Navigating the HSC Archives - HSC CoWorks

Jesse’s Weekly Message – 16 June

HSC CoWorks — Fri, 16 Jun 2023 06:30:35 +0000

Good morning everyone!

Another Friday rolls around and it’s now only 45 days until the Trial Exams start for most students. For other students it’s either 52 days or 59 days.

Last night we ran the first ‘Conquer your Trial Exams’ workshop in Bondi Junction and I asked students if they thought 46 days was a long time to which one student replied, ‘kind of is’. She is right until you look at everything that needs to be completed between now and July 31st. I then asked the same student a few slides later if she still felt 46 days is a long time and she replied with a strong no!

Given one week flies by so fast, six weeks is going to go very quickly and my key message to students last night was the need to get moving now rather than waiting until the final week of the school holidays when urgency sets in. Trying to prepare for the Trials between the 7th of July and the 31st of July (with two of those weeks back at school) will inevitably lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and underprepared for the demands of the exam papers.

Yes these are ‘trial’ exams however given they are weighted between 30% and 40% of the internal assessment (accounting for 50% of the final HSC result) this is one final opportunity to improve rankings which are a key determinant of the ATAR calculation. It also should be noted that the format/structure of the exam is already known (and matches the final HSC exams) so the only reason a student can’t move forward with their Trial Exam preparation would be that they have other assessment tasks still running before the end of term.

I have three more workshops coming up over the next fortnight and I encourage all HSC CoWorks students to attend so that they can be clear on how to apply the six key behaviours to their study, how to study more effectively, how to breakdown tasks and study time per module, how to stay laser focused on your goals… and so much more! Pizzas served at the end.

Have a great week everyone!

Jesse GardinerHead Performance Coach

Follow me on Instagram for motivation and tips for getting students to finish their HSC with no regrets @hsc_jesseg

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Jesse’s Weekly Message – 9 June

HSC CoWorks — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 01:38:32 +0000

Good morning everyone,

I hope you have all had a great week. The Trial Exams are now only 52 days away for most students (59 days for others).

The Trial Exams are the biggest internal assessment task and a significant challenge for even the most studious student given the breadth of content being examined. For students completing major works the next stage of climbing Mount HSC requires an even higher level of organisation and ruthlessness with your time management.

The good news is that we have 26 years of experience, supporting 1000’s of students successfully navigate their way through this period and our Student Key Behaviours provide the strategy and road map on how to get through this period and come out on top. By following the key behaviours, everything else will take care of itself.

Key Behaviour #1 – Engage your vision

Students need to be motivated, energised, focused and committed in the lead up to the trial exams and if they consistently Engage their Vision they will remained motivated, energised, focused and committed while also minimising procrastination and distraction.

Key Behaviour #2 – Plan

Being organised is obviously important and without consistent planning to make the most out of our limited time it’s inevitable we will be inefficient, ineffective and likely overwhelmed due to lack of progress. We recommend all students use the CoWorks planning pad each day to identify their frog tasks (tasks they don’t want to do) and break tasks into smaller chunks.

Key Behaviour #3 – Train.Daily

To be prepared for the exam room we need to have high levels of certainty around the foundational content that make up each topic across all subjects. The goal is to get the brain fired and wired through memory based (active recall) tasks each and every day which builds strong momentum towards being able to push our comfort zone. Vagueness and uncertainty around the subject matter will prevent a student moving into the next three key behaviours.

Key Behaviour #4 – Push your comfort zone

The only way to improve our skills and capabilities is to push outside our comfort zone until walking into the exam room is within our comfort zone. Completing ‘notes’ is the biggest comfort zone task there is and can form a type of glorified procrastination leading to a student being overwhelmed and anxious in the days leading into the exam as they will then realise they are not appropriately prepared.

Key Behaviour #5 – Grit

Students who achieve great results in the Trial Exams have made endless mistakes in their preparation which is how they have learned to deal with whatever question is in front of them. Submit, Submit, Submit! Challenge Feed Questions, Practice Essays, SAQs… whether you think you’re ready to or not, you absolutely must submit practice work to the markers for feedback to ensure you are on the right path with each topic. A mark of 10/20 is not a disappointment. It is a step forward to the 15,18, 19/20 that you are aiming for. Setbacks, failure, mistakes, obstacles and challenges are critical ingredients to success.

