| The Christmas / summer holidays are the longest | | | | - Read a GOOD textbook. |
| holiday period in your HSC year. You have about | | | | For Chemistry, pick up a copy of Conquering |
| 6 weeks to relax and refresh yourself before the | | | | Chemistry, or Chemistry in Contexts, and read as |
| 2010 school year starts. However, students often | | | | much as you can. For Physics, you can’t go |
| use these holiday periods to gain a competitive | | | | wrong with Jacaranda, or Macquarie. As a |
| advantage over their peers by reading ahead in | | | | guideline, completely revise the first module (you |
| their textbooks, or reading all of their English | | | | would have done this at school in term 4, 2009) |
| texts in advance. One of our students finished her | | | | and read the entire second module. If you have |
| entire English Extension 2 major work in these | | | | our notes from term 4, re-read all of them too! |
| holidays! | | | | Avoid the Excel ones as they are a bit superficial |
| Of course, the advantage with working harder in | | | | in depth. |
| the holidays, is that it lightens the load later on in | | | | - Don’t worry about practice questions yet, |
| the HSC year. Given that you have 6 weeks of | | | | but make sure you UNDERSTAND concepts |
| holidays in the summer, it is probably wise to | | | | At this early stage, don’t get too caught up |
| spend 3 or so weeks preparing for your HSC. | | | | with practice questions. Do one or two per |
| Every bit of extra preparation translates to | | | | section to test your knowledge, then move on. |
| results in the HSC, since you only have a year. | | | | Remember, you have other subjects to study |
| Once school starts, you may find the pace very | | | | for! The most important thing is to UNDERSTAND |
| fast, and everything examinable is taught once | | | | the concepts. For example, make sure you |
| only before the teacher moves on. | | | | KNOW how Lenz’s law works, how those |
| So how can you prepare for the year ahead? | | | | right-hand push/palm/grip rules work, etc. |
| Study ahead, of course. | | | | - Read the syllabus and reconcile it with what |
| This is one of the examples of how successful | | | | you’ve read in textbooks |
| students study differently from average students. | | | | After you’ve read the textbooks, read |
| By learning ahead, you gain familiarity of the | | | | through the syllabus for the modules you studied, |
| topics and content that would be taught to your | | | | and make sure every dot-point in those modules |
| peers for the very first time later in the HSC | | | | have been covered by what you’ve read. |
| year. Shortly after this event, the exam comes. | | | | It’s a good idea to do this after you read the |
| So who would do better? The student who has | | | | textbooks, as textbooks often give you richer |
| seen the same material before, has experienced | | | | background information necessary to understand |
| and overcome the common pitfalls and challenges, | | | | the full picture of certain concepts. However you |
| and has had plenty of opportunity to ask their | | | | can choose to read the syllabus before you start |
| teacher relevant questions before the exam? Or | | | | reading textbooks. |
| the student who let it all go during the holidays, | | | | For mathematics |
| and had a great time, then learnt the content for | | | | - Do exercises off a good textbook |
| the first time at a rush-pace prior to the exams? | | | | Mathematics is really a practice game. The more |
| Of course, it is perfectly OK to relax during the | | | | practice you get, the more experienced you |
| Holidays – after all, it’s holidays! But now is | | | | become. There are only so many ways a maths |
| early January, you’ve already had a couple of | | | | question can be designed for any topic area, and |
| weeks to enjoy the Christmas and New Year | | | | the more experience you have, the less likely you |
| festivities. You’re now well-rested, relaxed | | | | will be caught unaware in the exam. Simple, really, |
| and refreshed. It’s time to get seriously | | | | but success in maths requires dedication, which is |
| serious! | | | | easier said than done. |
| What can I do in my holidays, on my own? | | | | Good textbooks are Fitzpatrick (for 2U and 3U), |
| During the holidays, you’re all on your own. | | | | Cambridge, and don’t forget the forgotten |
| Most likely, your friends are still partying, and | | | | classics like Coroneos (excellent for 4 unit harder |
| probably your teachers too. Tutoring colleges are | | | | questions). |
| closed, (except those few running holiday | | | | For English |
| courses), and everyone’s still on holidays. So | | | | - Read your texts in advance |
| whatever self-study you do, it would have to be | | | | Find how what novels you need to read, and read |
| something you can do by yourself. | | | | through them these holidays. This subject is |
| Luckily, for most students, teachers and tutoring | | | | probably the easiest to study ahead for, as it |
| helps most AFTER you’ve done some | | | | involves a leisure activity (for some) – reading! |
| self-reading. With some self-discipline and solid | | | | Just be aware of the thematic considerations that |
| effort, core content can be learned on your own. | | | | are relevant to your module as you read through |
| For science subjects | | | | your texts. |