Balgowlah HSC Coach Angus returned from a University Exchange in Sweden recently and has very kindly shared his experience and some photos below.

University Exchanges have boomed in popularity over the past 3-4 years and we absolutely love hearing the stories, adventures and growth that our Coaches go through during the experience.

If you are a HSC student or University student considering an exchange this article is for you!

Why Choose Lund?

When I first started looking into exchange, I was set on going somewhere in Scandinavia. I originally looked at Copenhagen and spoke to someone who had done exchange there. Her feedback was that because it’s a larger city, the experience can be quite independent, and at times a bit isolating. She actually recommended Lund instead and put me in touch with someone she knew there. After speaking to him and doing a bit more research, it was pretty clear Lund was exactly what I was looking for: a more social, close-knit environment where it’s really easy to meet people.

How was it?

Without exaggeration, it was the time of my life. The exchange itself was around 5 months, but I did the classic “Euro Summer” with mates beforehand, then went straight into exchange, so stayed for a total of 7 months. During these 7 months, I visited 21 countries and 42 cities and had some of the most amazing experiences.

Because Lund is a smaller university town, there are heaps of international students all in the same position, which made it really easy to meet people. One of the best parts of Lund is the “nations” system. These are essentially student-run clubs that host events throughout the week. Everything from casual lunches and study spaces to themed nights, Swedish dinners, balls and socials. There’s always something on, which makes it really easy to meet people and get involved without overthinking it. I also took part in “Novische Week” at the start of semester, which is like an introduction week for new students. It was a mix of events, games and socials, and it made settling in and meeting people early on a lot easier. By the end of exchange, I had friends from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.

Subjects on exchange are also Pass/Fail, so while you still need to stay on top of your work, there’s a lot more flexibility. That made it possible to travel pretty much every second weekend, which is a big part of what makes the experience so good.

Day-to-day life was a mix of studying, socialising and planning the next trip. You’re constantly surrounded by people who are also new, which makes it easy to build friendships quickly. At the same time, you’re figuring out everything yourself from travel logistics to budgeting to just managing your time. It’s a pretty steep learning curve, but that’s what makes it rewarding.

What were the Pivotal Moments?

• Ran with the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain
• Jumped off the Mostar Bridge in Bosnia (25 metres)
• Hitchhiked through Albania
• Hiked to the peak of Montenegro from a small town called Zablijak – also where I happened to meet my current girlfriend.
• Went to a festival in Malta
• Attended Oktoberfest in Munich
• Saw the Northern Lights in Lapland
• Hiked through the Lofoten Archipelago in Norway
• Skied in Northern Sweden
• Travelled to Lithuania for a weekend on a $30 flight.

What is your Advice for anyone considering a University Exchange?

You realise how many different paths people are on and how much bigger things are outside your immediate environment. It makes you more open-minded and a lot more comfortable with uncertainty.

For anyone in the HSC right now, it probably feels like everything revolves around marks and exams. But opportunities like this are a direct result of the work you’re putting in now. Getting into uni and saying yes to things early on is what opens doors like exchange later.

If I had to give one piece of advice, it would be to stay open. Work hard now, but don’t lock yourself into one rigid path too early. Take opportunities when they come, even if they’re outside of your comfort zone. That’s usually where the best experiences are.

Thank you Angus for sharing your experience! If you have any other questions about University Exchanges or moving interstate for University, jump on the Ask a Coach every Monday and Thursday and chat with our fabulous team of coaches!

Sarah Gardiner

Business Manager HSC CoWorks

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We’re at the halfway point of the HSC journey and most students don’t realise it until someone puts it in front of them.

That’s exactly what happened on our latest Instagram LIVE, where Head Performance Coach Jesse sat down with virtual coaches Emily and Ben (both living their best lives studying at interstae universities) to talk honestly about what it takes to finish the HSC strong.

Here’s what came out of it.

