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Things that helped me improve in chemistry/physics (99.95 ATAR, no tutoring) (1 Viewer)

scienceready

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Sep 4, 2023
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Hey everyone!

My name is Donny, and I did my HSC in 2022. I want to share a few tips that helped me improve in science, specifically for HSC Chemistry & Physics.

You can read my tips & advice here:

scienceready.com.au/blogs/hsc-science-tips-advice/how-to-improve-in-high-school-science

Here's my academic journey throughout studying science in high school...

In year 7 to 10, I was always average in science at a selective school. I was always interested in science but found it difficult to improve, which demoralised me to study more.

In year 11, I came first in chemistry and was top 10 for physics.

In year 12, I came first in chemistry again, and second for physics.

For the HSC, I scored 97 for both chemistry and physics, which helped me achieve an ATAR of 99.95 and gain entry into medicine.

I achieved these results without tutoring at all throughout year 7-12.

While tutoring does offer opportunities for improvement, I believe you can improve substantially and achieve the results you want in science with your own hard work and discipline.

Happy to answer any questions!
 
Last edited:

Aeonium

zero sugar, zero ice
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Hey everyone!

My name is Donny, and I did my HSC in 2022. I want to share a few tips that helped me improve in science, specifically for HSC Chemistry & Physics.

You can read my tips & advice here:

scienceready.com.au/blogs/hsc-science-tips-advice/how-to-improve-in-high-school-science

Here's my academic journey throughout studying science in high school...

In year 7 to 10, I was always average in science at a selective school. I was always interested in science but found it difficult to improve, which demoralised me to study more.

In year 11, I came first in chemistry and was top 10 for physics.

In year 12, I came first in chemistry again, and second for physics.

For the HSC, I scored 97 for both chemistry and physics, which helped me achieve an ATAR of 99.95 and gain entry into medicine.

I achieved these results without tutoring at all throughout year 7-12.

While tutoring does offer opportunities for improvement, I believe you can improve substantially and achieve the results you want in science with your own hard work and discipline.

Happy to answer any questions!
how did you get better at scientific skills/writing long response answers
 

scienceready

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2015
how did you get better at scientific skills/writing long response answers
This is what worked for me:

Scientific skills
  • Keep detailed notes on your practicals throughout the term. It's beneficial to get your questions answered during the practicals themselves, as it might be harder to ask them later. In my notes, I actually had a separate section for practicals from each module. For each practical, consider scientific principles like validity, accuracy, and reliability. Also think about what data/variables and graphs are possible with each practical.
  • Revise things like validity, accuracy, reliability, independent variable, controls etc. before the assessment. Make sure you actually understand them, don't just rote learn their definitions. Use the practicals you've done to identify examples of these terms.
  • Don't use practical time as bludge. Use it effectively but actually asking the teacher what the purpose of the practical is, and again, any questions you have.
You can read more about how to prepare for practical exams here

scienceready.com.au/blogs/hsc-science-tips-advice/how-to-prepare-for-practical-exams-hsc-chemistry-physics

Long response questions
  • Ensure that your notes are comprehensive. This is essential for crafting detailed long response answers. How you achieve this is by doing questions and comparing your answers to sample answers. Update your notes accordingly if sample answers include something your notes don't. Remember, learn from multiple sources (don't just use textbooks)
  • Understand the differences between key words e.g. explain vs describe, or describe vs assess (Read more: scienceready.com.au/blogs/hsc-science-tips-advice/understanding-key-verbs-in-hsc-chemistry-and-physics-exams)
  • Practise long response questions from past exam papers. Seek feedback on your answers from your teacher and compare them with your peers' responses. This practice helps in identifying areas for improvement.
  • Incorporate answers to frequently asked questions (e.g., evaluating acid-base models in chemistry, describing components of a DC motor in physics) into your notes. Update these responses as you progress through the year. It's more effective to do this continuously rather than cramming just before exams.
I want to also quickly mention that I certainly didn't get full marks for every question related to scientific skills or long responses in Year 11/12. You must make sure not to lose marks on easier and more black/white questions so you have room to lose marks or make mistakes here.
 

goodcat911

......
Joined
Jun 25, 2022
Messages
167
Gender
Male
HSC
2024
Hey everyone!

My name is Donny, and I did my HSC in 2022. I want to share a few tips that helped me improve in science, specifically for HSC Chemistry & Physics.

You can read my tips & advice here:

scienceready.com.au/blogs/hsc-science-tips-advice/how-to-improve-in-high-school-science

Here's my academic journey throughout studying science in high school...

In year 7 to 10, I was always average in science at a selective school. I was always interested in science but found it difficult to improve, which demoralised me to study more.

In year 11, I came first in chemistry and was top 10 for physics.

In year 12, I came first in chemistry again, and second for physics.

For the HSC, I scored 97 for both chemistry and physics, which helped me achieve an ATAR of 99.95 and gain entry into medicine.

I achieved these results without tutoring at all throughout year 7-12.

While tutoring does offer opportunities for improvement, I believe you can improve substantially and achieve the results you want in science with your own hard work and discipline.

Happy to answer any questions!
the scienceready website (and vids) helped me out a lot for chem and phys. can u guys pls provide some more questions at the end of each inquiry question dot point or maybe a question bank or smth? thanks
 

Nacseo

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love science ready, watched that stuff before my chem hsc (didnt do it last minute lmao but just overview) and it really really helped so highly recommend. They also got how to approach chem and physics exams asw so check those out too
 

scienceready

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the scienceready website (and vids) helped me out a lot for chem and phys. can u guys pls provide some more questions at the end of each inquiry question dot point or maybe a question bank or smth? thanks
We have practice questions / examples on most of our pages which intend to highlight the key take aways of each topic. We also have topic tests and practice exams you can purchase for every module. Many schools already have purchased our resources so I recommend checking with your teacher before purchasing yourself.
 

scienceready

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We regularly review our resources. Chemistry Module 1 pages are under review and they will be re-uploaded and made available within the next 2 weeks.
 

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