Building a resilient headspace!

[Joseph41]

Love that you're loving HHD! It was one of my favourites through Year 12 - hope you continue to find it interesting.

[smamsmo22]

English: Hate it.

Is there something in particular about English that puts you off? I hated English last year and ended up doing pretty well, if that's any consolation, but my frustrations were often teacher related :/ I totally agree that Frankenstein was not engaging at all to study. Are you starting off with text response? Creative? Which do you prefer? 

Teacher teaches, we listen (mostly), he tells us to go home and do the work. Done. That's 3&4 Methods in a nutshell.

Yep! Methods for me too was teacher explanations, followed by practice questions (textbook questions, then assessment standard). But I think that's the best way to tackle it As long as you're genuinely understanding the questions and the are comfortable independently using the methods behind them, don't stress so much about the quantity of questions you're doing.

It's good to hear you're doing pretty well so far! To change the subject from high school for a second, as someone who was interested in Monash med for a while, what about medicine attracts you? Have you given the UCAT much thought/prep?
Best of luck!!

[JR_StudyEd]

Is there something in particular about English that puts you off?

Hi! Sorry, but I've kind of swept it under the rug lately. My opinion may change later in the year (typical me) but at this point I really am not a fan of essays, of the analytical, comparative and argument analysis variety. I suppose it's the (mostly) rigid structure of them. Despite the fact that I can communicate the language quite well, essays aren't my favourite way of doing it.

what about medicine attracts you? Have you given the UCAT much thought/prep?

Look, I remind myself of this everyday, mate. I'm rather interested in learning how the functioning of the mind and body are interconnected.

Yes, I've definitely given the UCAT some thought! Starting preparation is a bit of a grey area, though. I've looked on the UCAT official website for their free practice tests, but don't know whether to start with them or not.

[smamsmo22]

Yes, I've definitely given the UCAT some thought! Starting preparation is a bit of a grey area, though. I've looked on the UCAT official website for their free practice tests, but don't know whether to start with them or not.

As someone who left UMAT prep (or UMAT research... or UMAT awareness) very late last year, I'd definitely say looking at UCAT prep is something to consider. No need to lose sleep over it or spend hours on practice tests at this point; don't worry, but one of my regrets last year was not taking the UMAT seriously enough and it basically cancelled out the possibility of me studying med in Melbourne (I don't know if I would've chosen to do it if I had the chance, btw).. if Monash undergrad med is your goal then the UCAT is a vital part of the selection process (just as important as your VCE subjects!!). Medicine admission is crazy competitive and having your options narrowed down is always something you'd want to avoid IMO. In saying that, some people aced the UMAT without any sort of prep, and who knows what the UCAT is going to be like... 
This isn't meant to scare you btw, it's definitely not too late or anything, just my 2c based on my own experiences

[JR_StudyEd]

28/2/19

End of Feb already??? One month closer! WOOHOOOO! LET'S GOOOO.

My sleep has gone to crap. Falling asleep before 11.30pm is a near impossible task at the moment, and I'm *this* close to seeing a doctor about potentially having insomnia. Like seriously, the last decent good night's sleep I remember getting was the night before the first day back. I wonder what's causing this?  Did you like my sarcasm? I'm not sure it's due to my racing thoughts, but maybe it is. Wanting to take a year-long nap is not an uncommon urge for me, especially during the day. My brain has a holding capacity, and that is reached well before the recess or lunch breaks (i.e. in the middle of the period which sucks) No way can I perform at anywhere near my best in this kind of mental/physical state, in either school or life outside of it.

In other news, I've given up piano. Well, not exactly. I've deferred it. My interest in playing music has waned significantly since the start of the year and despite my father's encouragement (not helpful tbh) I've decided that listening to music is WAYYY more relaxing than stressing out about time signatures and stuff. I could replace it with my growing interest in public speaking, perhaps?

I guess I'll leave it there for today. Subject thoughts will probably come tomorrow.

Stay cool (figuratively and literally),
John

[JR_StudyEd]

1/3/19
UCAT registration is open. Earlier I went on UCAT's website to try a practice test to see what I was in for, and I'm like, hmmm okay. This is actually not that bad. July will be a great month. I don't know if it's just me, but I always feel like people in my classes are ALWAYS ahead of me no matter how hard I try. I know I shouldn't be obsessed with comparing myself to others, and that I should be doing as best I can to try to cooperate with them. I'm not a 100% accurate predictor of my future, but I do have a feeling that every second is a learning experience. I'll never stop learning. Wow. Deep. 

English: Still not feeling it mr krabs. My SAC, an analytical/text response essay is in less than 3 weeks. I'm confident in my writing ability, it's just starting and not giving up after the introduction that I need to work on. Easier said than done. Can't wait for oral presentations, my fav!

