FH Just completed EI this year. It is a great subject, but the critical thinking test is horrid 
my year 12 vce journal!! (hope you enjoy the ride)
stevendort not what i wanted to hear T-T. what was your EI topic?
FH I did a ethical paradigmatic analysis of xenotransplantation through the perspective of some philosophers and medical codes. EI is the best subject that the VCAA offer, in my opinion. It is extremely rewarding and fun (if you are doing something you like of course) and it will immensely help you through university. Just as a tip, since you will inevitably face this issue towards the end of the year; you will be pulling your hair out about keeping under that small word count (trust me it sounds big, but it is crazy small). You just have to be extremely honest about yourself during the editing process and cut ANYTHING that does not relate to the question. It hurts to do as you've put so much effort into your paper, but you have to do it (I legit cut my paper down from 72 pages to 36).
stevendort ahh now you have made me worry (it’s ok i work better stressed). when in doubt i’ll just maybe throw everything into a table since they don’t go to the word count LMAO.
so glad i’ve met some EI peeps now i can get some extra help 
for any of the EI peeps who want to talk about EI, i made this to do so! might help future students down the road.
https://discussion.atarnotes.com/d/8717-extended-investigation-questions-for-past-and-current-students
FH No, don't worry. Every student in the state goes through the same cycle. You'll do well if you are really passionate about your project.
POST 2 - 22/12/2023
hi, again! i have wayyyy too much time on my hands because i literally updated here 3 days ago, buuutttt i’ve been productive in saying that so here’s update numero due (i almost failed italian both semesters in year 9 but ‘numero due’ sounded more fancy than ‘number two’)
i have done a fair amount of my holiday homework this week. almost finished my psychology homework, which is just research methods and skills which is extremely repetitive but it has to get done - i just have one lot of textbook questions to go. i technically didn’t have any homework for general maths, but when i went to buy some spare exercise books for my orientation classes in early november, i bought 10mm grid books for math instead of 5mm, so i’ve been in the process of, and actually completed, transferring all the work over to the 5mm books my friend bought for me because i am too lazy to leave the house! and then there is english. i went to the textbook store to buy my textbooks yesterday and they didn’t have either of the books we are studying (for reference, they are ‘we have always lived in the castle’ by shirley jackson and ‘oedipus the king’ my sophocles). they should be in within 10 working days EXCLUDING christmas and boxing day and new year’s day.
and then there is EI. to be honest, EI is just going to get its own paragraph at this point in time because it is so interesting and i do not regret choosing it (yet). i think i mentioned in my previous post that my topic i have found a huge gap in the literature for is sleep myths, so like misconceptions about sleep and how they might influence or impact teenagers. my teachers (there’s two of them) both seem to really enjoy the idea and see good potential, but i do need to define a lot of stuff because, as my teachers have put it to me, what is a “good nights sleep” and how is that scientifically defined. might go into the state library after the new year to do some work because i get distracted too easily at home. i also signed up to go watch top talks, which is (for non EI kids) the top EI oral presentations being presented to people at the state library, which is good for me because i’ve only seen final products in terms of the written report, not the oral presentation. for my topic however, the teachers want me (as it is mentioned in some of the literature i have read) to complete a delphi method style approach to identifying sleep misconceptions. a delphi method is basically getting scientific experts who specialise in the topic on research to identify (with support of scientific evidence of course) whether it is a myth or not. THEY WANT ME TO CONTACT EXPERTS. they said students have done so successfully but i am wayyyy too introverted to ever do something like that. self esteem levels - low!!
a mini-life update. i have never watched stranger things before, but i made the choice to start watching it. i was always like “i’m never going to conform to what people have to say about television shows, I WILL BE THE JUDGE OF WHAT IS AND ISN’T GOOD.” confession… it is super good. the moment i’m done writing this, i’m going to finish off season 1 (i have 3 episodes left.) i also applied at a nando’s store for work, because i absolutely love nando’s, but i’m not expecting to land the job to be honest.
anywho, christmas is three days out, so wishing everyone a very merry christmas, and due to the lack of excitement in my life, i will definitely be posting another update before the new year. bye for now!
g4rl1cg1rl with top talks, it's during a school day I DONT KNOW WHAT EXCUSE IMMA USE WITH MY SCHOOL SO I CAN GO T-T
14 days later
POST 3 - 05/01/24
hi, again! i haven’t put anything here in a week or so, and i’m really bored, so i figured to put up something here just to waste some time.
