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Ashvin’s guidelines...
Feb 9, 2011
Year 12 to some is the most turbulent year in high school for obvious reasons, while others find it as an exciting and fun-filled year. As a year 12 student of 2010, my experience is that the HSC is a mix of both.
Many students and parents embark on this journey in term 4 thinking that getting the best possible ATAR would be sufficient to gain an entrance into their desired course. This prevents them from making the most out of their final year of high school where a number of opportunities of leadership and socialising are presented.
I began year 12 as a school prefect and Drum Major in the Homebush Boys High Drum Corps. While many people feel that extra-curricular activities may divert them from their academic goals, it proves to be an avenue for portraying our different skills and abilities while taking a break from the studies. Many students are unsuccessful when applying for scholarships and apprenticeships as they had no extra-curricular or leadership roles that is sought by potential sponsors and institutions. Also, it is a great idea to spend time outing with friends, watching movies or sporting. My most memorable experience in this was watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on the day before the English Paper II exam.
Many students find it hard to cope with the HSC assessment tasks as they are bombarded with assessments one after another; heaven forbid all Science investigations due in the same week. As a student, it is necessary to remain organised, set goals and stick to them. This does not mean that you have to create a timetable for the entire year because I had a new schedule every night depending on my assessments and other commitments. If there are too many assessment tasks in a week (except during trials), it may be possible to request the year adviser to look into the issue although this is usually a last resort.
It is necessary to have a thorough summary updated on a regular basis based on the dot points specified in the HSC syllabus (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/). It is better to create your own summary than rely on someone else’s as each person adopts a different style in how they organise their notes. I included mind-maps in my summaries which proved very helpful when writing essays or studying for exams as they summarised the content of the entire dot point.
A basic yet important advice is to make the best use of the resources that are available as many can be obtained for free. A good starting point is the Board of Studies website which contains the syllabus, past papers, marking guidelines and sample responses. But there are other free websites with resources such as NSW HSC Online (www.hsc.csu.edu.au); ARC (arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au), and Bored of Studies (www.boredofstudies.org). Local libraries as well as the State Library of New South Wales contain numerous study guides and textbooks in their HSC section and also hold free or sometimes paid workshops. In terms of paid resources, it is best to buy and complete past paper books, attend seminars of organisations such as the English Teachers’ Association as HSC markers and supervisors conduct these seminars.
The best method to approach the HSC is by trying to get the best possible rank in school based assessments. After trials, as you are no longer competing with your peers directly, it would be to your advantage to help your peers if possible as it may help them get a better mark and in turn, improve your school based moderated mark. In my school, the students shared their notes after trials in sciences and the histories, which eased the pressure and burden on those who did not have an up-to-date summary. It also meant that the course content was covered thoroughly as any content that was missed by a person was present in another person’s summary.
To sum it all up once again, Year 12 is the most challenging year of high school, yet it can be an exciting year if there is a balance between study and other commitments, and if you are organised. Good luck!
* Ashvin Ashok (Homebush Boys High School)
* ATAR: 98.70
* Subjects: English Advanced, Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1, Physics, Ancient History, Modern History
I began year 12 as a school prefect and Drum Major in the Homebush Boys High Drum Corps. While many people feel that extra-curricular activities may divert them from their academic goals, it proves to be an avenue for portraying our different skills and abilities while taking a break from the studies. Many students are unsuccessful when applying for scholarships and apprenticeships as they had no extra-curricular or leadership roles that is sought by potential sponsors and institutions. Also, it is a great idea to spend time outing with friends, watching movies or sporting. My most memorable experience in this was watching Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone on the day before the English Paper II exam.
Many students find it hard to cope with the HSC assessment tasks as they are bombarded with assessments one after another; heaven forbid all Science investigations due in the same week. As a student, it is necessary to remain organised, set goals and stick to them. This does not mean that you have to create a timetable for the entire year because I had a new schedule every night depending on my assessments and other commitments. If there are too many assessment tasks in a week (except during trials), it may be possible to request the year adviser to look into the issue although this is usually a last resort.
It is necessary to have a thorough summary updated on a regular basis based on the dot points specified in the HSC syllabus (http://www.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au/syllabus_hsc/). It is better to create your own summary than rely on someone else’s as each person adopts a different style in how they organise their notes. I included mind-maps in my summaries which proved very helpful when writing essays or studying for exams as they summarised the content of the entire dot point.
A basic yet important advice is to make the best use of the resources that are available as many can be obtained for free. A good starting point is the Board of Studies website which contains the syllabus, past papers, marking guidelines and sample responses. But there are other free websites with resources such as NSW HSC Online (www.hsc.csu.edu.au); ARC (arc.boardofstudies.nsw.edu.au), and Bored of Studies (www.boredofstudies.org). Local libraries as well as the State Library of New South Wales contain numerous study guides and textbooks in their HSC section and also hold free or sometimes paid workshops. In terms of paid resources, it is best to buy and complete past paper books, attend seminars of organisations such as the English Teachers’ Association as HSC markers and supervisors conduct these seminars.
The best method to approach the HSC is by trying to get the best possible rank in school based assessments. After trials, as you are no longer competing with your peers directly, it would be to your advantage to help your peers if possible as it may help them get a better mark and in turn, improve your school based moderated mark. In my school, the students shared their notes after trials in sciences and the histories, which eased the pressure and burden on those who did not have an up-to-date summary. It also meant that the course content was covered thoroughly as any content that was missed by a person was present in another person’s summary.
To sum it all up once again, Year 12 is the most challenging year of high school, yet it can be an exciting year if there is a balance between study and other commitments, and if you are organised. Good luck!
* Ashvin Ashok (Homebush Boys High School)
* ATAR: 98.70
* Subjects: English Advanced, Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1, Physics, Ancient History, Modern History
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