Hannah’s Hacks: How I’m Overcoming My Weaknesses to Ace Half Yearly Exams

Imagine getting great marks in your exams… Stop imagining and see how Matrix Scholarship Student, Hannah, is overcoming her weaknesses to ace her half yearly exams!

Me, Myself, and I

My name is Hannah Wang and I am currently in Year 11 (2022) at Tara Anglican School for Girls.

A little about me

Some of my interests include photography, baking and music. I enjoy playing the piano and flute, and am currently teaching myself to play the guitar. I also love reading, especially historical fiction whenever I have the time!

My subjects/Results

• English Extension
• Maths Extension
• Chemistry
• Physics
• Music 2

My school life

One of the ways I manage to take breaks to avoid burning myself out is to continue my involvement in various extracurriculars. I am part of a number of music ensembles at school including Senior Choir, Senior Concert Band, Flute Ensemble, Handbells and Chamber Music.

I also enjoy debating and public speaking. Every week, I participate in a science enrichment program called the Future Project, where we are working towards a synthetic biology project to present in the iGEM competition.

Though there is a lot on my plate, I’ve learnt how to balance my commitments with my study. I’ve also written a previous blog article on that topic, and you can check it out here: Managing Multiple Extracurricular Commitments & Successful Study.

My strengths

Maths

Truth be told, I hadn’t always enjoyed Maths. I didn’t fully appreciate its beauty until around Year 10. Now, it’s one of my favourite subjects as I enjoy learning the content and formulae, and then finding multiple ways to approach a question.

I also enjoy how it is usually easy to tell when I answered a question correctly, unlike other subjects. The revelation that comes with solving a maths problem becomes almost addictive, and we always appreciate how the multiple topics are so intricately related.

Chemistry

I also enjoy Chemistry. Though some people find it dry and rather arbitrary, I enjoy learning how Chemistry can be used to explain phenomena and how things work.

I also enjoy writing formulae. Like Maths, I think it can become therapeutic once you deeply understand the concepts. Additionally, I’ve always loved problems — namely, the process I take to find the solution.

A lot of Chemistry is problem-solving, and I find it immensely rewarding and satisfying,

My weaknesses

English!

If you asked me two years ago which subject I thought I would do best in, I would have said English. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same now. However, as I have identified my weakness, the next action is to take measured steps to increase my proficiency and confidence levels.

One way I am doing this is getting my teachers, at school and at Matrix, to give me feedback on whatever I am working on. This doesn’t stop after the assessment is over though. Once I’ve got my assessment results back, I find time to rewrite my essays/papers and hand them in again for feedback for next time.

One of the main things about English is knowing how to identify your weaknesses.

For some people it may be analysis, others struggle with structuring their ideas. I had always thought my analysis was the main issue.

However, after receiving feedback and attending one-on-one workshops at Matrix and at school, it was evident that my analysis was not the problem. Rather, it was the cohesiveness of my essay. I also needed to sharpen my argument and get straight to the point, as opposed to ‘waffling’.

How I’m Overcoming My Weaknesses to Ace Half Yearly Exams

I identify my weak topics in my preparation

For exam preparation, I start from the very beginning – the exam syllabus and notification. Often, the topics being tested are listed, and I write them all down.

By comparing my teacher’s notes, my own, and practice papers, I create a traffic light list:

• Red topics are ones I must study
• Yellow topics are medium priority
• Green topics are ones I could glance over if I had time as I was familiar already

However, for me, the crux of it is practice papers. I find I get more out of doing one practice paper than I do going over my notes 5 times. In conjunction with my FAIL book (which I will talk about below), the practice papers help me gain confidence and familiarize myself with the exam style.

I keep track of my practice and progress

Apart from the practice papers readily available from school or online, there are also some seemingly hidden gems. For example, my go-to, whenever I need clarification for Math, is Eddie Woo’s Youtube channel which has videos on almost anything related to the Math syllabus, and more!

Additionally, some of the best tips and advice I have ever received have been from those older than me. What’s better than getting it straight from the horse’s mouth?

Getting advice from seniors is definitely something you should consider doing, along with your regular exam prep.

To keep track of the past papers I’ve done, I have a past paper tracker where I log all the ones I completed. Also, on the front of each paper, I write the time taken and the percentage achieved.

I record my mistakes so I don’t make them again

A wise person once told me to start a FAIL book – First Attempt In Learning – where I store all the questions I had answered incorrectly. The name sounds quite depressing, but I find it inspiring and motivating when I flip through the pages, noting that I now understand questions I previously struggled with. I mainly use this technique for Mathematics, but of course, you can apply this to other subjects like Physics and Chemistry.

The reason keeping a FAIL book is so helpful is that in, for example, Mathematics, there are only a few basic questions that are presented in different forms. At the core of each question is a concept, or an extension of one that can be easily spotted if you know what to look for.

Once the questions you have done wrong are collated into your FAIL book, you will be able to identify trends in your knowledge, and the gaps that need urgent addressing.

A snippet of my FAIL book:

I give myself time to revise

I usually take Physics and Chemistry during the holidays accelerated, to learn the content and have time to muse over it before it is actually taught at school. Though there are definitely challenges, I believe the benefits far outweigh them.

The pace was my main challenge — especially with two holiday courses. It was indeed a feat to learn all the knowledge in four days, then get tested on the fifth day. But it was worth it because spending the remaining hours going over the materials helped me manage the workload.

I find the holiday courses helpful, especially for those who want to study during the holidays but have no idea where to start. Don’t worry — I get you. I felt the same way as well, overwhelmed and mildly confused.

However, the holiday courses helped me to continue making progress and tick off all the syllabus dot points to make room for extra study later on in the term.

3 things I wish I could’ve told myself before I started Year 11

1. A bad mark isn’t the end of the world.

It certainly feels very stupefying when you are handed back a result less than what you expected.

You start doubting your abilities and this can seriously impact your other assessments if you don’t manage your wellbeing correctly.

What I tell myself is that Year 11 is the time to make all the necessary mistakes. That way, you prevent them from reoccurring in Year 12.

Also, school, in general, is a process, delineated not by individual chunks but rather by a smooth line. However, this does not mean smooth sailing. There will be rough patches, but with each one, you learn more about yourself and build resilience.

2. Your routine isn’t set in stone (yet), so be open to change.

When I first started Year 11, I was adamant about finding a routine and sticking to it. Though it isn’t exactly a bad mindset, usually the first routine you develop is not the best one, as you learn more about your learning patterns and how you best prepare.

For example, I first set a study rhythm in Term 1. I followed it until it became obvious that English was my weakness, so I decided to devote time to study it every day. Additionally, sometimes fitting two priorities on the same day was hard due to my other commitments.

In response, I made sure to be realistic. Furthermore, I decided that Physics and Chemistry were best studied during the holidays or weekends and not during term time, so I scrapped prioritizing them during weekdays.

This is my old vs new rhythm:

Essentially, the moral of the story is that don’t be afraid of change. Year 11 is the time to experiment and prepare yourself so you can perform to your best in Year 12.

3. Make sure you maintain perspective.

As the HSC looms, a year suddenly feels very, very soon. However, it’s important to ‘swim in your own lane’ and ‘keep your eyes on the prize’.

In my opinion, the HSC is a test of endurance rather than actual ‘smarts’.

Additionally, the actual HSC exam doesn’t make up your whole mark, as I’m sure you are aware of. This means you must maintain a consistent, balanced approach throughout the whole year. This ties back into the endurance part of it. You can do it!