2010 VN COHORT THE '11 NEED YOUR ADVICE!!!!!

[ariawuu]

study lots?

That's probably the simplest way.

study smarter not harder everyone knows that?

[Greatness]

study lots?

That's probably the simplest way.

study smarter not harder everyone knows that?

Do both and you're on your way to good results

[chrisjb]

study lots?

That's probably the simplest way.

study smarter not harder everyone knows that?

If everyone knew that then no one would get less than 70.00

inb4 it's a ranking system so people will always get <70

[EvangelionZeta]

I'd like to suggest that you don't actually over-study.  I spent the first semester and a bit of this year doing a lot of co-curricular activities, including three school productions - at one point, I had about 15 hours of rehearsals total per week.  This way, you're not constantly feeling as though you're caught in the "school environment" - if you study too much, you'll feel trapped, and psychologically, it'll be harder to work hard at the end of the year, where everything counts.  I reckon for the first semester I studied maybe five to ten hours a week, whereas in the term 3 holidays, I was doing about five hours a day; the fact that I had done little up until that point made it much easier for me to concentrate IMO, and I was definitely feeling a lot more motivated than a lot of my friends were.

[ariawuu]

NICE !

im gonna be really active in sport next year! i miss my sport....

[ariawuu]

study lots?

That's probably the simplest way.

study smarter not harder everyone knows that?

Do both and you're on your way to good results

i loved your tip on page 2 about aiming a 50 but not expecting a 50 haha

[sheepgomoo]

i was wondering if reading through the text books/course during the holidays, knowing what concepts to expect...
does it help?

[Greatness]

study lots?

That's probably the simplest way.

study smarter not harder everyone knows that?

Do both and you're on your way to good results

i loved your tip on page 2 about aiming a 50 but not expecting a 50 haha

yeah i really do think that it would work - as in getting a high study score

[ariawuu]

yerpp i defs should apply it nxt year =D

[Slumdawg]

Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?

I got 50 in psych without starting in the holidays. I just went at the same pace as everybody else. I think the main thing is peaking when it counts. If you're going nuts during exam time and you've worked steadily throughout the year then you can get whatever score you want even if you haven't started early. Sure it would help, but you're not heavily disadvantaged if you haven't started early. I know a lot of people would gloat about all the summaries they made for psych over the holidays and yet they got mid 30s. If you're passionate about the subject, and you do heaps of work then you can get any score you want

Now back to the topic of advice.

Here's my own PERSONAL opinion on what I think would help you (You probably already know most of this stuff but I'll say it anyway cos I think it's important enough to repeat!):

1) Buy a binder folder for each of your subjects. As soon as possible get your hands on as many practice exams as you can for each subject and store them in the relevant binder folder.
This helped me a lot when it came to exam time because I just went to a binder folder and got an exam out of it then got started. It made doing practice exams a lot easier.

2) Print out a copy of the study design (only the relevant year 12 pages) for each of your subjects. Have this at the front of your class workbook and binder folder. If you're making notes for your subject use this as a guide for what to base them on. And if you see something you don't know make sure you check with your teacher or a classmate.

3) Don't rely on your teacher. My teachers personally were setting up the class to get a study score of 30-35 for each subject. So I knew I had to do extra for the subjects that would be in my top four. Your friends will probably help you more than your teacher. I know for english and media, me and my friends would discuss the texts and mark each others essays or look over each others answers cos our teachers were pathetic when it came to giving good feedback and teaching in general for that matter. It helped overcome crap teachers. So don't neglect your friends! It really helps to have a few friends that you want to do well with, and I don't mean competing with. I mean, you all want to get high scores TOGETHER. This helped with psych cos my best friend and I would motivate each other to do more work and always try our best.

4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.

5) Know how assessors mark your subject. This was especially important for me in english, psych and media. If you know how the assessors mark, then in the exam you'll be able to tell if your answer is not good enough for full marks. You NEED to learn how to mark your answers. You are seriously putting yourself at a disadvantage if you've never marked your own work - especially in short answer/extended response subjects. Get your teacher to mark your stuff, but then also mark it yourself and see how they compare.