Key Behaviour #6 – Own it!

There is only one person who can create great Trial Exam results and that of course is the student. By taking full responsibility for our own results and outcomes we are in control of the process. If we don’t take full responsibility it is inevitable that blame and excuses will enter our game and I’m sure we can all agree that blame and excuses don’t create great results.

For our Year 11 students these exact same key behaviours apply and the more they can be developed across the next 123 days before Year 12 begins, the stronger the start to the journey to the top of Mount HSC. With the challenges of current assessment tasks and yearly exams half way through next term now is the time to apply the key behaviours.

For our Year 12 students we are running Pre-Trials workshops later this month on campus and virtually to ensure students are clear on how they can apply the Key Behaviours and finish their HSC with no regrets. I have also made myself available for motivation/mindset catch ups with students between 8:30pm and 9:30pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings going forward. These calls can be booked via the student/parent portal and run for around 30 minutes.

Jesse GardinerHead Performance Coach

Follow me on Instagram for motivation and tips for getting students to finish their HSC with no regrets @hsc_jesseg

Burpees Challenge

I’ll be walking side by side students and doing something every single day that I don’t want to do between now and the Trial Exams (July 31) by doing over 20,000 burpees. 300 per day and 500 on Fridays.

I’m not going to write practice essays, write out syllabus mind maps from memory, or do endless practice exam questions but I’ll do the burpees! As of today I’m up to 7,360 so only 12,640 to go. You can follow my journey on my instagram account @hsc_jesseg.

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10 Tips for HSC Exam Preparation

HSC CoWorks — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 05:35:19 +0000

The HSC exams are the most important tests a NSW student will take during their schooling career, and proper preparation is crucial for success.

Here are ten tips to help you prepare effectively for your HSC exams:

Start early

It goes without saying that you shouldn’t wait until the last minute to start studying however sometimes this is easier said than done. In Year 12, students have many competing interests – from sport to music, jobs, learning to drive, 18th birthdays, dating, and so much more! Rather than these being good excuses for being underprepared, they are even more reason to begin preparing for your HSC exams several weeks or months in advance to give yourself enough time to cover all the material.

Create a study schedule

Develop a study schedule that covers all the topics you need to know for your exams. Break down your study sessions into manageable chunks, and keep track of your progress. At HSC CoWorks we love planning! Every HSC Student has the same number of hours to prepare for their exams. It is the student who is most effective with their time management and study schedule that will achieve their full potential.

Practice questions

Regularly practice answering past exam questions. This will help you become more familiar with the format of the exam and give you a sense of the types of questions you can expect.

Practice exams

Take practice exams under exam conditions to simulate the real exam experience. This will help you build stamina and test-taking skills. Remember that exam conditions means exam conditions! Put your notes away, set the timer and hand write your responses.

Get feedback

At HSC CoWorks students can submit their practice exams and responses to experienced HSC Markers for feedback. Otherwise, ask your teachers and use this feedback to identify areas where you need to improve and adjust your study plan accordingly.

Answer the question

This is one of the biggest mistakes students make when sitting an exam. Rather than reading and answering the question, you rush to write down everything you know about the topic! Make sure you understand what the question is asking before you begin answering. Read the instructions carefully and underline key phrases or words.

Time management

Manage your time effectively during the exam. Allocate a set amount of time for each question and stick to it. Don’t spend too much time on any one question, and make sure you leave enough time to review your answers before submitting.

Mindset

Maintain a positive mindset throughout the exam period. Stay focused and calm, and don’t let stress or anxiety get the best of you. If you are prone to feeling overwhelmed ahead of exams, using these tips to stay organised and be prepared will help immensely.

Stay healthy

Get plenty of sleep, exercise regularly, and eat a healthy diet. Taking care of your physical health will help you stay focused and alert during the exam period.

Celebrate your achievements. Learn from your mistakes.

After each exam, take time to celebrate your achievements. Recognise the hard work and effort you’ve put in, and use this positivity to propel you forward through the rest of your exams. If you don’t achieve the result you were hoping for in your assessment task or trial exam, use the exam paper and feedback to understand where you went wrong and adapt your study schedule and approach for your final HSC exam preparation.

