Factors Affecting High Marks (2 Viewers)

[D94]

The HSC doesn't test natural ability nor does it test intelligence. Unlike winning the nobel prize, anyone can get 98.50 given they put in the work, and study properly.

ATAR is a rank. You can try your best and put in the hard work, but if there are around 1400 students above you, then you're not going to get 98.50 no matter what.

 

[enoilgam]

To clarify my opinion earlier in this thread, I'll repost an analogy I made in a previous thread:

"Natural intelligence to the HSC is what navigation is to an airliner. Without navigation, an aircraft can still fly perfectly - the engines, wings, stabilisers will all still work. But the lack of navigation greatly limits the distance such planes can fly. So, whilst navigation is not as significant as an airplanes wings or engines, without it a plane isnt going to get very far. By the same token, natural intelligence isnt as important as motivation or a strong work ethic, but without it, you arent going to get very far."

At the end of the day, hard work and motivation are the most important factors in achieving success. However, natural intelligence is nonetheless a necessity. Remember, even if something is relatively insignificant, it can still be necessary.

 

[bladeys]

ATAR is a rank. You can try your best and put in the hard work, but if there are around 1400 students above you, then you're not going to get 98.50 no matter what.

+1 OP clearly doesnt understand how an ATAR is determined lmao

 

[deswa1]

To clarify my opinion earlier in this thread, I'll repost an analogy I made in a previous thread:

"Natural intelligence to the HSC is what navigation is to an airliner. Without navigation, an aircraft can still fly perfectly - the engines, wings, stabilisers will all still work. But the lack of navigation greatly limits the distance such planes can fly. So, whilst navigation is not as significant as an airplanes wings or engines, without it a plane isnt going to get very far. By the same token, natural intelligence isnt as important as motivation or a strong work ethic, but without it, you arent going to get very far."

At the end of the day, hard work and motivation are the most important factors in achieving success. However, natural intelligence is nonetheless a necessity. Remember, even if something is relatively insignificant, it can still be necessary.

This. I don't know why everyone simply assumes that natural ability doesn't exist and takes an idealistic view that everyone can get any ATAR. I go to a selective school so the general atmosphere in terms of studying and ATAR is pretty serious. There are large numbers of people that will study maths consistently for hours every day (through homework, tutoring etc.), whilst I might do one hour and I will still beat them in every maths test because the topics 'click' for me. Studying is very important and will help you to achieve YOUR potential, but not everyone has the potential to get 99.95.

 

[Siddy123]

This. I don't know why everyone simply assumes that natural ability doesn't exist and takes an idealistic view that everyone can get any ATAR. I go to a selective school so the general atmosphere in terms of studying and ATAR is pretty serious. There are large numbers of people that will study maths consistently for hours every day (through homework, tutoring etc.), whilst I might do one hour and I will still beat them in every maths test because the topics 'click' for me. Studying is very important and will help you to achieve YOUR potential, but not everyone has the potential to get 99.95.

realistically speaking your absolutely correct.
However, I think many users adopt this "natural intelligence doesn't matter" approach, in order to provide a sense of hope and motivation for the person in need of it?

eg: if im struggling in school, i would rather hear some1 say, dw bout it work hard u can get .95
as opposed to someone saying, yeah work hard, but you dont have the ability to get 99, ur looking at a 97.
thats a major shutdown.

but once again, everything u said is absolutely correct..

 

[SpiralFlex]

Factors affecting high marks - Too much time concentrated on factors affecting high marks rather than study.

 

[Siddy123]

Factors affecting high marks - Too much time concentrated on factors affecting high marks rather than study.

this.

 

[OzKo]

realistically speaking your absolutely correct.
However, I think many users adopt this "natural intelligence doesn't matter" approach, in order to provide a sense of hope and motivation for the person in need of it?

eg: if im struggling in school, i would rather hear some1 say, dw bout it work hard u can get .95
as opposed to someone saying, yeah work hard, but you dont have the ability to get 99, ur looking at a 97.
thats a major shutdown.

but once again, everything u said is absolutely correct..

By extension though, it validates the argument that to maximise your potential ATAR, you MUST take high scaling subjects.

