I’ve got good news and bad news: We are only a few short weeks out from the HSC Exams. That’s the bad news. But here’s the good news! We’re going to show you how to create a killer HSC Study Plan in 3 simple steps!
Ready to dive in? Let’s go!
Step 1: Make Your 30-Day HSC Subject To Do List
Grab a piece of paper, write the name of one of your subjects at the top and the goal mark you want to get in that subject next to it. Now you need to write down everything you want to do to study for that subject between now and your HSC exam.
This might include finalising study notes, revising on challenge areas, working on practice essays, practice short answer and multiple choice questions and past papers. Once you’ve got your list of tasks to do, you want to schedule them into the time you’ve got between now and the exam.
Divide your page into columns representing each week you’ve got between now and the exam, and plan what tasks you’re going to do when. As a guide, it’s best to get study notes and revision done earlier, and do your practice questions, essays and past papers closer to the exam.
Now, simply rinse and repeat for each of your HSC subjects! To help you do this, here’s a free planner and calendar for you to use while mapping your to-dos and for Step 2!
Step 2: Study in Reverse
Now you know exactly what you need to do and when it’s time to Study in Reverse.
Studying in reverse means studying for your last exam first, your second last exam second, and your first exam last. Sounds confusing, but there’s a reason for it.
Studying in reverse means you don’t put all your effort into your first exam and then run out of time and effort for the next four or five exams!
To study in reverse, grab your epic to do list and a calendar, and schedule your to-dos for your last exam first, then your second last exam, and so on. Now you’ve got an epic calendar, post it on your wall so you can see it every single day. This is key for keeping yourself accountable to your study schedule!
Don’t forget to download your free HSC Exam planner which will make this step a lot easier for you!
Now you’re ready for Step 3!
Step 3: Use the Rule of Three
The Rule of Three is the best strategy to use when you’re doing practice questions and past papers.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1 : Under timed conditions, do your question or past paper with an open book (or open study notes).
Step 2: Take 5 percent less time to do it this time, and only look at your notes when you absolutely can’t remember something!
Step 3 : Take 10 percent less time to do it now, and go closed book!
And there you go, you’ve got all the tools you’ll need to create a killer HSC study plan!
By Rowan Kunz, HSC Study Expert and Founder of Art of Smart