The Expedition through QCE for a good ATAR - jinx_58

jinx_58

Hey Everyone!
I'm back on a new website, its looking realllyyy coool haha!
Idk if I'm making this post correctly lol.

So, its the end of week 2, I've started revision (YAY!) and my last internal assessment is due Monday. Almost there!
Mocks are in week 10 and I hope I finish studying everything in time. Idk what else to say, Its quite cool being on a new website n all. 😁

P.S. Grammarly insights are quite funny

This is my old journal, now archived: https://archive.atarnotes.com/forum/index.php?topic=196216.0

Keep going,
-jinx_58

Sine

jinx_58

good luck for your last assessment, looking forward to future updates

sweetiepi

Great to see you here! 🙂

I enjoyed reading your posts on the old forum, keep up the great work!!

jinx_58

sweetiepi

Thank you!! 🙂

beep_boop

Hi Jinx_58!

You've got this! My vce exams aren't far away as well. Kinda scary ngl.

Good luck!
beep boop

jinx_58

beep_boop

You too dude!

jinx_58

Its Term 3, Week 3 (man how time flies)

My mocks are in Week 10 so, need to study for those yknow.

English
We're reading Macbeth, and so far it's cool. We're up to Act III, and I think it's quite cool that Shakespeare invented the first knock-knock joke. Like, dude, no damn way! I think I have an idea of what I'm supposed to do now and how to make my argument flow.

Ancient History
Finished my assignment, and we started the Roman Empire, specifically Augustus and how power and authority was a thing. I hope the external's not too hard. It's really interesting.

Chemistry
I handed in my last ever chem assignment, and last ever high school assignment today. Its kinda sad, how my high school journey's almost over. Anyways, my goal is 14 do points per week, to be finished by the mock exams.

Physics
Our teacher has been giving us revision questions every lesson which has been good to identify gaps in my knowledge. My goal is to cover 6 syllabus dot points per week, to be finished covering content by the mock exams.

Methods
IA3 is coming up week 5, so I'm going to cover Unit 4 first, and then go back to unit 3, to finish before the mocks. Learning how to use the calculator is funky, especially with prob.

Religion and Ethics
The topic is good and evil. The assignment is a movie review and the movie (I think) is Kung Fu Panda.

I hope everything goes according to plan 🙂

"There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path." - Dan Millman

Also, mods, can a shout outs and appreciation page please be set up? I need to thank someone from the bottom of my heart.

We've got this,
-jinx_58

jinx_58

Term 3, Week 4

My math exam is next Tuesday so for the past week, I have only been studying for that, and not really focusing on anything else lol. For Physics, our teacher has been giving us revision questions in class that are harder than the external questions and damn it makes me feel stupid. In Chem, I think we've finished content and I've just been going over redox and equilibrium questions in class. English, we still haven't finished Macbeth but we're up to Act 5. In Ancient, we've just been going over some evaluate questions for our external prep so that's been going well.

Over and out,
-jinx_58

jinx_58

Term 3, Week 6

Welp, I got my grades back for all my assessment in the past week and I've just been preparing for the mock exams and stuff.

For my methods IA3, I got 9/15
Quite mad at myself, I made a few stupid mistakes and it cost me really. After I calculated all my marks, I need at least 18 marks in my external to pass methods, and to be eligible for the Engineering course I wanna do. But, what's done is done (Lady Macbeth lmaooo) and all I can do right now is prep for externals. I've figured out where I went wrong and I know I can do better in the externals.

For Physics RI IA3, I got 17/20!
This is better than I expected! I lost some marks in evaluation but its much better than the 14/20 I got last year. Special relativity is kinds annoying, and I'm not a huge fan of physics right now. I've created a study plan to be finished by the mocks (week 10) and hopefully I can stay on track. I hope I do well though.

For Ancient History, essay, I got 24/25
I thought I went bad on the assignment. But it was good enough to get a 24! This sets me up nicely for the external and we've been practicing our synthesising, analysing, evaluating and comprehension. Its hard to get above a 20/25 for the externals, but we'll try.

For Chemistry RI IA3, I got 20/20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Dude I'm so over the moon about this one!! It was absolutely unexpected and I didn't think I'd get 20! My teacher said it was the strongest 20 in the class and this is just so crazy. However, I'm really bad at organic chem so I need to work harder to get results. So I'm starting on Unit 4 and working backwards, because Unit 3 (especially redox) is my strong point. I've also created a study plan for Chem, to be done before the mock exams. Again, I hope I stay on track lol.

In English, we've finished reading Macbeth and we're watching a movie where the witches are represented by binmen (LOL). I need to create a quote bank and stuff and have an idea how to argue multiple stances. Its just a matter of planning it.

