Over the weekend I saw the latest Matt Damon movie, The Martian, and the whole 2hrs and 40 minutes I couldn’t stop relating the scenes from Earth and Mars to our students and their HSC campaigns.

Without ruining the story, the movie is a Hollywood blockbuster that demonstrates the power of solving problems around Physics, Maths, Chemistry and Biology. The scientists, mostly aged in their early twenties who are solving these problems are dressed as if they are working at a Silicon Valley looking very cool in jeans and tshirts and by the end of the movie I found myself wanting to be one of those cool problem solvers. I especially liked how despite the seemingly insurmountable challenges, the characters in the movie maintained a solution focus which opened up the possibilities of solutions. Whether we work at NASA or we are doing the HSC, if we give up on a solution it’s a guarantee that we won’t be able to solve the problem. 

So how does “The Martian” relate to your HSC? Increasingly the value you offer to future employers or society (if you choose the entrepreneur route) is directly correlated to how well you can think and solve problems. In the HSC year there are a smorgasboard of problems to solve and the better you become at solving these problems, the stronger your final result. 

No doubt the problems you encounter with your Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology are tough, but if you are able to get into the habit believing that there is a solution and collaborate with the coaches at HSC CoWorks or your teacher at school you will be setting yourself up for the real world of solving exciting problems and challenges to overcome. 

If you’re a Maths, Physics, Chemistry or Biology student I would highly recommend this movie and even if you’re not it’s still a very entertaining movie. 4.5/5 stars from me.

Let me know what you think of it if you do see it.

Cheers,

Jesse Gardiner

Performance Coach @ HSC CoWorks