Hey!
To all those starting year 11 soon, I'm taking this oppurtunity to give you advice an some tips on starting up on that important road to the HSC. I bet you that all of you have forgotten about the school certificate already.
Sparcod's 10-Point Plan
1.Don't listen to anybody who says: "Oh year 11 doesn't count towards the HSC so don't study as hard and bludge!". It's true that the prelim. marks doesn't count towards the HSC. "Preliminary" means introductory. Take this oppurtunity to try your best and to practise those essay-writing skills and to adopt good study and exam techniques. Also, many of the year 11 stuff form the basis of year 12 stuff. This is true mostly for maths.
2.Know the basics (not the encyclopaedia) of the HSC marking and scaling system of the UAI. Read the BOS Info-booklet. Know the rules.
3.If you need help...ask a smarter classmate, a teacher or post it on this site! ("We" can help! Post it under "whatever subject" forum. Your thread won't be overshadowed by more important ones by year 12ers)
4.Changing a subject??
Don't be shy. It takes a few weeks to get to know what the subject is about. Look through textbooks, exam papers; ask teachers or students who've done it to find what that subject is about. If you don't like it, change it. It's easier to change it earlier than later (say at the end of year 11). Look at the DOZENS of choosing subjects threads.
5.Stay up-to-date (don't learn at the last-minute) and pay attention in class and do your homework!! (Yes..procrastination)
6.Seek advice if you need to. (Stop staring at me like that). Even the best students seek advice. Teachers,parents, peers. Read "maximising your uai" by Peter Sheahan. Great Advice Pete!...always treat a disease as early as possible.
Get a tutor. (Don't think that tutoring is a sign of weakness. It's a sign of striving for the best.)
From 5. and 6., if you don't know what 1 + 1 is, could you work out what 45-39 is? and further more...the roots of 2x^2 + 3x +1??
7.Don't lose temper. I bet that all of you will stress, struggle for time or burn out within the next 22 months.
8.Revise constantly. Exam papers, exercises from other books. You name it!! Keep your mind on track.
9.Adopt good study techniques- check this site! No last-minuters.. (Noone can study properly at 2am at night.) There are DOZENS of "how to get 90+ in_____" around. Look for them!
10.Set a goal. What's your dream job? What UAI do you want?
In summary with quotes.
"Work then play"
"Make hay while the sun shines"
"Every great journey begins with a single step"
"The grass is greener on the other side" (There are an infinite amount of oppurtunities. Go for it! The HSC is only the beginning)
In the coming week...Organise yourself!
Usual stuff like Pencil cases, books covered...maybe a few study guides.
NB. For maths, don't get ones that say prelim., get ones that say HSC. In hsc exams, some of the stuff tested are year 11 stuff.
FAQ
I'm scared, what'll the first few weeks of year 11 be like?
Everybody is scared.
Different people give different opinions. This is what I, and many others, thought:
- I swear, the 1st day of year 11 reminded me of my first day of year 7 and it felt like it too. I don't know why. Maybe it's the changeover in uniform, the departure of many old peers and arrival of new faces, the sudden increase in workload, new subjects, new playground rights or maybe it's because we're scared or maybe it's because year 7s and year 11s start on the same day or maybe confusion.
-Didnt't like it but it took time for me to get use to it. It was hectic- sudden increase in workload.
Don't Panic!! Everybody in your year feels the same.
I stuffed the SC, does that mean I'll do bad in the HSC too?
No..if you work hard!
Now is the time to turn that leaf over to the other side and start fresh! You all get a fresh start whether you got 51 or 99 in Geography and all have the possibility of getting a UAI of 100.
Study Habits??
-I'd say 2 hours max. Cut back on "unnecessary" stuff. Not all, but some.
-Take up a hobby or sport to relax yourself and to break free. A machine working for 5 hours straight is at risk of having its fuse blown up.
- There are DOZENS of "how to get 99+" threads around. Pay attention!
There is life after the HSC. Doing poorly is not the end of the world. The oppurtunities expand as far as the ends of the universe. If you need help, ask one of us!
Sparcod.
(I'll add more later.)
