HSC 99+ ATAR (1 Viewer)

[bluepanda@2502]

Hey guys,
Im in year 11, baulkham hills high school and I want to achieve a 99+ atar next year. I know it's not easy and infact extremely difficult but I was wondering if anybody has tips on achieving this.

 

[melanie_o]

1. Focus less on your rank, more on improvement. Don't be saddened if you are 'cooked' by your first round of assessments, as not continuing to work past your assessments will put in a worse position. What I mean is that don't give up just because you mess up an assessment, as you can always improve. For example, for my first y12 eng adv assessment, I got 55%, but I never gave up. I kept on going, constantly improving after getting lots of advice and putting in the work. Now, post-trials, I have an average of 88% after getting 97% in my trial, with a rank close to the top. Let this be an example of how you can improve.
2. Comparison is the theif of joy
3. Starting practice papers early (on topics you have covered) will put you in a good position for your trials and externals.
4. For english, make sure you actualluy know your texts in and out. I personally read my texts twice. Whilst this may sound like overkill, it has allowed be to feel more prepared for unseen questions which may ask for a particular aspect of your text, such as an extract and even if you don't remember that part, if you have that deep understanding of the text, you will understand what generally is the context of the provided extract.
5. Know your verbs and their structure. Getting this down pat even now will put you in a better position in 12 months time.
6. Don't look for motivation; build discipline. It is highly likely there will be days where you don't want to do any work. Even if you only do 30 minutes, it's better than nothing.
7. Whilst I just said consistency is key, let yourself have breaks. After prelims, I didn't do any more study until the first day of term 4, giving me a long break and to prevent burnout.
8. YOU CAN GET THE ATAR YOU WANT. I went from a projected ATAR of around 80 at the start of year 12 to graduating dux of my school on friday, with a projected ATAR in the mid 99s, and a competitive UCAT score. I did this whilst battling numerous hardships, including poverty and going to a school so low ranked that there has not been a single ATAR above 90 since 2013. What I'm saying is that you can get there, you WILL get there. It all comes down to your mindset, reagrdless of your circumstances.
9. Be kind to yourself.