I'm lost. I have no sense of direction. Woe is me. (1 Viewer)

[Giant Lobster]

Im in year 11, and with every passing second, even as I'm posting this I can't help but continue in my every deepening depressed state. I'm wasting so much time.

Year 11 doesn't count jacksquat to the hsc, so I figured I may as well learn as much stuff of year 12 as I could, but hell, its so friggin hard. Even in the subjects I like, e.g. the sciences. Then I know this dude that use to go to my school, but made it to Ruse cos he was such a goodie goodie and got a shiny report card... ahh nuts. And I was just rocking back and forth just now like a heroin addict thinking how crap I am compared to him when I remembered he said to me on the train one day "My goal is to finish 4u math this year" Ohh gawd... Seeing people everywhere better than I am saddens me so much.

Then I come onto this forum and basically every 5th post contains ppl saying they study 4 hours + a day. Farout, is that possible? I've been doing an average of 1.5 hours of study each night of physics and chem from the start of this year; from the start of prelim to the end of the last core module of the hsc course and its taken me two friggin terms now and I still haven't achieved my goal! But I can't study for more than 2-3 hours a day because of my stupid school which keeps chucking obsolete homework at me, and I have to do it or else them teachers will bust my chinese ass.

To make it worse, I go to sefton, which is a hole. I worry I might get an idiot teacher for my year 12 classes, like my chem teacher now. He's way underqualified, he cant remember the valencies of simple ions, he doesn't accept that he is wrong, he doesn't like to be corrected, he is slow, stubborn and he smells like a crayon. My english teacher is always away, and my physics and math class are way behind schedule. I struggle in math, I died on the second part of question 1 of a trial paper I saw. Im so very lost. I have 1 term left till year 12 commences, and I'm not far from the "I hate my life and I want to die" state. And I can't say Im good from comparing with ppl in my school cos honestly, they are idiots. It is suffice to say that the whole friggin school consists of like 2 (one of which refuses to speak to me because I use to tease him a lot) other ppl that are serious in their study.

Are there anyone kind enough to gimme some guidance? like, how long I should study, should I be doing what I am currently doing (learning yr 12 through sheer force of will)?

Thanks in advance.

 

[stinger]

regardless of how "good" you are, it seems like you've got a pretty good work ethic

you've still got one term till year 12 ... some people haven't even done any work now, and they're actually in year12

plenty of time ... just work consistently and you'll do fine

if your teachers are that bad, get a tutor or somethin

 

[Gigi_o_O]

I can empathise with how you're feeling, but in some ways, you're kind of wallowing in self-pity and that's not healthy.
You're still in Yr11 -- enjoy it while you can !!-- you have all of yr12 to worry about it..... seriously, you can survive not learning the yr12 stuff right now, because (a) you're not expected to; (b) lots of ppl have done really well, without learning the stuff light years ahead of everyone else; and (c) don't worry about what other ppl are doing and how they're studying. Learn at your own pace and you'll be fine. Its more important that you're comfortable and that you at least semi-enjoy what you're doing, cos you'll probably get better results that way.

I know about sefton too, and yeah, for the sciences, depending on who you have, its pretty much independent learning (which kinda sucks)...and if you feel you're not learning enough from your teachers, yeah, get a tutor. Or something (though you can get by yr12 without a tutor).

SO, have some fun NOW, and worry later

 

[Butterfly_Wings]

