Keeping motivated, aiming for ATAR 95+ (1 Viewer)

[fly-away]

I am finding studying really hard, eventhough i know very well the consequences of not studying.

So i'd like to ask all those high achievers (ATAR 95+?), what kept you motivated to study? And what study routine did you find best suited you (e.g. how many hours)?

 

[khorne]

Study shouldn't be seen as "hours", but more so: I aim to finish this, this and this by today etc.

Set goals (achievable) and then stick to them.

 

[BHS10]

Set yourself a To-Do List. You can put the more simple things first and work your way down or the way around.

Think of it as though the earlier i finish all these things, the more i have time to relax and enjoy the holidays

 

[dunnyloo]

I am finding studying really hard, eventhough i know very well the consequences of not studying.

So i'd like to ask all those high achievers (ATAR 95+?), what kept you motivated to study? And what study routine did you find best suited you (e.g. how many hours)?

Knowing that it would end soon enough and I had to put in the effort for the short time that it lasts.

I used to do a few hours a night during the school year of study/homework. For the HSC break i started doing 10 hour days for a week, then slowed down to 8 hour days (i know its ridiculous, but it was worth it!) Studying gets easier with practice... remember not to just read notes, but to do lots of questions and hand them into your teachers too. With time you'll find that studying does get easier!

 

[alex09hsc]

You don't need to study 8 hours a day omg

 

[dunnyloo]

You don't need to study 8 hours a day omg

haha yeah i know, i went a bit nuts with my study for HSC!! I'm kinda like that though; just giving myself the best chance to perform well in exams.

 

[alex09hsc]

I honestly don't know how I did it.

 

[dunnyloo]

I honestly don't know how I did it.

what was your ATAR?

 

[alex09hsc]

97.25

 

[dunnyloo]

97.25

WOW that's great, congrats! Engineering next year?

 

[alex09hsc]

dunno ive got so many options now

probably still engineering

 

[dunnyloo]

dunno ive got so many options now

probably still engineering

I'm the same way. I never expected to get such a high mark!

UTS rang me up the other day letting me know I have an early offer for B Eng Mech & Mech there.

You thinking UTS, USYD or UNSW?

 

[lychnobity]

I honestly don't know how I did it.

Me either.

My reputation as the smartest person in the grade was on the line, as well as being the last family hope was enough to do it. There were things that I wanted to do, and in order to make more time, I had to do my work as fast as possible.

Keep in mind I was never consistent. I studied a maximum 2 weeks before assessments (usually did 3 days preparation).

 

[dunnyloo]

Neither lol I live outside of Sydney.
I was going to do Mech eng at uow....
just dont know now....im basically 23.00 atar points above what i need

lol i guess that leaves you in a sticky situation... high atar but no idea where to go for uni!!

 

[alex09hsc]

well...it's kinda like i have no where else to go!

 

[Essjaybee]

This may sound completely random. But if I'm having a lot of trouble focusing, i go on facebook and play one game of bejeweled. It lasts 60 seconds and it's intense focus. Then I'm not as affected by distractions somehow.

 

[annabackwards]

Study shouldn't be seen as "hours", but more so: I aim to finish this, this and this by today etc.

Set goals (achievable) and then stick to them.

+1

Little steps + rewards for completeing those steps seemed to work for me

 

[sinophile]

Its pretty easy to get 95+ if you follow this. Study consistently- a medium number of hours a day. Don't cram. Don't drink caffeine before tests. Don't do 10 hours a day either. Do your work faithfully. Your hours of study each day will add up to a very large amount.

I call this the "ramp effect"- you can acheive the same affect spreading your work over a large distance.

Also play the system well. This way you can use your time effectively. Learn only what you need- do not bother with things in the syllabus. Spend a proportionate amount of time depending on the scaling and weighting of your subjects. In the test, write down exactly what examiners like.

Theres a very smart user on BOS: his username is
'Timothy.Siu' and I take this quote from his sig:
"Work smart. And when it is smart to do so, work hard too."

Thats the idea. You only have so much time, so only spend it in a way that maximises value.

 

[fly-away]

Thanks for all the replies guys!

I'm just worried that if i really start studying now, i'll burn out later on

I've heard people studying huge amount of hours everyday throughout the year to achieve their high marks, but for me, i honestly think it's impossible, seeing that i get bored easily.

Did anyone construct a study timetable and found that it worked?

I'm also lacking confidence, seeing that i did pretty bad for all my first assessments so far. Seeing that i did pretty bad already (i.e. ranking at about top 10 at a school in the 500s), is there still a chance for achieving a high ATAR, or am i kind of screwed?

 

[fly-away]

i had no timetable, studied when i felt liked it - sorta worked out for me

i also managed to finish COH during the hsc period

Sorry but what is COH?