I think I am stuffing up Prelim (1 Viewer)

[Simorgh]

4 weeks into Prelim and I am in a state of disarray and confusion.

I am the sort of person who doesn't really learn much in a classroom environment. I learn best when I go home and study by myself, not around others or most of the time in class. I think this is a real problem, which I need do something about. I simply feel lost whenever my teacher is teaching a new topic or method, feels like they are speaking another language.

Other thing is a lot of my classmates who weren't that smart and hardworking in the last few years are suddenly studying extremely hard, lunch and recess out in the school library and after school like whenever I call, text them or for like a meet up they say their busy. It kind of makes me feel guilty, that I don't do the same effort as them. But thats my problem..

In subjects like 3 Unit Maths, Eco, Phys and Chem there is so much new things and concepts which are taking me time to grasp and understand fully and I feel quite lost. When ever I am doing HW from these subjects like the two sciences and eco I seem to have to like google for the answers directly without understanding a thing.

Adv English, I realise your hopeless in the subject if you don't have a creative or imaginative mind. I seem to find hard to think of what is inside and going on in a visual text or say linking overall the ideas and techniques or whatever.

Other thing that is quite new to me, is note taking. I realise a lot of my classmates are starting to jot down a lot of notes (Especially for Eco, English, Modern) where as I don't know what to really jot down from the board or from the teacher. I don't see the need of notes, especially when everything is in the textbooks that were provided to us. Is there something wrong with not note taking? Or is best to get hands on somebody else's already done notes for the subject in question?

I have a question about the organisation of handout sheets and books. How do you organise all your pages and notes for all your subjects in one folder? Does it not become annoying that you have to keep taking the things for specific subjects out of your big folder and putting them back in? Doesn't it become messy and crowded?

I was once an all rounder and decent academic student in the last few years, but now I feel I am going down hill. I had ambitions of getting 95+ atar but yeah can't see that coming anymore..

 

[authenticity]

You're kind of similar to me. I work best when I'm by myself and find it best to reconcile with any notes or textbooks I have, later on after class.

It's okay really. It's just prelims. Prelims is where you test the waters and find out what works best for you for HSC. You've barely started started prelim. Perhaps give it a few more weeks to familiarize yourself. Sometimes the change between yr 10 and yr 11 can be very significant. While some students transition better than others, take your time.

The other thing with classmates suddenly putting effort in, that's pretty common. If you feel guilty, then maybe you should put more effort to diffuse the guilt :S Considering you said you study best by yourself, why don't you study during some of the breaks, while the knowledge is still fresh in your mind? However, if you do strongly believe you have studied enough and anymore would prove to be pointless and excessive, then don't.

If you're feeling lost, maybe the first thing to do is to reconcile with what you know and try to understand the topic. Then proceed onto the HW. Otherwise, it's kind of a waste of time to mindlessly copy down answers. If you don't understand something, ask your teacher when you can.

For Eng Adv, i guess the best way to go about it is to practise a lot for the short answers. There really isn't some magical one-size-fits-all method to analyse visual and literary text. Perhaps the easiest way to approach it would be the read the Q, then read the text with the Q in mind. While you're doing that, just take note of any techniques available. When you're approaching the Q, figure out what you want to say and choose the easiest techniques to explain what you want to say. Choosing a complex, uncommon technique won't help you do any better than choosing simple stuff like simile, symbolism, etc

As for note taking, it was pretty pointless for me throughout the whole of high school lol Even if i had jotted down notes, I rarely ever looked back on it. I guess the main reason why i wrote stuff down was because it helped me retain it better. Also, doing something other than sitting down like a statue stopped me from falling asleep lol. But at the end of the day, I always referred to a textbook to make notes. Usually, the textbook would have covered the whole syllabus and the school isn't really allowed to test you on stuff outside of the syllabus. As for getting your hands on someone else's notes, do it if you think it'll help. Just because someone said it helped them dramatically, doesn't mean it'll work the same for you. There's no point copying someone else's studying techniques if it's proven to be fruitless. It'll just be a waste of time.