6) Practice exams > Textbook questions.. ALWAYS. You can do all the textbook questions perfectly, but if you haven't done practice exams (especially vcaa ones) then don't expect to get a high score. VCAA sometimes tests things that aren't featured in your textbook or are only briefly mentioned. From looking at past papers you can see patterns on what they like to ask.

7) Do at least 10 practice exams for each subject. That'll help you HEAPS.

P.S. there are always gonna be exceptions. People can go "well I only did textbook questions and I got a 50". Just remember, these are EXCEPTIONS. They are rare. The above tips are written with the MAJORITY of people in mind.

I hope this helps someone Good luck class of 2011!

[Slumdawg]

study lots?

That's probably the simplest way.

study smarter not harder everyone knows that?

Do both and you're on your way to good results

i loved your tip on page 2 about aiming a 50 but not expecting a 50 haha

Yes I agree. Getting a 50 is very hard to do and it partly comes down to luck on the day. Just work your best and aim for over 45. Cos then you won't get disappointed if you didn't get a 50. And you'll be even more happy if you do get one.

[ben_ess12]

Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?

I got 50 in psych without starting in the holidays. I just went at the same pace as everybody else. I think the main thing is peaking when it counts. If you're going nuts during exam time and you've worked steadily throughout the year then you can get whatever score you want even if you haven't started early. Sure it would help, but you're not heavily disadvantaged if you haven't started early. I know a lot of people would gloat about all the summaries they made for psych over the holidays and yet they got mid 30s. If you're passionate about the subject, and you do heaps of work then you can get any score you want

Now back to the topic of advice.

Here's my own PERSONAL opinion on what I think would help you (You probably already know most of this stuff but I'll say it anyway cos I think it's important enough to repeat!):

1) Buy a binder folder for each of your subjects. As soon as possible get your hands on as many practice exams as you can for each subject and store them in the relevant binder folder.
This helped me a lot when it came to exam time because I just went to a binder folder and got an exam out of it then got started. It made doing practice exams a lot easier.

2) Print out a copy of the study design (only the relevant year 12 pages) for each of your subjects. Have this at the front of your class workbook and binder folder. If you're making notes for your subject use this as a guide for what to base them on. And if you see something you don't know make sure you check with your teacher or a classmate.

3) Don't rely on your teacher. My teachers personally were setting up the class to get a study score of 30-35 for each subject. So I knew I had to do extra for the subjects that would be in my top four. Your friends will probably help you more than your teacher. I know for english and media, me and my friends would discuss the texts and mark each others essays or look over each others answers cos our teachers were pathetic when it came to giving good feedback and teaching in general for that matter. It helped overcome crap teachers. So don't neglect your friends! It really helps to have a few friends that you want to do well with, and I don't mean competing with. I mean, you all want to get high scores TOGETHER. This helped with psych cos my best friend and I would motivate each other to do more work and always try our best.

4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.

5) Know how assessors mark your subject. This was especially important for me in english, psych and media. If you know how the assessors mark, then in the exam you'll be able to tell if your answer is not good enough for full marks. You NEED to learn how to mark your answers. You are seriously putting yourself at a disadvantage if you've never marked your own work - especially in short answer/extended response subjects. Get your teacher to mark your stuff, but then also mark it yourself and see how they compare.

6) Practice exams > Textbook questions.. ALWAYS. You can do all the textbook questions perfectly, but if you haven't done practice exams (especially vcaa ones) then don't expect to get a high score. VCAA sometimes tests things that aren't featured in your textbook or are only briefly mentioned. From looking at past papers you can see patterns on what they like to ask.

7) Do at least 10 practice exams for each subject. That'll help you HEAPS.

P.S. there are always gonna be exceptions. People can go "well I only did textbook questions and I got a 50". Just remember, these are EXCEPTIONS. They are rare. The above tips are written with the MAJORITY of people in mind.

I hope this helps someone Good luck class of 2011!

Thankyou

[Greatness]

Very nice advice Slumdawg

[LOVEPHYSICS]

ESL seems so easy... all the students who havent been in Australia long from my school are all picking it up even thogh they are capable english students
Although what you learn seems quite easy, you will be competing against others who have undertaken ESL for similar reasons - that is taking advantage of the system with their mediocre-good english skills.
In saying that getting a 40 would be just as difficult as any subject, right?