Asides from schoolwork, its slowly dawning on me I have about 5-6 weeks of highschool left and it gives you such a bittersweet feeling. Like, yay! I can lowkey sleep in more and have more freedom and won't have to wear a uniform, but it sucks that you won't ever have a similar experience. I'll miss my mates which I have no idea if I'll have touch with 5 years into future, heck even 1 year. I'll kinda miss knowing this school like the back of my hand and miss all the cool teachers who were always just there for us. I'll miss having a locker where I shove my bag in every morning, and I'll miss going to lunch knowing my group is always there. Sorry for getting emotional, but damn Imma miss all the little things. But now, the best thing I can do is make the most of it. Go out with a bang. This last strong effort will help. Don't take things for granted.

On another note, I've submitted my QTAC preferences and have started to apply for scholarships (Yay!)

Anyways, just wishing for the best.

You've got this,
-jinx_58

jinx_58

Term 3, Week 8

Sorry for the late updates haha. Just been really busy.

In all honesty, last week was not productive, I hated it. Every second of it. But I'm hoping this week will be much more productive. And I wish the clouds weren't so grey. Its kinda annoying. I think I was just extra mad at myself for not understanding physics and I'm afraid that I'll fail the external and get a bad ATAR and like never ever understand physics. If special relativity was a person, I'd absolutely ignore them.

Anyways, I'm grasping more organic concepts in Chemistry and methods is alright, just drilling in practice questions and stuff. Ancient History, we're just practicing questions, and nailing the usefulness section in reliability is lowkey difficult. Typing up a quotes list for English and little explanations for all of them. Just getting through flashcards and hoping it'll help me do well haha.

So, that's been that. Mental health wise, I feel like I'm much better off now, than I was this time last year.

Just listening to music helps me calm down and get stuff done which is really nice.

"I just think life's what you make it" - What you make it, With Confidence

Push on through,
-jinx_58

Billzene

I missed your last post, seems like your chem SAC went really well. I was meant to tell you that I found out later that lidocaine wasn't a prodrug (it only sounded like a prodrug from your article's focus on its metabolites). But seeing that you've already submitted it, I didn't want to freak you out. Happy you didn't get marked down for this

BTW recently I listened to a scary story podcast about a guy who got a cockroach stuck in his ears for a few days and the doctors used lidocaine to paralyse it and get it out. I was thinking geez why does that drug sound so familiar and then I remembered it was through your assessment task I heard about it for the first time

jinx_58

Billzene Dude, I didn't get to thank you for your help with my assignment. Like, I've never gotten a 20 for anything before and I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you so much for your help Billzene 🙂 I wish there was a shoutouts and appreciation thread on this new website haha.

-jinx_58

jinx_58

This is like a mini update I suppose lol. Its more just me ranting, but I feel its important that its part of this journal.

I'm on the verge of a breakdown. I hate physics. I hate it with a passion, And I've never hated something so much. Unit 3, I'm cool with. I mostly understand. Unit 4 just makes me wanna cry. I don't know what to do to further understand U4 physics. I can't tell if its because I have a bad teacher who sets us questions 100000x harder than the actual external. But even if it is a bad teacher, I can't change that. I've tried reading different textbooks, and watching different videos from EdRolo to crash course, I'm not sure if I'm low on confidence with physics or if I'll never ever be able to understand physics. I think I might fail the physics external, but I don't know how to stop that. I'm not sure how to love physics, like I learned to love math. If someone can give me tips to get better, please, please let me know. I need anything and everything I can get just to pass physics.

-jinx_58

jinx_58

Term 3, Week 9

Howdy howdy!

This week has gone by quite fast lol. So has this darn term. Just today and tomorrow, then its the mock exams. That's the end of term 3. Its really bittersweet, knowing that you'll be leaving highschool behind in 7 weeks or so. I finished my last assessment piece for religion. And I can use it now as a free/study period.

The whole physics rant (above) was in the heat of the moment lol. I had made physics look far worse than it should have. I just realised I didn't have the right resources. So I went to the library, and I got 2 more Physics textbook other than the one the school gives us, a few study guides and I plan to borrow the ATAR notes Physics books from the library. The Physics and Chemistry Oxford study buddy's are on the way, so I'll borrow em too. I'm a bit behind on my Chemistry and Physics revision, I might not have it all done by mocks, but definitely by externals. Methods is a similar situation, except I feel slightly more ahead? Lol. English is alright and same with ancient history. I hope I do alright in the mocks haha.

-jinx_58

jinx_58

Term 4, Week 1
Ah yes, Term 4.
Another term, another mental breakdown (jk, but you get the idea)

The holidays weren't as productive as I hoped it would be, I had to do stuff for this program thingo for the first week of hols so I got some work done. 2nd week, I realised I'm possibly screwed for methods, (the exam's in 23 days :') ). I just hope all the practice I'm pulling together will be worth it. I've been using a study timer and I approximated at least 2 hours 30 mins a day...which isn't too bad...but its not good. I'm still on Unit 3 for Physics, Chem and Methods and idk if I'll finish all my revision in time. I hope I do, just fingers crossed!

