help with study timetable for break between school and HSC

[carolinewang206]

Heyyy, so I was wondering if i could get some advice/suggestions on improving my study timetable for the period between graduation and HSC exams?

I can't put anything on tuesday afternoons as I have work.
 
My weakest subjects are probably 3u maths and economics (so my timetable ended up being perfect).

I also have a bet with my teacher that I can do 100 maths papers before HSC. I'm up to about 40 at the moment, so need to ramp them up a bit to reach that aim (if you see anywhere I can put them).

Also, I'm probably going to try and do the most papers for English advanced and 3u as those are the 2 subjects I'm not first in.

Thanks in advance!

[jamonwindeyer]

Wow, you are a machine!!

Go easy on the 2U/3U papers. I was the same as you, I did like 60 exams in September and October for the two, it was way too many. I would have done better spreading it out more. It reaches a point where it isn't useful anymore. Check out this guide!

I'd probably cut the 2U papers a little bit and add a few more English Papers to be honest!! For a subject that is definitely counting, perhaps a few more papers there would be good

[Opengangs]

The only real problem with study timetables is the burnout in the end. The motivation from when you create your timetable to when you sit your HSC exams progressively decrease, which makes sticking to your study schedule all the more harder. I mean, props to you if you're able to maintain it throughout the rest of your HSC journey, but unless you're really organised, you'll slowly find yourself slipping away (due to external factors).

So, when you're writing up a study timetable, consider study strategies that work best for you in terms of content.

For example, preparing for English isn't just writing essays under exam conditions, or rote learning your creative; that'll only get you a b5, at best. Instead, use some of your study periods to dive deeper in your research. Module A asks us to compare the contexts and values of two texts; we're asked to appreciate the texts, both as a whole text and through the writer's perspectives. So, take some time to hone in on the depth of each text, why and how each composer uses their medium to convey their message. Look for macro and micro techniques to embellish your analysis.

For mathematics, past papers can work, but also take the time to master the concepts. For extension 1, it should be second nature to you when asked to derive the six equations of motion, as well as finding the max height and horizontal range. Once you master your basic concepts, past papers are the way to go; sit them under exam conditions, or glimpse through the paper to find specific questions you won't be able to do. If these questions follow a trend, find your weakness and use your study periods on your timetable to hone in on those topics; it's a lot more effective that way.

[carolinewang206]

Wow, you are a machine!!

Go easy on the 2U/3U papers. I was the same as you, I did like 60 exams in September and October for the two, it was way too many. I would have done better spreading it out more. It reaches a point where it isn't useful anymore. Check out this guide!

I'd probably cut the 2U papers a little bit and add a few more English Papers to be honest!! For a subject that is definitely counting, perhaps a few more papers there would be good

Hey Jamon! Thanks heaps for the advice. I have been getting mid to high 90's for 2u papers so it's probably okay to cut back. For 3u I've been getting mid 80's to mid 90's and really want to get a high e4 for it.

Yeah I probably will do more English, but I'm on 10 units so they're all going to count. I'm in top 3 for all of my subjects but some do better externally than others so I'm not quite sure which to focus on most!

The only real problem with study timetables is the burnout in the end. The motivation from when you create your timetable to when you sit your HSC exams progressively decrease, which makes sticking to your study schedule all the more harder. I mean, props to you if you're able to maintain it throughout the rest of your HSC journey, but unless you're really organised, you'll slowly find yourself slipping away (due to external factors).

So, when you're writing up a study timetable, consider study strategies that work best for you in terms of content.

For example, preparing for English isn't just writing essays under exam conditions, or rote learning your creative; that'll only get you a b5, at best. Instead, use some of your study periods to dive deeper in your research. Module A asks us to compare the contexts and values of two texts; we're asked to appreciate the texts, both as a whole text and through the writer's perspectives. So, take some time to hone in on the depth of each text, why and how each composer uses their medium to convey their message. Look for macro and micro techniques to embellish your analysis.

For mathematics, past papers can work, but also take the time to master the concepts. For extension 1, it should be second nature to you when asked to derive the six equations of motion, as well as finding the max height and horizontal range. Once you master your basic concepts, past papers are the way to go; sit them under exam conditions, or glimpse through the paper to find specific questions you won't be able to do. If these questions follow a trend, find your weakness and use your study periods on your timetable to hone in on those topics; it's a lot more effective that way.

Heyyy, thank you!! So my plan was to do all of that nitty gritty stuff for English now, then practice it all in the lead up to hsc. I've got lists and mind maps and flash cards etc. of my quotes (about 20-30 per essay so I can adapt), analysis, notes on context and key phrases/sentences I really like, so I'm feeling ok with things like that.

I'm fine with all of the 2u content so I've just been using papers to become familiar with all styles of questions. For 3u I generally get full marks up until question 14 so I'll probably work on those specifically. Also I spend significantly more time on projectile motion questions that are later on in the paper so I will work on those more.

