Studying for HSC with 14 units (1 Viewer)

[sweetalmond]

Hi everyone,
I am starting year 12 next term and I needed some tips for studying. I am starting year 12 with 14 units (including 2 extension subjects) and I will definitely drop something at the end of the first term but I need to see my results first. I needed some tips for studying. In year 11 I did 13 units and found it a lot of work but I still came out with good results.

The one problem is that I tend to study or do my homework all day on weekends and my Friday nights, the rest of the week is devoted to homework which I don't even have time to finish. My parents say I don't have time for chores and that all I do is do my homework. This is because I have so much homework I can't complete all of it unless I spend all weekend. I also have to do an hour practice of violin everyday as I'm preparing for an exam next May. As a result, when I get home from school around 4, I don;t really have a break, I eat something and then get straight to practicing violin. This is the only method I have for completing my work that works and I tend to get good results and hand in all my homework compared to my classmates.

a lot of people are amazed and think I am really organised, but the truth is I have to spend all day in order to finish it all so how can this be organised if I don't have time for other pursuits like reading or doing chores. It's really impacting on me, because my parents constantly complain I'm not doing enough around the house and my brother who's in uni says the way I'm studying and working will burn me out. He says uni is a lot more work, but he seems to have more time than me.

Do any of you have study tips for managing homework?. I don't even have the time to study because I'm so bogged down by homework. And when I have nothing to do I feel I'm wasting my time! It's the same for tests, I will spend the whole day studying and focusing on one particular subject and neglect everything else because I'm so anxious that I won't do well if I focus on other things.
HELP!!! Dying here!

 

[astroman]

just drop to 10 units

 

[faisalabdul16]

You'll probably get sick of doing homework soon and stop doing it. Imo, the best way is to learn a concept and then do past questions from HSC and trial papers. Do not sit down doing textbook questions because their long, stupid and tedious. You won't get textbook questions in your exams.

 

[lpodtouch]

If I were in your circumstance, I would drop down to 10-12 units at least. It must be stressed that if you maintain the excess four units, they will not count toward your ATAR. Despite how pertinacious you are, the time allotted to those four units could be appropriately delegated to other subjects in maximising your marks.

If you are comfortable with maintaining 14 units, by all means do so, but consider how it may impinge aspects of your life beyond the parameters of 'study'.

Study: You should be writing out notes throughout the year, utilising syllabus dot points as your scaffold whilst incorporating internet, textbook resources, etc. Be specific as to which tasks you aim to complete during the year to minimise procrastination. The approach toward studying generally differs given the course type; e.g. for maths you should complete the delegated homework, review classwork + begin past paper questions to enhance speed/accuracy.

 

[dan964]

drop down to 12 units.** 14 is a bit much. you will have more time.
I was doing 12 (but I of them had the work load of a 3 unit subject, plus I needed to work extra hard in another subject)
when I dropped down to 10 at the end of T2, I ended up with so much extra time, I didn't know what to do with it.

**13 if your 13th unit is Music Extension.

 

[sweetalmond]

my two extensions are english extension 1 and history ext.

 

[J280]

You'll probably get sick of doing homework soon and stop doing it. Imo, the best way is to learn a concept and then do past questions from HSC and trial papers. Do not sit down doing textbook questions because their long, stupid and tedious. You won't get textbook questions in your exams.

Agreed, you really can't afford to burn out halfway through year 12
IMO you should really drop down to 12 units or even 10 later on so that you'll be able to stay on top of everything.

 

[faisalabdul16]

Drop to 10, much better!

 

[dan964]

what other subjects are they?
drop English Extension or History Extension at least. And probably at least 2 other units.

(I had about a 14-unit equivalent load up to the end of T2, although I was only doing 12 units then. 2U Languages are like 3U subjects. 4U Maths + English Adv = extra unit of work).

 

[sweetalmond]

I do Italian continuers through Open high school which is distance education as my school did not offer the subject. I think I'll go for maximum a term. I think I might drop history extension as it seems a lot of work for a 1 unit subject. I'll still have 13 units though. However if I drop a 2 unit subject then I'm down to 12 units with study periods which gives more time.

 

[dan964]

I did 12 units with no study periods up until Term 2. *no before school classes with ext 2 either.