i’ve tried getting ahead in some subjects the last few days when i haven’t been out, which is boring as hell because i’m trying to bide some time until my book store orders my set texts for english (we have always lived in the castle for unit 3 and oedipus the king for unit 4). i started my general bound reference, which can be super tedious because i hate making mistakes and i get distracted super easily, so i’m always making mistakes. also been working on some psychology revision notes for the first half of AOS1 which we covered in orientation.
extended investigation has been a total bloodbath. i have done absolutely nothing. zero. i’m really lacking motivation, which is bad because you need it for this subject. i got an email from my teacher with some other homework (i haven’t really read it properly) but it is like 10 questions + article reading so i guess it isn’t too much considering school starts in 25 days.
i finished stranger things a week or so ago, and i’m really surprised i haven’t watched it earlier because it was super good. currently half way through all of us are dead, which i also regret not watching earlier. also got bored and ranked every taylor swift song here.
i might go on hiatus until school resumes, so thanks for reading!!
9 days later
one of the chosen texts for my literature class this year is medea and it genuinely looks so boring!!
OMG i was at opening night of paramore too! can't belive the pyros malfunctioned
i don't know that many high schoolers who like paramore cus its usually millenialsso its good to know you like them too!
FH I finished it quite quickly and it was very confusing and weird, but I've never really read gothic horror so there's that. I watched the movie on amazon prime too which helped a little bit but not much. It's very much based around Merricat's perspective so I guess that would be helpful to analyse but yeah. Websites like this can help: https://www.lindseyenglishtutoring.com/vce-resources/an-ultimate-guide-to-we-have-always-lived-in-the-castle
6 days later
POST 4 - 24/01/24
hi! i’ve been meaning to write some stuff here but my motivation levels have been 
and my procrastination levels 
. at least i know that’s where i have to fix before school starts next week. to be honest, i have really mixed emotions regarding school starting again. i’m excited because it’s my last year at high school and then i get to take a gap year before i start university. but in saying that, i’m also quite sad because it is going to involve a lot of “last’s.” last camp. last year in that environment. last everything really. i’ve been sitting on the idea of vlogging the last year, just to document the best and worst of year 12. and coming to think of it, it would be a really great idea, because i get to take my mind off school when i’m editing (my skills are really bad we won’t talk about that) and making a really nice video to remember my last year at school. it’s just a shame phones are banned at school, because then i could use my phone and have all my videos and photos there, but i guess a perk of having an ipad is that i can use that to record, even if logging an ipad around all day is a bit weird. at least i’ll get a reputation of ipad kid lmao.
i still haven’t finished reading ‘we have always lived in the castle’ for english. i’m on chapter 7 (out of 10) and it is really really boring. but i do have my own theories that i love to speculate on, perks of being a swiftie is that these skills are really good. like, charles is such a gold digger it is actually unbearable to see a man act like that, but to be honest, it’s more merricat who i love speculating about. especially after post-reddit surfing, i suspect even more now that merricat is a lesbian who is crushing on her sister. but that would make such a good point for analysis, because lesbian-ism (is that a word) is such a disapproved area of life that, in the 1960’s where this book is set, is highly disregarded amongst everyone. even though we are told that merricat is weird because she poisoned her family, maybe this crush towards her sister lead to her not wanting to kill her (i’m just insane but it /could/ work).
i finally made a start on my extended investigation (EI) work yesterday. i feel like i’m taking for granted the independence i have for this subject, and am yet to realise how much self-motivation i need in order to get work done. the most boring part of this subject is definitely the reading, but it has to be done, so i have to suck it up, but i can’t wait to start writing that 4000 word report. yes, you read that right… i am excited to write a 4000 word report. i’m not absurd, i just really really like writing and i feel like this will develop my skills and really benefit me. i’m still sticking with the topic of sleep myths, heading towards the research question of “how do sleep myths influence the amount of quality sleep in adolescents?” measuring quality sleep is difficult, because there’s a bunch of criteria which is hard to measure without fancy equipment like smartwatches, which most teenagers don’t have to help measure. and then there’s the sleep myths component that i am unsure how i’m going to incorporate alongside quality sleep, but i have until march 1st to submit a formal research question to vcaa.
in terms of my other three subjects - general math, business management, and psychology - i’ve been doing work to get ahead in those classes, just because there’s a lot of time in the first two weeks where class is going to be interrupted. and i have study camp on february 5 and 6, and dare i say, i really don’t want to go. it’s at unimelb and from what i heard, the food shouldn’t even be called that. i’m just going to ask mum to cook some rice and i’ll eat in my room at midnight T-T. people from other schools always rave about their study camps, and i just feel like either everyone in my school is extremely whiny or it really is bad. also, why do they call it study camp? when i was in year 7 and the study camp was brought up at assembly, i was like “how cruel is this school, they take kids on camp to make them study!?” but turns out it isn’t like that (thankfully).
