Jesse’s weekly hsc message 19 May

May 19, 2023

There are lots of assessment tasks happening at the moment as the schools race to get through the content before the end of this school term for Year 12 students. In my 15 years of guiding students to the top of Mount HSC I have always found this stage of the journey to be the most challenging due to the high pace of content delivery, final assessments before Trial exams and everything else that is happening in a teenagers life. 

As of today Trial Exams begin in 73 days for most of our students (for everyone else they are 80 days away). This week we have been asking students how quickly a week goes for them and everyone has been able to acknowledge that each week is flying by. Students have just over 10 of those weeks to whizz by before they are walking into their first Trial Exam. 

It’s obviously critical that students focus on their current assessment tasks but we are determined to ensure that some revision of completed topics is completed each day to significantly reduce the chances of students being overwhelmed with the volume of content that will be examined in the Trial exams. With as little as 10-15 minutes of revision (active recall/memory based tasks) per day on completed topics students will be in a much stronger position in 5 or 6 weeks time when the serious exam training begins. 
In our sessions we are allocating 10 – 15 minutes of every session to these revision tasks (quote write outs and syllabus mind maps) to build stronger habits and even if this is the only revision a student is doing, at least they are making some progress towards being ready for the Trial exam room. It all helps.
 
For our Year 11 students, the same principles apply. Yearly exams will be immediately after the Trials and will examine all topics covered (although English, Modern History and Ancient normally don’t examine all topics). With this in mind the revision process needs to be ongoing rather than it being months since a topic has been looked at.
  
This week we announced some ‘Get Ready for your Trials’ workshops for each campus late June. This is a members only event with limited places in each campus. We will be running a virtual session with the same content which won’t have a limit on numbers so if you miss out on the session on campus there will always be the virtual zoom option. 
For those looking for regular motivation delivered to your instagram feed I’ve started a new Instagram account focused purely on motivation and getting students to finish their HSC with no regrets. It’s great to see some parents more following as well. The instagram account is  @hsc_jesseg if you wanted to follow. 

Jesse GardinerHead Performance Coach

“Let’s Talk About the HSC”

The ultimate podcast for students and parents navigating the journey of the HSC. Presented by HSC CoWorks, each episode dives into the challenges and triumphs of the HSC experience, offering expert advice, study tips, and insights into achieving academic success.

Whether you’re preparing for exams, managing stress, or looking for ways to stay motivated, this podcast is your go-to guide for all things HSC. Join us as we chat with educators, students, and professionals to help you thrive during this important academic milestone!

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🔥 FINAL HSC STUDY BOOTCAMP
Finish your HSC campaign with zero regrets, knowing you gave it everything you had.
Our final Study Bootcamp of the year is all about making those last few weeks count.
🔥 Boost your productivity with focused, structured exam training.
💡 Stay motivated alongside other students pushing towards their goals.
✅ Get exam ready with unseen questions, practice under pressure and accountability to tackle those ‘frog’ subjects and tasks you’d rather avoid!
⏰ Four focused hours each day, supported by HSC CoWorks coaches who know what it takes to navigate the final stages of the HSC.
📅 Monday 28 September - Friday 2 October (ALMOST FULL) and Tuesday 6 October - Friday 9 October
⏰ 10am–2pm
📍Balgowlah, Bondi Jct, Chatswood, Mosman
For most Year 12 students, Trial Exams are officially behind you! 🎉 Take a few days to switch off, reset and enjoy the feeling of having made it through!
Then it’s time to turn your attention to the final stretch. Trials aren’t meant to be perfect. They’re exactly what the name suggests, a trial run for the real thing.
So embrace the mistakes. Look closely at where marks were lost. Get feedback. Work out what needs to change and adjust your approach.
The next few weeks aren’t about starting again. They’re about refining, improving and building confidence from everything you’ve already done.
You’ve come this far. You’ve got this. 💪
#HSC2026 #HSCTrials #HSCStudy #Year12 #HSCTips
Celebrating 30 years of HSC CoWorks! 💫 
In 1996, @fergusgardiner started working with a small group of HSC students in Bondi Junction. His ability to inspire a genuine passion for learning particularly in English quickly saw that small group grow through word of mouth. 
Fergus’ wife @carollgardiner alongside their son @jesseperformancecoach and his wife @sarahgards7 joined the business as it grew, helping to establish campuses in Mosman, Chatswood, Lindfield, Dee Why and Balgowlah. Jesse and Sarah now lead the organisation alongside an incredible team of more than 100 coaches, markers, teachers, an amazing Head Office and Web Development team, and also Emily and Nick who joined our team this year. There have been plenty of ups and downs, milestones, obstacles and lessons along the way, and HSC CoWorks wouldn’t be where it is today without the incredible people who have been part of it over the years.
And to every student who has walked through our doors and every parent who has trusted us to play a part in their child’s education, THANK YOU. Your support and trust over the past 30 years means more to us than we can say. We are so grateful to have worked with your child during the most important stage of their schooling career and thank you for championing our program as we strive to support young people develop the skills, habits and mindset that will support them long after their HSC.
And of course to our own family, especially our three children who put up with having both parents in the business and many weekends and evenings spent around the dinner table building new ideas, solving problems, packing study toolkits and everything in between!
We’re incredibly proud of what has been built over the past three decades, but even more excited about what comes next.
Thank you,
Jesse, Sarah, Fergus & Carol Gardiner
The HSC matters. But what students build along the way matters even more.
The HSC year is your training ground for life.. where you can develop skills like how to plan ahead, take ownership, tackle challenges, respond to feedback and perform under pressure.
These aren’t just skills for getting through Year 12. They’re the skills, mindset and habits that you will take with you into university, work and whatever comes next.
At HSC CoWorks, our role is to provide the structure, support, coaching and accountability that helps students develop these capabilities, while working towards their HSC goals.
#hsccoworks #hsc2026 #hsc2027 #hscstudyskills #hscmotivation