Point of the matter is, this isn't practical advice unless a student is very intelligent, ergo it's a good approach to motivate people but not practical when making important decisions.

 

[enoilgam]

By extension though, it validates the argument that to maximise your potential ATAR, you MUST take high scaling subjects.

Point of the matter is, this isn't practical advice unless a student is very intelligent, ergo it's a good approach to motivate people but not practical when making important decisions.

Agreed. Look, I dont mean to be discouraging in what I said, but when your setting goals, picking subjects etc, you need to be honest with yourself about your true capabilities. Otherwise, you could end up in a situation where your in way over your head goal-wise. From personal experience, there is nothing more difficult then working your hardest and watching your goals slip away because they are unrealistic. Like Dirty Harry says "A mans gotta know his limitations"

 

[iRuler]

Re: 98.5+ plan

Unfortunately that's true - being in a quality cohort helps in that you're competing with motivated, efficiently studying peers. It's still possible to get 99.95 theoretically in any school though (just be ranked first in everything), but it's that much harder because you're under the influence of those whose priorities may not align with the concept of getting high ATARs (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Not everyone aims for the same thing. There are plenty of people who just want to get into the uni course of their choice and those that don't even like school or the subjects they may be studying. People treat the hsc differently to what you or others may. Sure eveyone would love to do well, who wouldn't, just that it doesn't really matter for a large majority if it's enough to get them into uni and/or satisfy them with whatever they achieve.

It's just a different perspective to things, and as already stated, atar is a rank, there's no way that everyone can get 99.95, they'll still be ranked as they are now.

 

[lpower3]

i know a guy who goes to a school ranked mid 300's and the idea of anyone in his cohort getting an atar >95 is laughable. OP is being naive to an extreme

 

[ncoul]

Ok, there is always limitations on one's aptitude and ability. I guess with subjects such as maths, it's different as rote learning can get you further than it would in a humanities subject. The way the HSC is designed, places an emphasis on the application of knowledge, rather than one's ability to rote learn. It is this application that proves to be extremely difficult for some. There are students who can try all they want and not achieve 90+. I'm beginning to question the legitimacy of the OP in making such claims.

 

[theind1996]

Ok, there is always limitations on one's aptitude and ability. I guess with subjects such as maths, it's different as rote learning can get you further than it would in a humanities subject. The way the HSC is designed, places an emphasis on the application of knowledge, rather than one's ability to rote learn. It is this application that proves to be extremely difficult for some. There are students who can try all they want and not achieve 90+. I'm beginning to question the legitimacy of the OP in making such claims.

Wut.

Humanities are rote-learning based (except economics), whereas maths and science (except biology) are not as much.

 

[enoilgam]

Wut.

Humanities are rote-learning based (except economics), whereas maths and science (except biology) are not as much.

Even if you rote learn content in some humanities (e.g. legal studies, ancient history and especially modern history), it wont get you very far on the exam, especially with the essays where you need to interpret the content. However, I agree that there isnt as much rote learning in maths subjects.

 

[qwerty44]

Wut.

Humanities are rote-learning based (except economics), whereas maths and science (except biology) are not as much.

+1

He has them completely mixed up. I don't know about other humanities but business studies is all rote learned. (except for structure of responses etc.)

 

[Ph03nix]

I think hard work can get you to a certain point and then you have to have natural ability to get over that point. What that point in terms of ATAR is, I don't know.

 

[eat_well]

I think there is a certain percentage of people, probably about 2%, that just can't do it no matter how hard they try. I do believe that if the other 98% studies really hard then all of them can achieve 98 if they wanted to.

 

[LoveHateSchool]

^I reckon more like 10% have the required aptitude to get 98. But the amount of work that 10% needed to do would vary greatly imho to get that 98. Obviously on about 2.8% get 98+ getting that work ethic and natural aptitude balanced w/ other factor weighing slightly.

I don't believe the vast majority of people have the aptitude for it.

 

[powlmao]

In the end, having skill and natural ability will boost your mark. Whether this ability is in work ethic or natural smarts it will always impact in the end result.


Feel free to disagree, but that will always play a factor. The HSC cannot avoid peoples natural talent from boosting their potenial marks

 

[J2good4u]

I'm gonna use this thread for conflicting perspectives