XZY Also the thing is I don't get what is wrong with my writing, any tips on how I could improve?

      Joseph41

      Joseph41 Best of luck for your test! Hope it all goes well and there's a favourable result. 😃

      Thanks Nick! I had my test yesterday and....[drumroll] I passed! 🥳 Actually so happy right now, I finally have my Ps after all these years! Regarding the actual test, I think I kind of messed up my kerbside stop by parking too far away from the kerb because I was overly anxious that I would hit it. And I made a few minor positioning errors with the car as well. But the rest went pretty smoothly, even the reverse parallel park! I'm just relieved my performance overall was still good enough to pass which is what matters! Now can I be one of those people who can say they passed on their first go 😁

      Joseph41 I went for the GAN Mirror Block, which is purple and shiny and magnetic haha

      Oh, that one is gorgeous! The magnetism must make for a pretty smooth experience as well! My biggest issue with my gold mirror block is that it can be a bit stiff to turn. Do you solve it the same way you would a normal 3x3? I can only use the beginner's method on the mirror block because I have yet to figure out how intuitive F2L translates when you are dealing with shape/size not colour haha.

      Joseph41 Where'd you find the picture cube?

      I custom-ordered it from V-Cubes! Here are some photos if you were interested:

      Joseph41 @hums_student made a cubing discussion - join us here.

      Cool, will definitely check that out!

      Joseph41 I'm not too sure! With COVID over the last few years, interstate travel has become a lot more difficult, but we'll see! 😁

      Would be so keen for an interstate meet-up in the future with everyone!

                  XZY Thanks for your questions. I guess it's a bit difficult to know without seeing your extended writing, but my main question is:

                  If you're not sure what's wrong with your writing, what makes you think there is something wrong with it? Have you received feedback from your teacher to that effect?

                  My very generic advice (and keep in mind this is coming from somebody who is monolingual, so probably not the greatest source on this matter) would probably be to read "good" examples of what you're trying to write. For example, if you're trying to write a creative essay piece, try to find a few high-scoring examples (perhaps your teacher could help here, or other members on ATAR Notes) and see how they're written.

                  Another idea is to go back to your previous essays, and simply re-write them under no time pressure. By doing this and being quite analytical about it, I think you might be able to better identify which parts of your writing seem confusing or not as fluent as you'd like them to be. I think you're also more likely to get something out of your essays when you go back and review them to see where you could improve for next time.

                  I'm not sure how helpful any of that will be (as mentioned above, I don't have experience writing in a second language), but I think there's certainly no harm in going back over your past writing - even alongside your teacher.

                    @leotlion Thanks Nick! I had my test yesterday and....[drumroll] I passed! 🥳 Actually so happy right now, I finally have my Ps after all these years! Regarding the actual test, I think I kind of messed up my kerbside stop by parking too far away from the kerb because I was overly anxious that I would hit it. And I made a few minor positioning errors with the car as well. But the rest went pretty smoothly, even the reverse parallel park! I'm just relieved my performance overall was still good enough to pass which is what matters! Now can I be one of those people who can say they passed on their first go 😁

                    That's great! Congratulations - I'm very happy for you. 🥳 I don't think I had to reverse parallel park in my test, so consider me extremely impressed!

                    @leotlion Oh, that one is gorgeous! The magnetism must make for a pretty smooth experience as well! My biggest issue with my gold mirror block is that it can be a bit stiff to turn. Do you solve it the same way you would a normal 3x3? I can only use the beginner's method on the mirror block because I have yet to figure out how intuitive F2L translates when you are dealing with shape/size not colour haha.

                    It really is a nice puzzle! And yep, same method for me. I think my recognition for F2L cases would be horrible, so I'm fine sticking with what I know for now haha.

                    @leotlion I custom-ordered it from V-Cubes! Here are some photos if you were interested:

                    V-Cube really takes me back to my early days of cubing haha. I don't think I've ever used a V-Cube product, but they have such a vibe about them.

                    The Taylor Swift cube looks great!

                    @leotlion Would be so keen for an interstate meet-up in the future with everyone!

                    This sounds excellent. 😄

                    Also, I think I previously saw a question in here about how much to study for Prelims. I didn't study in New South Wales, so didn't have Prelims in the same way (slightly different system in Victoria), but in general, I tried not to be too bothered about Year 11 marks.

                    To clarify, I tried my best to get the best marks I could, and I studied for them accordingly, but I tried not to let the actual outcome bother me too much (with varied success). I think there's no good answer to "how much should I study for Year 11 exams?", but I studied to the point where I felt comfortable with every subject.

                    I know that's not an easily quantifiable answer - but that's intentional. In the end, I guess I just tried to trust my gut in terms of balancing getting good marks in Year 11, but also avoiding burn-out in Year 12.

                    Here are some questions!

