HSC Success Tips: Starting Early and Achieving Success

Success can mean many things to different people. Whether it is our personal goal or where we want to be in life motivating us, there are a few key ways to get through the HSC victorious. Different subjects have different methods of study, so let’s go through the 3 main ones you will come across for much of your school life:

English – The Inevitable

English is compulsory till the very end of your school life, so it is best to make friends with it now. Following these helpful tips will make mastering HSC English that little bit easier:

Make Sure Your Essay Answers the Question

As tempting as it is to steal paragraphs from other essays you’ve seen online and even from ex-students (because all belonging essays are essentially the same, right?), this isn’t a very good idea. Regurgitating already prepared answers with no room for movement is one of the most dangerous things you can do in the heat of the moment. You may be stressed, but trying to beat the system by memorising essays isn’t the easy way out. Sure, a general idea of the things you could talk about is necessary, but shaping it to the question you have been asked is extremely important.

Write legibly

As important as speed is in your HSC exams, it isn’t much help if the marker is having trouble understanding handwriting. This means practicing essays beforehand to make sure your writing can be read even towards the end, when you’re so in the zone (or stressing about the time limit!) that neatness isn’t top priority.

Maths – The Challenging

Practice

One of the best ways to get better at maths is to practice a range of questions and challenge yourself while you study. The more you practice, the more confident you get – with maths it really IS that simple!

Study smart

While practice makes perfect, there is only one way to guarantee you won’t get overwhelmed during exams, and that is having a sound understanding of all formulas and doing as many practice papers a humanly possible. This will prepare you for any surprises in terms of the way a question is structured in exams.

Science – The Curiosity

Take an interest

In whichever science subjects you choose, it is important to take a keen interest in them. If you are not genuinely interested in a subject, chances are you won’t want to put in the effort that is required. This is because subjects like Biology, Chemistry and physics have a LOT of content which needs to be understood and remembered. These sciences are also very different, so it is important to read up on the key syllabus outcomes and keep revising throughout the year. This means doing as many past papers as possible too.

Note taking

Have a quick look at how this article is structured. This is how writing notes is most helpful for when you are studying later: with headings, subheadings and then information. Use lots of colours, underlining, and dot-points to make sure you only put the important bits in. If you fall behind on making notes, you will have a lot to do during the HSC and this takes away from valuable study time.

Whatever subjects you choose to do, a few things are extremely important in your final years of high school – stay organised, stay relaxed and focus on that goal you have made for yourself, knowing you will try your personal best no matter what!