HSC Tutoring Study Guide: Maximising your HSC Study Time.

In this study guide, we look into how students can maximise their study time for the HSC. It is helpful for those who are attending HSC tutoring as well as people who are self-studying.

Establish Specific Objectives

Setting specific objectives for yourself is one of the most essential things you can do to make the most of your study time. Take some time before you start studying to consider what you want to achieve. Are you preparing for a HSC trial exam? If so, past papers is crucial! Is it revising a specific topic? Maybe revising HSC course material/notes is more relevant.

Organise Your Tasks

Prioritising your duties is another crucial method for getting the most of your study time. Make a list of everything you need to do and rate them in order of priority. This will help you remain focused and guarantee that your time is spent on the most important things.

You don’t want to end your study session on focusing on something completely irrelevant/different that you may not need to revise for.

Divide Large Tasks

If you have a major assignment to perform, such as writing an essay or preparing for a final test, breaking it down into smaller, more achievable activities might be beneficial. This will make the process seem less daunting and will assist you in remaining motivated as you work towards your objective.

For example, if you're writing an essay you may divide the process into smaller steps such as researching, planning, drafting, and rewriting. Similarly, if you're preparing for a final exam, you may divide the process into smaller activities such as reading material, practising problems, and taking practise exams.

Utilise Memory Aids

Memory aides may be quite beneficial when it comes to learning and remembering knowledge. Memory aids come in numerous forms, including mnemonics, acronyms, and visual aids.

If you want to recall the steps in naming a chemical in HSC chemistry, you may use a mnemonic like "Y,E,A" or “3 , 2 , 1” Each word symbolises the initial letter of priority (alkyne (triple bond), alkene (double bond), alkane (single bond))

Activate More Than 1 Sense!

Using several modalities has been found in studies to boost learning and retention. When learning, strive to use all of your senses by reading, hearing, and writing.

If you're preparing for a history test, for example, you may read your textbook, listen to a recording on the topic, and take notes as you go. You will recall more knowledge if you engage many senses when learning.

Put Yourself to the Test

Testing oneself is another great approach for increasing learning and retention. This might help you find areas of study where you should concentrate your efforts and reinforce what you've previously learned.

If you're preparing for a biology test, for example, you might make flashcards with crucial phrases and ideas and quiz yourself on them on a regular basis. If you're learning a foreign language, you may use a language-learning app that assesses your vocabulary and grammatical understanding.

Request Feedback

Receiving comments from others may be quite beneficial while attempting to learn and grow. If you're studying in a group, get comments on your comprehension of the content. If you're working on a project, request that your teacher or a peer assess it and give comments.

We have a student community over at our HSC Discord Server where we can talk to other students who are also sitting the HSC exam at the same time as you. Join the community today!

Utilise Visualisation

Visualisation may be a very effective method for increasing learning and performance.

When studying, there are numerous methods to employ visualisations:

Mind maps are diagrams that are used to visually organise knowledge. They may be used to divide large subjects into smaller, more understandable chunks. Mind maps are excellent for brainstorming, taking notes, and summarising information. You may make your mind maps more interesting and memorable by using various colours and symbols.

Flowcharts: These are diagrams that show the stages in a process. They may be used to comprehend how various components of a system or process interact with one another. Flowcharts are used for visualising cause and effect connections in HSC biology, chemistry, physics, and engineering.

Infographics are a sort of visual material that conveys information in an attractive manner. They are excellent at summarising difficult information and engaging the reader.

Diagrams are graphical representations of information. They may be used to simplify complicated issues and make them more understandable. A diagram, for example, may be used to investigate the various components of a system.

Celebrate Your Progress

Recognise tiny triumphs along the road, such as finishing a difficult project or getting a good mark on a test. This will keep you motivated and inspired as you go through your academic career. You can do this on Conquer HSC’s Discord Server!