                    1. What's your favourite part about working in education?
                    2. What is one hobby that you used to have but don't have now?
                    3. Top 3 musical artists?
                      1. Hardest VCE Subject?
                      2. Scores for each subject?
                      3. Favourite Cuber?
                      4. Favourite book?
                      5. Type of Phone you Have?
                      6. How did you come across AN?
                      7. Favourite drink?
                      8. Plans for the future?
                      9. How happy you are on a scale of 1-10?
                      10. Second favourite Cricket Team after Australia?
                      11. How to become a MOD?
                      12. Coolest thing in the world?
                      13. Hardest concept in the world?
                      14. Most relevant invention?
                      15. How much you hate me for asking you this many questions on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being annoying and 10 being annoying?

                      Sorry for bombarding you with all these questions but if you could, it would be nice if you could answer at least 1 question.

                        ArtyDReams Thanks for the questions!

                        What's your favourite part about working in education?

                        I guess I was drawn to it initially because I just wanted to help people, and ultimately I think that's probably still the case. It's nice working in an area that feels genuine and wholesome in many respects, so I think I'll go with that. I'd like to stay in education for the indefinite future at this stage.

                        What is one hobby that you used to have but don't have now?

                        I used to draw and do design stuff a lot more than I do now - I think just due to time constraints. And I also used to write a lot of poetry (varying quality), which I don't really do now, either.

                        Top 3 musical artists?

                        A clear number one for me is The Avett Brothers, which has been the case since 2009 haha. For number two, I'll have to go Orla Gartland. Number three is a bit trickier - maybe Josh Rouse?

                          somebody8442 Thanks for the questions!

                          Hardest VCE Subject?

                          Tough one. I didn't really study any of the stereotypically "hard" (I don't like that terminology, as it's so subjective) subjects. Of the subjects I studied at 3&4 level, in my view Visual Communication Design was the most demanding and difficult to excel in - but this would change from person to person very much.

                          Scores for each subject?

                          Raw study scores:

                          • HHD: 50
                          • Psych: 48
                          • BusMan: 48
                          • Further: 45
                          • EngLang: 44
                          • VCD: 44

                          Favourite Cuber?

                          I have to go with Feliks Zemdegs, but there are so many great cubers right now. I particularly enjoy seeing content and solves from Matty Hiroto Inaba, Tymon Kolasiński, and Max Park.

                          Favourite book?

                          Keep The Aspidistra Flying, by George Orwell.

                          Type of Phone you Have?

                          A mobile! 😉

                          How did you come across AN?

                          I think one of my teachers first mentioned it in like 2011. I stumbled upon the previous version of the forums, made an account, and went from there.

                          Favourite drink?

                          Water, but if that's too boring, I'll go with coffee. I love a good juice, though.

                          Plans for the future?

                          Hopefully travel a bit, work a bit (education), study a bit. I think it's a nice combination. I'd definitely like to get back to study at some point.

                          How happy you are on a scale of 1-10?

                          Super hard to quantify - it changes all the time! But I'm going very well, thank you. 😄

                          Second favourite Cricket Team after Australia?

                          I'll go with New Zealand, but I always enjoy watching India play, too.

                          Coolest thing in the world?

                          I think the concept of language is pretty neat.

                          Hardest concept in the world?

                          Probably just existence!

                          Most relevant invention?

                          Relevant to what? There are so many inventions to choose from. I guess the internet has been pretty influential when you look at modern society!

                          How much you hate me for asking you this many questions on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being annoying and 10 being annoying?

                          Not at all! Thanks for the questions - I hope my answers have been suitable haha.

                            9 months later

                            Hey Joseph41

                            I just wanted some advice on some VCE stuff If you don't mind helping me out 🙂

                            Is it a good idea to do VCE HHD units 3&4 without doing unit 1&2? Will it disadvantage me in some aspects? You mentioned you got a 50 in HHD, so any tips, tricks, or advice on that? I'm really struggling to choose my subject. Its either HHD or further. I've been doing Advance maths for 2 years now, so all my teachers recommend that I should do Further maths, but at the same time, I don't really like maths, and I feel more confident in HHD (not done it before) But I'm not too sure. What's the best thing to do if I skip HHD unit's 1&2 and directly do 3&4? Will I still have a chance of getting a 45+ study score?

                            Sorry to bombard you with questions, but any advice would be appreciated!

                            Thanks in advance 🙂)

                              7 days later

                              Study-Hard Hey, @Study-Hard! I'm really sorry about the delayed reply; I was on placement, so wasn't checking in as frequently. My brief thoughts on your questions below:

                              Is it a good idea to do VCE HHD units 3&4 without doing unit 1&2?
                              That depends on a heap of different factors! I did HHD 3&4 without HHD 1&2, but not really by design - I picked up HHD 3&4 in Year 12 after changing my mind about my subjects. If it's a good idea or not really depends on your other options, your interests, and lots of different other things, but based on what you've said, it sounds like a solid idea to me.