Biology: Teacher was not here at all this week. He had his reasons, and I'm like yeah whatever, Bio-free week! (Fun fact: I actually kind of like Bio) Well, it didn't exactly go like that. He set work (how nice of him), and we just consolidated our knowledge on things like Cell Respiration, Photosynthesis, and Genetic stuff.

Chemistry: Stating the obvious here, but I really like how Bio and Chem overlap beautifully. We did a combination of Redox, Galvanic Cells and Thermochemical calculations. Fun!

Methods: We're blazing through work at the moment, and that's the teacher, not me. I pick and choose what I pay my attention to in terms of completing questions (cos I do what I want). I constantly remind myself of those Checkpoints questions whenever times get tough. Boy, those Checkpoints questions make the textbook questions look like child's play. And our first SAC won't be until June. What??

HHD: I can confirm for the information of future generations that this is the easiest. subject. ever (in my humble opinion). It's so relatable to everyday life. It has a lot of content to learn and engrain within my brain (#rhymetime) but overall, I reckon I'll enjoy this. Similar to Psych last year, but obviously more broad and more chill. 

So yeah, no SACs until week beginning 18/3. But then Year 12 can truly begin! My physical activity needs a bit of work, tbh, and so does my eating and sleeping. And screen time. And social life, in that I can't find anyone else interested in Med at my school. And my stress and tendency to overthink things seems to consume me. And will I get a job? How will I cope? But no more complaining about my inevitable problems. I have plenty of time to work on them. I should REALLY learn to prioritise my health over my ATAR.

I am grateful to be alive.

EDIT: Turns out I had a Prac for Bio tomorrow which is one component of the SAC. Whoops.

[Macrophagee]

Hey
I'm hoping for med too so if you ever wanna talk I'm available  :-)

[JR_StudyEd]

12/3/19

Wow. That long weekend was actually long. This'll be short and sweet, I promise.

My inner stresshead is being released. I have 4 ( ) SACs next week and I don't know where to even begin. Yes, I may be procrastinating right now, but please nerds, define procrastination. I'm clearly doing something productive, spilling all my thoughts out. I have a SAC for Bio, comprised of a prac and write-up on Enzymes and Photosynthesis. I have a HHD SAC next Monday, and I'm trying to get revision done but other subjects keep getting in the way.  I have an English SAC, a text response essay, how enthralling. The hardest part will be starting that essay, no joke. I also have a Chemistry SAC, on Fuels and Redox, comprised of a prac and write-up.  And it's spread out through the whole bloody week as well. Monday to Friday. I almost never get a break. Well, apart from recess, lunch and the other 18 hours of the day that aren't school. Huh.

A quote from my actual physical diary/journal reads: "If there's one harsh but essential lesson has already taught me, it's that my health and wellbeing is infinitely more important than my results. My body and mind will not perform at their best if I neglect my health. My health and wellbeing should be my #1 priority for the rest of my life". Year 12 has also already taught me the value of taking a break. I actually genuinely value my recess and lunch breaks as a time of rest and relaxation!

[Macrophagee]

Hey
I also have major struggles with English atm so I get how you feel. My text response SAC is next week and I have barely practised oops .
Wow it looks like you have a busy week ahead-- good luck with all the SACs! I have a HHD SAC,a chemistry writeup on fuels, a methods test and a spesh test coming up and I am quite nervous (esp for english and spesh).

[JR_StudyEd]

22/3/19

One word. Brutal. 4 SACs in a week, one for each of my subjects bar one. Psychologically battered and bruised, but I survived! Never have I exhibited such overt indignation over a week of school. Never have I had the cloud of anxiety and stress hang over me for so long. I think it's time for me to reflect on the week that was.
Starting the week with the HHD SAC, it was probably the most straightforward of the SACs. Didn't have much trouble with it, tbh. For Bio, I didn't quite finish to due a more stringent time constraint, but we'll see. Chemistry was split up into a prac and written component. The experiment was the super easy part (Heating water with a fuel and Galvanic Cells). The write-up, on the other hand. Let's just say that it would have helped to prepare a tad earlier. Oh English, how did you manage to become the subject I am most proficient in to the abominable wretch that you are now? Analytical essays and the novel Frankenstein are to me what the Creature is to Frankenstein. I'm glad that's out of my life until the final exams. Gross. The whole area of study was a drag, from the novel to the essay. The novel was a pain to read. Not much of interest happened. I want to care about what happens to the characters. Not in this book. Apathy abounded, but I did the essay. Gained zero satisfaction from it other than knowing I won't be anywhere near it until closer to the exam. Creative writing next! Oh yeah, Maths Methods, the one subject I've had to sacrifice spending time on due to the fact I had a SAC for all my other subjects in the one week apart from this one. Circular Functions, strangely enough, actually interests me with its difficulty. I guess I'm glad I stuck with Methods. It's the kind of subject that you really have to invest a great deal of time into in order to do well. My strategy is to firstly do the textbook questions until I have gained a solid understanding. Then I answer Checkpoints questions. If I'm really unsure, I ask my teacher. Rinse and repeat. 
As implied by the title of my journal, failure doesn't faze me. It teaches me a lesson and points me in the right direction.