I think 1 and a half hours a night is plenty, especially since you're in year 11. Hell, thats a far cry more than I did in year 11.
Trying to learn year 12 stuff in advance isn't such a bad idea (I remember wishing I'd thought of that when the HSC was just around the corner!), but obviously you'll find it a lot harder if you haven't finished all the year 11 work yet, because it will all follow on and you need that previous knowledge. So don't stress! Theres plenty more time for that!
I don't know how other schools go, but I know that when I was in year 12, I didn't get much homework at all. Assessments tasks-yes (they have to give you them), but pointless busy tasks just for the sake of it-no, because they knew that people needed time to study. So maybe you're school will do the same when year 12 comes around?
Shit teachers seem to be an obligatory part of year 12. Work around them. Year 12 work is so rigid and syllabus based, theres not much a teacher can tell you that a textbook can't, or at least nothing that has a chance of turning up on the final HSC exam anyway. So if they're being slow/incompetent, read up on it in a textbook.
Another thing-every studnet sitting the HSC has got the same number of hours in a day. The trick is to use them productively. Study when travelling to and from school, use study periods at school for actual study, spend that spare 10 mins before going out somewhere to look over a few notes...whatever. It all equals less time spent sitting in yor room for the long haul. And all this 5 hours a day study is unnecessary bullshit if you ask me...anyone can study 5 hours a day and still be totally screwed for the HSC, the point is whether or not you know the stuff, and I really don't think it takes that much time to learn year 12 work. Don't work harder-work smarter.
And finally...can I just say that the HSC is nothing it's cracked up to be. It's nowhere near as hard as popular culture would have you believe, even though it usually isn't until after the exams are over that you finally realise that. Most people are surprised at how well they can do, without having to kill themselves studying 24-7. If you put pressure on yourself to do absolutely brilliantly, then of course it's gonna be stressful, but it doesn't really need to be that hard.

 

[Giant Lobster]

Hey thanks very much for the feedback. I wasn't expecting such long and detailed responses, thanks!

And as for my teacher, aren't the trials marked by the school? And doesn't the trials count heaps to ur uai? I honestly wouldn't care so much if entering uni was based on something else, hell, I'd bludge like I did last year. (I'm a full bludger at heart, but I guess I'm adaptive to circumstance) If the teacher I have now marks my trials I'd die. He is not ur cliche unenthusiastic uninspired teacher that mumbles the lesson out, he is the underqualified type. He doesn't seem to be a bad person or anything, he never gets angry etc But he just doesn't know the course he is teaching. I came out of my chem half yearlies thinking I'd get at least 95% but I got a 76! Its not the mark that bothers me, I'm reasonable, if I deserve a 76 I'd hack it, no worries. But the thing is I didn't get that mark, he just honestly doesn't know the correct answer, so he tries to do it, and gets it wrong and marks it from that. Story of my life.
So much of my concern is based on that, if he is my teacher next year, I will cry blood.

Well, if that happens, is it possible to request class changes and stuff? But then I don't think its possible cos theres only 2 chem classes (to my knowledge, I'm a bit antisocial haha) and the other one is at the same time as other subs of mine.

 

[stinger]

yes, trials count a lot
but its your rank which is more important

 

[Loz#1]

You're lost? I'M SCREWED!

 

[losty]

OHH MY GOD?!?!?! You are worrying about doing 1 1/2 hours study a night... im in year 12 and dont even do that.... i barely do anything during the week except for a bit of homework and assessments are for weekends... i dont "study" unless i have an exam coming up... none of this studying 1 hour this subject and hour the next... i dont even understand how people can be doing 4 hours study in year 12... ok maybe like a couple weeks before trials and then before the actual HSC but apart from that... i dont know... i personally cant do it...

 

[White Rabbit]

Mate, I'm yr 12 and only study (if you can call if that...) for a week maybe before I have seriours exams. I laugh at all these 'I study 4 hours a night' people. No offence to anyone that does, but the HSC isn't the be all and end all. BTW, isn't Sefton selective, or like Macquarie Fields, were it's half selcetive? Tell me if I'm wrong, but I always assumed it was atleast semi-selective

 

[Newbie]

lol dude
you're trying past trials already
lol i cant do them either and im in year 12

never seen a year 11 as stressed as you
my grade was pretty cool with it and we're pretty fucken nerdy

i remember last term of year 11
i killed alot of people in tfc/cs

 

[Frigid]

Im in year 11, and with every passing second, even as I'm posting this I can't help but continue in my every deepening depressed state. I'm wasting so much time.

Don't worry - i'm in year 12, and i feel the same... when stress happens, just a little break...

