Tips on how to prepare for the midterms (1 Viewer)

[brbstudying]

Hi everyone!

I thought it might be helpful to make a thread where we can all share tips and tricks on how to prepare and revise for the upcoming midterms. Also, for balancing assignments + exam preparation. (I don't have any upcoming assignments, but some people do)

What assignments and exams do you guys have coming up? I have midcourse exams for:

Ancient History (Pompeii + Herculaneum and Sparta)
Modern History (WWI + Germany 1919 - 1939)
Legal Studies (Crime + Human Rights)
English Advanced (Discovery creative, short answers, Metropolis + 1984 essay)
English Extension 1 (Genre: sci-fi - a creative and essay)

Thread might flop HAHA, but I'll start with some tips, anyway:

* Keep up to date with notes and readings. My notes are split in three sections: CLASS NOTES, where I take notes while the teacher talks, POWERPOINT NOTES, which I just copy from these PowerPoints my teacher makes, TEXTBOOK NOTES, which are notes from the textbook and OTHER NOTES, which means notes from other resources, such as worksheets, articles, etc. If you're a humanities person like me, then it's extremely important (especially for Ancient and Modern) to expand your depth of knowledge by consulting multiple resources beyond a textbook or Powerpoint.

* Complete all worksheets/homework given. I was very lazy during the first term of Year 12. After organising my notes in the holidays, I see heaps of worksheets and practice questions that I have failed to complete. So, during my revision process, after reading over my notes, I fill in these empty spaces that have resulted from my poor work ethic during the first semester, to consolidate my knowledge for this semester.

* Revise frequently! I honestly find this the most difficult to do, so if anyone has any advice, then do tell! I admit my notes are a little excessive, so it's difficult to read over in one sitting without falling asleep or falling down a portal of procrastination.

 

[supR]

Good idea, lets see what I got:

Mathematics Extension 1 - Half Yearly 25% (Logs and expo, series, integration, induction, and more)
Mathematics Extension 2 - Half Yearly 25% (Graphs, Complex, Conics, Polynomials, Induction)
Physics - Half Yearly 15% (Space, Ideas to Implementation)
English - Oral presentation 15% (Hamlet, Mod B)

* Study Frequently- I personally do an hour on each of these subjects each night (except English), as I am covering all the content we have covered in term 1 and term, whilst also practising the current content. Really wanna nail these exams, and get my rank to 1st or 2nd for each of them. (English will be hella hard but I can dream 20/20)

* Mark your work- I reckon it is crucial to gauge how well you are doing, thus you need to mark - For humanities and English-based subjects, and even sciences, this can be quite biased so consult your teacher as well.

Love the completing homework one, as long as the questions or activities are worth you while, it is always essential to do this --> Maths homework especially

 

[OkDen]

I got:

Mathematics Extension 1
Biology
Physics
Chemistry
English can go f$#k itself TBH --------------- (/s)

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* DO PAST PAPERS - Do HSC questions. Fortunately, for chemistry, Jazz sorted HSC Questions by topic. Look here HERE, HSC Ninja also does this HERE. Make sure you check with a teacher/tutor/BOSer to make sure your method/technique of answering questions is properly done. No point practicing something over and over and become good at doing questions in an incorrect/ineffective way.

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Also do the above posts.
GL HF bois

 

[Oobi]

Can't stress enough doing practice papers and questions.
A lot of the time teachers recycle questions from them and put them in exams.

 

[brbstudying]

For English, as I got some feedback for my essay today:

* Seek feedback from your teachers, and remember there is no such thing as a perfect first draft! Even the top students have missing components in their essays (not enough q+t, lack of linking back to the thesis, insufficient analysis here and there etc) the first time around, so never be discouraged. Teachers are there to help, and it’s better to have them nitpick your essay than to sugarcoat and fly by errors that could put you at a big disadvantage come the externals!

 

[OkDen]

For English, as I got some feedback for my essay today:

* Seek feedback from your teachers, and remember there is no such thing as a perfect first draft! Even the top students have missing components in their essays (not enough q+t, lack of linking back to the thesis, insufficient analysis here and there etc) the first time around, so never be discouraged. Teachers are there to help, and it’s better to have them nitpick your essay than to sugarcoat and fly by errors that could put you at a big disadvantage come the externals!

Also seek for a second opinion, because sometimes teachers give very little feedback.

 

[brbstudying]

Also seek for a second opinion, because sometimes teachers give very little feedback.

True, but my teachers analyse and nitpick at pretty much every sentence, so the thought of seeking a second opinion never occurred to me. But good idea!

 

[brbstudying]

* Random tip: Always have water with you while studying. It helps maintain focus, at least for me.
* Play music when you find yourself losing focusing/edging onto procrastinate during revision. It has a weird effect of energizing me.

 

[Zali_G]

It seems like such an obvious thing. but study with friends!

I mean, it's basic game theory: "two heads are better than one", after all, but it really does help to get another set of eyes (or several) on your work/notes/assignments. When we read stuff, it's easy for our eyes to miss typos, odd-looking sentences and misused words because when we read it it makes sense to us; but getting others to read your work can score you a few extra easy marks that you otherwise wouldn't have gotten.

Studying in a group of like-minded people (or, at the very least, people who do the same subjects) is always handy because you can share resources you have found with each other, discuss answers and start thinking differently.

Also, it allows you to socialise instead of forcing yourself into a box of solitude, which definitely works sometimes, but eventually the lack of communication with other people will mess with your brain.

Bring some snacks and water with you! Now I don't want to sound like a mum, but studying on an empty stomach will be seriously counterproductive.

 

[gallen88]

Maths Ext 1 and Ext 2 - Past papers, do the homework, exercises (don't be afraid to be a little competitive - as in be determined to smash the exam ).
English - PLEASE DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND GET YOUR CREATIVE WRITING FINISHED! There are so many people who either leave it too late whether it is fixing up an old one or writing a new one completely. Also do practice essays and keep fixing them up until it is literally perfect! : )
Modern - Practice responses for WWI and second module (I do Russia). Read over notes. : )
Business Studies - Make notes and practice papers. Revise notes.
SOR 1 (religion is compulsory) - make notes and revise over them. Do practice responses.

Good luck everyone - mid terms are a month away (for me) and we can do this!

@SupR if you don't get a 99+ ATAR there is something messed up with NESA, jeez... you're a study machine!