What this week taught me (and will hopefully teach you, dear reader):
- Prepare for SACs as soon as teacher announces to class when exactly the SAC is.
- Balance study and health-promoting activities
- Friends keep me sane
- JUST. DO. what's most important first.
- Frequently revise for all subjects

UCAT preparation has taken a back seat and likely laughed in my face due to this week that I'm pretty sure has come straight out of the pit of eternal damnation. I know Monash equally weights it with your ATAR result. I should have a more chilled out last fortnight of term. Piano is just a leisure thing at the moment (I've got back into it as a form of distracting myself from the academic stress and therefore makes me feel better). Not planning on part-time work until probably towards the end of the year, but I should be fine.

So, this weekend gives me an opportunity to reset and recharge. Bring on Area of Study 2!

[Joseph41]

What this week taught me (and will hopefully teach you, dear reader):
- Prepare for SACs as soon as teacher announces to class when exactly the SAC is.
- Balance study and health-promoting activities
- Friends keep me sane
- JUST. DO. what's most important first.
- Frequently revise for all subjects

Think this is really good advice!

That week sounds pretty full-on. Hope things quieten down for you soon.

[JR_StudyEd]

1/4/19 - An entry motivated by a lack of motivation to do anything at the moment

Look, I don't even know where to begin. I don't want to start doing "study" right now. It feels like such a chore already (boy am I thrilled for how it'll feel in the next two terms). My term has been rather chill overall, with the exception of that week that I've rambled on about to death (like, seriously, what sadistic, masochistic person thought 4 SACs in a week would be a good idea?)

SAC results are coming back, with the exception of English. I was rather happy with what I got for HHD (72% and ranked 6th)  . I passed Bio by the skin of my teeth, but more importantly, I learnt a lot about how to really prepare for SACs. For Chem, let's just say it's a work in progress. A chat with my teacher should help clear things up (I didn't quite get over that 50% threshold). However, I'm not giving up, or even close to doing so. Now that I've got results, I've learnt so much about where I'm at and what I need to improve on, which I guess is always the most helpful part of SACs, even if I don't do particularly well in them. I've got plenty of time to turn it around, so bring it on!

[Bri MT]

Love your improvement/growth focused attitude

Knowing when to push through lack of motivation & when to rest is one of the trickier parts of VCE - good luck!

[Macrophagee]

1/4/19 - An entry motivated by a lack of motivation to do anything at the moment

Look, I don't even know where to begin. I don't want to start doing "study" right now. It feels like such a chore already (boy am I thrilled for how it'll feel in the next two terms). My term has been rather chill overall, with the exception of that week that I've rambled on about to death (like, seriously, what sadistic, masochistic person thought 4 SACs in a week would be a good idea?)

SAC results are coming back, with the exception of English. I was rather happy with what I got for HHD (72% and ranked 6th)  . I passed Bio by the skin of my teeth, but more importantly, I learnt a lot about how to really prepare for SACs. For Chem, let's just say it's a work in progress. A chat with my teacher should help clear things up (I didn't quite get over that 50% threshold). However, I'm not giving up, or even close to doing so. Now that I've got results, I've learnt so much about where I'm at and what I need to improve on, which I guess is always the most helpful part of SACs, even if I don't do particularly well in them. I've got plenty of time to turn it around, so bring it on!

Hey
Congrats on your high rank in HHD! We just got our Part B SAC back too and I'm soooo glad that's over (like everything gives you cardiovascular disease). With bio, using dotpoints in your answer can help keep you on track and make sure you are including everything in your answer. Also, get someone else to mark your responses since usually you will be more biased towards your own answers. Being able to link concepts together is also really useful to get full marks.
Chem: UGHHHHH my SAC was awfullll hopefully yours was better lol
And UCAT has been ignored for a while hahah
Also, love your positive attitude! I'm sure you'll improve soon, just keep working!

Good luck

[JR_StudyEd]

Hey
Congrats on your high rank in HHD!

Thanks! I knew I'd do decently enough...

Chem: UGHHHHH my SAC was awfullll hopefully yours was better lol
And UCAT has been ignored for a while hahah
Also, love your positive attitude! I'm sure you'll improve soon, just keep working!

Good luck

Today, I had that chat with my Chem teacher, and they passed me! I'm pretty sure that sadistic week of 4 SACs was the primary cause.

Lately, although Med @ Monash is still my numero uno, I've been looking at alternative pathways (it'll take a miracle to get into Med, tbh. Not impossible, but yeah insanely difficult). I'll be going to some ATARNotes lectures over this holidays as well including the UCAT/Med one(coz I'm that dedicated, plus it gets me out of the house).

Thanks again, Macrophagee! It's not so much about the marks I get, but about what I learnt from these experiences and how I can do better, 'cause there's always room for that sweet sweet improvement!