In regards to sticking to the timetable, I'm quite good at sticking to what I set myself, for this term I've been able to do at least 1 paper per subject per week and a few hours of additional activities/research for economics and English.

I'll most likely fit in other study, but I think for me,  for English I mainly need to focus on my fluidity of writing in an exam which is why I chose papers as my primary mode of study from here on out.



Thank you both for your helpful advice!!! I'll work on it!

[pikachu975]

Hey Jamon! Thanks heaps for the advice. I have been getting mid to high 90's for 2u papers so it's probably okay to cut back. For 3u I've been getting mid 80's to mid 90's and really want to get a high e4 for it.

Yeah I probably will do more English, but I'm on 10 units so they're all going to count. I'm in top 3 for all of my subjects but some do better externally than others so I'm not quite sure which to focus on most!

Heyyy, thank you!! So my plan was to do all of that nitty gritty stuff for English now, then practice it all in the lead up to hsc. I've got lists and mind maps and flash cards etc. of my quotes (about 20-30 per essay so I can adapt), analysis, notes on context and key phrases/sentences I really like, so I'm feeling ok with things like that.

I'm fine with all of the 2u content so I've just been using papers to become familiar with all styles of questions. For 3u I generally get full marks up until question 14 so I'll probably work on those specifically. Also I spend significantly more time on projectile motion questions that are later on in the paper so I will work on those more.

In regards to sticking to the timetable, I'm quite good at sticking to what I set myself, for this term I've been able to do at least 1 paper per subject per week and a few hours of additional activities/research for economics and English.

I'll most likely fit in other study, but I think for me,  for English I mainly need to focus on my fluidity of writing in an exam which is why I chose papers as my primary mode of study from here on out.



Thank you both for your helpful advice!!! I'll work on it!

lol wow that's some dedication! I've barely done papers because there's so many trials so we keep having to remember content again, but for HSC planning to do 100+ like you, good luck!

[mjorfian]

just wanted to say WOW. I'm amazed by that dedication. But also feel like I've done nothing in comparison omg.. I was proud of myself for doing 2 SOR essays in 4 days hahahahah

[carolinewang206]

lol wow that's some dedication! I've barely done papers because there's so many trials so we keep having to remember content again, but for HSC planning to do 100+ like you, good luck!

Hahah yeah your school has multiple trials doesn't it? Your subjects also seem a lot more content heavy than mine because I only have economics, but I've been teaching it to other kids in my class as well so I've been able to remember it easier.

I find maths papers soo much easier to do than any others, I couldn't imagine doing 100 English papers

[carolinewang206]

just wanted to say WOW. I'm amazed by that dedication. But also feel like I've done nothing in comparison omg.. I was proud of myself for doing 2 SOR essays in 4 days hahahahah

Aww thank you!! I feel like everyone just has their own rhythm with study, I have friends that didn't do any practice essays for English but went in and aced the exam because they knew their stuff so well! I just find papers help me cement content the best but you've probably done a lot more study in ways I haven't because it's more effective for you!!

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey Jamon! Thanks heaps for the advice. I have been getting mid to high 90's for 2u papers so it's probably okay to cut back. For 3u I've been getting mid 80's to mid 90's and really want to get a high e4 for it.

Yeah I probably will do more English, but I'm on 10 units so they're all going to count. I'm in top 3 for all of my subjects but some do better externally than others so I'm not quite sure which to focus on most!

Yeah that's exactly what I mean (poorly worded sorry ahaha) - Everything is going to count for you, so you should be spending a good amount of time on all of your exams! In allocating time, the alignment/scaling differences aren't going to matter much if you are aiming for a Band 6's across the board. Like, you aren't going to gain anything by strategically focusing on say, 3U Math, because it scales best. Because, in doing that, you've potentially given up marks in another subject that probably would have been easier to get than scraping that last 49th or 50th mark in MX1.

It's tough to explain, but all about low hanging fruit. Work hard, work evenly, focus on the subjects where you are scoring the lowest (so 3U math sounds like a good focus for you right now). Fact is though that if you keep up with this sort of prep, you'll do incredibly well

[carolinewang206]

Yeah that's exactly what I mean (poorly worded sorry ahaha) - Everything is going to count for you, so you should be spending a good amount of time on all of your exams! In allocating time, the alignment/scaling differences aren't going to matter much if you are aiming for a Band 6's across the board. Like, you aren't going to gain anything by strategically focusing on say, 3U Math, because it scales best. Because, in doing that, you've potentially given up marks in another subject that probably would have been easier to get than scraping that last 49th or 50th mark in MX1.

It's tough to explain, but all about low hanging fruit. Work hard, work evenly, focus on the subjects where you are scoring the lowest (so 3U math sounds like a good focus for you right now). Fact is though that if you keep up with this sort of prep, you'll do incredibly well

Hey Jamon!!
So my aim is to get a band 6/e4 for all my subjects.
my subject/rank/number of band 6's predicted/ trial mark(keeping in mind my trials were in June)
Economics 1st -1 - 88%
2u maths- 1st- 4 - 92%
3u maths- 3rd- 2 or 3 - 84%
English advanced- 2nd - 7 - 92%
English extension- 1st- 3 - 94%

Obviously I'll study for all of them, but if i had say an extra 3 hours to study, where would you say my time would be most valuably spent?