anywho, i have my learners (for like 13 months) but i finally passed 50 hours of driving, which is super relieving because it’s a milestone, and if i drive to and from school, and a bit on the weekend, i’ll be able to build up my 120 hours. and i just googled, if i was in western australia, i would have enough to get my P-plate’s right now, because the amount is only 50 hours. south australia is 80 hours. and there is no amount in the northern territory, just confidence which is so unfair because i could be driving to school every day, instead having to walk an agonising 20 minutes (it isn’t that bad).
hopefully i stick to updating this thing as school starts, and thanks for reading if you made it this far. bye!!
10 days later
- Edited
POST 5 - 03/02/24
hI! i figured that since i woke up early for no good reason, and that i haven’t updated here for a while, that this is the perfect opportunity to do just that. i’m more of a morning person, but i don’t feel like doing work this morning.
not gonna lie, year 12 surprised me a tiny bit. the workload is a bit intense, and the homework is absurd, but i feel like that is the whole challenge of this year. it has also serves as a bit of a wake up call. i got an english response graded from my orientation last year and i got 44% - which i found quite shocking because i’ve gone from A’s to E’s. the teacher i had for orientation marks twice as hard as the vcaa examiners, so i’m not really stressed because the teacher i have this year is so sweet and is giving me extra help because she could tell i was devastated.
general maths and business management are just a breeze at this point, so i’m not stressing too hard. but my general teacher has already starting giving out practice exams for the first AOS and im actually quite confident if i get on top of my stupid mistakes, i have the possibility to get a 40+ for general. i refuse to get any lower than a 40+ for business management, because it’s incredibly easy.
psychology is also going well. i thought i did really bad on the nervous system functioning test i did during orientation, but i got a 72%, which i can deal with. i have a new teacher, and she is really really good. she’s the kind of teacher who tells us to watch edrolo videos before class, which i find really motivating because i can add to notes in class but i’m not fretting to jot every single word down.
and then there is extended investigation…
EI is just a living hell right now. my topic has hit a dead end and my teachers are trying their best to not discourage me because i was literally freaking out during our meeting on thursday. i just need to read a bunch more literature (not so fun) to see gaps. i still want to work with insomnia, but test something that isn’t known about the issue because at the end of the day, that’s what EI is about.
i feel that’s my biggest problem with every subject. i worry over the littlest of things and it turns out fine, but i don’t want to get so ahead of the curve that the curve becomes a sphere. because at the end of the day, i don’t want to be overly cocky and optimistic about year 12, because it is year 12 T-T.
anywho, next week we are going on study camp, which seems super lame, but i shouldn’t really judge because it has yet to happen. we are doing sport (ew), dancing (i lack skills), respectful relationships (i’m gonna be single forever tf) and we are going to watch a movie at hoyts, which lets be honest, i’m thrilled about. i looked at the times and i literally have my money on us watching mean girls, which would be hilarious.
i’ve also been obsessed with ted (that foul-mouthed teddy bear). there was a new series that came out and not gonna lie it was really good, and i thought it was going to flop. one thing i think you probably are getting from this post is that i am extremely judgemental, and i am, about everything other than humans. because i wouldn’t want anyone judging me, but i doubt a weed-smoking teddy bear from a tv show would care.
that’s all i guess, i gotta get myself motivated because i don’t have time during the week to do work because of camp. if anyone has ideas about stuff to research for EI, please please pleaseeeee help me out.
i’ll try keeping these updates weekly if i have time throughout the year.
until next time!!
6 days later
POST 6 - 09/02/24
hi! i am procrastinating (again) and thought to give a little update, now that i am TWO weeks in the midst of year 12. year 12 should come with a bright neon sign that flashes “HECTIC” over and over, because that is exactly what year 12 is right now.
