ATARNotes Bio/Chem/English/Methods.

I'm wondering if it's worth going to Connect Education's Biology 3/4 Summer lecture, or their Methods (which I'm especially worried about) or Chemistry? Their Summer lectures are Unit 3 only and have some focus on SACs, which seems quite valuable.

Should I just wait for their 2017 notes books to be released and get those instead, as they cover all of Unit 3 and 4 comprehensively, and are half the price? Or are their lectures good enough to be worth the $89 each?

Hi ardria

Headstart lectures are great for getting an introduction into topics, so that when you're covering the material in class when the school year starts, you've already heard a bit about it and don't have to start from scratch.
The only lectures I went to last year were the ATARNotes ones, so I can't comment on the quality of other companies' lectures, but I really felt that the headstart ones were awesome (particularly for the fact that they are free). Personally, I don't think it's necessary to spend the extra money on another lecture - save that for during the year or for exam revision!

In the end, it's totally up to you. Go if you want that extra material and if you really feel like you'll get something out of it, but don't feel like it's something you have to do in order to score well. In all honesty, you'll probably end up forgetting a lot of what is said anyway, but I think what's important is that when you cover stuff during the year, a little light somewhere in your brain will flick on and you'll remember/recognize it, if that makes sense.

All the best for the coming year!

[heids]

You can definitely get through without needing *any* lectures (I never went to a lecture during VCE); unless you're rolling in excess cash, AN ones plus notes should definitely be fine.  You also don't even need sets of extra notes, to be honest, though they may help somewhat.

I believe with your textbook and google and a thirst to do well, anyone can perform well without all the extras.  Sometimes I think buying a whole lot more, and relying on that to get you better scores, actually means people don't do as well as they could otherwise.

But many disagree with me!

[ardria]

Hi ardria

Headstart lectures are great for getting an introduction into topics, so that when you're covering the material in class when the school year starts, you've already heard a bit about it and don't have to start from scratch.
The only lectures I went to last year were the ATARNotes ones, so I can't comment on the quality of other companies' lectures, but I really felt that the headstart ones were awesome (particularly for the fact that they are free). Personally, I don't think it's necessary to spend the extra money on another lecture - save that for during the year or for exam revision!

In the end, it's totally up to you. Go if you want that extra material and if you really feel like you'll get something out of it, but don't feel like it's something you have to do in order to score well. In all honesty, you'll probably end up forgetting a lot of what is said anyway, but I think what's important is that when you cover stuff during the year, a little light somewhere in your brain will flick on and you'll remember/recognize it, if that makes sense.

All the best for the coming year!

I definitely agree with the "light flick", I think it will make learning difficult stuff this year much easier if I've already been exposed to it. But also, I'm most drawn to the exam/SAC tips and tricks that lectures like these offer that I wouldn't be able to figure out myself. But yeah, it's quite a hefty price tag for those tips and tricks! :/

Sometimes I think buying a whole lot more, and relying on that to get you better scores, actually means people don't do as well as they could otherwise.

But many disagree with me!

That's a really interesting point, why do you say that? Would it be because those people rely only on the notes they buy? I had the idea that having several resources on hand provides you with a really comprehensive info bank to make your own notes/do practice questions from (I'm typing this with a subject like Bio in mind!).

[K888]

I definitely agree with the "light flick", I think it will make learning difficult stuff this year much easier if I've already been exposed to it. But also, I'm most drawn to the exam/SAC tips and tricks that lectures like these offer that I wouldn't be able to figure out myself. But yeah, it's quite a hefty price tag for those tips and tricks! :/

Again, speaking anecdotally (and I'll probably end up giving you unsolicited advice here too ), but for me, the most useful SAC tips I ever received were from the Bio teachers at my school and also friends who had already completed Bio. If any Bio teachers at your school have marked end of year VCAA exams, they can offer some of the best wisdom - important keywords to include, a list of techniques to follow for answering each question, etc. (and these are very applicable in SACs).
It takes practice to see the little tricks and nuances in SACs, and you will get caught out from time to time (honestly, where I lost marks in SACs was making an answer too detailed and not properly answering the question - although I had great knowledge of the content, I didn't convert that into answering the question properly), which is why it's important to do practice questions (Bio is actually the only subject I used Checkpoints for).

But, if you feel that this lecture will give you an edge, then go for it!

That's a really interesting point, why do you say that? Would it be because those people rely only on the notes they buy? I had the idea that having several resources on hand provides you with a really comprehensive info bank to make your own notes/do practice questions from (I'm typing this with a subject like Bio in mind!).

Not heidi but I think it's because some people buy notes and then use that as an excuse to not pay attention in class and properly learn the material, because, y'know, why pay attention and work hard when someone has already done the hard yards for you? Of course, not all people do this, and I think notes can be great particularly when you're revising something and just want a quicker overview of it, or if you didn't properly understand something in class and want to view the material in a different way/from a different perspective.
I had the AN notes for Chem and they were a lifesaver during the year for exactly these reasons - I could fill in gaps during exam revision and see a condensed, simple explanation of stuff I hadn't fully understood during the year.