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Monique,
I was so lucky last year to have very very good teachers who were also very supportive (parents *cough* weren't *cough). When I say our teachers were supportive and always there for us, I'm not kidding - I still have their email addresses, home addresses, mobile numbers, home numbers, house descriptions! We even knew the names of their children! lol. We also had a wonderful year advisor, who is still supervising his flock of ex-irrational, ex-unreasonable ex-rebellious Yr 12 students through their first year of University
That, and my dancing (which I cut down on but still maintained all through last year) kept me sane.
That doesn't mean I didn't cry though, because I did - even through my first EE2 assessment! lol! I had my "bad phase" in Yr 11, so I was a lot stronger in Yr 12 and knew what I was capable of, and my limitations. I think that's so important if you want to survive the HSC year - do your best, but don't burn yourself out too quickly otherwise you'll have nothing left. That includes post-HSCness. I know of a few people who had had nervous breakdowns post-HSC because they just don't know how to cope... the lessons you learn now will have a huge effect on the years after. A lot of people refer to the HSC as a "rite of passage" and it really is because you're working harder than you ever have before. In my personal opinion, this will probably be the hardest thing you ever do. There is *so* much pressure on you guys right now, not only from yourselves, but from your peers and parents and teachers as well. It's not about doing well, it's about competing to get a UAI... *sigh*
As quickly as you can, learn what you can and can't do, and work within that - find your balance, and the way *you* work, because that's really the only way you're going to work to your full potential. With the major works, you do have to be the only one pushing yourself for a lot of the time - this is hard, but just try it... and if not, come here, and we'll nag at you to do it
This year, I have many new beautiful and wonderful friends, many of whom I met on IPR, who help me get through this year - we're pretty close, and throw grass at each other
I'm so much stronger because of last year - admittedly, the workload is probably exactly the same (I know, GROAN!) but it seems so much easier because I've done it before, I know how the system works, and I don't have quite so many issues with the syllabus (Advanced English is STUPID!!! STUPID!!!). I also have more time this year to catch up on the dance I cut down last year, and combined with the new friends I never really had in high school (and the uni degree which I really wanted) everything is balancing out pretty well
I might sound like I'm with it this year, but trust me, it's only because I went through what you're going through now - heartache, stress attacks, tears, screaming (yes, screaming at walls in the hope they might finish off the page for me). Not the most pleasant thing in the world, but when you finish, you'll be amazed at how far you've come. Even now, you can look back and see how that tiny idea grew into a workabale major work that you will eventually be very proud of (but don't think you can stop working just yet - there is *always* more you can do! ).
The HSC is like a series of deep-dives... as soon as you think you've finally reached the bottom, along comes another one You'll be so over it by the time the HSC rolls around. Then it's all over! Yay!
EDIT: Apologies for the long semi-autobiographical post, but I couldn't help myself... I have a tendancy to just sort of natter on sometimes...
I was so lucky last year to have very very good teachers who were also very supportive (parents *cough* weren't *cough). When I say our teachers were supportive and always there for us, I'm not kidding - I still have their email addresses, home addresses, mobile numbers, home numbers, house descriptions! We even knew the names of their children! lol. We also had a wonderful year advisor, who is still supervising his flock of ex-irrational, ex-unreasonable ex-rebellious Yr 12 students through their first year of University
That, and my dancing (which I cut down on but still maintained all through last year) kept me sane.That doesn't mean I didn't cry though, because I did - even through my first EE2 assessment! lol! I had my "bad phase" in Yr 11, so I was a lot stronger in Yr 12 and knew what I was capable of, and my limitations. I think that's so important if you want to survive the HSC year - do your best, but don't burn yourself out too quickly otherwise you'll have nothing left. That includes post-HSCness. I know of a few people who had had nervous breakdowns post-HSC because they just don't know how to cope... the lessons you learn now will have a huge effect on the years after. A lot of people refer to the HSC as a "rite of passage" and it really is because you're working harder than you ever have before. In my personal opinion, this will probably be the hardest thing you ever do. There is *so* much pressure on you guys right now, not only from yourselves, but from your peers and parents and teachers as well. It's not about doing well, it's about competing to get a UAI... *sigh*
As quickly as you can, learn what you can and can't do, and work within that - find your balance, and the way *you* work, because that's really the only way you're going to work to your full potential. With the major works, you do have to be the only one pushing yourself for a lot of the time - this is hard, but just try it... and if not, come here, and we'll nag at you to do it
This year, I have many new beautiful and wonderful friends, many of whom I met on IPR, who help me get through this year - we're pretty close, and throw grass at each other
I'm so much stronger because of last year - admittedly, the workload is probably exactly the same (I know, GROAN!) but it seems so much easier because I've done it before, I know how the system works, and I don't have quite so many issues with the syllabus (Advanced English is STUPID!!! STUPID!!!). I also have more time this year to catch up on the dance I cut down last year, and combined with the new friends I never really had in high school (and the uni degree which I really wanted) everything is balancing out pretty well
I might sound like I'm with it this year, but trust me, it's only because I went through what you're going through now - heartache, stress attacks, tears, screaming (yes, screaming at walls in the hope they might finish off the page for me). Not the most pleasant thing in the world, but when you finish, you'll be amazed at how far you've come. Even now, you can look back and see how that tiny idea grew into a workabale major work that you will eventually be very proud of (but don't think you can stop working just yet - there is *always* more you can do!
).The HSC is like a series of deep-dives... as soon as you think you've finally reached the bottom, along comes another one
You'll be so over it by the time the HSC rolls around. Then it's all over! Yay!EDIT: Apologies for the long semi-autobiographical post, but I couldn't help myself...
I have a tendancy to just sort of natter on sometimes...
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