i went on study camp monday and tuesday this week. it was fine. nothing amazing. the food was absolutely trash, which i expected, so i basically didn’t eat for two days!! the first day was reaaalllyyyy long. we did a bunch of lectures about study skills, and things relating to the new english study design, as well as a presentation from headspace where they (tried to) redefine VCE success, which lets be honest here, is to get the best ATAR you want. then we walked to melbourne central (we stayed at university college, so it’s a 30 minute walk but i could easily have done it in 20 lets be real). we watched argyle, which i would suggest 113%. i don’t rave over movies, and i am extremely critical, but this movie despite bordering cliches provided enough cliffhangers for me to be hooked for just over two hours. we got back to our cabins at midnight. the second day was also a bit boring. we had a respectful relationship and consent workshop, which is lucky for me because i am bound to spend my 20’s alone too. then we did a scavenger hunt at the university of melbourne, which i will admit, was super fun, and then did some letters which we wrote to ourselves and made our way home (i had my VSV class after that, free me).
the camp was $200, and we had varying qualities in cabins. mine was no different to a jail cell… a bed, cupboard, and SHARED toilets and showers which the doors didn’t lock. wasn’t for me. i stayed in my friends room that night, because she had a shower and bathroom all too herself. i was supposed to sleep on the floor, but i didn’t sleep at all that night (part phone addiction, part homesick). i was just roaming the campus at 5am because i couldn’t sleep. i didn’t get caught so that was good, because i really am not one to be breaking rules.
class has also been incredibly busy. starting with english, we have been working on the novel ‘we have always lived in the castle.’ this novel should be compared to watching grass grow… it is abysmally boring and surprised i finished it, but i’ve been using a lot of class time to do practice writing and improve from that undeserved 44% that still has my ego bruised. my english teacher is the best though. she cares for our individual learning needs, which i like considering i’m more of an advanced writer than other students (if you’re like “oh you write in all lowercase” it is because i despise capital letters but i write properly for my school work). i should be getting my practice SAC in two weeks which is scary, but hey it’s year 12, so why not throw in heaps of nerves.
general math has also been hectic. we did half a chapter (so 5 exercises roughly) in a 100 minute class, and have a progress test on tuesday. i’m not even sure if i’m going to have my bound reference finished, but it is what it is, because it doesn’t even go to my ATAR so i won’t be bothered by a crappy mark (i will be). my teacher is alright, a bit scrappy with the teaching, but gave us like 8 practice exams for us to do extra revision with if we want them.
business management is also going hectic. my teacher doesn’t let us take all the notes in class, so i find myself falling behind with my notes very quickly. she’s a really great teacher - i had her last year for business as well and finished on an A+, so i know she will definitely help me again this year. she is always talking me up, which i find a bit intimidating to be perceived at the best student in the class, but i’m getting acknowledged for my hard work which rarely happens at school.
and then there is psychology. psychology has been such a mess this week. i missed my double on monday because camp, and my double today because of a whole school assembly, so i only had a single period (50 minutes) on wednesday which we rushed a lot of content so we don’t fall behind. my teacher has been giving a lot of homework so we don’t fall behind, so it is a lot of textbook questions, edrolo videos, and self-paced note making that i do at home. really fun!!! (sarcasm for my people who have zero sarcasm detecting skills).
and then there is extended investigation. i changed my topic. and i’m really glad about starting something new. i read a fascinating article the other day about something called the ‘taylor swift effect’ (yes i am a swiftie and PROUD)(if you have tickets let me know). so basically ever since taylor has been dating travis kelce of the kansas city chiefs (NFL team), the NFL has seen a 17% increase in views for the sport. swifties would do anything to see taylor or be in the same space as her. and it got me thinking… how does pop culture influence involvement in sport? and i kept thinking (i know i am extremely annoying with my thoughts) that a lot of swifties are females, and have been getting engaged in sport. so i am working towards how pop culture influences the female involvement in sport. better than my previous topic. get to talk about taylor swift. it is literally a win win. my classes have been running overtime for EI which is crap because i left early because i was so tired because study camp, and i don’t want my teachers to think i am demotivated.
i haven’t had much ‘me’ time this week. school has been super dooper chaotic, so writing an update here is definitely a poor choice. i’m going to study after i hit post on this, so lucky me… i get to spend some quality time with my psychology books. doubt i’m going out this weekend, i need to catch up with work.
also, i’m not sure if you guys are aware, but sza is coming to melbourne, and i am so mad because it is on a school night, and not only that, but tickets are hella ridiculously priced, and i don’t want to spend $550 on two tickets because I DON’T HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY SAVED and it isn’t fair if i ask my parents for $550 to enjoy 2 hours of live music for an artist i like, but don’t obsess over.
anywho, stay safe everyone, and thanks to everyone who reads my stuff every week. i wonder what y’all are getting up to, so if you want to talk just reply!!
PS: i barely re-read this i don't care if there are spelling mistakes.