To all those starting year 11 soon, I'm taking this oppurtunity to give you advice an some tips on starting up on that important road to the HSC. I bet you that all of you have forgotten about the school certificate already.
Sparcod's 10-Point Plan
1.Don't listen to anybody who says: "Oh year 11 doesn't count towards the HSC so don't study as hard and bludge!". It's true that the prelim. marks doesn't count towards the HSC. "Preliminary" means introductory. Take this oppurtunity to try your best and to practise those essay-writing skills and to adopt good study and exam techniques. Also, many of the year 11 stuff form the basis of year 12 stuff. This is true mostly for maths.
2.Know the basics (not the encyclopaedia) of the HSC marking and scaling system of the UAI. Read the BOS Info-booklet. Know the rules.
3.If you need help...ask a smarter classmate, a teacher or post it on this site! ("We" can help! Post it under "whatever subject" forum. Your thread won't be overshadowed by more important ones by year 12ers)
4.Changing a subject??
Don't be shy. It takes a few weeks to get to know what the subject is about. Look through textbooks, exam papers; ask teachers or students who've done it to find what that subject is about. If you don't like it, change it. It's easier to change it earlier than later (say at the end of year 11). Look at the DOZENS of choosing subjects threads.
5.Stay up-to-date (don't learn at the last-minute) and pay attention in class and do your homework!! (Yes..procrastination)
6.Seek advice if you need to. (Stop staring at me like that). Even the best students seek advice. Teachers,parents, peers. Read "maximising your uai" by Peter Sheahan. Great Advice Pete!...always treat a disease as early as possible.
Get a tutor. (Don't think that tutoring is a sign of weakness. It's a sign of striving for the best.)
From 5. and 6., if you don't know what 1 + 1 is, could you work out what 45-39 is? and further more...the roots of 2x^2 + 3x +1??
7.Don't lose temper. I bet that all of you will stress, struggle for time or burn out within the next 22 months.
8.Revise constantly. Exam papers, exercises from other books. You name it!! Keep your mind on track.
9.Adopt good study techniques- check this site! No last-minuters.. (Noone can study properly at 2am at night.) There are DOZENS of "how to get 90+ in_____" around. Look for them!
10.Set a goal. What's your dream job? What UAI do you want?
In summary with quotes.
"Work then play"
"Make hay while the sun shines"
"Every great journey begins with a single step"
"The grass is greener on the other side" (There are an infinite amount of oppurtunities. Go for it! The HSC is only the beginning)
In the coming week...Organise yourself!
Usual stuff like Pencil cases, books covered...maybe a few study guides.
NB. For maths, don't get ones that say prelim., get ones that say HSC. In hsc exams, some of the stuff tested are year 11 stuff.
FAQ
I'm scared, what'll the first few weeks of year 11 be like?
Everybody is scared.
Different people give different opinions. This is what I, and many others, thought:
- I swear, the 1st day of year 11 reminded me of my first day of year 7 and it felt like it too. I don't know why. Maybe it's the changeover in uniform, the departure of many old peers and arrival of new faces, the sudden increase in workload, new subjects, new playground rights or maybe it's because we're scared or maybe it's because year 7s and year 11s start on the same day or maybe confusion.
-Didnt't like it but it took time for me to get use to it. It was hectic- sudden increase in workload.
Don't Panic!! Everybody in your year feels the same.
I stuffed the SC, does that mean I'll do bad in the HSC too?
No..if you work hard!
Now is the time to turn that leaf over to the other side and start fresh! You all get a fresh start whether you got 51 or 99 in Geography and all have the possibility of getting a UAI of 100.
Study Habits??
-I'd say 2 hours max. Cut back on "unnecessary" stuff. Not all, but some.
-Take up a hobby or sport to relax yourself and to break free. A machine working for 5 hours straight is at risk of having its fuse blown up.
- There are DOZENS of "how to get 99+" threads around. Pay attention!
There is life after the HSC. Doing poorly is not the end of the world. The oppurtunities expand as far as the ends of the universe. If you need help, ask one of us!
Sparcod.
(I'll add more later.)
Last edited:
See I can be so fussy sometimes...too afraid to forget anything for the first day 