Ok, lets clarify a few things.

Firstly, ESL is easier than English, DUH...But to what extent? This depends.
For English and ESL, we learn the exact same thing. In the exam, we are required to produce a text response, a context and a persuasive language analysis. Essentially, the catch is in Section 3, for the Per Lang, we are only required to do a shorter version, somewhere around the 600 mark. But we also need to do a separate note-form summary for the article given (same but 20-30 words shorter version of the English one). Trust me, the note-form summary is a pain in the ARSE to get right, especially with all the delicate, intricate rules VCAA has so kindly set out for us.

In terms of difficulty, well, to get a 40 raw in ESL is so easy that it is not funny, provided that you can speak the language well enough without having your listener asking you to repeat every 5 seconds. Though, ESL can be bloody frustrating to more advanced learners of the language. So other than having an easier competition, it does not in any sense, provide any other advantages to those who have a better grip on the English language. Instead, it has its own disadvantages:

1) There are not many classes in ESL, about 2-3 small groups. So, it is fiercely competitive, especially with the teachers. It is sad really, teachers  know their students ' too ' well, and will have favorites.  Like many of us would put it, the teachers are more interested in impressing one another than actually helping the students. Not good if you are caught ratting on one. cough*

2) For a subject like ESL, examiners and teachers want precise, clear-cut writing. So to those who likes flowery proses, truth is, you will be highly discriminated against. Flowery writing tends to sacrifice clarity, and thus, for a subject like ESL, it is advisable to relax your language, tho it may be very difficult to completely change the style a person is used to. They advocate straight-to-the point, mechanical writing to the point where ploddy writing is imminent.

3) It is frustrating to see your peers, especially those who struggle to put simple words together to make a fluent sentence, get As and A+es. While English and ESL examiners both prefer complex ideas over complex language, the fact that some ESL students get away with their ambiguous and confusing sentencing, makes me wanna jump of a cliff. It goes to the point where it seems that ESL examiners are going, ' Ah, I think that's the big ideas she/he is trying to communicate...so tick.' It is simple psychology, examiners are humans, they WILL form their own pre-conceived ideas and WILL usually empathise with weaker students that are trying hard.  

4) I know I am in the minority here, like I've always been, but seriously, YOU CAN'T LEARN ANYTHING IN ESL. I still remember in year 10 where our teacher went through the whole class asking about our favorite fruits before the start of each lesson, though the whole dilemma is rectified with the awesome marks she gave me for my final Year 10 exam. In year 12, same old story, you really can't learn that much during class time, that is why I indulged myself to English Assessor Reports the whole year...and only look at the ESL assessment reports the day before the exam, just to boost confidence. True Story.

Ok, I've realized, I have gone way out of topic , but just think of it as a poor, ESL student taking out his accumulated anger of his entire VCE ESL year on VCE/ATARNotes. To conclude, ESL is easier than English, though do not be demoralized, you can do just as well in English with bare-bones writing, considering the many duds who does VCE English.

Note- I have no intention in offending any ESL students out there, many have worked hard to get to the point they are in, so cheerios!

[kyzoo]

This way, you're not constantly feeling as though you're caught in the "school environment" - if you study too much, you'll feel trapped, and psychologically, it'll be harder to work hard at the end of the year, where everything counts.

Lalalalal this happened to me =D But I pulled myself out of it when exam prep time came

Would you 10's recommend thouroughly learning unit 3 for heavy rote subjects,! On the holidays? Does learning it that early see any clear benefits for those who've done early revision?

I got 50 in psych without starting in the holidays. I just went at the same pace as everybody else. I think the main thing is peaking when it counts. If you're going nuts during exam time and you've worked steadily throughout the year then you can get whatever score you want even if you haven't started early. Sure it would help, but you're not heavily disadvantaged if you haven't started early. I know a lot of people would gloat about all the summaries they made for psych over the holidays and yet they got mid 30s. If you're passionate about the subject, and you do heaps of work then you can get any score you want

Now back to the topic of advice.

