Saleha’s Hacks: How I achieved 3 State Ranks and an ATAR of 99.85

Is the HSC quickly creeping up on you? Do you feel like you should be working more efficiently? Matrix alumnus and Baulkham Hills graduate, Saleha Sehgol, shows us how she achieved 3 State Ranks and a 99.85 ATAR.

Me, Myself and I

Name:

Saleha Sehgol

School:

Baulkham Hills High School

ATAR:

99.85

University Course:

Doctor of Medicine.

I am taking a gap year in 2019. After achieving the milestones of the HSC and getting into my dream course, taking a gap year will allow me to take a much needed breather, travel, volunteer and work before embarking on full time study!

My 3 hacks for how I  achieved 3 state ranks and a 99.85 ATAR

I placed 2nd in NSW for English Extension, 6th in NSW for Legal Studies and 13th in NSW for English Advanced.

English

English has been one of my favourite subjects and I have always had a passion for writing.

I find it fascinating that we can unveil big ideas from literary texts, especially texts that may seem too distant or archaic at first glance. This was one of the reasons why I picked up the Extension unit.

Legal studies

I loved Legal Studies because it allowed me to interpret the world through a different lens that was otherwise not offered by my subjects.

I found it to be very rewarding, as I was able to critique sociopolitical issues that we are tackling today.

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Hack #1: Choose your subjects wisely

When it comes to selecting subjects, I’m a big believer in going for subjects which you not only excel in, but also those which you enjoy.

This will make you be more inclined to go the extra mile.

After shortlisting the subjects I was going to choose from for the HSC, I found that I was stuck between opting for Legal Studies and other subjects.

In situations like these, I recommend doing your homework.

For me, I:

• Talked to different senior teachers
• Read through a few classroom textbooks
• Discussed my questions with past students

This gave me valuable and realistic insight into what would be involved in each subject.

The course for Legal Studies intrigued me, but choosing it was a bit of a risk due to the fact that I wasn’t planning on pursuing a career in Law.

Nonetheless, I worked hard, took up every bit of guidance that my teachers provided… and I ended up coming 6th in the State!

Hack #2: Use your holidays

The 2 weeks in the school holidays, as well as the long break before the commencement of the year, offer you plenty of time to get ahead.

I found that preparing for primarily content heavy subjects, such as Maths, the Sciences and the Humanities, was especially advantageous.

Step 1: Gain a thorough understanding

Aim to gain a thorough understanding of the concepts you will be covering in the upcoming term in your holidays.

This should include reading through textbooks. I had a few of my own copies for each subject to annotate.

Then, consolidate your content with reliable online sources.

For example, I found that watching videos visually cemented complex processes for Biology.

Step 2: Craft solid notes

You should then craft a solid set of notes before school begins.

To know if you’re at this stage, see if you can explain the information in basic terminology.

For me, if I could break it all down to a point where my little nephews could understand, I knew I grasped the concept!

This way, once school resumes you can:

• Iron out any difficult-to-understand areas with your teacher
• Be more receptive in class
• Have ample time to hone in on practice exam questions and upcoming assessments.

Hack #3: Sincerity

Just the thought of the arduous preparation required by the HSC can seem off-putting.

However, one bit of advice that I received at the beginning of this infamous journey was that the HSC is the sum of little bits and pieces.

As a student, it’s important to be sincere with the time and study you put in.

Before I began Year 12, I made it my mission to be able to look in the mirror at the end of the HSC and say ‘I sincerely did everything I could (within limits of course) without having regrets‘.

Thankfully, all those “little bits and pieces” paid off!

Tips to ace English

My number one piece of advice for English is to start drafting essays and pieces of writing early.

Step 1: Rubric

Firstly, ensure that you deeply understand the rubric for each Module.

Decipher what world-views and skills the rubric for each Module is focusing on.

Try to understand the key terms and ensure that you have a solid grasp of their implications, taking care to clarify any terms you’re not familiar with with your teacher/mentor.

Once you’re familiar with the rubric, make extensive notes on your text(s).

It’s important to not only have dense textual analysis but to also include the composer’s purpose, character arcs, the text’s form and genre, and relevant contextual paradigms.

Step 2: Write essay using practice questions

Once you have a foundational grasp of the text and rubric, start developing body paragraphs and essays for your text(s) using practice essay questions.

I personally focused on constructing arguments that were strong and complex, yet simplistic in language.

This helped me ensure that I didn’t sacrifice clarity for sophistication.

After the foundations were set, I would then polish up my terminology and cohesion. This stage would take me a week or two, so it was vital I started early!

Step 3: Feedback & edit

I advise handing these in to your class teacher or tutor for feedback.

It’s important to note that the first draft will almost never be your best work, but it’s equally as important to use the feedback and refine your work accordingly.

Step 4: Practice, practice & practice!

Repeat these steps and practice with a vast array of questions, especially enigmatic ones.

Over time, you should aim to aim to have a strong bank of malleable material consisting of analysis and context.

This process was crucial in fostering my holistic understanding of my literary texts and each HSC Module.

As such, this process helped me immensely as the new HSC English Syllabus is gearing towards eliminating pre-prepared responses.

Day to Day Routine

Tip #1: Use a master list

The sheer volume of the HSC workload can seem daunting to say the least.

To organise my time, I essentially made a Master List of everything that needed to be done for each subject.

This freed up space in my head and allowed me prioritise study in my daily to-do list.

It also helped me maintain a balance between preparing for tasks that were more immediate (such as homework), and long term tasks (such as end of term assessments and the HSC examinations).

Tip #2: Relax & unwind

Preparing for the HSC can seem like a long slog but I firmly believe in having a balance.

Each day, I always carved out time for myself to relax and unwind completely.

For me, this included:

• Working out
• Involving myself in extra curricular and sporting activities in the school community
• Meeting up with friends
• Seeing my nephews
• Simply giving myself 30 to 40 minutes to watch my favourite TV show when eating dinner

This way, I felt refreshed when it came time to studying again and was able to do so without distractions.

You got this! Remember, the HSC is just the sum of little bits and pieces.