By following these ten tips, you’ll be well on your way to achieving success in your HSC exams. Remember to stay focused, stay positive, and give it your best effort!

Watch Head Performance Coach Jesse Gardiner’s video below on how to overcome HSC exam room stress and anxiety.

WATCH MORE OF JESSE’S VIDEOS

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Effective Note Taking Strategies for HSC students

HSC CoWorks — Tue, 06 Jun 2023 05:01:56 +0000

Effective note-taking is an essential skill for successful HSC students.

Whether in the classroom or at home, developing a system for taking and organising notes is crucial to exam preparation. Here are some tips for writing effective notes that will support you in preparing for the exam room.

Use a structured format

Organise your notes by topic and subtopic, using headings, bullet points, and numbered lists. This structure will make it easier to read and review your notes, helping you to remember and understand the material. Using tools such as mindmaps are a fantastic way to organise notes and create a ‘map’ for your brain to follow. Mindmaps also ensure that you keep your notes concise (see next tip).

Keep it simple

Use clear and concise language, abbreviations, acronyms and symbols to reduce clutter and make your notes easy to read and understand. Avoid copying long passages from textbooks and instead, summarise important points which are directly correlated to the subject’s syllabus dot points.

Focus on key concepts

Identify the most important concepts and ideas, and highlight them in your notes. These are the topics that are outlined in your subject’s syllabus document and are what you will be tested on, so make sure you have a clear understanding of them.

Test yourself!

It is very easy to get distracted when completing a task such as note-taking. To ensure that you are hard-wiring the information we recommend that you test yourself by covering your notes/mindmap and writing out as much as you can remember. It might not be much on your first attempt but keep at it and over time your brain will be able to recall more and more information.

Make sure that you have understood concepts, formula and topic notes by attempting practice questions as you go.

Review and Revise

Regularly review your notes, not just in the lead up to an exam. Identify areas where you may need additional clarification or practice, and revise your notes accordingly.

Effective note-taking requires practice and patience, but the benefits are worth it. By developing a system that works for you, you’ll be able to retain more information, better understand complex concepts, and prepare for your exams with confidence. Remember, effective note-taking is not just about capturing information; it’s about organising and reviewing that information to support your success in the exam room!

Good Luck!

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Jesse’s Weekly Message – 2 June 2023

HSC CoWorks — Sun, 04 Jun 2023 20:18:02 +0000

The mission of HSC CoWorks is to support students finish their HSC with no regrets. In order for a student to have no regrets, they are going to need to consistently do the tasks that they don’t want to do so they can continually expand their capabilities and develop the skills needed to perform at their full potential.

No one wants to do the tasks they don’t want to do in life, but we must be prepared to do these tasks if we want to achieve stronger results than most people. One of our favourite motivational quotes at CoWorks is ‘Today I will do the tasks that others won’t so tomorrow I can do the tasks that others can’t’.

We are always encouraging and supporting students to complete the tasks that others won’t, so they are in a stronger position tomorrow. If a student isn’t ready to move into the more challenging tasks, the focus needs to be on laying stronger foundations around the student key behaviours.

I’ll be walking side by side students and doing something every single day that I don’t want to do between now and the Trial Exams (July 31) by be doing over 20,000 burpees. 300 per day and 500 on Fridays. I’m not going to write practice essays, write out syllabus mind maps from memory, or do endless practice exam questions but I’ll do the burpees! As of today I’m up to 4500 so only 15,500 to go. You can follow my journey on my instagram account @hsc_jesseg.

For our Year 12 students we are running pre-trials workshops later this month where I will get students motivated and clear on how they can study effectively for the trials exam room and finish the last three months of their schooling career with no regrets! I have also made myself available for motivation/mindset catch ups with students between 8:30pm and 9:30pm Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings going forward. These calls can be booked via the student/parent portal and run for around 30 minutes.

As always, parents are encouraged to book a call with me to discuss their teen’s journey or ask any questions about the student’s weekly progress report.

Have a great week everyone!

Jesse GardinerHead Performance Coach

Follow me on Instagram for motivation and tips for getting students to finish their HSC with no regrets @hsc_jesseg

The post Jesse’s Weekly Message – 2 June 2023 appeared first on HSC CoWorks.

