Tips and strategies for HSC mathematics. (1 Viewer)

Helen Phan

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Hi everyone,

I’ll be taking 3U mathematics in HSC this year.I see most of us are struggling with time management so i want to share with you my plan that I’ve been following for quite long time.
Honesty my coach, helped me make all parts of this plan, about tasks which are:
1. Not important and not urgent
2. Important and not urgent
3. Urgent and not important
4. Urgent and important
I usually spend more than 2 hours per night studying, so here is my pattern plan:
- 4:00pm:
Arrive home from school. Snack and relax for 30 minutes. Change into something casual.
- 4:30pm
Complete any homework assignments that have been given as overnight tasks.
- 5:00pm
Break 30 minutes. Do some light exercise or just go for an outside walk/jog
- 5:30pm
Evening meal.
- 6:30pm
Review notes from the day and organize my study material.
- 7:00pm
Review the main tasks that I have set myself for the week. This may require you to alter some other part of your weekly program. This task should take no more than 15 minutes.
- 7:15-8:00pm
Study or homework as per my goals for the week.
- 8:15-8:45
Study, take break every 30 minutes until 11:30pm

Hope that this timetable is useful here.
 
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sida1049

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Honestly, I don't think it's that necessary to stick to a strict schedule - this kind of thing can backfire if you miss it, especially for students who get anxious easily.

I recommend setting time for yourself at the end of the day to just relax and do whatever. It's important to have a long break for yourself at a day's conclusion.

Back in the HSC, what I did was typically get home at 4pm, eat, study until 8pm, then do whatever. I don't recall ever studying beyond 8pm. (I did well, if that helps.)

I'm three years into an advanced maths degree now, and I still don't study past 8pm (the only exceptions being the occasional times when I'm chilling and I suddenly realise I messed up somewhere in my assignment).

Good luck everyone.
 

Helen Phan

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Yup i know but

Unfortunately, i'm kind of person needs to re-practice at all thing i've learnt. And i can't concentrate at school, i need my own comfort zone where i can be coached with the supporting from my coach, Robert and my partners. i can give wrong answers but as most of member here just trial and error so i feel no fear at this place.

i think most of students here are not as smart as you. i believe that studying harder is necessary for those who are short-memory like me.
 

sida1049

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i think most of students here are not as smart as you. i believe that studying harder is necessary for those who are short-memory like me.
I don't think I'm necessarily smarter than anyone else; I've never gotten anything higher than a credit from Australian maths comp and I got 51% for a maths exam back in year 10, so there's that.

My memory is pretty shitty as well; in fact, that's one of the reasons why I settled for maths; with maths, once you understand the concepts and the ideas behind the methods, you can very easily reproduce the necessarily mathematical results with little memory, and adapt those exact same ideas to questions you haven't seen before. E.g. with 3U mathematical induction, once you understand how proof by induction works and gotten used to it, I don't think you'll ever need to "revise" that topic ever again. So I think the emphasis here is to focus on understanding, and doing enough work so you really understand the ideas. Once you've done enough, you should feel confident to move onto the next topic.

With maths, rote-learning your way through it can get you by. But really, you should be focusing on getting used to studying maths, rather than getting used to the individual topics. What I mean is this: if you can read and understand the explanation for the concepts in the next chapter of your maths textbook, you've truly made it. This isn't easy, but if you can do it, then you're just about ready for anything (especially uni).
 

Helen Phan

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Sida,

if you're studying at a tutoring centre and tutors ultimately are just keeping you ahead of what your school is learning.They are also strict with homework and people are occasionally kicked out for not doing homework consistently. what do you think about this?. Because I am just able to concentrate on a comfort zone while studying.

And i think at tutoring centres students just do what their tutors tell them to do, they are not proactive at all, and the same thing would happen in mathematic exams.



Anw, what do you think about tutoring centres?
 
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sida1049

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Sida,

if you're studying at a tutoring centre and tutors ultimately are just keeping you ahead of what your school is learning.They are also strict with homework and people are occasionally kicked out for not doing homework consistently. what do you think about this?. Because I am just able to concentrate on a comfort zone while studying.

And i think at tutoring centres students just do what their tutors tell them to do, they are not proactive at all, and the same thing would happen in mathematic exams.

That's why I've been looking for partners for my group coaching at Mater Coaching but no response.

Anw, what do you think about tutoring centres?
There are lots of people who are in favour of a strict tutoring environment, where the pressure is a part of the incentive for you to study.

I don't adopt this view. I think it's counterproductive and inefficient. As an HSC student, your school work and assessments come first. If tutors don't understand this and expect you to do their homework without concession, then they're pretty shitty and you're better off finding another tutor who's more understanding of your situation.