Here's my own PERSONAL opinion on what I think would help you (You probably already know most of this stuff but I'll say it anyway cos I think it's important enough to repeat!):

1) Buy a binder folder for each of your subjects. As soon as possible get your hands on as many practice exams as you can for each subject and store them in the relevant binder folder.
This helped me a lot when it came to exam time because I just went to a binder folder and got an exam out of it then got started. It made doing practice exams a lot easier.

2) Print out a copy of the study design (only the relevant year 12 pages) for each of your subjects. Have this at the front of your class workbook and binder folder. If you're making notes for your subject use this as a guide for what to base them on. And if you see something you don't know make sure you check with your teacher or a classmate.

3) Don't rely on your teacher. My teachers personally were setting up the class to get a study score of 30-35 for each subject. So I knew I had to do extra for the subjects that would be in my top four. Your friends will probably help you more than your teacher. I know for english and media, me and my friends would discuss the texts and mark each others essays or look over each others answers cos our teachers were pathetic when it came to giving good feedback and teaching in general for that matter. It helped overcome crap teachers. So don't neglect your friends! It really helps to have a few friends that you want to do well with, and I don't mean competing with. I mean, you all want to get high scores TOGETHER. This helped with psych cos my best friend and I would motivate each other to do more work and always try our best.

4) Someone who has done good in all their subjects will get a lower atar than someone who has done exceptionally well in four and not so well in two. Remember that. If you're after a really high atar you'll take into account the top 4 rule. I know I personally prioritised my subjects so that 4 subjects would be a lot higher than the other two and I sure did beat all my friends who spread out their effort evenly.

5) Know how assessors mark your subject. This was especially important for me in english, psych and media. If you know how the assessors mark, then in the exam you'll be able to tell if your answer is not good enough for full marks. You NEED to learn how to mark your answers. You are seriously putting yourself at a disadvantage if you've never marked your own work - especially in short answer/extended response subjects. Get your teacher to mark your stuff, but then also mark it yourself and see how they compare.

6) Practice exams > Textbook questions.. ALWAYS. You can do all the textbook questions perfectly, but if you haven't done practice exams (especially vcaa ones) then don't expect to get a high score. VCAA sometimes tests things that aren't featured in your textbook or are only briefly mentioned. From looking at past papers you can see patterns on what they like to ask.

7) Do at least 10 practice exams for each subject. That'll help you HEAPS.

P.S. there are always gonna be exceptions. People can go "well I only did textbook questions and I got a 50". Just remember, these are EXCEPTIONS. They are rare. The above tips are written with the MAJORITY of people in mind.

I hope this helps someone Good luck class of 2011!

1. The main thing I suggest with practice exams is to keep a compilation of all the mistakes you make in your practice exams. Scrutinize each error carefully and determine how you can prevent the error from occurring in the future. And for Spesh I mostly did exams from a PDF file on my laptop, I never printed out exams and the only paper Spesh exams I did were the VCAA ones my school provided me. To show what I mean by compilation of mistakes, I have attached the one I made for Spesh.

2. Study design is a waste of time IMO

3. =/ I went too far on this "never rely on the teacher" things. In Spesh I would just do my own work with iPod plugged in whilst the rest of the class payed attention to the teacher; same for Physics and to a lesser extent Methods last year. But I always listened intently in class in English and the same for Chem (only because the teacher would become pissed when I put my iPod earphones in). I would suggest you listen to the teacher because the textbook doesn't teach everything, there are little details that only the teacher will provide you with. Not absorbing these little details will cost you on SACs - I was rank 5 or 6 for Physics and 15ish for Chem.

4. I don't agree =/ I paid attention to all my subjects except Uni Maths. Disregarding Uni Maths, I spent the most time on English and the least time on Spesh. But the only prioritising I did was over Uni Maths, and I focused on getting high amrks for all my other subjects. Sigh I always thought my Chem and Physics scores were going to be same 0.o

5. No comment =/

6. True, but I did all the important Spesh and Physics textbook questions throughout the year. I never touched the Chem textbook questions lol, could never be bothered.

7. IMO 15-20 is the ideal amount of practice exams. I did 22 for Spesh, 20 for Physics and 20 for Chem (End of year).