The Trials Are Closer Than You Think

If you’re in Year 12, Jesse’s message was simple: start behaving like the Trials are two weeks away because in the grand scheme of things, they are.

Staying on top of what you’re learning right now isn’t enough. The trap most students fall into is thinking that because they’ve kept up with their homework and attended their sessions, they’re prepared. But when Trials arrive and the exam covers everything (Term 1, Term 2, last year) that’s when panic sets in.

The fix? Start weaving in revision of older content now, alongside what you’re currently learning. Don’t wait until the holidays before Trials to discover how much you’ve forgotten.

Attack Your Frogs First

At HSC CoWorks, we talk a lot about eating frogs i.e. doing the task you least want to do, first.

When it comes to prioritising your subjects, ask yourself one question: if I had to sit this exam tomorrow, which subject would I be least okay with? Start there. Give it more time. Don’t ignore your stronger subjects, but don’t use them as an excuse to avoid the hard ones either.

Frogs don’t get easier the longer you leave them. They just get bigger.

Year 11: The Race Has Already Started

For Year 11 students, the message is just as important. Did you know that 30% of the HSC Maths exam is Year 11 content? The habits you build now including how you study, how long you can focus, which techniques actually work for you, are the foundation everything else is built on.

You don’t want to be figuring out how to study effectively in the middle of Year 12. Work that out now, so that when October rolls around, you already know exactly what to do.

The climb up Mount HSC didn’t start on Day 1 of Year 12. It started a long time ago. The good news? Every bit of consistent effort you put in now is going to count and there are no shortcuts worth taking.

If you’ve got questions or want to talk it through, jump into an Ask a Coach session. Ben, Emily, and the rest of the team are ready when you are.

You can also watch the full recorded episode of our Instagram LIVE with Jesse, Emily and Ben below.

Sarah Gardiner

Business Manager HSC CoWorks

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Year 11:
This is your opportunity to get early exposure to Term 2 content and start building the habits that will define your Year 12 success.

The goal isn’t perfection, it’s momentum.

3 Smart Strategies for your April School Holidays

1. Prioritise Active Revision (Not Passive Study)

One of the biggest mistakes students make is confusing time spent studying with effective study.

Re-reading notes. Highlighting textbooks. Watching videos. It feels productive but this can’t make up the bulk of your study time.

Instead, focus on active recall:

• Practice questions
• Mind maps (from memory)
• Self-testing without notes
• Quote recall

This is how you train your brain, not just expose it to information. You quickly identify gaps before new content begins so you’re not building on shaky foundations.

At first, it might feel uncomfortable. That’s great! Stepping out of your Comfort Zone is where growth happens. When you walk into class already recognising concepts, the lesson moves from confusion to reinforcement of what you have already seen and that’s a huge advantage.

3. Build Momentum with Short, Structured Study Sessions

The goal over the holidays is not burnout, it’s consistency. Start your holidays with a complete break over the Easter weekend. Relax, forget about your studies and enjoy those Easter Eggs!

Too long a break however, will make it much harder to re-start (just think about what it’s like trying to get back to the gym after a week off!)… 

For the remainder of the holidays,;

• Study in short, focused sessions (60–90 minutes).
• Aim for consistency across the week.
• Prioritise quality over quantity.
• Attend your CoWorks sessions, book ZAE and submit practice work for marking.

Before each study session, take 5 minutes to plan your time:

• What are my “frog” tasks? (The things I have been avoiding)
• What are my high-impact tasks? (The tasks most likely to generate confidence and results)
• How long will each task take?

The students who use the April holidays well don’t just return to school prepared. They are more confident, less stressed and in control of their workload.

Sarah Gardiner

Business Manager HSC CoWorks

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When a student can see where they are heading, putting in the hard work to get there makes sense.

Instead of thinking:

“Why do I have to study this?”

They start thinking:

“This is helping me get where I want to go.”

At CoWorks, we call this Engaging Your Vision.

Students who regularly connect with their vision naturally develop more energy, focus and determination. Without a vision, motivation quickly fades.

