A Collection of HSC Advice (2 Viewers)

[mreditor16]

m9 would you care to add to this good stuff?

In regards to trial preparation specifically?

Tbh I pretty much agree with everything said in the original post. In regards to trial preparation, this is what I did -

English - Refine all your generic essays and creative. Then, memorise them over the week before your English exams. If you get time, practice moulding them to questions.

Maths - Do as many past trial papers, imo don't bother with past HSC papers for trials prep. First and foremost, complete past papers of your own school, because it gives you insights into what sort of questions and exams your teachers have set in the past. Then, go on to do past papers of other schools. I personally would only do the past papers, for which you have worked solutions.

Economics - I would be revising content, especially the earlier topics which you may be sketchy on due to not touching it in a long time. Revising content could either be through reading through your notes or reading through the textbook (which hopefully has hand-written annotations and stuff within it). After this, I would move on to past trial papers (esp. Independent, CSSA) and having a go at them, and doing the ones with sample answers before the papers with no sample answers.

Sciences - Similar story to Economics. Revise content, then have a go at past trial papers.

 

[iStudent]

All I remember from my trials is the massive amount of content that I had to cram. Imo, if you can get through simply having all the content in your head in time you're doing well! (forget doing 10 past papers the day before the exam - you don't have time to do that lol). There's not much you can do about this either (except by doing past papers months earlier). You can try starting to memorise your notes a month ahead - I did this, but I found it was rather fruitless because you just forget after a few weeks. So essentially, you're forced to cram the whole years content for all your subjects in 2 weeks or less.

First week of exams were ok but 2nd week was difficult because I already forgot the content I memorized 3 weeks earlier... (oh... The sleepless nights...)

See what I mean? lol (hence many burnout during trials)

The real hsc exams were no where as bad though, because all your exams are spread out over a month - in contrast to the trials where exams are squashed into 2 weeks.

 

[swagmeister]

Bumpity bump!! Some great stuff here!!!

Thanks bro!

 

[swagmeister]

All I remember from my trials is the massive amount of content that I had to cram. Imo, if you can get through simply having all the content in your head in time you're doing well! (forget doing 10 past papers the day before the exam - you don't have time to do that lol). There's not much you can do about this either (except by doing past papers months earlier). You can try starting to memorise your notes a month ahead - I did this, but I found it was rather fruitless because you just forget after a few weeks. So essentially, you're forced to cram the whole years content for all your subjects in 2 weeks or less.

First week of exams were ok but 2nd week was difficult because I already forgot the content I memorized 3 weeks earlier... (oh... The sleepless nights...)

See what I mean? lol (hence many burnout during trials)

The real hsc exams were no where as bad though, because all your exams are spread out over a month - in contrast to the trials where exams are squashed into 2 weeks.

Man this resonates with me so well. Good to see other people that dominated the HSC are going through the same thing!

 

[tonysoprano]

I read this at the beginning of my HSC, and now reading everything you wrote, it is all so fucking true. Especially past papers. DO NOT SAVE THEM. I wish I had time to do them all.

 

[tonysoprano]

All I remember from my trials is the massive amount of content that I had to cram. Imo, if you can get through simply having all the content in your head in time you're doing well! (forget doing 10 past papers the day before the exam - you don't have time to do that lol). There's not much you can do about this either (except by doing past papers months earlier). You can try starting to memorise your notes a month ahead - I did this, but I found it was rather fruitless because you just forget after a few weeks. So essentially, you're forced to cram the whole years content for all your subjects in 2 weeks or less.

First week of exams were ok but 2nd week was difficult because I already forgot the content I memorized 3 weeks earlier... (oh... The sleepless nights...)

See what I mean? lol (hence many burnout during trials)

The real hsc exams were no where as bad though, because all your exams are spread out over a month - in contrast to the trials where exams are squashed into 2 weeks.

You saying this actually makes me feel somewhat comfortable. Knowing that somebody who got 99.90 hadn't completely solidified their knowledge on each concept just gives me so much hope.

 

[4025808]

Can echo this thread. Pretty much agree with everything on this.

If anything I learned this semester at uni, it can apply to HSC too. That is relating to memorizing content and recalling it on the day. You NEED sleep so that your brain can process that information and be able to recall it on the day. In certain cases like HSC English you are heavily constrained for time so you better make sure you start memorizing them essays at least 2-3 weeks beforehand and know each and every word/point solidly, as well as to know how to tailor specific points/essays to the question. I say this because if you forget something on the day and try to recall it back then literally you've wasted a lot of time trying to recall it.

With other subjects like legal studies and economics you probably have less pressure and can finish the paper within 2 hours, depending on your writing speed (correct me if I'm wrong). I'll speak more for legal studies based on my experience. I basically just learned to memorize cases, legislation, reports, media articles and just try to bullshit the analysis part especially for the 2x25 mark essays. Reading a lot of news articles and gaining insights can also help you to think and write better. In this subject do not memorize your essays; it's all facts/figures based. Say if you memorized an essay regarding about young offenders, but they test international crime then you'd be pretty screwed. Thankfully for this one you have more time to think and plan out your essays.

For me I spent first 20 min on MCQ, then the next 40 min on the crime/human rights short responses + essays. Then I spent 1 hour each on the two essays. This was where I managed to think and convey my thoughts. Also quality > quantity here and the marker is trying to give you marks so if you give the marker a hard time by spewing out irrelevant information then he/she may not end up giving you marks.

 

[swagmeister]

Bumpity bump - trials are done and the HSC is nearing

 

[mreditor16]

Bumpity bump!! Some great stuff here!!!

ditto

 

[swagmeister]

bump! HSC exams nearing..

 

[obliviousninja]

My advice. Just be teemo. And snake everyone

 

[mreditor16]

BUMP!

 

[swagmeister]

Bump again!

15 days guys!!!

I'm a bit nervous now cause I lagged a bit after trials but we'll smash it

 

[4025808]

Good luck guys

 

[swagmeister]

Let's smash it guys! Stay positive!

 

[RecklessRick]

My band 1 dreams are slipping away