Being constantly in stress during the HSC is counterproductive. You need to be paced appropriately and have a peace of mind, in order to clearly see ahead of you and make decisions as a student. If you're constantly under pressure by your tutor to do X and Y, rather than allow yourself to make your own decisions as a student and young adult, you'll likely end up somewhere you don't want to be. Your tutors are meant to be assisting you, not dictating you.

Finally, a strict tutoring classroom does not reflect university at all. In university, you make your own choices regarding the work, and there's not really anyone telling you what you need to do (apart from assessment dates and whatnot). Having tutors who push you through the HSC might help bring up your marks a little (at the expense of actually enjoying your HSC), but it doesn't prepare you for uni at all.

If you don't feel like I've described your tutoring situation, then you're probably fine where you are. I went to a tutoring place that was super chill and the homework was rather minimal and often non-committal, and I really enjoyed my time there. (It's Edu-Kingdom, if you're curious, but I wouldn't recommend the place unless you know for certain that the tutor is good. Plus they give the tutors complete autonomy, so it really varies.)

Tutoring centres are fine, but you should be cautious; they're often 1. overpriced or 2. backwards in their tutoring style. It really depends on you; if you feel like it's helping, go for it. If you're unsure if it's helping, quit. Also, avoid too much tutoring, which a lot of students get into the habit of. Throwing more money at tutors almost never directly translates to extra ATAR points; you have to consider the time it's taking you away from your actual studying.

The guy who duxed my school didn't have any tutoring at all; he wasn't particularly talented or anything, he was just hardworking and spent some of his own time studying slightly ahead of the syllabus, while simultaneously revising as he goes.

So while having tutoring for one or two courses is fine (as long as you feel like it's helping), the onus is on you to get into the habit of studying. You have to find out what works for you, and that is really valuable for when you get to uni.

Good luck!
 

Helen Phan

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There are lots of people who are in favour of a strict tutoring environment, where the pressure is a part of the incentive for you to study.

I don't adopt this view. I think it's counterproductive and inefficient. As an HSC student, your school work and assessments come first. If tutors don't understand this and expect you to do their homework without concession, then they're pretty shitty and you're better off finding another tutor who's more understanding of your situation.

Being constantly in stress during the HSC is counterproductive. You need to be paced appropriately and have a peace of mind, in order to clearly see ahead of you and make decisions as a student. If you're constantly under pressure by your tutor to do X and Y, rather than allow yourself to make your own decisions as a student and young adult, you'll likely end up somewhere you don't want to be. Your tutors are meant to be assisting you, not dictating you.

Finally, a strict tutoring classroom does not reflect university at all. In university, you make your own choices regarding the work, and there's not really anyone telling you what you need to do (apart from assessment dates and whatnot). Having tutors who push you through the HSC might help bring up your marks a little (at the expense of actually enjoying your HSC), but it doesn't prepare you for uni at all.

If you don't feel like I've described your tutoring situation, then you're probably fine where you are. I went to a tutoring place that was super chill and the homework was rather minimal and often non-committal, and I really enjoyed my time there. (It's Edu-Kingdom, if you're curious, but I wouldn't recommend the place unless you know for certain that the tutor is good. Plus they give the tutors complete autonomy, so it really varies.)

Tutoring centres are fine, but you should be cautious; they're often 1. overpriced or 2. backwards in their tutoring style. It really depends on you; if you feel like it's helping, go for it. If you're unsure if it's helping, quit. Also, avoid too much tutoring, which a lot of students get into the habit of. Throwing more money at tutors almost never directly translates to extra ATAR points; you have to consider the time it's taking you away from your actual studying.

The guy who duxed my school didn't have any tutoring at all; he wasn't particularly talented or anything, he was just hardworking and spent some of his own time studying slightly ahead of the syllabus, while simultaneously revising as he goes.

So while having tutoring for one or two courses is fine (as long as you feel like it's helping), the onus is on you to get into the habit of studying. You have to find out what works for you, and that is really valuable for when you get to uni.

Good luck!
Sida,

Thank you!

I totally agree with your point that how far We go in studying, it truly depends on how much We get into the habit of studying.
Most of students take extra lessions as a trend because they are afraid of falling behind so they just cram as much as knowledge they can, even me, sometime.

But for a plodder student like me, tutoring is necessary. Especially, when we want to get a high mark in HSC. So we need to find the places that suit for us as taking tutoring classes really cost too much money.
So I would like to be encouraged to kick off questions than be forced as a machine, just need fuel to run. I also would love to create my answers tham follow someone's footprints, in my way, you know. I mean, finding a coach who can inspire me, lead me in this way, it's definitely not easy.

There are not many students want to study this way, why don't we take studying maths as a fun not as a compulsory subject
 

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