No, this update is not to tell you I've started holiday homework, because I haven't.
BUT I'm excited for getting all my back-to-school stuff together (stationary + books). Also I feel like these holidays have unfortunately gone much quicker than anticipated... I'm a nervous wreck for next year! I'm posting my expectations below (note that I'm not aiming for these scores, they are just what I expect I'll get. I always say that you should aim for 50 and try your best!):
English (expectation: 43)
I think I can do really well in English if I can get to know my texts at a high standard and actually have a unique analysis of each of my texts, and don't bludge the oral sac. The only thing I need to improve on is my actual writing style, which needs to be more specific, clear and concise. Hopefully I can maintain A+ for my SACs and the exam. I want to focus on English more than my other subjects because a little difference in my study score can mean a big change for my ATAR. I want to dedicate one study period each week to just writing - a paragraph, an essay - anything. I think practice is key, and coupled with an effective feedback loop with my tutor and teacher can help me hopefully get higher than a 43, but we'll have to see!
Chemistry (expectation: 38)
This is the subject I like the least out of all my subjects. I definitely don't hate it, but it gets very tedious at times and there are many parts I don't enjoy. I really like organic chemistry though, so hopefully it won't feel like a chore to study unit 4. Food chemistry is the most appealing area of study for me: I LOVE FOOD. And it seems really interesting too - I'm so glad it's in the study design. I want to get as much knowledge as possible by delving deep into concepts so I feel I fully understand anything and don't have gaps in my knowledge, which is frightening come sac time. Hopefully youtube and khan academy help with this!
Methods (expectation: 46)
Maths is something I love doing, mostly because I feel I can pick up concepts very easily. However, I also forget them easily! I think for me to succeed in methods, I need constant practice, not practising for one week and doing no methods the next week. I breezed through unit 1/2 methods (excluding transformations, which I got 64% in) and ended up doing really well in the end of year exams. For 3/4, I just need to make sure I don't neglect this subject and actually try in it, which I completely failed to do in previous years. Also, I need to look into ways of minimising silly mistakes, because I always lose at least one mark each test for the dumbest things, which is so frustrating, especially when it keeps me from getting 100%.
Biology (expectation: 45)
I'm hoping bio will be similar to psych in terms of methods to write notes and ways to practice the content. I have a good bio teacher so I hope we can establish a good relationship that I can get the most out of - I asked so many questions in psych and I feel like it will be the same for bio. I think I'll enjoy this subject a lot with regards to the study design, but I'll have to wait and see to be sure. A lot of my friends did 3/4 bio in year 11 so I've got them for advice too, and I'll finally be able to understand all the bio references and jokes they made! (and made fun of me for not being able to understand any of them
)
All this lands me an ATAR of 99.30, but these expectations are really stretching what I think I can achieve. Hopefully when results come out I'll be pleasantly surprised, not disappointed. A lot comes down to luck too - how you feel on the day of the exam and if you're sick or not (I was sick during the food studies exam rip). My goal from the start has always been an ATAR in the high 99s, but I think this is quite difficult considering my bad relationship with chemistry and my lack of English skills. If I can push my English score to the high 40s, and take a proactive approach to chemistry, maybe I'll have a chance! To be fair, I just want an ATAR that's competitive for monash med - in the end, that's the ultimate goal.
I hope everyone is enjoying their holidays!