Seeing people everywhere better than I am saddens me so much.

There's a proverb: "There will always be mountains beyond mountains". So that basically means there will always be people better or smarter at any given moment than you, but that is no reason to get you down... HSC is about you, not Mr. Got-in-JR-coz-he's-too-smart... Focus on sharpening your skills, and even Mr. JR will be flat...

I've been doing an average of 1.5 hours of study each night of physics and chem from the start of this year; from the start of prelim to the end of the last core module of the hsc course and its taken me two friggin terms now and I still haven't achieved my goal!

Chill - you're not accelerating your sciences, do it slowly... if I were you, I'd rather slow down the pace abit and keep ahead of the grade by half a topic or so...

To make it worse, I go to sefton, which is a hole. I worry I might get an idiot teacher for my year 12 classes, like my chem teacher now. He's way underqualified, he cant remember the valencies of simple ions, he doesn't accept that he is wrong, he doesn't like to be corrected, he is slow, stubborn and he smells like a crayon.

Yes, I have a crappy Chem teacher too. If it helps, go get tutoring...

I struggle in math, I died on the second part of question 1 of a trial paper I saw.

FFS BOY, STOP WORRYING! You know, this year (year 12) people learn maths really fast, so it's possible to not know something and then in one week learn about it completely... So it's not unusual (even for me!) not to know trial questions... gosh...

I have 1 term left till year 12 commences, and I'm not far from the "I hate my life and I want to die" state.

Let's put in this way: Death is a solution. But is it the best one? Because if you think about it, death is the coward's way out... by the sound of you, you sound like a very determined and strong person, you just need to realise you don't need to cram all your year 12 studies in one GO! That is for you to do in September holidays of 2004... but seriously, don't worry. Just do as you do know, or maybe at a slower pace. If you don't understand something, spend more time with your teacher (or tutor) to work it out. Just chill, and keep kicking. HSC is hard, but it's not the end of the world. Keep things in perspective.

Cheers and chill.
Frigid.

 

[Beaky]

Speaking of time.... i dont have time for a detailed response but....

I think your being a bit hard on yourself... There is life after the HSC!!!

Think about it... your ALOT better than 30% of people your age... you havnt dropped out... u seem to be doing all rite (70%) is good. Man.... i think im coping and i just pass maths... and get 80% for my other subjects...

Lift your head up high... keep working hard and all the work WILL pay off!!!

Keep at it
BeAky

 

[s2ophie]

just keep smiling and SUMMARAISE SUMMARISE SUMMARISE. ( it helps to learn your summaries too!)

 

[Minai]

Add to the fact u goto Sefton, a selective high school
ur smart, and u dont need this mentality right now, no matter who u compare urself to, u'll always be smarter than most of the state, u just need to readjust and take things one at a time, not everyone can get a 100 UAI, but u certainly can get close

 

[Giant Lobster]

hmmm... I re-read my post and thought to myself "what was I thinking".. hehe dang.. I'm happy again now. cant explain it but I get these huge spikes of depression sporadically. But as I said, I'm happy now. lol Thanks for the feedback, very morale-boosting.

But despite the fact that many people don't study as long as 3 or so hours a night, since basically teachers everywhere (AFAIK) "recommend" this amount (+- 1 hr) they must have good reason... I mean, sure, I go through my notes and I can understand it np. But then I reflect and empathize "what would the next person do now?" and its like... they *soldier on* even though im dead tired and got a nasty flu cos only a crappy hour has elapsed and thats like a statement of how much I'm worth. Well, not really but, it just can be depressing sometimes to see yourself (myself) trying ur best, and still cant get to the "recommended" point.

Ughhh happy thoughts.. happy thoughts..

 

[:: ck ::]

dont stress out too much

i think similarly to u ... so many ppl in my skool are off to ruse

to think they were the best at fort and are now struggling at ruse...

makes me think how crap i am

but still d00d its not the end of the world~

relax man ... keep studying at least a tiny bit ahead and theres no doubt ull get the uai u wish