TRIALS 2023: completely stressed abt trials (1 Viewer)

[SASH_06_X]

need URGENT help regarding trials. This whole year, cuz of all the stress around the ATAR, HSC, back-to-back assessments etc I've bombed practically all my internal assessments and my rankings have slid down rock-bottom. Bcoz of all this(plus the fact there is barely a month to go before trials), im SUPER scared im also gonna flunk trials, bcoz my study notes are either not started, incomplete or all over the place, im constantly freaking out over the limited time left and if ill ever be able to revise a year's worth of content in a month. Plus, my memory is horrible, and I find myself forgetting something I revised through my study notes only MINUTES ago. My workload for trials seems impossible even if I pull allnighters until the exams. In short, im totally screwed.

PLEASE, if you have any tips for how to resolve this, please respond to this asap.

Additional question, if someone can also clarify if I can still get a decent ATAR(around 70-80) given my track record, that would also be greatly appreciated.

 

[jimmysmith560]

Unfortunately, we tend to overlook the extent to which stress affects our ability to effectively prepare for not just exams, but also other important things in our lives that require prior preparation. A brain that is overwhelmed by the pressure that comes from stress usually has a much lower ability to handle important tasks such as these, leading to unfavourable outcomes as can be seen in your case. This is exacerbated if you stay up late to study. In such a case, not only would you already be stressed, but you would also be depriving yourself of essential sleeping hours. Maintaining a healthy sleeping schedule therefore constitutes the first step to take in preparing for your trial exams and, more importantly, your HSC exams. Sleeping and waking up early, as well as sleeping for a sufficient number of hours will help you reduce your stress levels. Your mental state could affect your ability to study and retain information, and is therefore an aspect that you should not ignore. It is also important to regularly take short breaks while you are studying to avoid overwhelming your brain.

In terms of your notes, while it is likely that you understand your own notes best, you do not necessarily always have to rely on your own notes and other study material. Depending on your subjects, there may be a range of available pre-made notes that may be useful to you in preparing for your trial exams. Based on this, it would be a good idea to have a look at the Notes & Resources section, where you will hopefully find useful material, allowing you to save time as you progress through your preparations.

Lastly, there is nothing wrong with setting realistic goals based on your current standard of performance. Your health must always be prioritised, after which you can determine goals that you believe would be able to achieve if you do your utmost starting now.

Given that you are yet to sit your trial exams, not to mention the fact that your HSC exams contribute 50% of your overall HSC marks, an ATAR in your specified range should be achievable. With that being said, it is important to keep in mind that there are alternative methods of admission into your desired university degree, meaning that the ATAR, while definitely important, is not the only way to receive an offer. With this kind of mindset, you should hopefully be able to relieve some of the unreasonable pressure that you may have been placing on yourself and approach the rest of your HSC journey more effectively.

I wish you the very best of luck with your trial exams and your HSC exams!

I hope this helps!

 

[howcanibesmarter]

need URGENT help regarding trials. This whole year, cuz of all the stress around the ATAR, HSC, back-to-back assessments etc I've bombed practically all my internal assessments and my rankings have slid down rock-bottom. Bcoz of all this(plus the fact there is barely a month to go before trials), im SUPER scared im also gonna flunk trials, bcoz my study notes are either not started, incomplete or all over the place, im constantly freaking out over the limited time left and if ill ever be able to revise a year's worth of content in a month. Plus, my memory is horrible, and I find myself forgetting something I revised through my study notes only MINUTES ago. My workload for trials seems impossible even if I pull allnighters until the exams. In short, im totally screwed.

PLEASE, if you have any tips for how to resolve this, please respond to this asap.

Additional question, if someone can also clarify if I can still get a decent ATAR(around 70-80) given my track record, that would also be greatly appreciated.

Since I just finished my trials today actually, I can give you some advice regarding what I did in the week or so leading up to the exam. This might sound harsh but I just want to talk honestly to you as a person whose in the same grade as you.

First, remove all distractions, go to a library, get rid of ur phone, get rid of music if you feel like you cant concentrate (this was me), stick to hardcopy worksheets/textbooks, print past papers rather than working off a laptop screen, time urself, get a mistakes handbook, make sure you get breaks away from screens. Go outside, even if its for a 5minute stroll to clear your mind, or take a shower. Things like these are all mini steps to do better and study efficiently. Don't just study nonstop for 3 hours and think you've done enough for the day, your mind needs time to rest too.

Another thing. The most obvious (and most difficult) thing is to find motivation. Don't even bother waiting for motivation to come in. Just get started. Get it done. If you keep on worrying, its not gonna do u any good, so pick up ur pen, start doing work. You want a good mark? Then put in the effort. You can't expect to do well if you don't put in the effort.

As for your notes, ask yourself...why are your notes incomplete? Is it because you couldn't be bothered? And more importantly, how can I get them completed? Maybe ask for a friends, ask the teacher, hell even search online for some notes, I'm sure you can find some.

Remember you're not alone. Everyone else in ur grade, the entire NSW, is going through the same process of back to back exams. It's not just you whose feeling the pressure.

It's not too late to start trying now, but it will be if you start trying later.

As for the memory bit, all I can say is that memory is just practice. You really can't do much about it unless if you have like a photographic memory. Everyone struggles with memorising stuff, especially if you find the information boring. I get it. My memory is bad too, so I had to put in extra time to make up for it. If you are able to worry so much about doing bad in trials, surely you'd put the difficulty aside and be dedicated enough to revise and revise over again until u start memorising things.

If you just sit around worrying all day and you don't use ur brain for anything particularly useful, it'll just get worse and worse. That's just the truth

Hopefully you get see this as helpful. I think me being entirely honestly and on ur ass is going to be more helpful than giving you entirely positive nonsense. However purely scolding you wasn't my intent (but I can see why if u feel that way), I just want to realise the severity of the issue actually lies in urself, and how easily you can fix it. I can pass you some notes if we share the same subjects

As for your Atar, if you do really well in trials + actual hsc, I don't see any reason for you get lower than 80, in fact even higher/