Thank you for all of your advice, it's helping me out a lot, especially in terms of cutting back 2u papers which will get me a lot of time to go to the beach or study for English!

[Opengangs]

You should also consider where you lose the marks in each of the subjects. Clearly, you're not getting full marks in any subject so there are concepts or things that are pulling you back. Before setting the timetable in stone, I recommend finding your old past papers and glimpse through the areas you lost your marks in -- even if it was just one mark. This direction allows you to be more proactive with your studying, because you clearly want to study smarter, not harder.

You should also consider social events (either through your school or just catching up with friends), because you need to have breaks in between study sessions; my advisor has recommended that you fill out all of your social events first, because in that way, you're also prioritising times where you can just relax (that's just as important as studying!!).

Overall, I think you have a solid timetable; just make sure you don't overwork yourself to the point where studying becomes a chore. I think you're well on your way to getting that All Rounders list

Good luck!

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey Jamon!!
So my aim is to get a band 6/e4 for all my subjects.
my subject/rank/number of band 6's predicted/ trial mark(keeping in mind my trials were in June)
Economics 1st -1 - 88%
2u maths- 1st- 4 - 92%
3u maths- 3rd- 2 or 3 - 84%
English advanced- 2nd - 7 - 92%
English extension- 1st- 3 - 94%

Obviously I'll study for all of them, but if i had say an extra 3 hours to study, where would you say my time would be most valuably spent?

Thank you for all of your advice, it's helping me out a lot, especially in terms of cutting back 2u papers which will get me a lot of time to go to the beach or study for English!

I think you've done the right thing identifying Eco and 3U, after scaling those marks are probably in a similar place right now, so work on getting them both up into the Band 6/E4 range! all your results are strong though, so spread your time evenly focusing on the sections that gave you most trouble in the Trial Exams last June (and any new trouble areas you notice)

[carolinewang206]

You should also consider where you lose the marks in each of the subjects. Clearly, you're not getting full marks in any subject so there are concepts or things that are pulling you back. Before setting the timetable in stone, I recommend finding your old past papers and glimpse through the areas you lost your marks in -- even if it was just one mark. This direction allows you to be more proactive with your studying, because you clearly want to study smarter, not harder.

You should also consider social events (either through your school or just catching up with friends), because you need to have breaks in between study sessions; my advisor has recommended that you fill out all of your social events first, because in that way, you're also prioritising times where you can just relax (that's just as important as studying!!).

Overall, I think you have a solid timetable; just make sure you don't overwork yourself to the point where studying becomes a chore. I think you're well on your way to getting that All Rounders list

Good luck!

Hey! So unfortunately majority of the marks I lose in maths are just silly errors and not a lack of knowing content, so I think I just need to refine exam technique.

for English it's making sure I don't go on tangents or using the stimulus in a more meaningful way.

For economics I'm usually getting 18+ on essays and close to full marks for short answers, so it's just adding more detail and focusing on multi choice!

I usually go out on Friday nights with friends so will keep doing that probably and have Saturday to recover. I may also condense my study into 5 days and have another beach day in there.

Thanks heaps!!!

I think you've done the right thing identifying Eco and 3U, after scaling those marks are probably in a similar place right now, so work on getting them both up into the Band 6/E4 range! all your results are strong though, so spread your time evenly focusing on the sections that gave you most trouble in the Trial Exams last June (and any new trouble areas you notice)

Excellent! I've focused on them quite a bit since trials and am getting consistently 90+ in economics and 85-95 in 3u, so for most of my subjects it's just working on getting those few extra marks your article said were the most time consuming. Looks like it might be a bit of tedious fine tuning to get into the upper ranges to make sure I can secure band 6's for them!

Thanks again Jamon!

[michelleh]

Help! D:

I've recently created a study timetable which worked really well except that I caught the flu and unable to follow through my plan effectively as I did before I got sick ( and since HSC is looming ominously close, I'm really starting to stress out since I've already lost quite a few study days from trying to recover!! I have no idea when I'll be fully recovered but any advice on what I should do? I'm so worried that I'm losing valuable study time!! D':

[jamonwindeyer]

Help! D:

I've recently created a study timetable which worked really well except that I caught the flu and unable to follow through my plan effectively as I did before I got sick ( and since HSC is looming ominously close, I'm really starting to stress out since I've already lost quite a few study days from trying to recover!! I have no idea when I'll be fully recovered but any advice on what I should do? I'm so worried that I'm losing valuable study time!! D':

Hey Michelle!! Basically, literally no reason to stress, you're still over a month until your first exam - That is so much time. Just reshuffle your timetable a tad, and maybe you'll end up doing a tiny bit less per subject, but it won't be much. 5 weeks is a ridiculously long time to prepare