Okay yeh thanks I have a huge habit of studying and doing assignments towards the due date. I'm trying to change my habits as it will cost a lot with my marks in senior years. Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the amount of subjects plus content you had and if so, how did you deal with it?For preparing for exams, it honestly needs to be incremental. I found it a lot less stressful preparing for my modern history trials for example, as out of the 4 topics, I had written notes on the first 2 a long time ago, adding new pieces of information on every afternoon after a history lesson. And so by the time exams rolled around I really only needed to read over them, and write a few practice essays on what I hadn't fully prepared for.
So yeah, don't cram humanities, it's stressful and inefficient. You tend to forget your content after each exam if you cram as well. Start working incrementally and early on. Try to keep up to date and add things to your notes as soon as you learn them.
With STEM subjects, they're a bit easier to cram. Still wouldn't recommend it though.
Humanities, drafting, drafting, notes, feedback, more drafting.
STEM, learn content, write summaries for understanding, practice questions, more practice Q's, then past papers. For Sciences in particular, make sure you work on some 7-9 mark theory based questions on top of the usual calculation/mathematical questions.
wow that's pretty good. when did you start tutoring with her? LolYeah she mainly teaches Chem. I felt like I've mentioned NGO a lot in this chat
Yep, I think a large amount of people share your problem. I did as well during school. Doing revision the night before or the morning of is a very bad habit and something I worked hard to resolve. As I mentioned earlier, getting your notes done incrementally really helps with this, as it gets you into a routine. Further, those notes will be better as writing them after you've just learnt the content will reinforce them in your mind, and the notes will be more accurate and detailed. To cope with this I formed some study groups, so people effectively forced me to work (I would've felt bad if my friends were silently working and I disrupted them).Okay yeh thanks I have a huge habit of studying and doing assignments towards the due date. I'm trying to change my habits as it will cost a lot with my marks in senior years. Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the amount of subjects plus content you had and if so, how did you deal with it?
I tend to stress out a lot but I'm pretty sure everyone does lmao
Wow that helped a lot, I would get overwhelmed as students memorise their whole essay and change a bit of it during the exam. I find it quite hard and ineffective but it works for others somehow plus they do well. I will try and go with the method you had used by memorising the intro and quotes. Hopefully I'll be as good as you.Yep, I think a large amount of people share your problem. I did as well during school. Doing revision the night before or the morning of is a very bad habit and something I worked hard to resolve. As I mentioned earlier, getting your notes done incrementally really helps with this, as it gets you into a routine. Further, those notes will be better as writing them after you've just learnt the content will reinforce them in your mind, and the notes will be more accurate and detailed. To cope with this I formed some study groups, so people effectively forced me to work (I would've felt bad if my friends were silently working and I disrupted them).
Also, late night phone calls the night before an exam are the way to go if you find yourself cramming content (WITH NOTES THAT YOU'VE ALREADY WRITTEN!!!!) So even if you haven't learned all your content, make sure it's easily revisable, even if you end up cramming it. Talking it through allows you to cement the knowledge in your brain and remember it, and actually forces you to read through your notes without getting distracted as well. Personally a lot of my teaching experience comes from these phone calls, I would be teaching people core content and going through essay structures and whatnot the night before exams. This applies especially well to subjects such as Modern History, whereas English is more thematic and thus just start drafting early.
With English in particular, I just rewrote and rewrote my intro over and over again. The night before Paper 2, while I had already written plenty of drafts, I hadn't fully memorised any essays (I find rote-learning essays painful and ineffective). So honestly learning my intro and quotes is enough to replicate any essay almost entirely in an exam. I'd estimate I filled up maybe 30 sheets of paper that night just rewriting intros and quotes. And hey, it's paid off, try it out.
In fact, if your teacher isn't forcing you to do drafts - force yourself to. Go up to your teacher actively at the end of the lesson and say, "Sir or Ma'am, would it be okay if I emailed you a draft tomorrow evening?"
You've pretty much forced yourself to write that draft. I did this a few times, worked wonders.