                              Will it disadvantage me in some aspects?
                              This was one of my biggest hesitations before starting HHD 3&4. Honestly, I didn't really feel at all disadvantaged. I'm not 100% sure if this has changed (best to check the study designs for 1&2 and 3&4), but there wasn't too much overlap between the two. From what I can tell, HHD 1&2 gave a decent foundation for HHD-type thinking, but not as much in terms of actual content - maybe just a little bit of terminology, which was pretty easy to pick up.

                              I assume that things are similar now, and that you wouldn't be at much of a disadvantage, but keep in mind that my experiences were 10+ years ago.

                              You mentioned you got a 50 in HHD, so any tips, tricks, or advice on that?
                              I'll copy and paste some tips I wrote on a thread on the (now-archived) forums. The caveat is that it's now outdated, but I think some of the tips would probably still hold. My main advice, though, is to start early - particularly if you're unsure about picking up Units 3&4 from scratch. I found that the sooner I got into application stuff (so applying content I was learning from the textbook/class to practice questions), the sooner I developed the skill of answering questions specifically in HHD.

                              1. Theory
                                We have established that Health is, at least from my experience, fairly content-heavy. As such, taking good notes is important. I didn’t have any close friends in my class (it’s okay, don’t feel bad), and I was thankful for that – it gave me an opportunity to really focus. Taking clear notes during class will save you a bundle of time later on, meaning that a) you don’t need to catch up on content before the exam; b) you don’t need to re-write your notes to make them legible; and c) you can focus on the jewel of all study techniques: practice exams.

                              2. General revision
                                Ideally, by this point, you would have some kind of idea as to how you most effectively learn. But if you don’t (and don’t worry if you don’t), perhaps it’s time to start trying a few things (especially if you’re not going into Year 12 next year – the earlier you get that understanding, the easier you will learn in the future). I used a heap of study techniques during VCE, and I think this kept me from losing motivation. For example, I: did practice questions, both writing and speaking my responses; used rote learning for definitions; colour co-ordinated my notes; summarised paragraphs from the textbook into single sentences; turned content into songs and poems; related as much of the content as I could to other passions (primarily sport); taught family members (or, if unavailable, pets); made posters; used drawings to represent major concepts; and so on. There is no limit on creative ways in which you can study, and that really mixes things up nicely.

                              3. Definitions
                                More specifically, Health encompasses quite a few definitions. By the end of the year, there are certainly many that you will need to know, preferably word-for-word, for the exam. Another modified cliché may be relevant here: a definition a day keeps the big, bad assessors away. By focusing on one or two definitions each day during the year, you will build your repertoire to the point that the overwhelming number of definitions needed is, well, no longer overwhelming.

                              4. SACs/exam
                                General techniques for SACs and exams apply to Health as much as any other subject. Imagine that you are marking your own exam. You don’t want to have to trawl through responses to find the key points. As such, try to make it as easy as possible for whoever it is marking your exam to give you marks. Underline what you are defining, highlight key points, use names and statistics given in case studies in your responses, and do whatever else you can to show that you are directly answering each question.

                              5. Use your resources
                                As I briefly mentioned earlier, Checkpoints is a great resource for SAC and exam revision; it has quality practice questions for each Area of Study and (I think) comes with sample responses, too. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or clarify concepts in class. When exam time came around, I liked to use the study design for each of my subjects. By taking each dot point, and trying to write as much as I could about that point, I a) revised content, practising how to explain concepts concisely and effectively; or b) worked out what I needed to study further. Very nifty and grouse.

                              I'm really struggling to choose my subject. Its either HHD or further. I've been doing Advance maths for 2 years now, so all my teachers recommend that I should do Further maths, but at the same time, I don't really like maths, and I feel more confident in HHD (not done it before) But I'm not too sure.
                              What I'm hearing is that you don't like maths, and that you feel more confident in HHD. There are other things to consider (like what you want to do after school, if you need specific pre-reqs for uni etc.), but on the face of that information alone, it seems like a pretty clear decision to me.

                              What's the best thing to do if I skip HHD unit's 1&2 and directly do 3&4? Will I still have a chance of getting a 45+ study score?
                              You sure can - I'm living proof of that!

                              Sorry to bombard you with questions, but any advice would be appreciated!
                              No problem at all, and apologies again for the delay. Please feel free to ask any other questions if you have them! 🙂

                                  Joseph41

                                  Thank you so much for the advice and response and for taking time out from a busy life. It really helps. ☺️

                                    4 months later

                                    I was also wondering if u guys could tell me anything abt the material on the quantitative and maths test. I have a ton of pressure and expectations from other ppl to pass this exam but i cant seem to find the topics i should work on. Also if u can share any writing, verbal reasoning or reading comprehension tips and question types that would be great. i hope someone replies soon as im quite stressed and on a tight time frame. Ty

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