For example, instead of thinking:

“I should probably study English.”

An organised student will:

• Complete one mind map from memory

• Review 10 flashcards

• Rewrite one paragraph of an essay

Small, clear actions create momentum.

And momentum maintains motivation.

3. Daily Progress

One of the most powerful drivers of motivation is progress.

When students feel like they are improving, their confidence grows. And when confidence grows, motivation follows.

Students who train their brain daily often start noticing things like:

• They remember more in class

• Their essays improve

• Tests become easier

• Teachers recognise their effort

Each small win reinforces the belief:

“This is working.”

And that belief fuels more effort and maintains motivation.

When these three things are in place, a clear vision, a clear plan, and consistent daily progress, motivation becomes much easier.

Students stop waiting to feel inspired.

Instead, they begin moving forward.

And as they start to see progress in their work, something amazing happens: their confidence grows, their effort increases, and the cycle of improvement and ongoing motivation begins!

Sarah Gardiner

Business Manager HSC CoWorks

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A content first student:

Starts reading and highlighting the textbook and ends up with pages of notes.

A syllabus-first student:

1. Breaks the dot point down

• nature of the Nazi regime

• impact on life in Germany

2. Asks the key questions

• What does “nature” mean? 

• What does “impact” refer to?

3. Builds notes specifically to answer the syllabus

This keeps notes short, relevant and exam-ready.

4. Links evidence directly to syllabus verbs

If the syllabus says investigate, the student should:

• explain

• analyse

• show cause and effect

• support with evidence

And when an exam question appears:

“Assess the extent to which Nazi ideology shaped everyday life in Germany.”

A syllabus-driven student immediately recognises:
✔︎ This is directly tied to “nature and impact”
✔︎ They already have a structure
✔︎ They have specific examples ready

Success begins by understanding the journey before walking it.

If every Year 11 and 12 student spent just 10 minutes per week revisiting the syllabus for each of their subjects, they would feel more in control, be reminded of what’s important, have greater productivity with their study time and ultimately perform better in assessments.

Sarah Gardiner

Business Manager HSC CoWorks

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Mindmaps & Flashcards from memory, allowing students to engage with their topics and texts via active recall, not just passive note taking. 

All of these tasks are challenging by design but they’re always manageable and they ensure that CoWorks students can;

• deal with uncertainty

• recover quickly

• grow from mistakes

• stay calm under pressure

• adapt when things get difficult

Why Discomfort Builds Confidence

Most teens believe confidence comes after they feel ready but in reality, confidence grows from trying before they’re ready.

Every time a student:

• takes on a question they think they’ll get wrong

• pushes through a timed task

• explains an idea even when unsure

…their brain learns a powerful lesson:

“I can do hard things.”

Those small wins accumulate into a self-belief that can’t be taught and a belief that lasts well past the HSC.

Growth doesn’t come from staying comfortable. It comes from small, repeated moments of courage. When students learn to embrace feeling uncomfortable; how to start before their ready; and to be okay with making mistakes.. they don’t just become stronger HSC performers, they become stronger young adults.

Sarah Gardiner

Business Manager HSC CoWorks

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Mind mapping by hand allows you to actively recall key ideas before reinforcing them digitally and so we recommend integrating the following daily habit into your study routine:

• Spend 10 minutes each day creating a mind map from memory on one topic. 
• Then, jump into the flashcard game to test and reinforce what you just mapped. 

Why This Matters

At the top of Mount HSC, it’s not about who worked the hardest the night before the exam, it’s about who trained consistently all year long. Spaced repetition with our AI flashcard game plus mind mapping gives students the structure to do exactly that in small manageable amounts each day. 

Your brain learns best when it’s challenged (through active recall), revisited often (through spaced repetition tasks), and given time to consolidate (by engaging in these habits proactively and consistently, not just the weeks before an exam).

Study smarter, not just harder.

Sarah Gardiner

Business Manager HSC CoWorks

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