Keep in mind, these tips that I've provided are... last resorts. Use them with moderation. And they wouldn't have worked for me if I hadn't already written notes for Modern History months prior, or written several English drafts per module weeks and months prior as well. These are tips to REMEMBER the content which you have already learned. So make sure you finish your learning early, and preferably your revision as well. If you find yourself in a sticky scenario, I hope some of these tips can help you out.
I started tutoring with her since yr 7 and I'm probs gonna be with her till yr 12. I'm not planning to drop Chem so yeh she gives a lot of past papers.wow that's pretty good. when did you start tutoring with her? Lol
wow that's pretty good. lol. Are you doing any extra tutions for math?I started tutoring with her since yr 7 and I'm probs gonna be with her till yr 12. I'm not planning to drop Chem so yeh she gives a lot of past papers.
Plus she knew I was lazy and sometimes doesn't do h/w until I'm forced to, so she makes me stay after class and do them or extra work lol.
Don't go into substantive, but honestly my intro was 150 words, which I think is a pretty decent length. Go for 4 sentences, somewhere between 100-150 words. Most English teachers have different preferences on how to write and structure, even across the board. I'd give you the structures I've been using for years (and they vary slightly depending on what type of text I'm writing about, AoS vs Case study etc) but it's definitely too complicated to explain on here.Wow that helped a lot, I would get overwhelmed as students memorise their whole essay and change a bit of it during the exam. I find it quite hard and ineffective but it works for others somehow plus they do well. I will try and go with the method you had used by memorising the intro and quotes. Hopefully I'll be as good as you.
Btw was your intro short?
Like i have no idea which teacher to listen to. As the teacher I had for yr 10 tells me to not tell much (makes sense) but there is only very limited info and really short (btw she's an HSC marker) and then other teachers want something different. It does get confusing who to listen to but she's moving schools so whoever I get next year does not expect things like her.
Oh ok cool i'll try and go with your advice. Also I didn't know it worked that way for private schools.Don't go into substantive, but honestly my intro was 150 words, which I think is a pretty decent length. Go for 4 sentences, somewhere between 100-150 words. Most English teachers have different preferences on how to write and structure, even across the board. I'd give you the structures I've been using for years (and they vary slightly depending on what type of text I'm writing about, AoS vs Case study etc) but it's definitely too complicated to explain on here.
Maybe ask your tutor how they would've structured their essays - I'm assuming they would've received good results, so much you should be fine. But yeah as long as it's a clear structure that's not missing any of the essentials. Ask your tutor the difference between a general thesis and a text specific thesis as well.
P.S. while your teacher may have been a HSC marker, there's no specific formula, since not even all the HSC markers write or structure essays the same way.
But yeah I think where private schools benefit is having all these connections, like I think one of the teachers at my school was literally the head person who managed all the senior markers and teachers setting the HSC exam. Similarly my math teacher sets the 4u exam every second year haha, and my history teacher was a senior markers. English teacher was friends with head of English at nesa or smth too. Doesn't give us an unfair advantage, but we definitely get any questions answered, including what markers are looking for and good ways to structure, etc.
So yeah, have a chat with your tutor and teachers at school.
No i only go to NGO, how about you?wow that's pretty good. lol. Are you doing any extra tutions for math?
Same. Are you thinking of doing the accelerated class?No i only go to NGO, how about you?
maybe not sure, I still haven't signed up lol but idk if they'll allow me anymoreSame. Are you thinking of doing the accelerated class?
Well to be fair I don't use an acronymed PEEL or SEXC or any other structure, or at least I don't think about it that way. Do what works best for your text type and your content. The only general rule of thumb is to make sure you don't just assert a good point, but to ensure that you have substantive to back it up. That's honestly the main point of using PEEL in junior years, to teach kids to remember to give an example and then an explanation, i.e. substantive to back up an argument. If I were to give some of my body's structures, they may be PEEEEEEL? Lmao yeah just use evidence to back up your points that's honestly the key takeawayOh ok cool i'll try and go with your advice. Also I didn't know it worked that way for private schools.
Yeh my tutor did do really well in English but she never had a way to write like most tutors I've been through.
E.g like the classic PEEL structure etc.
If you have time, I'll make sure to text you if I have any other questions because you give the best tips and opinions.