Jesse’s weekly hsc message 19 May

HSC CoWorks — Thu, 18 May 2023 23:06:07 +0000

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

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Increase Focus, Minimise Distractions

HSC CoWorks — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 23:46:12 +0000

If you’re a teenager, getting the focus and motivation to study for the HSC can be tough. With so many distractions in your life, like Tik Tok, phones, gaming – it’s not easy staying focused.

So how do you stay on top of your HSC studies? Here are some tips to help:

1) Set short-term goals

Break down big tasks into smaller ones that you can easily accomplish. This will keep you motivated and make studying more manageable. By having smaller goals and making incremental progress you will also maintain momentum and avoid feeling overwhelmed before an assessment or exam.

It’s tempting to check social media while studying but try to avoid this as it only slows down progress. Taking regular breaks is fine but try to only give yourself 10 minutes at a time. Studies have shown that it takes 20 minutes to regain your focus after being interrupted by your phone! We recommend leaving your phone in a different room so you are not tempted by buzzing notifications! At CoWorks, students hand in their phones at the front desk so they can maximise their output during the session.

3) Establish boundaries

Let your family and friends know what you’re trying to achieve by setting study goals. They can help you stay focused when studying and provide the motivation and accountability to keep you working through the tasks you need to. Your phone will be there later and how great will it feel catching up on everything after you have put in a solid study session!

4) Get enough sleep

Make sure that you’re getting at least 8-9 hours of sleep each night so you have the energy and concentration to focus on studying for the HSC. When you have low energy and low motivation it is inevitable you will look for any distraction (consciously or not) to take you away from your study.

5) Create a vision board

These are a great tool for staying motivated and engaged with your goals, as it allows you to visualise your successes and focus on the benefits of achieving what you set out to do. Once you have created your vision board, the next step is to stay motivated by engaging with it on a regular basis (at CoWorks, Student Key Behaviour #1 = Engage your Vision!). Take time out of each day to look at it and reflect on why these dreams are important to you. This will help keep them fresh in your mind and motivate you to stay focused on your study rather than constantly checking your phone.

Don’t forget that any progress is good progress – even if it’s just one step at a time! Good luck with your studies!

Our HSC Specialists are ready to take any questions you have about the HSC process or about how your child can take control of their HSC year and achieve the results which they deserve.

Get into contact with us via messaging our live chat or calling us on 1300 967 890.

Check out our previous blog post on how to defeat motivation issues by clicking here.

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The Only Certainty Is Risk

HSC CoWorks — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 23:22:45 +0000

To really get results we need to do something different than what we’re used to doing. This holds true especially when it comes to preparing for exams. Learning how to get out of our own comfort zone can reap huge rewards! Many students practice the same method of exam preparation – write notes and highlight text books. Unfortunately this is not enough to get your ready for unseen questions under exam conditions so it might be time to push your comfort zone with your exam preparation!

In this blog post I’ll discuss some powerful tips and tricks that will help take your studying game from stale to stellar.

Recognise the need to do things differently to see different results

Preparing for an exam is already daunting, so it’s easy to think that sticking to the same preparation routine of writing/memorising notes and highlighting is the key to success. However, this is not necessarily always true. If you want to improve your results, it is important to recognise that you will need to approach your exam prep with a new mindset and do things differently. This may be difficult, especially if getting out of your comfort zone isn’t something you’re used to – but can have a huge impact on the results you achieve.

Identify opportunities to break out of your routine and get creative

Finding new and creative ways to study for an exam can help break you out of the same old routine. Doing things differently can open up exciting opportunities that could make a huge difference in how well you understand and retain information during the exam. Consider exploring how different preparation techniques such as testing your foundational understanding with mindmaps under exam conditions, completing practice exams and getting feedback on your work, or simulating the exam environment from home may affect your outcome. Digging deep into how each option would work for you and understanding why it would be an improvement are important steps to finding the right solution for how to prepare for an exam with creativity.

