Sydney Life

That’s right, it’s crunch time. As I’m writing this, it’s no more than two weeks until the HSC begins, and I’m sure you’re gripped with nerves. Asako’s already given you some tips on how to study in STUVAC, and rather than copying her, I thought I’d give you some tips, from an HSC veteran, about how to handle the actual exam period, and the exams themselves. Keep in mind, I only did artsy subjects (so that’s why I went and did arts at Sydney uni!) but there are some basic rules that are true across the board. So, here are my top tips:

The day/night before the exam:
Stay calm and collected. I know this seems like a given, but some people can go to pieces, and need to be told time and time again. Don’t cram until the witching hour, or till the first rays of sunlight hit your window. Eat well, drink a lot, and do some practice essays. Between practice essays, revise your notes, but find time to sit down and do things you enjoy. I started studying at 9:00 most days during the HSC, but always found time to have a decent breakfast and read the paper. Make sure you get a good night’s sleep. Having been in an exam where I think my lack of sleep affected my performance (funnily enough, it was actually a uni exam), I can say that this is crucial. Even if you can’t sleep, don’t study or use the computer. Maybe do a bit of unrelated reading, listen to the radio (late night radio is so boring it should send you to sleep with ease). I found that going over my notes in my head without reading them actually sent me to sleep, but that probably won’t work with everyone.

The morning/day of your exam:
If you’ve got an exam first thing, remember; still find the time to have a healthy breakfast. HSC exams are long, and that extra energy can make all the difference as your brain starts to flag as the time wears on. What is really crucial is to make sure you get to school on time! Nothing could be worse than being late, and the fear of being late can really stress you out. When you get to school, people have a tendency to do what works best for them. I liked to revise all my super-summarised notes before I went into the exam, but that was usually probably fruitless. Bobbing up and down and clutching my stomach usually ended up my pre-exam meditation. You can also chat to friends, maybe about how you feel about the exam, but not the content! Nothing worse than trawling through ideas before you go in. You have your own thoughts, leave it at that.

In the exam:
Oh no! You’ve sat down, you can’t talk anymore, and you’re stuck with your brain. It’s either telling you to be calm, revise your notes mentally, or its pumping you full of adrenalin as it switches to the age old “flight or fight response”. For those of you who are Zen Buddhist monks, good for you. For those who aren’t (like me) don’t stress. It just makes it so much worse. Fill out all the forms you have to. And then, think like a Stoic. “I have done as much as I can do now. There is no more study possible. I simply have to show them what I have learnt.” When you open your papers, decide which questions you’re going to do straight away. The way I chose (keep in mind, I did no maths or science) was to work out a thesis for each essay question, and the ones I thought were best I did. When I couldn’t work out a thesis, I would choose not to answer that question. Don’t do questions on their relative ease, but on how much you feel you know about them. If they’re hard, but you can answer it competently, go for it. Always answer the hardest questions first, and always do an essay plan! Critical, as it makes the difference between a bad essay and a good essay. As time goes on, you may find you get bored with a question, or simply sick of writing about it.

I was told never to do this (and maybe you shouldn’t) but it worked for me: I’d swap the question, leave it, and go on to answer another one. When I’d finished that one, I’d come back to the original, and see if my brain, now refreshed, did a better job. Finally, keep an eye on that clock! Nothing is worse than finishing an essay in a rush. I always finished my essays beforehand, and gave myself time to edit my work. Sometimes, when you’re writing things so fast, what you want to say just doesn’t actually come out, so it really pays to go back over.

When the exam is over:
You’d think there would be no rules for here – just go crazy! But it’s not the case. Number one rule, don’t come out and say to others “did you include X in question Y?”. I had a friend do this to me after modern history, and I spent the rest of the HSC period until results came out biting my finger nails. If you’ve got an exam after that one, don’t go and crash. Take a half hour break, then switch your mind over to the next exam, and go and revise somewhere quiet. If you don’t have an exam until tomorrow, go home and have a longer break, but take the time to study as well.

During the HSC as a whole:
When you have significant breaks, take a day off. Treat yourself. But keep in mind, this really should be you time. Don’t go out with friends. I find they tend to distract. Do what you want to do, by yourself. Maybe do something with your family. I remember after my first lot of exams, when I had a week-long break, doing anything that wasn’t study was fantastic. I even enjoyed going tile shopping with my parents. Also, if you have the time, and the right teacher, take some practice essays with you to talk over with them. I’m almost certain it helped me to improve my geography and English marks, and practice essays are actually a great study tool.

Finally, when your HSC is over:
You’ll wake up and realise that you’re alive! That’s right, it’s all gone away. I know it seems like a distant impossibility, but the end does come. Do everything you wanted to do! Make it special! Throw your papers in the air as you finish your last exam! I went home and had a gin and tonic as my way of celebrating, but there are loads of others (and I wouldn’t encourage you to drink, regardless of how old you are). But I also did all the things I couldn’t do at school, like go to restaurants during the day, stay up late, sleep in late, see Sydney like I hadn’t seen it in ages, and made all the people who were about to start their HSC really nervous! The most important thing I learnt in my HSC year, and a wise sage told me this: it is not the be-all and end-all. It will not make or break you. There is a whole world out there, and it’s your oyster!