Our Blog
Let’s talk about the HSC Podcast: Modern History
The importance of Modern History ... and why students struggle with essay writing. In this episode, HSC CoWorks Founder and HSC Modern History Teacher, Fergus Gardiner discusses the importance of Modern History and the challenges students face in essay writing. Fergus emphasises the need to understand the interconnection between different factors and events in history and how they evolve over time and strategies for essay writing. Fergus also highlights the value of using historian quotes in...
Your HSC Success Story
You have everything you need to create your very own HSC Success Story. When we look around at those who are achieving the success which we want for ourselves, it is easy to fall into the trap of attributing those people as having 'super powers' i.e. they are smarter,...
R U OK DAY
Hi, my name is Portia Gooch, and I am a Senior Coach at HSC CoWorks in Bondi Junction and Regional Ambassador for the HSC CoWorks’ Virtual Campus. However, in my time outside of the office, I am also a psychology student and a youth mental health worker with a passion...
Beware of the Post HSC Trials Slump…
With many students mid HSC Trials right now, we wanted to discuss a very common obstacle that students tend to face in a couple of weeks: the post-trials slump. Yes it’s a real thing! After (hopefully) working very hard in the lead-up to trials, and an intensive exam...
How to stay ‘Gritty’ post Trials
The key to staying gritty through the post-trials period comes back to our first and most important student key behaviour ‘Engage your vision’. No student wants to re-work an English essay or complete another Maths past paper. However everyone wants the benefits of...
Streaks
Today’s the 11th year in a row of daily posts on this blog. Nearly 5,000,000 words since my first post twenty years ago, and I haven’t missed a day (given some time-zone wiggle room) since 2008. Streaks are their own reward. Streaks create internal pressure that keeps...
Daily practice makes perfect. Daily rituals to support.
Before we introduce the daily rituals, let's just do a quick recap of the number of hours a typical HSC student's day to highlight the importance of planning out each of these precious hours. 9 hours for sleep 7 hours for school 1 hour for travel time 3 hours...
The 6 skills required for HSC success
Here at HSC CoWorks we live and breathe our Key Behaviours no matter our role in the company and whether we are studying or not. Why? Because these 6 behaviours when understood and adopted are a game changer no matter our task or path. Let us ask you a question. How...
Your Brain’s Influence On Study Habits and Exam Performance
Avoiding the tasks you need to do? Procrastinating after working for only 5 minutes? Difficulty in trying & implementing new study strategies? These are all very common issues and complaints occur for all of us from one time or another. Learning...
So what is grit and why is it one of the key ingredients for success?
Have you ever stopped to wonder what sets truly successful people apart from the rest? When contemplating those key people with their stand out vision, drive and success, what was it that gave them the edge? People such as Elon Musk who has started building rocket...
TIME MANAGEMENT AND THE ART OF PLANNING
Whether you’re feeling stressed, anxious or itching to get it over with, take a moment to acknowledge the journey you’ve taken to get to this point. Now, let’s get down to business. Time management can be your ultimate best friend throughout your study time and exam...
Understanding the HSC journey
My teacher is no good. I can’t write essays. I have too much homework. You don’t understand how hard this is. If this is sounding all too familiar to you, then it’s likely you have a child sitting the HSC in the next 2 years. Don’t worry… you are not alone. As a...
How the Student Key Behaviours create effective study habits for any student
At CoWorks we know that if the student key behaviours are in place, everything else will take care of itself. If a student thinks they can achieve a great HSC result without applying the key behaviours it will be difficult to make progress. Let's go through each...
Why ‘school notes’ don’t work
While notes are an extremely well-intentioned action which a student is taking towards achieving their dream HSC result there is very little progress being made towards this goal by merely taking 'notes'. Having the most comprehensive, colour coded, well organised...
Are you frustrated with your child’s lack of engagement in the HSC?
Are you worried that your child is not putting in the necessary study time given that there are only around 175 days to go until the HSC exams begin? Do they appear to be disengaged and 'over it'? The fact that there are less than 6 months...
How to utilise the Easter Holidays as a Year 11 or 12 student
While it is important that students have a break from their studies and recharge the batteries, it would be remiss of us not to point out the opportunity that lies ahead. 2 weeks of no school, no sport, and many many hours of free time to prepare for the term ahead....
Teach a man to fish…
Students will sometimes ask our Coaching team; "what do you think?", "how would you write it?", "what words would you use?". This is quite a natural request from a teenager who in many other aspects of their life is granted the gift of instant gratification. Not sure...
Dee Why campus has launched!
We were thrilled to open the doors to our newest campus in Dee Why on the Northern Beaches this week! Managing Director, Jesse Gardiner and his wife live on the Northern Beaches with their 2 kids and opening a campus in their home-town has been a project almost 2...
Why the HSC is about much more than an ATAR
Whilst the HSC examinations could be seen by some to be an 'unfair' testing system or an obstacle getting in the way of the 'excitement' of your last year of school, we see it as a fantastic opportunity to develop the skills which you will need for the next stage of...
Why your child does not need more content!
Before the internet age, intelligence was measured by the ability to acquire, understand, and apply knowledge. Now that this knowledge is so easily accessible, students are rewarded for their ability to go above and beyond - by being able to critically analyse and...
Does your child have the right mindset?
Have you ever heard any of the following from your child? “I’m just bad at maths” “I’m not smart” “The way the school teaches things doesn’t work for me” “My brain doesn’t work that way” "I can't write essays" If you’re nodding, then your child is falling victim to...