Explore new study techniques such as flashcards, mindmaps, or teaching a parent/friend

Exam preparation can be a daunting task, but by exploring new study techniques and methods, you may find that it can be easier. Consider trying out study techniques such as flashcards, mindmaps, or hard-wiring foundational content by explaining a topic/text to a parent or friend. At CoWorks we call this “Teach a Coach” and it is a powerful technique in exploring how much a student does or doesn’t know about a topic. By getting out of your comfort zone and trying something new, you are more likely to experience different results.

Seek out a study partner who can help you stay motivated and on track with your studies

It can be so easy to get stuck in the same tiresome routine when it comes to preparing for exams. To improve your chances of success, take the opportunity to seek out a study partner who can help you stay motivated and on track with your studies. Having someone reliable and knowledgeable by your side can provide the support, accountability and encouragement necessary to help you push yourself out of your comfort zone and adopt smarter studying strategies that might just see different results! At HSC CoWorks Year 11 & 12 students work in a collaborative and energetic environment and benefit from working around other students who are pushing their comfort zone and striving to achieve their HSC goals.

Lastly, be sure to reward yourself for your efforts! It is important to remember to take time and reward yourself for pushing out of your comfort zone. Celebrate the small successes – even if it’s just doing something differently than you are used to – as these all add up.

The post The Only Certainty Is Risk appeared first on HSC CoWorks.

Smart? Or Something Else?

HSC CoWorks — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 04:20:38 +0000

Being gifted is a subject of debate.

Some believe that some people are born with certain abilities and talents, while others believe it’s all about the effort one puts in to perfecting those skills. There is no definitive answer as to whether being gifted exists or not, but one thing is for sure: developing resilience and practicing can pay off significantly when it comes to excelling at something.

It might seem like some people have a natural ability when it comes to writing essays, articulating ideas, understanding complicated maths concepts etc, but if you look deeper into it, what’s really going on is hard work and dedication. People who appear naturally talented will have been putting in hard work for a long time in order to achieve the level of success they’ve attained.

It can be easy to look at someone who’s naturally talented or gifted and feel discouraged if you aren’t able to replicate those same results. But remember that even for those “naturally gifted” people, a lot of hard work has gone into what appears like natural ease.

With enough practice and resilience, anyone can become an expert in something they are passionate about. So while there may never be a definitive answer as to whether being gifted exists or not, it’s safe to say that with enough effort and dedication, anyone can become good at essay writing if they put their mind to it!

Our HSC Specialists are ready to take any questions you have about the HSC process or about how your child can take control of their HSC year and achieve the results which they deserve.

Get into contact with us via messaging our live chat or calling us on 1300 967 890.

The post Smart? Or Something Else? appeared first on HSC CoWorks.

What is ‘rescuing’ and why you should avoid it

HSC CoWorks — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 02:15:18 +0000

Developing resilience and a sense of curiosity in students is one of our primary missions at HSC CoWorks!

We encourage students to use the HSC to develop the skill of “Owning it” so that they can ultimately take responsibility for their own success, including the challenges and obstacles which will inevitably occur along the way.

Watch the video below for more on how you as a parent can encourage this behaviour.

HSC CoWorks provides HSC support for students across our Mosman, Bondi Junction, Chatswood, and Dee Why locations. We are also able to provide support to students across NSW virtually!

Our Navigating the HSC series provides parents and students with the knowledge they need to navigate their way through the HSC.

The post What is ‘rescuing’ and why you should avoid it appeared first on HSC CoWorks.

Navigating the HSC Archives - HSC CoWorks

Jesse’s Weekly Message – 16 June

Jesse’s Weekly Message – 9 June

10 Tips for HSC Exam Preparation

WATCH MORE OF JESSE’S VIDEOS

Effective Note Taking Strategies for HSC students

Jesse’s Weekly Message – 2 June 2023

Jesse’s weekly hsc message 19 May

Increase Focus, Minimise Distractions

1) Set short-term goals

2) Avoid multitasking

3) Establish boundaries

4) Get enough sleep

5) Create a vision board

The Only Certainty Is Risk

Recognise the need to do things differently to see different results

Identify opportunities to break out of your routine and get creative

Explore new study techniques such as flashcards, mindmaps, or teaching a parent/friend

Seek out a study partner who can help you stay motivated and on track with your studies

Smart? Or Something Else?

What is ‘rescuing’ and why you should avoid it