I'm lowkey ignoring English...which isn't good. haha.

To all of you year 12's, we've got this. Keep going, just a few more weeks and that's it. Don't burn yourself out, stay hydrated, and love yourself.

EDIT: If you're in year 11 or 10 doing QCE, I strongly suggest you buy or request the school library to buy it for you, the Oxford Study Buddy books, as they're EXTREMELY helpful. I wish I had it sooner lol.

Peace out,
-jinx_58

jinx_58

Term 4 Week 2
Everything's alright, I panicked about how close my exams are (13 days till my first one) and so I created a study timetable for methods physics and chem.

I'm on track for chemistry, slightly behind on methods and a topic behind in physics. English and Ancient I have just been revising in class and I'll revise two full days before the exam. I hope its enough and I do well. Lolz

Other than academics specifically, our graduation ceremony is next Thursday (YAYY) and we technically only have 8 full school days left. I'm kinda sad because its so bittersweet but I know I'll be able to stay in touch with all my mates, who've just had my back always. I'll miss the whole school routine n stuff so yeah. We have no muck up day (because too many morons in my grade who'll take it wayyyy too far), but we have a pool day, so that's awesome!

I'm considering having a YouTube channel for uni vlogs...idk if it'll happen, but if it does I'll sure let y'all know. I might start a uni journal aswell...we'll see when the time comes haha. Welp, gotta go study and get stuff done.

P.S. I'm sorta mad at QCAA for not confirming my IA2 result for chemistry as it is vital for my early offer scheme application at QUT.

To the class of 2022, we got this crew! We didn't work our butts off for the past 13 years for nothing, so make it count! Good luck you guys!
-jinx_58

jinx_58

I think I'll just be posting mini updates from now on because one post can't cover a week haha.
Last week, I felt like I was mostly productive. Got up at 5am on a couple days so I could strictly stick to my schedule.

Saturday I studied about 4 hours + 2 hours tutoring, so I guess that's not bad. I'm just praying I don't burn out lol.

Physics is just painful. Idk if its because I don't understand it or not but I'm working extra hard on it because I know I can do well if I run the extra mile. Today, I started revising redox reactions and so far, so good. For methods, I brushed up on continuous random variables and did some of the tech-free test in the Oxford study buddy. I might have to study at 5am tomorrow to get it done.

On a side note, I've got class parties coming up and graduation's on Thursday. Imma have a good cry about all this ending when I'm finished with externals. I can't deal with my emotions now lol.

Class of 2022, keep pushing on dudes, we've got this!!!!
-jinx_58

jinx_58

Imma put in stuff in this post as the day goes on haha, as this is my last day 😢

Physics:
Welp, our teacher gave us personalised messages in the book of Luke, and he wrote down verses we should read. I cried. I was the only one in the class that cried.

Methods:
We had a mini class party, and we played charades, that was fun 🙂

English:
Our teacher brought a whole Charcuterie board for us, and damnnnn the cheese was awesome. I have my best mates in my class so I'll miss having class with them :') Our English class was such a vibe and Ms made a personalised kahoot on our class and Macbeth. I came second haha.

Ancient History
Our teacher got us cake, we got her a mug, flowers and a card. She's just so cool and I'll miss her.

It really sucks because its all hitting me now when I should focus on externals and I know I'll cry tomorrow at graduation. I remember getting detention on the first day of year 7 for having gum lmaoooooooo. I was the very first kid to get detention in my grade, and the blazer was huge, and I could not put my uniform on right for the life of me. I moved to my current school in year 10, and I'll miss all these people. I'll miss em so much.

-jinx_58

jinx_58

Welp. Yesterday I graduated.

We had a half-day, our last year level assembly n stuff and I cried. I bawled my eyes out. I didn't cry during graduation later in the evening though haha. Its weird lolz. But that afternoon, I went to say my final goodbyes to kiddos in the younger grades who have practically been my siblings lol. The one year 7 kiddo started to cry and we all cried haha. Its alright though, we'll all meet up one day.

I think I told my group that I love them like 50 times lmaoooooo. I'm crazy sentimental and my senior years would have not been bearable without my mates by my side.

Externals coming up, and I gotta study.

We've got this '22'ers!
-jinx_58

jinx_58

Howdy howdyyyyy!

I had my English external today, it wasn't bad I think I went alright. Yeah that's bout it. I chose question b) for Macbeth by the way. Apparently you're not allowed to talk about the questions online or anything so I can't say what the question was about. I'd give it a 7/10.

-jinx_58

_sophiestudies_

jinx_58 glad it didn't go too bad! I have my english exam on Wednesday! Ahhhhh! Super stressed, but also so excited for it to all be over and done with!