General Advice - Secrets to VCE Success

[humph]

Great idea! I went with just one other guy a lot and we'd just ask each other questions. It was very useful in solidifying my understanding of all the concepts.

Yeh definitely, and it's not like your at home where you can go play computer games/watch TV. You are actually there and pretty much are forced to work due to the environment (which is what I needed!)

...or play chess all day against your friends

i always seem to find a way to distract myself.

[julzy]

yeah i discovered the state library in term 2. studied there throughout the year and it was great-no distractions like at home. but i gave it up in exam period because it was just too packed. i highly recommend studying at a library in year 12 as you can then use home time to do what you like and just relax!

[RD]

U HAVE TO FIRE UP LIKE SUPER SAIYAN GOKU TO GET 99

definately, you need to get that power level up

[Eriny]

I studied quite a bit, lol. I started the year doing 2 hours a day on weekdays (except Friday) and then probably 4 hours on Saturday, and then nothing on Sunday. Then I started doing less on weekdays and quite alot more on weekends (in SAC build-up times I studied about 5-8 hours both days). In the term holidays I spent everyday studying at least, I just reviewed my notes (which helped quite a bit because I found that I was able to remember everything easily months and months later). Nearing exams I was easily studying 6-8 hours a day. I still had fun though, and I probably spent too many spares socialising

Looking back, it was probably more study than what I needed, but studying was my only way to be confident in my own abilities and enabled me to trust myself to be able to answer exam questions when the time came. After mid-years I kind of figured out that I don't need to learn definitions off by heart, just have the ability to explain concepts well, and thankfully, I knew I had that ability - that made studying so much more easier and I was able to focus more on exam technique and refining my knowledge rather than wasting time on the fundemental course content which I understood as soon as I learned it anyway (in most cases, lol).

[AhaShake]

do further instead of specialist

[phagist_]

^ I disagree. If you have a relatively strong grasp and enjoy maths definitely do spesh, scaling will help a heap!

[Collin Li]

^ I disagree. If you have a relatively strong grasp and enjoy maths definitely do spesh, scaling will help a heap!

Definitely. Choosing subjects that scale up is a good strategy, because it is a pretty good insurance policy against careless mistakes.

[AhaShake]

well i did methods in year 11 and was equal 3rd in my CAS class. (not a great score of 40 raw, dropped 2 marks in each exam but our SACs screwed the entire class)
this year, most of that class did specialist, i did further. i copped crap for it in chem and physics.
this year, the only person that beat my 50 in further was cara.mel.
lesson?
dont do subjects just because they scale well.
(me and another intelligent mate who chose to "lower" ourselves to further this year both got 50s)

[Collin Li]

Not everyone will get 50. Stupid mistakes cannot be controlled. It can be the tiniest lapse of concentration that will cost you your 50, and then you suffer down-scaling. If you are capable at maths, the chances of getting a 45+ are much higher with Specialist Maths, and Maths Methods.

[phagist_]

Yep, just by looking at all the accelerated methods students (did methods last year) from my school who did further this year and proclaimed they'd get 50's, you can tell that stupid mistakes cost them.

They didn't and the majority scored something like 40-43 raw in further.

When I think a few of them could have done spesh (granted it is more work) but could have done just as well (if not even better).

[/0]

Plus, VCÉ isn't all about le marks, doing specialist maths is good for the challenge.

[sheepz]

You have to take into account the time and effort you would have to put into spesh though and remember that means less time for your other subjects...

[Collin Li]

The time required for Specialist Maths is overrated. If you put in some solid work, while taking it seriously and treating it as a challenging and difficult subject, you will find it very easy after you have gone past the bulk of calculus.

[gab101]

My greatest VCE advice would be consistency during the year, i started working hard during the begining of the year and kept that same work level till fourth term and then lifted for final exams, as AhaShake will tell you (a good freind of mine) I wasnt the brightest student but ended up with an enter score of 96.65, which will get me a full fee spot for law commerce, i hope. The hardest part is starting as I found i was lazy at times. But to all those students going into VCE in 08, just relax and be confident in youselves, I lacked confidence at times and i payed in mid years, which is the most stressfull time during year 12.

[beezy4eva]

y not do all 3? i am mostly because in yr 10 the only VCE subjects they offered were legal studies and general math so i did further this yr