Sure thing
How I found each subject: (probably not of any help whatsoever but sharing my personal experience for free!
)
Chem - 5/10 Quite a huge jump from Year 7-10 Science, so there were times where I hated it (BUT I loved it in Year 12! Content gets much better and less dry!)
Bio - 7/10 Generally enjoyed it but hated the topics on the environment/evolution
Maths/Ext 1 - 9/10 Challenging but fun!
Eco - 6/10 Quite dry again (dropped it in Year 12 because I didn't need it for uni)
Religion 1 - 10/10 Loved my teacher and the content was never boring
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Chem/Bio - Stay ahead of classwork. Make sure you do all your textbook reviews to solidify your foundational knowledge so that once you attempt exam style questions, it all becomes a breeze. Make detailed notes
CONSISTENTLY throughout the year and try not to fall behind because this can lead to a compromise of time that should be spent on perfecting exam technique (towards the end of the year). Revise your notes
WEEKLY and test yourself on it so that by the time your exams roll around, you'd have condensed each topic into maximum a page and have remembered everything in your head.
ALWAYS have examples (where possible) for each syllabus dotpoint because it can help support and strengthen your answers in an exam. Do not rely solely on your textbook. Research articles (make sure they are relevant, recent and reputable), go to the library and seek out some books for extra exam questions, don't be afraid to spend that extra money on EXCEL books because they are amazing!
English Advanced - Treat English as your
PRIORITY. Always. No matter what, you should never leave English to the last minute or compromise your performance in it to excel in another subject. This gets you prepared and puts you in the proper mindset and routine for your HSC. Remember, English is one of the only subjects that are
COMPULSORY but it's incredibly easy to fall behind and neglect working hard for it (trust me, everyone puts English last). Don't be afraid to give yourself some early exposure to sample exams. Familiarise yourself with how questions are asked, how much space you are given for each question, how time is distributed etc. Once you are confident with all your texts and have extensive notes on quotes/themes/concerns, you should try writing essays under timed conditions as early as possible. Of course, don't time yourself the first time you write an essay, because the first attempt is always NEVER perfect. In fact, you might not get to that 'perfect' stage until right before the exam. How to prevent massive stress and overworking? Start early. Plan ahead. Schedule things out. It's
EASY to neglect English so never forget that it's a necessity. Also, English is one of those subjects that can give you an ATAR boost if you do well enough in it. Don't be afraid to pester your teachers (nicely, of course) for constant feedback. Take on board every feedback and become an active learner. Read your texts before you read them in class. Like I said above, its always good to get ahead.
Economics (should work for business as well) - There's quite a bit of content to cover for Economics. Year 11 can be quite dry if you stick to textbook-style learning, so diversify the way you study! Watch youtube videos, use Quizlet, form a study group etc. The biggest tip I have for Eco is to familiarise yourself with the state of the economy in Australia, and how it's changing everyday. Read the news, know what is going on, jot down significant events and use these as
case studies. Also, essay writing/report writing in economics is quite different to English, so make sure you understand how to structure written responses and be succinct in your arguments. (You can include diagrams in your essays!)
Maths/Maths Ext 1 - Stay on top of class work. Maths is quite an easy subject to get ahead in, so if you're feeling ambitious, you can attempt the next exercise before your teacher teaches it in class. There are so many advantages to this: in class, the topic becomes revision and not something that's fresh of the bat for you, it's more likely that you'll understand the topic quicker when you've already given yourself exposure to it, and it gives you time to have one-on-one discussions with your teacher about any questions you have while the rest of your class is busy trying to wrap their head around basic concepts they've just been taught 5 minutes ago. Complete as many questions and exam papers as you can. Maths is all about practice. Of course it's important that you write notes and revise these before an exam, but your notes for Mathematics shouldn't be pages and pages long. It shouldn't be paragraphs. If you've done enough questions, you'll get the jist of how to answer certain question types. Know your formulas, and don't rely on your formula sheet. Saves you HEAPS of time in the exam. Always ask
why? and not
how?
Hope this helps! LMK if you need extra help/advice/moral support in any subject!