TL;DR: It's just prelims. Take the 3 terms to find what works for you. Don't just dive into the deep end otherwise you might burn out during HSC. Practise lots and ask teachers or friends Qs if you don't understand. Don't let it build up because it will affect your HSC (depending on the subject of course). Don't give up

 

[BandSixFix]

HSC is less crammed than Prelim dw

 

[Green Yoda]

Take notes but use them as a reference to make ur personalised dot to dot syllabus point notes. Teachers don't always cover all the syllabus points so you have to make sure u cover it by yourself. For example my bio teacher...idk what he's teaching lmao so i just get me a bio in focus and sample notes and make dot to dot syllabus point notes. P.s Youtube is a great resource

 

[jathu123]

Take notes but use them as a reference to make ur personalised dot to dot syllabus point notes. Teachers don't always cover all the syllabus points so you have to make sure u cover it by yourself. For example my bio teacher...idk what he's teaching lmao so i just get me a bio in focus and sample notes and make dot to dot syllabus point notes. P.s Youtube is a great resource

Hehe yeah Rathin, he isnt that great at teaching bio

Oh and OP, as for note taking; I suggest you go ahead of class, especially since you 'feel lost' when the teachers teach new topics, and you since you also prefer to work alone. Especially for sciences, By using a couple of textbooks, school notes (if given), or the bos resources, you could make your own handwritten notes on dot points ahead of your class. However, make sure you write these information in your own words, so you could process it and remember there. Then the next time you learn this in class, it'll spark your memory (as you already learnt abit) and you'll understand the content much more clearly as you'll no longer feel lost.

Also before you do those hw, make sure you clearly understand the contentand read over your notes if needed.

 

[Orwell]

I've procrastinated for 2 weeks now, I seem not to realise that I'm in Year 11. My homework isn't being completed. #rip@mylife.

 

[Yeungster]

4 weeks into Prelim and I am in a state of disarray and confusion.

I am the sort of person who doesn't really learn much in a classroom environment. I learn best when I go home and study by myself, not around others or most of the time in class. I think this is a real problem, which I need do something about. I simply feel lost whenever my teacher is teaching a new topic or method, feels like they are speaking another language.

DON'T BE SCARED TO ASK QUESTIONS. WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IS WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. DONT WASTE CLASSROOM TIME!!!

Other thing is a lot of my classmates who weren't that smart and hardworking in the last few years are suddenly studying extremely hard, lunch and recess out in the school library and after school like whenever I call, text them or for like a meet up they say their busy. It kind of makes me feel guilty, that I don't do the same effort as them. But thats my problem..

JUST DO IT!!! AND THE MOTIVATION WILL FOLLOW (idk thats just me)

In subjects like 3 Unit Maths, Eco, Phys and Chem there is so much new things and concepts which are taking me time to grasp and understand fully and I feel quite lost. When ever I am doing HW from these subjects like the two sciences and eco I seem to have to like google for the answers directly without understanding a thing.

Adv English, I realise your hopeless in the subject if you don't have a creative or imaginative mind. I seem to find hard to think of what is inside and going on in a visual text or say linking overall the ideas and techniques or whatever.

TRY READING TEXTBOOK/NOTES/VIDEOS. I GET THE ENGLISH STRUGGLE!!! (i was like you, i tended to over think ideas and visuals subconciously trying to come up with the most profound response and my advice to you is DONT TRY TOO HARD. find the most simplistic (simplistic not simple) techs/ideas and base your point around them. My personal approach : dump the most obvious technique followed by effect and maybe some analysis and bam i'm out.

Other thing that is quite new to me, is note taking. I realise a lot of my classmates are starting to jot down a lot of notes (Especially for Eco, English, Modern) where as I don't know what to really jot down from the board or from the teacher. I don't see the need of notes, especially when everything is in the textbooks that were provided to us. Is there something wrong with not note taking? Or is best to get hands on somebody else's already done notes for the subject in question?

No there is nothing wrong with not note taking as long it works for you. Everyone has their own study method that works for them, if you REALLY don't see the benefit (think most people can agree that it helps retain info and help u revise 4 exams) then you do you.

I have a question about the organisation of handout sheets and books. How do you organise all your pages and notes for all your subjects in one folder? Does it not become annoying that you have to keep taking the things for specific subjects out of your big folder and putting them back in? Doesn't it become messy and crowded?

I was once an all rounder and decent academic student in the last few years, but now I feel I am going down hill. I had ambitions of getting 95+ atar but yeah can't see that coming anymore..

i keep one folder for each subject, why would you cram it all in one? 95+ still possible unless u give up now. U just need some perspective.

 

[eyeseeyou]

Try learning concepts visually and do heaps of extensive research for them

For maths I'd recommend you getting a tutor because 3 unit maths is hard to self learn imo (2 unit you can pass)

 

[eyeseeyou]

English is really a piece of shit. I think you will be required to study a lot of your old english work as it actually builds up, same with maths and science

 

[Simorgh]

Thanks all for the responses, I have in turn tried to organise myself a little better.

