| With most students having their HSC trials coming | | | | nature to make up excuses like "I will start |
| within a week or two, and with the actual HSC | | | | tomorrow" or "I will start after this weekend" or |
| exams coming within a few weeks, good exam | | | | "Today will definitely be my last day not studying". |
| preparation skills are important if you want to ace | | | | Ask yourself this: do you accept the fact that |
| your exams! Following are some general & | | | | eventually you will need to start? Well if yes, why |
| important tips on what you can do to help yourself | | | | not now? |
| through this stressful period. | | | | 2. Plan ahead. |
| Big tip 1: Don't let the stress get to you | | | | Budgeting for time can be tricky when we have |
| As students approach the end of year 12, their | | | | mere weeks or days before a major exam like the |
| stress levels approach seemingly unbearable levels | | | | trials or the actual HSC. We suggest it is highly |
| (like a limits question in maths!). But as a student in | | | | important to budget for the time you have left. You |
| year 12, it's important not to lose perspective. If you | | | | should ask yourself: how many days do I have in |
| are currently in year 12, we would like to remind you | | | | total? How many days do I NEED for exam A? What |
| of some bare facts about your current situation: | | | | about exam B? |
| 1.You will survive this, as did all previous year 12 | | | | Budget your time according to what you think your |
| students. | | | | strengths and weaknesses are. If you are weak in |
| You will get through your exams, regardless of | | | | English, spend more time on that, rather than your |
| whether you did wonderfully or badly, and your life | | | | other subjects. However, never totally neglect any |
| will continue. Whether you move onto university | | | | subject. Good time budgeting leads on from the first |
| (which most of you will) or other paths, there's a | | | | point of starting now, because once you map out |
| whole lifetime of activities, challenges and | | | | how you can spend the days you have left before |
| experiences waiting for you. This leads onto the next | | | | your big exam(s), you may realise you need to start |
| point: | | | | right now! |
| 2.No matter what you may think, you are | | | | Big tip 3: Study smart! |
| overestimating the significance of the HSC. | | | | Effective study comes differently for different |
| Think about it this way: after the first 2 weeks of | | | | students: it mainly comes down to personal |
| university, no-one would be talking about what UAI | | | | preference. Some study techniques which work for |
| or ATAR score you achieved. This probably would | | | | one student may not work as well for another, but |
| end after the first few days! Your ATAR would be | | | | the tip here is to find out what techniques and |
| so insignificant and inconsequential to your university | | | | resources work best for you, and incorporate them |
| life and career into the future that when you look | | | | in your study. |
| back, you would laugh at how stressed and how | | | | The obvious way to study is to sit down and read |
| seriously you took your HSC. Even highly successful | | | | the textbook (for sciences), do many practice |
| students who manage to achieve a 99+ UAI or | | | | exercises and past papers (for maths) and write |
| ATAR would find that their amazing achievement | | | | many practice essays (for English). This works very |
| becomes inconsequential when we look at the bigger | | | | well on its own, if you can stick to a plan and |
| picture of their entire lives ahead. This leads onto the | | | | self-study. However, not all can self-study as |
| next fact: | | | | effectively as they need to. Below are some |
| 3.Don't stress if you can't get the ATAR you need. | | | | suggestions on ways you can improve your |
| Say you need an ATAR of 95+ for your dream | | | | self-study: |
| course, but from the way things are heading, your | | | | 1. Use your friends to your advantage. |
| chances aren't too promising. This is no reason to | | | | Pick a few friends who are motivated to do well in |
| stop trying altogether, or to lose hope either. You | | | | their exams. Keep in touch with them throughout |
| should still try your absolute best to maximise your | | | | your study period. Discuss topics in subjects you |
| ATAR, but also you should be aware that | | | | both do, asking each other questions and making |
| transferring into your dream course (or your dream | | | | sure your knowledge of each subject is sound and |
| university) once you finish your HSC is generally much | | | | complete. |
| less competitive than gaining a place outright through | | | | 2. Use the syllabus to your advantage. |
| getting a high ATAR score. | | | | Some subjects (like Chemistry, Physics and Biology, |
| With all that said, it is important to put in your best | | | | as well as some social sciences like Economics) are |
| efforts in preparing for your exams, because your | | | | heavily syllabus-based. A good study technique is to |
| ATAR will count towards determining whether you | | | | write brief summary notes for each dot-point, going |
| get a university transfer. | | | | through the entire HSC syllabus yourself before your |
| Big tip 2: Don't procrastinate | | | | exams. This is the most complete method of revising |
| This sounds pretty obvious, but procrastination is | | | | those subjects, as exam questions can only be set |
| probably the single biggest problem facing the | | | | according to what is contained within the syllabus. |
| majority of students. Most students are definitely | | | | 3. Use teachers to your advantage. |
| smart enough to get the high ATAR score they | | | | Teachers play a bigger role in some subjects more |
| want or need. But the biggest obstacle to most is | | | | than others. For example, in English, we recommend |
| procrastination. Students need to understand that | | | | writing practice essays to cover the broad topics like |
| they need to take things seriously (but not to the | | | | the main themes in your Area of Study, or module |
| point of stressing out: see tip 1) and do the things | | | | text. Write as many as you can, and have them |
| they need to do. Generally, this means a few things: | | | | marked! Ask for feedback from your teachers. Good |
| 1. Start now! | | | | teachers would be happy to help their students, |
| If you know you need to study for a certain exam | | | | especially nearing big exams. |
| that is x days away, start now! It is in our human | | | | Good luck to all students! |