 

[turntaker]

bro chill its yr 11

 

[Sien]

bro chill its yr 11

haha wait for the roast

 

[Simorgh]

bro chill its yr 11

mate lets not go through this issue once again

 

[eyeseeyou]

mate lets not go through this issue once again

You are indeed right. Don't worry though, I'm quite sure heaps of us are going through the same situation as you right now but it's going to be over before you know it

Remember year 11 is a testing year for the HSC. Year 11 is the year to make as many mistakes as possible and make yourself organised and when it's year 12, no time to waste, you're going to have to get moving and no falling behind because once that happens you're f***ed. Get ready for the competition, your probably not going to be ranked first since people have dirty tactics up their sleeve which they do not show because they want to surprise attack you and outrank everyone else

 

[eyeseeyou]

You are indeed right. Don't worry though, I'm quite sure heaps of us are going through the same situation as you right now but it's going to be over before you know it

Remember year 11 is a testing year for the HSC. Year 11 is the year to make as many mistakes as possible and make yourself organised and when it's year 12, no time to waste, you're going to have to get moving and no falling behind because once that happens you're f***ed. Get ready for the competition, your probably not going to be ranked first since people have dirty tactics up their sleeve which they do not show because they want to surprise attack you and outrank everyone else

Also be aware that they may not want to tell you their secrets to doing well because they'll fear you beating them. They might tell you but they'll probably lie to you because they want to still outrank you

 

[Shuuya]

You are indeed right. Don't worry though, I'm quite sure heaps of us are going through the same situation as you right now but it's going to be over before you know it

Remember year 11 is a testing year for the HSC. Year 11 is the year to make as many mistakes as possible and make yourself organised and when it's year 12, no time to waste, you're going to have to get moving and no falling behind because once that happens you're f***ed. Get ready for the competition, your probably not going to be ranked first since people have dirty tactics up their sleeve which they do not show because they want to surprise attack you and outrank everyone else

Please chill, this isn't some kind of battlefield --- the 'dirty tactics up their sleeves' bit is a little too much, its not like they're cheating by not telling everyone their study techniques/other stuff. Everyone is entitled to trying their best to outrank others LOL, as long as they're not sabotaging

 

[eyeseeyou]

Please chill, this isn't some kind of battlefield --- the 'dirty tactics up their sleeves' bit is a little too much, its not like they're cheating by not telling everyone their study techniques/other stuff, everyone is entitled to trying their best to outrank others LOL

Yeah clearly but it's ultra competitive because no one wants to get scaled down

When I mean dirty tactics up their sleeve, I meant they could be doing something which we do not know (e.g. studying the HSC course through a tutor when in early year 11 and getting lots of help without anyone knowing and then by the time they study the actual HSC course, they've pretty much learnt the course content 5 times literally with lots of exam practice and no one would've gotten up to this stage yet)

 

[Shuuya]

Yeah clearly but it's ultra competitive because no one wants to get scaled down

When I mean dirty tactics up their sleeve, I meant they could be doing something which we do not know (e.g. studying the HSC course through a tutor when in early year 11 and getting lots of help without anyone knowing and then by the time they study the actual HSC course, they've pretty much learnt the course content 5 times literally with lots of exam practice and no one would've gotten up to this stage yet)

I don't see how studying ahead is a dirty tactic. Its natural that everyone at school would be at a different pace, its all a matter of how much effort you're willing/able to put in.

 

[Shuuya]

Also be aware that they may not want to tell you their secrets to doing well because they'll fear you beating them. They might tell you but they'll probably lie to you because they want to still outrank you

People are naturally going to start doing that if you treat every other person like a competitor/enemy LOL

 

[Paradoxica]

You are indeed right. Don't worry though, I'm quite sure heaps of us are going through the same situation as you right now but it's going to be over before you know it

Remember year 11 is a testing year for the HSC. Year 11 is the year to make as many mistakes as possible and make yourself organised and when it's year 12, no time to waste, you're going to have to get moving and no falling behind because once that happens you're f***ed. Get ready for the competition, your probably not going to be ranked first since people have dirty tactics up their sleeve which they do not show because they want to surprise attack you and outrank everyone else

Although the above is true, I have no secret. It is clear. I have an obsessive relationship with mathematics.